Name: Shivaji Bhonsle
Date of Birth: February 19, 1630
Birthplace: Shivneri Fort, Pune district, Maharashtra
Parents: Shahaji Bhonsle (Father) and Jijabai (Mother)
Reign: 1674–1680
Spouse: Saibai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, Laxmibai, Kashibai
Children: Sambhaji, Rajaram, Sakhubai Nimbalkar, Ranubai Jadhav, Ambikabai Mahadik, Rajkumaribai Shirke
Religion: Hinduism
Death: April 3, 1680
Seat of Power: Raigad Fort, Maharashtra
Successor: Sambhaji Bhonsle
The Maratha Empire in western India was founded by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He is regarded as one of history's greatest warriors, and tales of his exploits are still passed down through the generations. Shivaji carved away an enclave from the collapsing Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur with his valor and administrative talents. It was eventually the birthplace of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji developed a competent and progressive administration with the support of a disciplined military and a well-formed administrative structure after establishing his dominion. Shivaji is well-known for his unconventional military tactics, which focused on utilizing strategic variables such as location, speed, and surprise to beat his strong opponents.
Childhood:
Shivaji Bhosle was born on February 19, 1630, in the fort of Shivneri, near Junnar in the Pune district, to Shahaji Bhosle and Jijabai. As a general, Shivaji's father Shahaji worked for the Bijapuri Sultanate, a tripartite alliance involving Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda. In addition, he had a Jaigirdari near Pune. Shivaji's mother, Jijabai, was a very pious woman and the daughter of Sindkhed chieftain Lakhujirao Jadhav. Shivaji grew up with a strong sense of right and wrong instilled in him by his mother. Because Shahaji spent much of his time outside of Pune, it was up to a small council of ministers to monitor Shivaji's education, which included a Peshwa (Shamrao Nilkanth), a Mazumdar (Balkrishna Pant), a Sabnis (Raghunath Ballal), a Dabir (Sonopant), and a chief teacher (Dadoji Konddeo). Shivaji was assigned to Kanhoji Jedhe and Baji Pasalkar for military and martial arts training. In 1640, Shivaji married Saibai Nimbalkar.
From a young age, Shivaji proved to be a natural leader. He explored the Sahayadri Mountains surrounding the Shivneri forts as an enthusiastic outdoorsman and got to know the area like the back of his hand. He had amassed a band of loyal troops from the Maval district by the age of 15, who later supported him in his early conquests.
Bijapur's Struggles
By 1645, Shivaji had taken control of various vital areas in and around Pune, including Torna from Inayat Khan, Chakan from FirangojiNarsala, Kondana from Adil Shahi Governor, and Singhagarh and Purandar from the Bijapur Sultanate. Following his success, he became a threat to Mohammed Adil Shah, who ordered Shahaji's imprisonment in 1648. Shivaji was released on the condition that Shahaji keep a low profile and refrain from making any more conquests. After Shahaji's death in 1665, Shivaji began his conquests by purchasing the Javali valley from Chandrarao More, a Bijapuri jaigirdaar. To conquer Shivaji, Mohammed Adil Shah dispatched Afzal Khan, a formidable general under his command.
On November 10, 1659, the two met in a secret meeting to discuss the conditions of the negotiations. Shivaji expected it to be a trap, so he dressed in armor and carried a metal tiger claw with him. Shivaji was protected by his armor when Afzal Khan attacked him with a dagger, and Shivaji reacted by striking Afzal Khan with the tiger's claw, mortally hurting him. He ordered his soldiers to attack the Bijapuri contingents without a leader. In the Battle of Pratapgarh, when the Maratha forces slaughtered around 3000 Bijapuri men, Shivaji had an easy victory. After that, Mohammed Adil Shah dispatched a larger army, led by General Rustam Zaman, to meet Shivaji in the Battle of Kolhapur. In strategic combat, Shivaji defeated the general, forcing him to flee for his life. On September 22, 1660, Mohammed Adil Shah's general Siddi Jauhar successfully sieged the fort of Panhala, bringing him victory. In 1673, Shivaji reclaimed the Fort of Panhal.
Disputes with the Mughals
Shivaji's battles with the Bijapuri Sultanate and subsequent triumphs drew the attention of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb viewed him as a threat to his imperial ambitions, therefore he focused his energies on eliminating the Maratha threat. When Shivaji's generals attacked and looted Mughal lands near Ahmednagar and Junnar in 1957, the conflict began. The coming of the rainy season and the battle for succession in Delhi, however, prevented Aurangzeb's counterattack. Shaista Khan, the Governor of Deccan and Aurangzeb's maternal uncle, was ordered by Aurangzeb to conquer Shivaji. Shaista Khan launched a huge attack on Shivaji, seizing several of his forts as well as his city, Poona. Shivaji replied by staging a surprise attack on Shaista Khan, wounding him and forcing him to flee Poona. Later, Shaista Khan orchestrated a series of attacks on Shivaji, severely limiting his fortifications in the Konkan region. Shivaji stormed Surat, an important Mughal commerce city, and seized the Mughal treasure to refill his depleted coffers. An enraged Aurangzeb dispatched his chief general, Jai Singh I, with a 150,000-strong army. The Mughal armies made a significant dent by sieging Shivaji's forts, extorting money, and murdering men in the process. To avoid future casualties, Shivaji consented to reach an arrangement with Aurangzeb, and the Treaty of Purandar was signed between Shivaji and Jai Singh on June 11, 1665. Shivaji agreed to hand over 23 forts in exchange for a payment of 400000 rupees to the Mughal Empire. Shivaji was brought to Agra by Aurangzeb with the intention of using his military skills to reinforce Mughal conquests in Afghanistan. Shivaji accompanied his eight-year-old son Sambhaji to Agra, where he was angered by Aurangzeb's treatment of him. He stormed out of court, and an enraged Aurangzeb ordered him to be imprisoned at home. Shivaji, on the other hand, utilized his wits and cunning to get out of jail once more. He pretended to be ill and arranged for sweet baskets to be sent to the temple as prayer offerings. On August 17, 1666, he disguised himself as one of the carriers and hid his son in one of the baskets. Mughal and Maratha conflicts were mostly averted in later years because of frequent intervention by Mughal Sardar Jaswant Singh. The peace continued until 1670 when Shivaji launched an all-out attack against the Mughals. Within four months, he had reclaimed the majority of his Mughal-occupied territory.
