(Redirected from Shivaji Bhonslé)
'Shivaji Maharaj'| 'Birth name:' | Shivaji Bhosle |
| 'Title:' | Emperor and High Protector of the Maratha Empire |
| 'Birth:' | February 19, 1627 |
| 'Birthplace:' | Shivneri Fort near Pune, India |
| 'Death:' | April 3, 1680 |
| 'Succeeded by:' | Sambhaji |
| 'Marriage:' | Saibai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Kashibai, Sagunabai, Manjulabai |
| 'Children:' | Sambhaji, Rajaram, and three daughters |
'Shivaji Bhosle', also known as 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle' (
Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजी राजे भोसले) (
February 19,
1627 to
March 4,
1680) was the founder of
Maratha empire in western
India in
1674.
Using
guerrilla tactics superbly suited to the rugged mountains and valleys of the region, he annexed a portion of the then dominant
Mughal empire. He is considered a great hero in India particularly in the present-day state of
Maharashtra, and stories of his exploits have entered into
folklore.
Guru Aurobindo declared of violent resistance of the British colonialists, ‘''sword of the warrior is as necessary to the fulfilment of justice and righteousness as the holiness of the saint. Ramdas is not complete without Shivaji''’.
[1]
Family background
A statue of Hindu goddess
Bhavani giving the sword to Shivaji
Shivaji started his rise to power in what is now the state of
Maharashtra in the
Deccan, close to the power centres of South-Central India.
The land of
Maharashtra was ruled by a local dynasty, the
Satavahanas from 300 BC to 230 AD. After which, it constantly swayed into many different kingdoms.
In
1292,
Ala-ud-din Khilji defeated the
Yadavas of Devagiri, but the Yadavas continued to rule till 1310. But a branch of the Yadavas ruled parts of
Konkan and
Khandesh regions for a century. While the Maratha capital fell to invaders, the regional lords held their sway.
In
1453, an invasion of
Bahamani in the region of
Vishalgarh resulted in a defeat. Over time, an understanding evolved between the sultanates, regional lords and their erstwhile master Yadavas. The Yadavas became a vassal of Bahamani. In 1492, the Bahamani
sultanate broke into five kingdoms called ''Shahi''.
Shivneri fort, Junnar
In 1565, the allied
Deccan sultanates had vanquished the
Vijayanagara Empire at
Talikota. By the time Shivaji began his military career, power in the region was shared by three
Sultanates -
Bijapur,
Ahmednagar, and
Golconda. Most of the
Marathas continued as the
noblemen of the Sultanates. Indeed, the sultanates engaged in a continuous game of mutual alliances and aggressions.
Like his ancestors, Shahaji was a major player in the Mughal Wars. At that time, Shahaji played the role of a
regent for the young
Nizam. Together with the prime minister of Nizamshah, Malik Amber, he put up a stiff resistance to the advancing forces of the Mughal emperor and defeated them. However, tired of the unsettled conditions, Shahaji Raje left Nizamshah's service and joined Adilshah of Bijapur, who gave him the title of 'Sar Lashkar'
[2]. Emperor
Shah Jahan again attacked the Kingdom of Nizamshah. At this critical hour, Shahaji Raje returned to the service of Nizamshah. Meanwhile Lakhuji Jadavrao was murdered. Shahaji raised the banner of independence.
Early life
It was during this period that Shivaji was born. Thus he was born in independent country as it was declared by his father. Perhaps, that was the reason for his life long fight for independence. The actual date of Shivaji's birth was under controversy but now settled on date as 19 February 1627. He was born in
Shivneri Fort,
Junnar, 60 kilometres north of
Pune and about 100 kilometres east of
Mumbai. He was named Shiva, after the local Goddess Shivai, to whom his mother
Jijabai had prayed for a son. Jijabai had several other sons before Shivaji who did not survive, except for Sambhaji who was with Shahaji in the South.
Shahaji attempted to build on the ruins of the
Nizamshahi kingdom of
Ahmednagar, but was defeated by a combined force of the Mughals and Adilshah in
1636. He was forced to leave the region around
Pune. He was inducted by
Adilshah of Bijapur and was offered a distant
jagir at present-day
Bangalore. But he was allowed to keep his old land tenures and holdings in Pune.
