Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was one of the greatest and smartest kings, who founded a Hindu kingdom in India in the 17th century. His life was full of such dramatic events that many people believe he was an incarnation of God. His entire life was dedicated to building a kingdom that he called Hindavi Swarajya.
Personal Information of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
Name: Shri Shivaji Shahaji Bhosale.
Date of Birth: February 19, 1630.
Father: Shri Shahaji Maloji Bhosale.
Mother: Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale.
Brother: Sambhaji.
Wives: 1. Saibai. 2. Soyarabai. 3. Putalabai. 4. Sakwarbai. 5. Kashibai. 6. Gunwantbai. 7. Sagunabai. 8. Laximbai.
Step-mother: Tukabai.
Step-brother: Ekoji I (Venkoji)
Sons: Sambhaji, Rajaram.
Daughter: Sakhubai.
Teacher: Dadoji Konddev.
Spiritual teacher: Samartha Ramdas Swami, Tukaram Maharaj, Yakut Baba.
Coronation: June 6, 1674.
Religion: Hindu.
Caste: Maratha.
Official Stamp of Marathas during Shivaji Maharaj’s rule (Rajmudra):
“प्रतिपच्चंद्रलेखेव वर्धिष्णुर्विश्ववंदिता शाहसुनोः शिवस्यैषा मुद्रा भद्राय राजते।”
Meaning in English:
The glory of this Mudra of Shahaji’s son Shivaji will grow like the first-day moon. It will be worshiped by the world & it will shine only for well being of people.
Meaning in Marathi:
प्रतिपदेचा चंद्र जसा वाढत जातो, आणि सारे विश्व त्याला जसे वंदन करते, तशीच ही मुद्रा व तिचा लौकिक वाढत जाईल.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born on February 19, 1630, on Shivneri Fort in Junnar Taluka, Pune district of Maharashtra, India. He was named Shivaji from the name of Goddess Shivai on Shivneri Fort. His father, Shahaji Bhosale, was a Maratha general in the services of the Deccan sultanates. His mother, Jijabai, was the daughter of Lakhoji Jadhav.
Conditions in Maharashtra Before the Birth of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
At that time, Maharashtra was under the rule of 3 major sultanates viz. Adilshah of Bijapur, Nizamshah, and Mughals. There were no Maratha rules at that time. The Watandari system was prevalent. Watan meant a piece of land comprising of a village or villages assigned to a person for performing certain duties. The chief of the watan was called watandar. He had certain rights like collecting taxes from people and giving judgment in legal matters.
He used to possess a small army. Such watandars used to consider themselves as kings of their region and used to bully common people. The abduction of young and beautiful women and girls was common both by Hindu and Muslim knights and watandars. Many Hindu temples were desecrated and destroyed by Muslim rulers. The forceful conversion of Hindus to Islam was also carried out. All these things had created some unrest in the hearts of some good Hindu knights and watandars. Shivaji’s father was one of them. Both Shahaji and his wife, Jijabai, wanted to eradicate this injustice but they were unable to do so because of the situation.
The Story of Shivaji Maharaj:
Childhood:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born in a militarily and politically powerful family. Because of the expansionist policies of the Mughals, Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar was on a decline and Shivaji’s father soon became the kingmaker in Nizamshahi but he could not save Nizamshahi as the Mughals were very powerful.
In 1636, he left Nizamshahi and joined Adilshah of Bijapur where he became a high-ranked military officer. Shivaji received a jagir of Pune at the age of 6 from his father. He visited his father at Adilshah court in 1641. His mother used to tell him inspirational stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. It was his mother who planted the seed of Swarajya (self-rule) in his mind and nurtured it.
Most of Shivaji’s childhood was spent in the vicinity of Pune. He used to mingle and play with children around him who were considered as having lower social status than him. Many of whom became his close friends and helped him build Swarajya.
His childhood friends from Maval were Yesaji Kank, Baji Pasalkar, Narhekar, Deshpande brothers, Jiu Mahale, Kanhoji Jedhe, Bajiprabhu Deshpande, Tanaji Malusare, etc.
