Maharaja Chhatrasal (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731), was a medieval warrior from the Bundela Rajput clan, who fought against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and established his own kingdom in Bundelkhand, becoming the founder of Panna State.
Inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji's advice Chhatrasal raised the banner of revolt against the Mughals in Bundelkhand at the age of 22, with an army of 5 horsemen and 25 swordsmen, in 1671. During the first ten years of his revolt he conquered a large tract of land between Chitrakoot and Panna on the east and Gwalior on the west. His domains stretched from Kalpi in the north to Sagar, Garah Kota and Damoh in the south. Some of the Mughal generals who were defeated by him were Rohilla Khan, Kaliq, Munawwar Khan, Sadruddin, Sheikh Anwar, Sayyid Latif, Bahlol Khan and Abdus Ahmed etc.
Chhatrasal captured Mahoba in 1680. In the second phase of his struggle between 1681 and 1707, Chhatrasal suffered a few reverses.
The Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I's second wife Mastani was Chhatrasal's daughter. In his book Mastani, the historian D. G. Godse states that the relationship between Chhatrasal and Baji Rao I was like that of father and son.
Before his death on the 20 December 1731, Chhatrasal bequeathed Mahoba and the surrounding area to Baji Rao I in return for Baji Rao's assistance against the Mughals.
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