Foundation of empire
Shivaji with Jijamata
Under these circumstances, Shahaji appointed the young Shivaji under the care of his mother Jijabai to manage the Pune holdings. A small council of ministers was appointed to assist Shivaji in the administration which included Shamrao Nilkanth as
Peshwa, Balkrishna Pant as ''Muzumdar'', Raghunath Ballal as ''Sabnis'' and Sonopant as ''Dabir''. Apart from these ministers, military commanders Kanhoji Jedhe and Baji Pasalkar were appointed to look after Shivaji's training.
Dadoji Kondadev was appointed to look over his overall training. Under such conditions, Shivaji took the oath of
swarajya at the temple of
Raireshwar assuming administrative responsibility in
1644. Shahaji got
Lal Mahal built at
Pune. A
royal seal was handed over to Shivaji which reads in
Sanskrit: "This is the royal seal of Shivaji, son of Shahaji. This royal seal is for welfare of people. This seal (the rule of the seal) will grow like the new moon grows." Thus Shivaji started his career as an independent young prince of a small kingdom on a mission. After Shahaji died Shivaji used the title of ''Raja'' (king).
Thus his parents made an indelible imprint on his impressionable mind. Shahaji's failed attempts at political independence, his exceptional military capabilities and achievements, his knowledge of
Sanskrit,
Hindu ethos and
patronage of the arts, his war strategies and peacetime diplomacy, all have inspired him. His mother, having lost her father and three brothers to a plot hatched by the
Nizamshah, had enough bitter experience of wayward and callous alien rule to instill in Shivaji a natural love for self-determination and aversion to external political domination. Her piety and commitment to indigenous culture made him peerless (as confirmed by even otherwise inimical chroniclers,
Khafi Khan especially) in his tolerant attitude towards other
religions and treatment of women and non-combatants.
Shahaji's vision,
Jijabai's motivation, and the able training by military commanders such as
Gomaji Naik,
Baji Pasalkar were the greatest influences which groomed Shivaji into a brave and fearless military leader as well as a responsible administrator. Young Shivaji, the prodigy that he was, wasted no time in applying what he had learned.
Confrontation with the local Sultanates
At the age of 19 he carried out his first military action by capturing
Torna fort of the Bijapur kingdom, in
1646. By
1647 he had captured
Kondana and
Rajgad forts and had complete control of the
Pune region.
By
1659 Shivaji had captured forts in the
Western Ghats and along the
Konkan coast. In a bid to sabotage this move of the Marathas, Adilshah had
Shahaji arrested by deceitful means, and sending one army against Sambhaji, Shivaji's elder brother at
Banglore (with
Farradkhan at its head) and another against Shivaji at
Purandhar (with
Fattekhan at its head). However both brothers defeated the invading armies securing the release of their father. Later, Sambhaji was treacherously killed by
Afzal Khan, Bijapur's finest general, in the siege of
Kanakgiri. Afzal Khan was then sent to destroy Shivaji, in an effort to put down what was seen by Bijapur as a revolt.
Battle of Pratapgarh
Main articles: Battle of Pratapgarh
Shivaji vanquished Afzal Khan in the
battle of Pratapgarh which was fought on
November 30,
1659. This feat made Shivaji the hero of Maratha folklore and legend. All contemporary powers of the Indian subcontinent were shocked with the outcome of the battle. Immediately after the battle, Shivaji in the brilliant moves of cavalry conquered the area right up to the Panhala fort stretching over 200 km.
In the war of
Panhalgarh, a
Pashtun army was decimated by the
Marathas, who killed thousands of Pashtuns. This crushing defeat of the Muslims in the
Deccan raised the confidence of the Hindus across India.
Battle of Kolhapur
Main articles: Battle of Kolhapur
To counter the loss at Pratapgad, another army of over 10,000 was sent against Shivaji, commanded by Bijapuri general Rustemjaman. With 5000 cavalry, Shivaji attacked them near
Kolhapur on 28 December,
1659. In a swift movement, Shivaji lead an attack at the center of the enemy forces while other two portions of his cavalry attacked the flanks. In a pitched battle, the enemy was crushed and Rustemjaman fled.