Dadoji Konddev was his teacher who taught him horse riding, swordsmanship, spear throwing, etc. He was also his political teacher.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj came to Pune in 1637. His father got Bangalore jagir in 1639. Shivaji got married on May 14, 1640, to Saibai. He was in Bangalore from 1641 to 1642. His daughter Sakhubai was born in 1650 and she was married in 1655. His brother-in-law, Bajaji Nimbalkar (wife’s brother) was taken back into Hinduism. It was a revolutionary move as Hindus did not use to accept converted people.
Strict Punishment:
When Shivaji took over his jagir, he made the laws very strict, especially for the crimes against women. In 1645, the hands and legs of Patil of Ranza were cut for raping a woman sending a message of zero tolerance for the crime against women.
The Oath of Swarajya:
On April 15, 1645, Shivaji and some of his close friends took the oath of establishing Swarajya in the Lord Shiva temple of Rohida by cutting their fingers and splashing blood on Shivlinga.
Beginning of Swarajya:
He conquered the forts of Torana, Kondana, and Kalyan taking advantage of the Sultan of Bijapur’s illness. Therefore, Adilshah got very angry and imprisoned Shahaji. Shivaji had to return Kondana Fort to secure his father’s release. Shahaji was released in 1649. Shivaji did not attack Bijapur territory for the next seven years.
Conflict of Javali: Javali was situated in the Western Ghats and was in a very strategic position. Hence, it was necessary to capture it. Krishnarao More was the Jagirdar of Javali at that time. He was given an offer to join Swarajya but he declined it. The region of Javali included dense forests and was very difficult to conquer but with the help of guerilla warfare, Shivaji managed to win it. Krishnarao More and four of the family members were killed after it. It was a very big victory for Shivaji as Swarajya expanded massively and gained control over a strategic region.
In April 1657, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj married Putalabai. Shivaji’s first son, Sambhaji, was born in 1657.
In September 1656, he conquered the Supe region by defeating Sambhaji Mohite. In November 1656, Adil Shah died. Then, he took Junnar from Mughals.
The Death of Afzal Khan:
Afzal Khan was one of the highest-ranked officers in the court of Adilshah. In fact, he was the main pillar of the Adil Shah Sultanate. His personality was kind of a demon. He had many wives. He was an enemy of Shivaji. Adil Shah Sultanate had no option other than capturing or killing Shivaji. Afzal Khan accepted this responsibility. With a very big army, he attacked Swarajya. He knew he could not defeat Shivaji in Sahyadri Valley. So he started torturing common people and desecrating Hindu temples. Many women were raped and many people were killed. Shivaji understood his strategy and overlooked these things.
He moved to the Javali region and started showing as if he was very scared of Afzal. Afzal wanted Shivaji out of the safe place. Hence, he sent his lawyer, Krishnaji Bhaskar, to meet Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and proposed a meeting between him and Shivaji. Shivaji knew that Khan would betray and try to kill him but this was the only way to save Swarajya. Hence, Shivaji agreed to meet him on some conditions. Conditions were as follows:
1. The meeting will take place at fort Pratapgarh.
2. Both will be unarmed.
3. Two armed bodyguards will be around them.
On November 10, 1659, on the day of the meeting, Shivaji wore armor inside his shirt and helmet inside his Jiretop, carried an in-clenched fist weapon called tiger claws with iron fingertips and hid a dagger inside his shirt. Jiva Mahale and Sambhaji Kavaji were his personal bodyguards. Khan came with Sayyed Banda and another military man. At the start of the meeting when Afzal and Shivaji embraced each other, Khan tightened the clasp and gripped Shivaji’s neck under his left arm. He took out his dagger and stabbed Shivaji in the back, but Shivaji was unharmed due to his armor.
Shivaji struck Khan’s stomach with tiger claws and took his intestines out and stabbed him with a dagger. After hearing the cry of Afzal, Sayyed Banda attacked Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, but Jiva Mahale intervened and killed Sayyed Banda. Some historians believe Shivaji’s attack killed Afzal Khan, but some believe he tried to run from the scene when Sambhaji Kavaji beheaded him. Canons were fired after Afzal’s death date as a sign for Maratha Army who was hidden in the woods to attack Afzal Khan’s army. Most of the army was butchered, and big wealth along with many horses, cannons, and weapons was obtained from them.
