Aurangzeb had no issues with surprises, but what next?
was his realistic question. Shaistekhan left for Bengal in December 1663, and in January 1664, Shivaji plundered Surat. If Afzal episode gave Shivaji a pan-Indian popularity, this task of looting Surat made him an international celebrity where he was discussed in all the Muslim and a substantial part of the Christian world. With this act he formally declared war on Aurangzeb.