Battle of Pavan Khind
Main articles: Battle of Vishalgarh
In the battle of Panhala Raja, Shivaji escaped through this pass
In
1660, Adil Shah sent Siddi Johar - an
Abyssinian general of repute. At that time Shivaji was camped at the fort
Panhala, near present day
Kolhapur, on the borders of his dominion. Siddi Johar's large and intimidating army camped near
Panhala, cutting off supply routes to the fort. Shivaji, in a bold move, decided to escape to a nearby fort
Vishaalgad, where he could regroup his soldiers to fight a decisive battle. He sent misleading messages to Siddi Johar that he was willing to negotiate. With the Adilshahi soldiers slightly relaxed, Shivaji escaped on a stormy night. However, Johar's soldiers captured a small group of the Marathas apparently including Shivaji, only to realize he was a look-alike dressed like Shivaji sent out to create a diversion and facilitate the real king's escape. But it did not take much time for Siddi Johar's soldiers to figure out where Shivaji was going. A large army, in hot pursuit of Shivaji might have easily captured him had they caught up. In a last minute rear-guard defensive move,
Baji Prabhu Deshpande, a brave Sardar along with 300 soldiers, volunteered to hold back the enemy at Ghod Khind. In the resulting
battle of Pavan Khind, Baji Prabhu fought aggressively, at times with
swords in both hands. He was fatally injured but he gave up his life only after hearing
cannon fire from Vishaalgad, signalling Shivaji had reached safely at Vishalgad.
Panhala was surrendered to Siddi Johar. After this scuffle, a truce was made between Shivaji and Adilshahi through Shahaji acknowledging the independence of Shivaji. This remained the situation until the death of Shahaji, when Shivaji was free to deal with the Mughals. Thus the
Marathas became a power to reckon with. Ghod Khind (''khind'' = "narrow pass in mountainous terrain") was renamed Pavan Khind (Sacred Pass) in honor of the soldiers that selflessly fought and died to save their king.
== Clash with the
Mughals ==
With the death of Muhammad Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur,
Aurangzeb and his
amir Mir Jumla began to take over the Adil Shahi holdings. In 1657 Aurangzeb attacked Golconda and Bijapur. Shivaji, using guerrilla tactics, took control of three Bijapuri forts formerly controlled by his father. With these victories, Shivaji assumed defacto leadership of many independent Maratha clans. He was bequeathed the sobriquet of "mountain-rat (pahadi chuha)" by his opponents for his frequent
guerilla-style raids. The Marathas harried the flanks of the warring Bijapuris and Mughals, gaining weapons, forts, and territories. During the war of succession, Shivaji's small and ill-equipped army survived an all out Bijapuri attack, and Shivaji mortally wounded the Bijapuri general, Afzul Khan after the general had, in another famous act of treachery, attempted to stab Shivaji in the back in an unarmed meeting between the two leaders. With this event, the Marathas transformed into a powerful military force, capturing more and more Bijapuri and Mughal territory.
Shahiste Khan
In 1660, Aurangzeb sent
Shaista Khan, his maternal uncle with a large army to defeat Shivaji in the Deccan. Within three years in 1663, Shivaji had lost most of his conquests to a relentless attack by a well-trained Mughal army. Shaista Khan, seized Pune and the fort of
Chakan. His vast army was more than a match for Shivaji's troops and he was an experienced commander who had defeated Shahaji in this region in 1636. But though he held Pune for almost a year, he had little further success. He had set up his residence at Lal Mahal in the city of
Pune. Shivaji planned a daring attack on Shaista Khan. One day in April
1663, a wedding party had obtained special permission for a procession and Shivaji planned an attack on that very night. The Maratha's disguised as the bridegroom’s procession members entered Pune. Since many Maratha Sardar's served in the Mughal army, Shivaji and his men cleverly made through the rings of Mughal defenses around Lal Mahal. After disposing of the guards they broke into the house by breaking through a wall. Shivaji confronted Shaista Khan and with a slash of his sword he severed three of Shaista Khan's fingers, the Kahn escaped by jumping from a window and was taken to a safe place by the servant maids. Shaista Khan also lost his one son in the raid. After this daring attack, Shaista Khan left Pune heading North. An angered Aurangzeb transferred him to distant Bengal as a punishment for his embarassing defeat in Pune.
[3]
==
Surat and Mirza Raje Jaisingh==
Thereafter, in 1664 Shivaji looted
Surat as a revenge for looting of his territory by Shaiste Khan. Shivaji got immense wealth with loot of Surat. This was required for raising of army, safeguarding the captured territories,etc. The Marathas continued to capture forts belonging to both Mughals and Bijapur. Aurangzeb then sent a renowned Rajput General, Mirza Raje Jai Singh, a Hindu, to defeat Shivaji with a vast army.