The killing of Afzal Khan strengthened Swarajya. Afzal Khan was not an ordinary knight, even Mughals were terrified of him. This made all the powers in India make a note of Shivaji. This resulted in the further weakening of Adil Shahi. The traitor Khandoji Khopade was punished for helping Afzal Khan. His one hand and one leg were cut.
The Battle of Pawankhind:
On November 28, 1659, the Panhala fort was captured by Marathas. As Shivaji Maharaj continued his attack on Adil Shahi, another knight, Siddi Johar, was sent to capture Shivaji. In March 1660, when Shivaji was on Panhala Fort, Siddi Johar surrounded Panhala. Shivaji could not escape it. Siddi did not attack Panhala, he just kept security around Panhala very tight, so that Shivaji could not escape.
Mughals took advantage of the situation and sent Shahista Khan to destroy Swarajya. In June 1660, Shivaji started peace talks with Siddi. This resulted in the relaxing of Siddi’s army to some extent. Plus rainy season had started. This was a good chance to escape. Hence, on the dark night of July 12, 1660, Shivaji escaped from Siddi’s fist but soon Siddi came to know about it. He sent troops to capture him. Soon Siddi’s troops came closer to Shivaji.
Hence in a gorge, Bajiprabhu Deshpande told Shivaji to go ahead and he would content the enemy until he reaches Vishalgad Fort. Shivaji agreed to fire the canons once he reached Vishalgad Fort. With a handful of soldiers, Bajiprabhu fought with thousands for a long time. There was hardly any part on his body, which was not cut. When he heard the cannon fire, then only he stopped fighting and died. This battle is known as the Battle of Pawan Khind. Shahista Khan was in Pune at that time.
The Fiasco of Shahista Khan:
In 1657, Aurangzeb became the Mughal emperor. He appointed his uncle, Shahista Khan, as subedar of Deccan. Aurangzeb ordered him to attack Shivaji. Shahista Khan’s military base was in Pune. At that time he was very happy as he had conquered Chakan and some part of Konkan. In February 1661, Marathas defeated Kartalab Khan in the Umbarkhind battle.
Shivaji Maharaj knew that it was not possible to defeat Shahista Khan as he had a very big army and wealth. So, he planned a surprise attack to kill him. Shahista Khan was staying in Lal Mahal in Pune. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj knew the palace very well as he had spent many years in it. In April 1663, taking advantage of darkness, Shivaji entered the Lal Mahal secretly and attacked Shahista Khan.
Shahista Khan was able to escape from a window but had to lose fingers of one hand by a stroke with Shivaji’s sword. His son and many men got killed in this attack. Shahista Khan and Mughal Army left Pune the same night. Shivaji and his men were able to escape taking advantage of the darkness. Aurangzeb got angry with Shahista Khan and sent him to Bengal. It is one of the finest examples of how Shivaji saved Swarajya through his valor and wit.
The First Sack of Surat:
The first sack of Surat in Gujarat, India, took place on January 5, 1664. The main reasons behind the first sack of Surat were mainly financial and to some extent, political also.
It was a very preplanned sack by Marathas. Many Maratha spies had entered Surat and had collected information about wealthy merchants and offices. Inayat Khan was the subedar of Surat and had only 1000 men for defense. He was very careless as nobody had thought about the happening of such a thing. At this time, Aurangzeb was not in Delhi. He was busy with Yousufzai and Afridi tribesmen and Rajput rebels.
When Shivaji Maharaj and his 4000 men entered Surat, they first demanded money as a contribution to Swarajya and promised safety for everybody, but the people of Surat denied it. Hence, Marathas looted Surat for 4 days; January 6, 1664, to January 10, 1664. The only resistance offered was from the British. Due to lack of time, Shivaji had to return earlier. As Surat was the wealthiest city in India at that time, a huge amount of wealth was plundered and brought back to Raigad successfully.
On January 23, 1664, Shivaji’s father, Shahaji Bhosale, died after falling from a horse in Huddegiri, Karnataka. In 1664, Shivaji defeated Khawas Khan who was sent by Adil Shah to defeat Shivaji. Baji Ghorpade who accompanied Khawas Khan was killed in a battle in October 1664. Baji Ghorpade had arrested and handcuffed Shahaji before. On February 8, 1665, Shivaji undertook his first Naval mission and looted the port of Basnur in Karnataka. On November 15, 1664, the foundation for Sindhudurg, which is a sea fort, was laid.
