Where was Chhatrapati Shivaji's secret weapon kept?The main weapon of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great warrior who founded the maratha Empire, was Vaghnakh. Vaghnakh was a weapon worn in the hand which was like a tiger's claw. The story of this weapon is related to afzal khan, the general of Bijapur Sultan's army. shivaji killed afzal khan using this weapon during the Pratapgarh war in the year 1659.Last year, Vaghnakh was put on display in a museum in Satara district of Maharashtra. This Vaghnakh was taken from the victoria and Albert Museum in London. In the year 2023, an agreement was signed between the government of india and these two museums, under which the way was cleared for the return of this weapon of shivaji to India.When the Vaghnakh was kept in the museum of Satara, the then chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy cm Devendra Fadnavis, ajit pawar and people of Satara royal family were present. Vaghnakh was kept in a bulletproof cover amid tight security. According to the information given at that time, this Vaghnakh will be kept in the Satara Museum for 7 months, after that it will be kept in nagpur and Kolhapur for 9 months. From thereit will be given to the mumbai Museum.However, there was a little controversy regarding this Vaghnakh. Historian and writer Indrajit Sawant claims that the real Vaghnakh is already present in Satara. The one brought from london is just a replica. But at that time, Indrajit Sawant's claim was questioned by the ruling party saying that he is associated with the opposition alliance Mahavikas Aghadi.How Chhatrapati Shivaji used Vaghnakh?To strengthen his position in the Konkan region and continue military campaigns, Chhatrapati shivaji Maharaj had to data-face afzal khan, the commander of Bijapur. afzal khan proposed to resolve the matter peacefully, but shivaji Maharaj feared danger, so he arrived at the meeting fully prepared. shivaji Maharaj wore chainmail (armor made of small metal rings) under his dress and hid a weapon called Vaghnakh. Wagh Nakh was a secret weapon consisting of four or five sharp curved blades attached to a band, which are worn on the fingers.During the encounter, when afzal khan tried to strangle shivaji Maharaj, shivaji Maharaj attacked afzal khan with Vaghnakh, killing him and giving shivaji Maharaj a decisive victory. After this incident, Wagh Nakh became an important weapon in the history of Maharashtra.