Jaisingh's blistering attacks were so successful that at Purander in 1665, Shivaji agreed for peace. In the treaty of Purandar, that was signed between Shivaji and Jaisingh, Shivaji agreed to give his 23 forts and 4 lakh hons to the Mughals. He also agreed to become a Mughal Sardar and serve the Mughal court of Aurangzeb. Shivaji's clandestine intentions in becoming a Mughal Sardar were to defeat the Bijapur and Golconda Kingdoms using Aurangzeb's army and then take on the mighty Mughals.
Trip To Agra and Escape
In
1666, Aurangzeb summoned Shivaji to Agra, along with his six year old son Sambhaji on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday. In the court,on
12 May 1666, Aurangzeb made Shivaji stand behind mansabdar's (Commanders)of his court,considered as an insult by him ɓ. Deeply offended, Shivaji stormed out of court and was promptly placed under house arrest, under the watch of Fulad Khan,Kotwal of Agra.
From his spies, Shivaji came to know that Aurangzeb planned to shift him to Raja Vitthaldas's Haveli to kill him. Shivaji then feigned sickness and requested and sent back all his accomplises to Deccan. On his request,he was allowed to send sweets to saints, fakirs,temples in Agra as an offering for getting well. After several days of sending out boxes containing sweets, Shivaji disguised himself as a palanquin bearer and managed to sneak out without being seen.Sambhaji had sneaked out a couple of days earlier, disguised as the son of a brahmin who had come to pray for Shivaji's quick recovery.( Another theory is that he along with his son, Sambhaji escaped by hiding in the box of sweets)
In the years 1667-69, Shivaji adopted a low profile. In 1668, Shivaji's repeated petitions to Aurangzeb won him the title 'Raja' and Chakan fort. The Mughals had the impression that he was now a spent force and would not cause them any more trouble. Then in January 1670 Shivaji's forces launched a concerted attack on Mughal garrisons in Maharashtra. The force of the assault was overwhelming and within six months Shivaji had regained most of his old territory. His army was much larger now: about 40,000 cavalry, backed by 60,000 infantry. From 1670 to 1674 Shivaji continued to expand his territory at the expense of the Mughals.
Battle of Sinhagad
Bust of Tanaji on top of Sinhagad Fort, Pune
One fort on the outskirts of
Pune,
Kondana, was still under the control of a Mughal general. On February 4,
1670 Shivaji deputed one of his most senior and trusted generals,
Tanaji Malusare, to head a mission to capture Kondana. In the
Battle of Sinhagad, the fort was scaled during the dead of the night from the side that was least guarded and most difficult to climb. But victory was secured only with loss of Tanaji. This battle is quite popular in folklore.
When Shivaji learned that he has lost his loyal and trusted friend, he said "Gad ala pan sinh gela", meaning ''We have won the fort, but lost the Lion''. Thenceforth Kondana fort has been called
Sinhagad (the Lion fort).
==
Coronation==
Statue Commemorating the coronation of Maharaj in Raigad
Shivaji was formally crowned ''Chhatrapati'' ("Chhatrapati= Chief, head or King of Kshatriyas", representing the protection he bestowed on his people) on
June 6,
1674 at the
Raigad fort, and given the title ''Kshatriya Kulavantas Sinhasanadheeshwar Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj''.
Pandit Gaga Bhatt, renowned as ''Vedonarayana'' (Greatest exponent of Vedic discourse), a
Brahmin from
Varanasi, officially presided over the ceremony declaring that Shivaji's ancestor's were truly Kshatriyas who descended from the solar line of the Ranas of Mewar. He was invested with the Zaanva, in hindi the
Janeu (sacred thread), with the Vedas and was bathed in an abisheka. Shivaji had insisted on an
Indrabhishek ritual, which had fallen into disuse since the 9th century.
Thus Shivaji become a “shakkarta” (he started his own calendar). A few days later a second ceremony was carried out, this time according to the
Bengal school of
Tantricism and presided over by Nischal Puri. Henry Oxinden (later Acting President of the Bombay Presidency) from the
British East India Company was present at the ceremony.