The Treaty of Purandar:
Because of the sack of Surat and the fiasco of Shahista Khan, Aurangzeb got very angry and decided to crush Shivaji at any cost. So, he sent his ablest officer, Mirja Raje Jai Singh, along with Diler Khan and a massive army to crush Shivaji. Compared to the Mughal dynasty, Swarajya was very small. It was the biggest debacle in the Maratha Kingdom. Mirja Raje Jai Singh collected all information about Swarajya and decided on a strategy. He started attacking many places at a time. The Mughal army surrounded many important forts. He started looting and destroying the properties of civilians. He attacked Fort Purandar. Murarbaji defended Purandar valorously but because of lack of resources could not sustain long. Shivaji recognized that it was impossible to defeat such a big army.
Hence, he decided to surrender. He signed a treaty with the Mughals which is known as the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji was forced to give nearly two-thirds of the forts and region worth millions to Aurangzeb. He had to accept to become a General in the Mughal army and obey Aurangzeb’s orders. Along with these things, Shivaji had to accept to go to Agra to meet Aurangzeb on his birthday.
The Escape From Agra:
Shivaji was reluctant to go to Agra to visit Aurangzeb but Jai Singh pressurized him to do so. Trusting the word of a Rajput, Shivaji agreed to go to Agra.
When Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji reached the court of Aurangzeb in May 1666, he was not welcome as promised. He was made to stand in the back-row of Mansabdars of 5000 men. On top of that, he was made to stand behind a person whom he had defeated in a battle. This made him furious and he walked out of the court. Aurangzeb blamed him for the insult to the royal court and house-arrested him. There was pressure on Aurangzeb to kill Shivaji from his relatives to avenge the fiasco of his uncle, Shahista Khan.
Understanding the intentions of Aurangzeb, Shivaji decided to escape. He pretended of falling sick. He started sending big baskets of fruits and sweets to sadhus and fakirs for the blessing. Initially, Aurangzeb’s men used to check the baskets thoroughly but they stopped it soon and became careless. Taking advantage of this, Shivaji and his son hid in baskets and escaped from there. He returned to Raigad in September. He had kept Sambhaji in Mathura who returned after 2 months. Aurangzeb sent a big army to capture him but was not successful.
In August 1667, Mirja Raje Jai Singh died due to illness but according to some historians, he was murdered. When Shivaji was in Agra, some of his old enemies had started acting against Swarajya but they quieted down after his escape. Qutub Shah and Adil Shah signed a peace treaty with Shivaji. Hence, the Mughals were the only big enemy at that time. In November 1667, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj attacked the Bardesh region of Portuguese and defeated them. Hence, the Portuguese signed a treaty with Shivaji and agreed to not give shelter to hit enemies.
Prince Muazzam was appointed as subedar of Deccan by Aurangzeb. Prince Muazzam was not in favor of war with Marathas and tried to establish a good relationship with them but Aurangjeb’s anti-Hindu policies continued. He destroyed the Shiva temple of Kashi in 1669. He also imposed Jizya on Hindus. His anti-Maratha policies also continued secretly. Hence, Shivaji decided to go aggressive against the Mughals.
Kondana Fort (Sinhagad) was a strategically important fort. So, Shivaji sent Tanaji Malusare to capture this fort. On February 4, 1670, Tanaji captured the fort but died doing so. On March 8, 1670, Purandar was taken back by Nilopant. Lohgad, Mahuli, Karnala, and Rohida were also won back. Shivaji also captured different regions that were given to Mughals.
On February 14, 1670, Shivaji’s second son, Rajaram was born.
Second Sack Of Surat:
After the rainy season of 1670, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj planned to sack Surat again. On October 4, 1670, Shivaji suddenly attacked Surat and looted it again. Thus giving a strong message to Aurangzeb. While returning, Mughal knight, Dawood Khan, attacked Shivaji in the Vani-Dindori region. On October 17, 1670, Marathas defeated the Mughals.
Shivaji continued his aggressive policy and looted Bahadurpura near Burhanpur. In January 1671, Mahabat Khan along with Dawood Khan and Diler Khan attacked Maratha territory. They had a very big force. They had good success initially, but afterward, Marathas fought very fiercely and defeated them.
