Maratha–Portuguese War (1683–1684)

The Maratha–Portuguese War of 1683–1684 or Sambhaji's Invasion refers to the Maratha invasion of the Portuguese-controlled portions of Goa and Bombay areas of Konkan. The conflict between the Mahratta Confederacy and the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay; continued on various fronts in between 1683 and 1684.

The Portuguese had maintained relations with the Marathas under Shivaji, in order to check the Deccan Sultanates. In 1682, two years after the death of Shivaji, Sambhaji started arming & fortifying the border along Portuguese territories. The concerned Portuguese then aligned themselves with the Moghals.

Their concern materialised in a series of Maratha raids on Goa, Bombay & other parts of the Konkan region. Sambhaji invaded Goa, temporarily occupied many forts, ports & razed villages there. His forces pillaged Salcette and Bardes in South Konkan for 26 days, burned down villages, destroyed churches, raped Konkani women, captured men and women as slaves, and sold them to Arabs and the Dutch later on. Sambhaji also plundered or ransacked places of North Konkan near Bombay, he besieged the fortresses of Chaul, Damaon & Bassein (Vasai) in the north. The Maratha forces were preemptively mobilised, and the Portuguese situation eventually became dire. Sambhaji had intended to capture the city of Old Goa, but the violence ceased, his forces retreated from most Portuguese lands in the Konkan, on 2 January 1684, to avoid the large Moghal army led by Shah Alam I (Muazzam).

The Desais of Sawantwadi rebelled and sided with the Portuguese in the conflict, as they were forced to give up their political privileges due to Maratha supremacy. According to the Portuguese: This was the first time when the British, secretly aided the enemy, by providing the Mahrattas with weapons, artillery & munitions.