Southern expedition (Dakshin digvijaya)
At the end of 1676, Shivaji launched a wave of conquests in southern India with a massive force of 50,000 (30,000 cavalry & 20,000 infantry). The first major alliance made by the monarch was with Abul Hasan, the
Qutb Shahi Sultan of Golconda. They began a campaign against the Bijapur Karanatak, including the Shivaji's own half-brother, Vyankoji Bhonsla. He defeated and captured the forts at
Vellore and
Gingee in modern-day
Tamilnadu. These victories proved quite crucial during future wars. Jinjee served as
Maratha capital for 9 years during 27 years of war.
Death and succession
At the age of 53, Shivaji died at 12 noon, 3rd April, in
1680 at
Raigad, after running a
fever for three weeks. After his death, his elder son
Sambhaji and his wife Soyarabai , fought for control of the kingdom. After a brief struggle
Sambhaji was crowned king. Aurangzeb's son, Prince
Akbar, rebelled against his father and was sheltered by Sambhaji. Aurangzeb and his entourage moved to the Deccan in 1681 to coordinate the assault on the Marathas. Initially successful, the Moghul forces were dealt a fatal blow by Shivaji's tactics. A broken, defeated Aurangzeb retreated in sickness from the Deccan in 1705. The final Moghul withdrawal came two years later. This
war of 27 years, a tribute to Shivaji's genius, in which even after his death, people fought along with his army to preserve the self-rule or governance
swarajya. The back of the Moghul empire was broken, Aurangzeb was to be the last great Moghul and Shivaji the first of many great Indian leaders in the fight for freedom, for ''Swaraj''.
Ruins of the
Raigad Fort, which served as a capital for Maratha Empire.
Shivaji's rule
Shivaji was an able administrator and established a government that included such modern concepts as
cabinet (''Ashtapradhan mandal''),
foreign affairs (''Dabir'') and
internal intelligence.
[4] Shivaji established an effective civil and military administration. He also built a powerful navy and erected new forts like
Sindhudurg and strengthened old ones like
Vijayadurg on the west coast. The
Maratha navy held its own against the
British,
Portuguese and
Dutch till Maratha internal conflict brought their downfall in
1756.
Shivaji is well known for his fatherly attitude towards his subjects. He believed that the state belonged to the people. He encouraged all socio-economic groups to participate in the ongoing political changes. To this day he is remembered as a just and welfare-minded king. He brought revolutionary changes in military, fort architecture, society and politics.
Shivaji occupies a special place in the hearts of Marathi peoples and many others in India due in part to his well documented, high moral code of conduct and his unrelenting drive toward the liberation of India from alien power of the Mughals and the Nizams. He faced daunting challenges such as repeated invasions by huge enemy armies, notably the Mughals and the Sultan of Golconda, that would have defeated a lesser leader.
Shivaji coped and survived and eventually emerged triumphant by using innovative tactics including hit-and-run, strategic expansion of territories and forts, and by constantly keeping on the move, being highly mobile and always one step ahead of his pursuers.
In the earlier years of his leadership he commanded a small force of loyal followers, they had few resources and lacked military hardware and equipment and made do with what was available. Compared to the hardy but illequipped army of Shivaji the Mughals sported a numerically superior and fully armed and well stocked army. Shivaji brilliantly overcame these disadvantages by adopting intelligent stratergies and tactics and by taking advantage of their intimate familiarity of the mountainous and rugged Maharashtra terrain. He was unrelenting in expansion of his kingdom and the liberation of vast Maratha territories within and outside of Maharastra. He was a particularly troublesome thorn in the side of the mighty Mughal empire.
His strong warrior code of ethics and deep seated and uncompromising spiritual values directed him to offer protection to houses of worship, non combatants, women and children. He always showed respect to holymen and places of worship of all denominations and religions.
Once a misguided lieutenant offered him the daughter-in-law of a defeated muslim nobleman as a gift, upon which Shivaji has been famously noted to have said 'If my mother was as beautiful as you, I would have also been beautiful. Go back to your family, go in peace'. Shivaji had internalised the teachings and lessons of Ramayana, Mahabharata and other sacred Hindu texts as taught by his mother in his youth. His behaviour, was noted by those around him, to be always be of the highest moral caliber, he clearly and unambiguously embodied the virtues and ideals of a true nobleman.
As a result of of Shivaji's selfless service to his peoples and nation, his immpeccable conduct and his unpararelled courage and daring, he struck a deep chord with his followers and the citizenary. The high level of loyalty and respect he earned from his followers and subjects sets him apart from any other Indian king or chieftan in the post Islamic Indian history. Even today he is venerated in India and especially in the state of Maharashtra with awe and admiration and as an hero of epic proportions.
