The Story of Shivaji Bhonsle

The Marathas, The Story of Shivaji Bhonsle

Shivaji Bhonsle, also known as Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle started the 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.
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 the 10th century, the Yadavas became the rulers of Maharashtra.
In 1292, Ala-ud-din Khilji defeated the Yadavas of Devgiri, 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.
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.
Meanwhile, in northern India, the Mughals held sway under the Emperor Shah Jahan.
Shivaji's ancestors belonged to the Bhosale clan of the Maratha caste and were the headmen of the villages of Hingani, Beradi and Devalgaon in the Pune District. As commanders in the wars between the Mughal emperors and the kings of Nizamshahi, the Bhonsales became rich and powerful. Shivaji's father, Shahaji, was raised by his uncle following his father Maloji's early death in battle. Shahaji Raje maried Jijabai, the daughter of nobleman Lakhuji Jadhav, and a descendant of the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri. The reigning Adilshah had attended the marriage ceremony.
Like his ancestors, Shahaji was a major player in the Mughal Wars. At that time, Shahaji played the role of a regent fo 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'. Emperor Shah Jahan again attacked the Kingdom of Nizamshah; at this critical hour, Shahaji Raje returned to the service of Nizamshah.
Shivaji was born on 19 February 1630, in the Shivneri Fort, 60 kilometers north of Pune and about 100 kilometers east of Mumbai. As there are no contemporary records of Shivaji's birth, his date of birth is also believed to be 6 April or 10 April 1627. The child 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 but only Sambhaji,the eldest, had survived.
Both Shivaji's parents belonged to 96 royal Maratha clans, who were the most influential rulers of the past. By the time of Shivaji's birth, several Maratha generals were serving under the Sultanates. Shahaji, who was also a Maratha general, attempted to build on the ruins of 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 near present-day Bangalore. But he was allowed to keep his old land tenures and holdings in Pune.
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 overall training. Under such conditions, Shivaji took oath of swarajya at the temple of Raireshwar and assumed 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. Shivaji used the title of Raja (king) only after Shahaji died.
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's mind a natural love for self-determination and aversion for 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 able training by military commanders like Gomaji Naik,Baji Pasalkar and Dadoji were the greatest influences that groomed Shivaji into a brave and fearless military leader as well as a responsible administrator. Young Shivaji, the prodigy that he was, took little time to apply what he had learnt.
He carried out his first military action by capturing Bijapur kingdom's Torna fort at age 16, 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 marathas, Adilshah got Shahaji arrested by deceitful means, and sent one army against Sambhaji at Banglore (with Farradkhan at its head) and one against Shivaji at Purandhar (with Fattekhan at its head). However both brothers defeated the invading armies and secured release of their father. Later, Sambhaji was killed by Afzal Khan, Bijapur's finest general in the siege of Kanakgiri. Then Afzal Khan was sent to destroy Shivaji, in an effort to put down what was seen by Bijapur as a revolt.
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 to see the outcome of the battle. Immediately after the battle, Shivaji in the brilliant moves of cavalry conquered the area right upto the Panhala fort stretching over 200 kms.
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, along with some men, Shivaji attacked the centre of the enemy forces while other two portions of the cavalry attacked from the flanks. In a pitched battle, the enemy was crushed and Rustemjaman fled.
Now Adil Shah sent an Abyssinian general of repute, Siddi Johar in 1660. 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 fake messages to Siddi Johar that he is willing to negotiate. With the Mughal soldiers slightly relaxed, Shivaji escaped on a stormy night. However, the mughals captured a small group of 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 was in hot pursuit of Shivaji and may have easily captured him had they caught up. In a last minute rear-guard defense 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 canon fire from Vishaalgad, signalling Shivaji's escape was successful. Shivaji then relaunched an attack and won a victory in the battle of Vishaalgad. However Panhala was surrendered to Siddi Johar. After this scuffle, a truce was made between Shivaji and Adilshahi through Shahaji acknowledging the independent position of Shivaji. This remained the situation till the death of Shahaji, when Shivaji was free to deal with the Mughals. Thus Marathas became a power to reckon with. Ghod Khind (Khind=narrow pass in a mountaneous terrain) was renamed Pavan Khind (Sacred Pass) in honor of all the soldiers that selflessly fought and died to save their king
Next phase was clash with the Mughals who had defeated Shahaji and annexed territories which Shivaji now wanted to recover. He frequently raided the Mughal territory to the north of his small kingdom, carrying out guerilla attacks against an empire at the height of its power.
