SWEETBOX HYPE
The 330-year-old belief that Shivaji escaped from the confinement at Agra by hiding inside a big sweetbox (called petara in Marathi), is just a hype! This story does not have any historical proof and also it does not seem possible. The impossiblity of this sweetbox escape has been stated by senior historical researchers like Shri Setumadhavrao Pagadi.
The currently accepted (and accepted for the last 330 years!) story of Shivaji's escape from Agra is as follows:
After reaching Agra, Shivaji sent message of his arrival to Mirzaraja Jaisingh's elder son, Ramsingh. The next day, on 12 May 1666, Ramsingh took Shivaji, Sambhaji and his men to the darbar of Aurangzeb. In the emperor's audience, Shivaji was made to stand behind Jaswantsingh, a mansabdar of Aurangzeb, who had been defeated at the hands of Shivaji!. Due to this, Shivaji got angry and left the darbar without talking to Aurangzeb.
Several events followed in the next few days and finally, Aurangzeb ordered Shivaji to be kept under house arrest on 29 May!
Shivaji became "ill", and consulted many doctors for medicines. He also started distributing sweets (Mithai in Marathi) to several holy men of Hindu as well as Islamic faith on Thursdays. Large quantities of many sweets were distributed through big wooden sweet boxes regularly. Two or four helpers used to carry the sweet boxes from Shivaji's residence to the recepients outside the residence and the Agra city.

On 17 August 1666, Shivaji made himself comfortable in one of the sweet boxes, put Sambhaji in another one, and ordered his men to carry them out of Agra city. The Moghul armymen guarding Shivaji's residence were used to the sweet boxes traffic every day, and therefore, did not check these boxes. Shivaji and Sambhaji were transported to the outskirts of Agra safely, where they mounted pre-arranged horses and quickly rode towards Mathura, a pilgrim destination north of Agra, along with selected trustworthy personnel. At Mathura, Shivaji kept young Sambhaji in the care of one known Brahmin family, who took Sambhaji to the Deccan several months later. Shivaji himself, along with 4-5 people, left Mathura in the costume of a Sadhu, went to Varanasi(Allahabad), then turned southward to the kingdom of Govalkonda and thence to his own kingdom and capital fort Rajgad. He reached Rajgad in September 1666, travelling more than 2000 kilometers in 25 days!
This is the currently accepted hypothesis!

There are several practical reasons for not using the sweetbox for escaping from the imprisonment at Agra.
1. Firstly, it is very inconvenient to sit inside a sweetbox for a grown-up person. He cannot carry a weapon like sword inside the box. Hence it is very dangerous for a person like Shivaji. He is totally at the mercy of the outside people.
2. Shivaji was residing in one of the big buildings (mansion)owned by Jaisingh. Since he was under house arrest, many people (as many as 1000 on the mansion premises!), were guarding the house. The sweetbox had to cross at least 5 to 6 check points to go out of the building premises. The probability of one sweetbox being checked is very high. Any given sweet box will surely be checked at least once before leaving the premises.
3. It is impractical and highly risky for both Shivaji and Sambhaji to leave the house using a single mode, methodology. If one gets caught both will be punished. Shivaji has not taken such high risks in his life. He always ensured safety in all his adventures. Even today, a lot of rich personalities travel separately from their family members. Sayajirao Gaikwad, the great monarch of Baroda (Vadodara), Gujarat, used to do this.
4. In various original sources on the historical event, there is discord in the recorded date of Shivaji's escape. However, from the Akhabars (daily news bulletin) of Aurangzeb's darbar, it is very clear that the absence of Shivaji was discovered on 18th August 1666 morning.
5. It is noted that the sweets were distributed on Thursdays. 17th August 1666 was a Friday! Therefore, Shivaji should move out on 16th August, a Thursday. Thus, the hypothesis that he escaped on 17th August does not hold.

9. Shivaji reached Agra in about two months, discounting for a week's stay at Aurangabad. While going there he had eight elephants and also palkhis (palanquins) for himself and his officers. While coming back at a fast pace he may take about one and a half month to complete the journey. "Delhi is two months away" has been noted in one of the Marathi bakhars!
10. Some historians say that Shivaji escaped in the guise of a bhoi (carrier of the sweet box). But, the sudden appearence of a new bhoi will be noticed by the guards. And also, the personality of Shivaji was a grand one. "When one looks at him one immediately knows that he must be a king" - this is noted in one of the Rajasthani letters written by Jaisingh's men!

Thus, the currently accepted sweetbox escape story is just a hype!!

It is now appropriate to ask how Shivaji escaped from the clutches of Aurangzeb? He did escape. That is a fact! Shivaji made new history after returning to the Deccan!! The answer is in the following pages.