After the death of Adil Shah of Bijapur in 1672, the tension between Marathas and Bijapur increased. Bahlol Khan was preparing to attack Marathas. Hence, Shivaji sent Prataprao Gujar to defeat and kill Bahlol Khan. Prataprao defeated and captured Bahlol Khan but released him when he apologized. But after a few days, Bahlol Khan again attacked Maratha territory. Hence, Shivaji became very angry and warned Prataprao to not show his face until he defeats Bahlol Khan. Prataprao could not tolerate this insult and attacked Bahlol Khan’s army with just 6 6 other men. They fought furiously but were killed in the process. Then, Anandrao defeated Bahlol Khan and forced him to retreat. Aurangzeb sent Bahadur Khan to defeat Shivaji but he could not do much.
After defeating all his enemies, Shivaji decided to get himself coronated.
The Coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
When Raje Shivaji decided to get coronated, it was opposed by some Brahmins in Maharashtra as they believed he was not a Kshatriya, and non-Kshatriays were not allowed to become kings according to Hindu Dharma Shastra. Shivaji ordered some officers to collect proof regarding his belonging to a Kshatriya family. Soon it was found that he was a descendant of the Sisodiya family, which is a Rajput (Kshatriya) family but still Brahmins of Maharashtra did not agree to perform the coronation ceremony. Hence, a great Brahmin scholar and priest, Gaga Bhatta, was invited to perform the ceremony. The coronation ceremony took place on June 6, 1674, at Raigad Fort, which was declared as the official capital of the Maratha Kingdom. It was a lavish ceremony attended by representatives of English, French, Dutch, and other kings. Henry Oxenden was the Englishman present on Raigad at that time.
Shivaji became Chhatrapati (holder of a protective umbrella over the people of his state). He initiated golden and copper coins inscribing his name and started a new Shaka (era) called Rajyabhishek Shaka. He proclaimed himself as the Protector of cows and Brahmins. The family of Shivaji thus became a royal family.
After 12 days of the coronation ceremony Shivaji’s mother, Jijabai, died due to illness. In addition to that, ever since Shivaji started preparing for his coronation ceremony, his wife, Kashibai, and commander-in-chief also died. Hence on the advice of a Tantrik, he got re-coronated himself on September 24, 1674, by Tantrik way but in a simple ceremony.
Probable reasons behind Shivaji getting coronated himself were:
1. To establish the official Hindu Kingdom as there was no Hindu Kingdom at that time.
2. Other Maratha knights, which used to serve Mughals and others, used to consider Shivaji inferior to them but after the coronation, they could not do so.
3. It seems Shivaji Maharaj did not forget the insult in Aurangzeb’s Court who treated Shivaji as a pretty Mansabdar. He showed Aurangzeb who was he and took Revenge to some extent.
On April 17, 1675, Shivaji Maharaj won the Fonda Fort in Karnataka, a difficult-to-win fort of Adil Shah.
Ashta-Pradhan Mandal:
King Shivaji was not only a great warrior but also a great administrator. He set up a council of eight ministers, known as Ashtapradhan Mandal. These eight officials were called Peshva, Amatya, Waqia-Navis, Samant, Sachiv, Pandit Rao, Sarnabuat, and Nyayadhish.
The names of the first eight ministers:
1. Peshwa (Prime Minister) – Moropant Pingle
2. Sachiv (Secretary) – Annaji Datto Prabhunikar.
3. Sarnaubat (Commander-in-Chief) – Hambirrao Mohite.
4. Nyayadhish (Chief Justice) – Niraji Raoji.
5. Panditrao (High Priest) – Raghunathr Panditrao
6. Mazumdar (Finance Minister) – Ramchandra Pant Amatya.
7. Dabir (Foreign Minister) – Ramchandra Tyambak Dubeer.
8. Waqia-Navis (Interior Minister) – Dattaji Pant.
The Karnataka Expedition:
In 1677, Shivaji Maharaj started his expedition to Karnataka. On March 4, 1677, he met Qutub Shah and obtained his help and support for the expedition. On May 13, 1677, he captured Jinji fort by bribing the chief fort officer. Jinji Fort was very difficult to win, otherwise. Shivaji’s step-brother, Vyankoji, was taking care of a jagir of Shahaji in Karnataka. When Shivaji Maharaj asked him about his share in the property, he declined. Vyankoji then attacked and defeated Shivaji’s men. Hence, Shivaji Maharaj defeated Vyankoji and forced him to sign a treaty. In this expedition, Shivaji brought 100 forts and territory worth 80 lacs a year under his control.