Revolution in military organisation
Shivaji's genius is most evident in his military organisation which lasted till the demise of the Maratha empire. He was one of the pioneers of
commando actions (though the term "commando" is modern).
[5] Shivaji was responsible for a lot of changes in military organization. These include -
★ A standing army belonging to the state called ''paga'';
★ Horses belonged to the state; nobody in his army was allowed to own horses;
★ Creation of part time soldiers from peasants who used to work for eight months in the field and supported four months in war. This light infantry was his innovation and they are the one who excelled in commando like actions;
★ The introduction of an intelligence department, a navy, and regular chain-of-command;
★ Introduction of field craft viz. Guerilla warfare, commando actions, flank attacks;
★ Innovation of weapons and innovative use of traditional weapons like tiger claw. 'Vita' was a weapon invented by Shivaji;
★ Militarisation of almost the entire society, including all classes, with the entire population of settlements and villages near forts involved in their defense.
Forts
Main articles: Shivaji's Forts
Pratap Gad
Shivaji constructed a chain of 300 or more forts running over a thousand kilometres across the rugged
Western Ghats.
Shivaji and Sanskrit
Perhaps the house of Shivaji was one of the royal families who were well acquainted with
Sanskrit and promoted it. The root can be traced from Shahaji who supported Jayram Pindye and many like him. Shivaji's seal was prepared by him. Shivaji inherited this and developed that taste. He named his forts as Sindhdurg, Prachandgarh, Suvarndurg etc. He named Ashta Pradhan (council of ministers) as per Sanskrit nomenclature viz. Nyayadhish, Senapati etc. He had kept a provision for learning the
Vedas. He got Rajya Vyavahar Kosh (a political treatise) prepared.
After his death Sambhaji, who was himself a
Sanskrit scholar (his verse - Budhbhushanam), continued it. His grandson Shahu spent his entire childhood in Mughal captivity, which affected his taste. But even he showered gifts on learned Brahmins.
Serfoji II from the
Thanjavur branch of the
Bhosle continued the tradition by printing the first book in Marathi
Devnagari.
Sambhaji issued one ''danapatra'' (donation plaque) which is in Sanskrit composed by himself in which he writes about his father as:
# ''Yavanarambha gritat mlechakshaydiksha'': It means shivaji has taken oath and was on mission to finish off invaders
# ''Dillindraman pradhvanspatu'': who has defeated the Mughal king of Delhi
# ''Vijayapuradhishwar prathtarmanya bhujchachayay'': Whose help was sought by Adilshahi King of Vijapur
Shivaji and Religion
Mouni Maharaj Sanjeevan Samadhi Patgaon Kolhapur
Shivaji was a deeply spiritual
Hindu, and respected all religions within the region. Shivaji had great respect for
Warkari saints like
Tukaram and others. Shivaji, as well as his son
Sambhaji, considered the great ascetic '
Warkari'' saint
Sant Tukaram and
Sufi Muslim ''pir''
Shaikh Yacub Baba Avaliya of
Konkan as his three spiritual masters.
[6]. He also visited Mouni Maharaj
temple and samadhi at Patgaon (Bhudargad Taluka near to Gargoti) in
Kolhapur district.
Shahaji had donated a huge piece of land to Shaha-Sharif Durga of Ahmednagar.
Shivaji allowed his subjects freedom of religion and opposed forced conversion. The first thing Shivaji did after a conquest was to promulgate protection of
mosques and Muslim tombs. One-third of his army was Muslim, as were many of his commanders: his most trusted general in all his campaigns was
Haider Ali Kohari; Darya Sarang was chief of armoury; Ibrahim Khan and Daulat Khan were prominent in the navy; and Siddi Ibrahim was chief of artillery. Shivaji had particular respect for the
Sufi tradition of
Islam.
[7] Shivaji used to pray at the mausoleum of the great
Sufi Muslim saint
Baba Sharifuddin. He also visited the abode of another great
Sufi saint,
Shaikh Yacub of the
Konkan, and took his blessings. He called
Hazrat Baba of
Ratnagiri ''bahut thorwale bhau'', meaning "great elder brother". Kafi Khan, the Mughal historian and
Bernier, a
French traveler, spoke highly of his religious policy. He also brought back converts like
Netaji Palkar & Bajaji in
Hinduism. He also prohibited
slavery in his kingdom.
