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Netaji Palkar
नेताजी पालकर
The first Sarnaubat of the Marathas — the terror of the Mughals
Years
c. 17th c. CE
Known as
The first commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces
Birthplace
Maharashtra
Field
Kings & Strategists
“The Mughal is a lion at court — but a deer in the field.”
— The spirit of Netaji Palkar
The Story
A childhood friend and early comrade of Shivaji, Netaji Palkar rose to become the first Sarnaubat, the commander-in-chief of the young Maratha state. He led the Maratha cavalry on the daring campaigns that carried Shivaji's name into the territories of the Mughal empire, raiding and defeating the Mughal detachments that threatened the new kingdom.
His fame grew so great that the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who had captured Shivaji briefly in 1666, tried to win the commander away from his master: the Mughals captured Palkar and, by a mixture of pressure and temptation, induced him to accept Mughal service and even a nominal conversion — a chapter of his life that the Maratha histories record with sorrow.
According to the tradition, the remorseful Palkar later returned to the Maratha side, repented, and was received back by Shivaji's successors, serving the kingdom again in its wars. His story — of the great commander who fell and rose again — is told as both a warning and a redemption in the Maratha annals.
Core Ideas
The First Sarnaubat
The first commander-in-chief of the Marathas.
The Raider of the Mughals
His cavalry carried terror to the empire.
The Capture
The Mughals lured him into service.
The Return
He came back to the Maratha side in the end.
The Dramatic Life
Glory, fall, and redemption in one story.
Why it matters today
Netaji Palkar is remembered in Maratha history as the first sword of the new kingdom — the commander who set the pattern of Maratha cavalry warfare. His story is told in Maharashtra as a lesson in glory, temptation, and return.