In a country that was ruled by the Mughals in the north and the Deccan sultanates in the south, Shivaji Bhonsale, a jagirdar's son began at the age of 16 to bring down a 200 year old empire with a handful of soldiers. Practicers of Ganimi kava or Shiva sutra, Shivaji's army overcame its small size by fierce war strategies ΓÇô taking the enemy by surprise. At the army's head was its chief intelligence officer, Bahirji Naik, a tribal warrior who was chosen to lead by Shivaji himself. Bahirji Naik, the master of disguises has managed to silently sink into the pages of history, but traces of his genius can be seen in the way the Adil Shahi empire was bought down by 300 odd men, how Lal Mahal was recaptured from the ruthless Aurangazeb's army and how the drying coffers of the Maratha empire was replenished by the capture of Surat. Expert Ninad Bedekar, a historian who specializes in Maratha history is also an orator and a writer, Bedekar is well versed with documents from Shivaji's period and is actively involved in protecting the various monuments of India. Dr Sonali Pednekar is the HOD of the History Department in Vaze college, Mulund. Her area of specialization is Maratha history.