Shivaji applied a humane and liberal policy to the Muslim
women of his state.
[7] One instance, which shows Shivaji's respect for women, irrespective of their religion, nationality, or creed is well-documented. Shivaji's army had defeated the Subhedar of
Kalyan and had brought in the daughter in law of the Subhedar. When she was brought to Shivaji's palace, Shivaji respectfully apologized to her, and appreciated her beauty by saying, "If my mother had been so beautiful, I would have inherited such beauty..." and returned her to her family.
Shivaji's sentiments can be seen in an admonishing letter he wrote to
Aurangzeb, in which he wrote:
''"Verily,
Islam and
Hinduism are terms of contrast. They are used by the true Divine Painter for blending the colours and filling in the outlines. If it is a mosque, the call to prayer is chanted in remembrance of him. If it is a temple, the bells are rung in yearning for him alone."''
Remembering Shivaji
A statue of Shivaji in the Birla Mandir, Delhi
Because of his struggle against an imperial power, Shivaji became an icon of freedom fighters (along with the
Rani of Jhansi) in the
Indian independence struggle that followed two centuries later. He is remembered as a just and wise king and his rule is called one of the six golden ages in Indian history.
School texts in Maharashtra glorify Shivaji's period and he is considered the founder of the modern
Marathi nation; his policies were instrumental in forging a distinct
Maharashtrian identity. Indeed,
Marathi Hindus,
Brahmins,
Dalits,
Muslims,
Christians and
Buddhists, all consider him as a hero.
[11] A popular quotation:
"''Maratha tituka milavava''
''Maharashtra Dharma vadhavava''"
translates "Bring as many people into
Maratha domain as possible; and grow the
Maharashtra Nation"
A political party, the
Shiv Sena, claims to draw inspiration from Shivaji.
The
Maratha Light Infantry, one of the oldest and distinguished regiments of the Indian Army has "Bol Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai" as its battle cry.
Sahar International Airport in
Mumbai was renamed
Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Shivaji's honour, as have many public buildings and spaces in Maharashtra in recent years. The Interstate Bus Terminal of
New Delhi has also been named after Shivaji.
In the novel The Ark, the Indian ship is named Shivaji
Movies, poems, books etc on Shivaji and his associates
Shivaji is a source of inspiration for a number of artists, directors, actors, writers, shahir (ballad composer), poets and orators. In Marathi,
Bhalaji Pendharkar directed on the movie, 'Raja Shivaji' in which the main role was played by the famous Marathi actor
Chandrakant Mandhare. Apart form this movie, 'Maratha titka melawawa','Gad ala pan sing gela' and many more movies specially in Marathi were made on his and his associates' life. Sriman yogi is a novel written on Shivaji's life by
Ranjit Desai. Kusumgraj has composed a famous poem on Shivaji's general Prataprao Gujar' Vedat Marathe vir daudale sat'.
Lata Mangeshkar and
Hridayanath Mangeshkar have brought out a musical tale of Shivaji'Raja Shivchatrapati' authored by Babasaheb Purandare. Marathi playwright
Vasant Kanetkar wrote 'Raigadala Jevha Jaag Yete' (When Raigad awakes), a play based on the complex relationship between Shivaji and Sambhaji. Shahir like Tulsidas and Agandas had written heroic ballads on him. Kavi Bhushan has composed in
Hindi, a famous work 'Shivraj Bhushan'. Nonetheless one of the most famousand authentic poem depicting his character and rule is the work of
Samarth Ramdas. The saint writes that he is a shriman yogi, means he is not only a ruler but a ruler-like Yogi who controls his passion and works for the welfare of ordinary folk. Perhaps that was Shivaji.
Associates of Shivaji
Some of Shivaji's close associates were also his primary army chieftains, and have entered folklore along with him. These include
Tanaji Malusare,
Baji Pasalkar,
Bajiprabhu Deshpande,
Firangoji Narsala,
Murarbaji,
Haider Ali Kohari,
Prataprao Gujar,
Kanhoji Jedhe,
Kondaji Farjand,
Balaji Avji Chitnis,
Netaji Palkar and
Lay Patil Koli, and Khando Ballal
Under Shivaji, many men of talent and enterprise rose into prominence .They carried forward his mission and ensured defeat of Mughals in the
war of 27 years. These include
Ramchandrapant amtya,
Santaji Ghorpade,
Dhanaji Jadhav,
Parsoji Bhosale,
Harji raje Mahadik and
Kanhoji Aangre.