The English and their relationship
Shivaji had friendly connections with the English throughout his early reign until they sided with the Bijapuri Sultanate in a conflict against him in the capture of Fort Panhala in 1660. As a result, Shivaji took action against the English in Bombay in 1670 because they refused to provide him war materials. In 1971, the English declined to back him in his attack on Danda-Rajpuri, and he raided English enterprises in Rajapur. Numerous attempts by the two parties to reach an agreement failed, and the English did not back his efforts.
Conquests and Coronations
Shivaji opted to take a Kingly title and establish the first Hindu Sovereignty in the South, which was formerly dominated by Muslims, after consolidating great influence over provinces bordering Poona and Konkan. On June 6, 1674, in Raigadh, he was crowned King of the Marathas in a lavish coronation ceremony. Pandit Gaga Bhatt officiated the Coronation in front of a crowd of roughly 50,000 people. He was given numerous titles, including Chhtrapati (paramount sovereign), Shakakarta (period founder), Kshatriya Kulavantas (Kshatriya Kulavantas), and Haindava Dharmodhhaarak (Kshatriya Kulavantas) (one who uplifts the sanctity of Hinduism).
Following Shivaji's coronation, the Marathas undertook an aggressive conquest campaign to unite most of the Deccan nations under Hindu sovereignty. Khandesh, Bijapur, Karwar, Kolkapur, Janjira, Ramnagar, and Belgaum were all conquered by him. He took possession of the Adil Shahi monarchs' forts at Vellore and Gingee. He also reached an agreement with his stepbrother Venkoji regarding his Tanjavur and Mysore possessions. He wanted to unite the Deccan states under the leadership of a native Hindu ruler and safeguard them from foreign invaders such as the Muslims and Mughals.
Administration
The Maratha administration was formed during his reign, with Chhatrapati as the supreme king and a team of eight ministers to oversee the effective implementation of various policies. These eight ministers reported directly to Shivaji and were given considerable authority in carrying out the King's objectives. The eight ministers in question were —
(1) The Peshwa, or Prime Minister, who was in charge of the general administration and acted as the king's representative when he was not there.
(2) The Majumder, or Auditor, was in charge of the kingdom's financial well-being.
(3) The PanditRao, or Chief Spiritual Head, was in charge of managing the kingdom's spiritual well-being, setting dates for religious rituals, and overseeing the king's charity activities.
(4) The Dabir, or Foreign Secretary, was tasked with providing advice to the king on foreign policy matters.
(5) The Senapati, or Military General, was in charge of directing the military's organisation, recruitment, and training. In times of war, he was also the king's strategic counsel.
(6) The Nyayadhish, or Chief Justice, witnessed the development of legislation and its subsequent execution, including civil, judicial, and military law.
(7) The Mantri, or Chronicler, was in charge of keeping meticulous accounts of the king's daily activities.
(8) The Royal Correspondence was handled by the Sachiv or Superintendant.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Biography
Shivaji pushed hard for the use of Marathi and Sanskrit in his court instead of Persian, which was the official language at the time. To emphasise his Hindu dominance, he even altered the names of the forts under his control to Sanskrit ones. Despite the fact that Shivaji was a devout Hindu, he encouraged tolerance for all religions during his reign. His administration policies were subject-friendly and humanitarian, and he promoted women's emancipation during his reign. He was a firm believer in non-discrimination based on caste and employed people from all walks of life in his court. He devised the Ryotwari system, which eliminates the need for middlemen between farmers and the government by collecting revenue directly from manufacturers and producers. Shivaji instituted the collecting of the Chauth and Sardeshmukhi taxes. His dominion was divided into four provinces, each with its own Mamlatdar. The village was the smallest administrative unit, with Deshpande as the head of the Village Panchayat. Shivaji kept a large military force, built several important forts to safeguard his frontiers, and had a strong naval presence along the Konkan and Goan coasts.
Death and Legacies
After a bout of dysentery, Shivaji died on April 3, 1680, at the age of 52, at the Raigad Fort. Following his death, a succession dispute emerged between his eldest son Sambhaji and his third wife Soyrabai, who was acting on behalf of her 10-year-old son Rajaram. On June 20, 1680, Sambhaji deposed Rajaram and succeeded to the throne himself. After Shivaji's death, the Mughal-Maratha wars continued, and the Maratha's prestige plummeted. Young Madhavrao Peshwa, on the other hand, recovered Maratha grandeur and cemented his power over North India.