Shaista Khan, Aurangzeb's maternal uncle, 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. His troops looted peasants and villages in frustration. He had set up his residence at Lal Mahal in the city of Pune where no Maratha was allowed. However, in a daring raid, Shivaji broke into his house and cut Shaista's two fingers. One day in April 1663, a wedding party had obtained special permission and Shivaji planned an attack on that very night. In the cover of the night, the bridegroom's party and the Maratha soldiers met at a prearranged site and quietly entered the general's house, which was guarded by 40,000 Mughal troops. After disposing of the guards they broke into the house by breaking a wall and Shivaji's men captured all the residents. Shivaji himself confronted Shaista Khan who fled by jumping from the window but Shivaji's sword was swift and Shaista Khan lost his thumb, two fingers and consciousness but was taken to a safe place by the servant maids. Shivaji spared his life as Khan's wife pleaded with Shivaji, but his men not so overbearing, mistook another man as the general and killed him. [3]
In 1666, Aurangzeb summoned Shivaji to Agra, along with his six year old son Sambhaji. In Agra, on 12 May 1666, Aurangzeb made Shivaji stand with the lowly commoners in his court, an intentional insult. Deeply offended, Shivaji stormed out of court and was promptly placed under house arrest, but under the care of Kunwar Ram Singh I, the son of Mirza Raje Jai Singh.
From his spies, Shivaji came to know that Aurangzeb planned to shift him to a secure location from where escape would be impossible. So he feigned sickness and requested to be allowed to send sweets to temples in Agra as an offering. After several days of sending out boxes containing sweets, Shivaji disguised himself as a palanquin bearer and managed to sneak out without being seen.( Another theory is that he escaped by hiding in the box of sweets) 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.
In the years 1667-69, Shivaji lay low. 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 Adilshahi and the Mughals.
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 polpular 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.
Shivaji was formally crowned Chatrapati ("Chatrapati= 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 Simhasanadheeshwar Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Pandit Gaga Bhatt, renowned as Vedonarayana (Greatest exponent of Vedic discourse), a Brahmin from Varanasi, officially presided over the ceremony. Shivaji insisted on an Indrabhishek ritual, which had fallen into disuse since the 9th century. The same was performed. 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.
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). He defeated and captured the forts at Vellore and Jinji in modern-day Tamilnadu. He also signed a friendship treaty with the Kutubshah of Golconda. These victories proved quite crucial during future wars. Jinjee served as Maratha capital for 9 years during 27 years of war.
Shivaji died in 1680 at Raigad, after running a fever for three weeks. After his death, his elder son Sambhaji and his step-mother 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. The emperor and his entourage moved to the Deccan in 1681 to coordinate the assault on the Marathas and were initially successful, but they were defeated and withdrew in 1707. This war of 27 years was a tribute to Shivaji's genius, even after his death, people fought along with his army to preserve the swarajya.
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'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) 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.
Shivaji constructed a chain of 300 or more forts running over a thousand kilometres across the rugged Western Ghats.
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 Bhonsle continued the tradition by printing the first book in Marathi Devnagari.
Sambhaji issued one danapatra which is in sanskrit composed by himself in which he writes about his father as'1)Yavanarambha gritat mlechakshaydiksha:It means shivaji has taken oath and was on mission to finish off invaders 2)Dillindraman pradhvanspatu: who has defeated king of delhi(Mughal) 3)Vijayapuradhishwar prathtarmanya bhujchachayay:Whose help was sought by king of Vijapur(Adilshah)
Shivaji was a deeply religious 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 Ramdas Swami, Warkari saint Sant Tukaram and Sufi Muslim pir Shaikh Yacub Baba Avaliya of Konkan as his three spiritual masters.[6] Shivaji met and took anugaha of Mouni Maharaj in year 1676 on his southern conquest and 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."
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 pages 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, Dalits, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists, all consider him as a hero. 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. And in recent years organisations such as the Sambhaji Brigade have adopted a new religion known as Shiv Dharma, with Shivaji as its principal deity.
Unconventional approaches to Shivaji have met with opposition by traditionalists. The publication in 2003 of James W. Laine's Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India sparked controversy in India for its inclusion of jokes allegedly derogatory of Shivaji. In December 2003 one of those thanked by Laine, historian Shrikant Bahulkar, was assaulted and had his face blackened by Shiv Sena activists. And then on 5 January 2004 the Sambhaji Brigade attacked the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, Maharashtra, doing considerable damage to the holdings.
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.
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, 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.
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 molested.' 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."

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