Accounts of contemporary foreign travellers
Many foreign travellers who visited
India during Shivaji's time wrote about him.
★ The
Abbe Carre was a French traveller who visited India around 1670; his account was published as ''Voyage des Indes Orienteles mele de plusiers histories curieuses'' at Paris in 1699. Some quotes: "Hardly had he won a battle or taken to town in one end of the kingdom than he was at the other extremity causing havoc everywhere and surprising important places. To this quickness of movement he added, like
Julius Caesar, a clemency and bounty that won him the hearts of those his arms had worsted." "In his courage and rapidity he does not ill resemble that great king of Sweden,
Gustavus Adolphus."
★ The French traveller
Francois Bernier wrote in his ''Travels in Mughal India''. "I forgot to mention that during pillage of Sourate, Seva-ji, the Holy Seva-ji! Respected the habitation of the reverend father Ambrose, the Capuchin missionary. 'The Frankish Padres are good men', he said 'and shall not be attacked.' He spared also the house of a deceased Delale or Gentile broker, of the Dutch, because assured that he had been very charitable while alive."
Notes
1. "GREAT MINDS" Sunday, January 23, 2000
2. ShivaShahi Retrieved on 2006-12-24
3. Itihaas - Shivaji assumes the title of Chattrapati
4. Short Bio: Maratha King Shivaji
5. Kasar, D.B., ''Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great'', Mumbai: Manudevi Prakashan (2005)
6. Patil, Vishwas - "''Sambhaji''", Mehta Publishing House, Pune (2006) ISBN 81-7766-651-7
7. Zakaria, Rafique, "Communal Rage in Secular India", Popular Prakashan, Mumbai (2003)
8. Zakaria, Rafique, "Communal Rage in Secular India", Popular Prakashan, Mumbai (2003)
9. Central Chronicle Letter D. Pande. Retrieved on 2007-03-07
10. Book Review IMC India. Retrieved on 2007-03-07
11. Purandare, Babasaheb - "''Shivrayancha Itihaas''" series in Maharashtra Times, 2004-2005
References
★ Apte, B.K. (editor), ''Chhatrapati Shivaji: Coronation Tercentenary Commemoration Volume'', Bombay:
University of Bombay (1974-75)
★ Duff, Grant, ''History of Marhattas'',
Oxford University Press,
London
★ Desai, Ranjeet, ''Shivaji the Great'', Janata Raja (
1968),
Pune : Balwant Printers - English Translation of popular Marathi book.
★ Kasar, D.B., ''Rigveda to Raigarh - Making of Shivaji the Great'', Mumbai: Manudevi Prakashan (2005)
★ Patil, Vishwas - ''Sambhaji'', Mehta Publishing House, Pune (2006) ISBN 81-7766-651-7
★ Purandare B. M. (author), ''Raja Shivachhatrapati'', he is the most popular and most enigmatic historian of Maratha times, especially that of Shivaji. He is revered throughout Maharashtra as "Shivashahir".
★ Sriman Yogi
★ Joshi, Ajit, ''Agryahun Sutka'', Marathi, Pune: Shivapratap Prakashan (
1997)
★ More, Vasantrao, ''James Laine: A research scholar or a barbarian?'', Marathi, Shivsangram Prakashan (
2004), Kolhapur
★ Parulekar, Shyamrao, ''Yashogatha Vijaya durg'', Vijay Durg (
1982)
★
Jyotirao Phule, ''Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle Yanche Powade'', Marathi, (1869)
★
Sarkar, Jadunath, ''Shivaji and his times'',
Calcutta
★
Zakaria, Rafique, ''Communal Rage in Secular India'', Popular Prakashan, Mumbai (
2003)
★ Work of
D G Godse
★ Rajendra Ghorpade
Mouni maharaj guru of raje shivaji
See also
★
Marathas
★
Maratha Empire
★
Marathi people
★
List of people known as The Great
★
Secularism
★
Maratha clan system
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
![Cafe Havana, Guam\](images/articles/thumbs/cafehavanathumb.jpg "Cafe Havana, Guam\")