While Shivaji Maharaj was on the Karnataka expedition, his eldest son, Sambhaji, rebelled and joined the Mughals. Sambhaji along with Daler Khan then attacked Bhupalgarh Fort under Maratha control. The chief officer of the fort did not fight with the prince and gave the fort to the Mughals. Diler Khan cut one hand of many Maratha soldiers on the fort as a punishment. Sambhaji did not like this and returned to Shivaji.
(Many scholars believe that Sambhaji Maharaj joined the Mughals per the order of Shivaji Maharaj. It was a part of his political tactics, but it did not work out.)
The Death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:
In February 1680, Shivaji Maharaj returned to Raigad. In March 1680, the marriage of Rajaram, Shivaji’s second son, took place. After that, he suddenly fell sick and died on April 3, 1680. The unexpected death of King Shivaji was a big blow to the Maratha Kingdom. According to the rumors, King Shivaji was murdered by his close relatives through poisoning. His body was cremated secretly on Raigad, and the news was not conveyed even to his eldest son, Sambhaji, who was in confinement on Panhala Fort. Sambhaji escaped from there and succeeded King Shivaji to become the next Chhatrapati.
GREATNESS OF CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ:
Though there have been many great kings in India, Shivaji had some great qualities, which make him stand above the rest.
Shivaji was both founder and builder of the Maratha Kingdom. He carved a kingdom out of nothing. What he had initially was a very small jagir and a few men who were ready to die for him, which was nothing compared to the Sultanates of Delhi and Bijapur.
Apart from being a great warrior, he was a great administrator. He took many decisions to comfort farmers and common people. He had given strict orders to his officers to not take anything forcefully from common people. All the soldiers and officers were strictly warned of severe punishment if they harm women and/or children, either from Swarajya or those from enemy territory.
King Shivaji proclaimed himself as “Go-Brahman Pratipalak” (Protector of cow and Brahmins) and tried his best to do so. He paid a lot of attention to the navy, which other kings in India did not, and built a few sea forts and warships to protect the seashore. He and his son Sambhaji were considered incarnations of God at that time by the people of Maharashtra.
Once Shivaji’s brother-in-law (wife’s brother) Bajaji Nimbalkar, had converted to Islam but wanted to return to Hinduism. At that time, it was nearly impossible to convert back to Hinduism because the Hindu society did not use to accept such persons and the priests were also opposing the idea. But Shivaji insisted and made the priests find the ritual within Hindu Dharma to get reconverted. I am not sure but I think it was the first case of its kind. In the same way, his commander-in-chief, Netaji Palkar, was taken back to Hinduism after some years.
Hindu priests used to believe that there would not be any Hindu Kingdom after the fall of the Vijayanagar empire but Shivaji proved them wrong and established the Hindu Kingdom, which lasted till the 19th century.
Was Shivaji Maharaj a Vegetarian?
There is no historic evidence that proves him to be a vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Traditionally, Marathas eat non-veg food regularly. Also, it is hard to maintain a strict vegetarian diet for warriors when they are on missions. Even Bajirao I who was a Brahmin by birth had to eat non-veg food on missions. Therefore, most probably he ate non-veg food.
But he was a staunch devotee of Goddess Parvati and had propitiated her. Lots of his success was her grace. Therefore, we cannot deny that he might be a vegetarian also.
Rajput Descent of Shivaji Maharaj:
Some people believe that King Shivaji was not a Rajput and it was a ploy to legitimize his rule in front of some Brahmins, but there is enough evidence to prove that he descended from the Rajputs of Sisodiya.
Descended from Lord Rama and Bappa Rawal, Rahap, son of Rann Singh, established the Sisodiya Dynasty after conquering Shisoda.
Seven of Rana Lakshman Singh’s sons and Raval Ratan Singh sacrificed their lives while fighting with Allauddin Khilji. Lakshman Singh had two more sons who were alive at that time, named Ajay Singh and Ari Singh. Ajay Singh installed Ari Singh’s son, Hammir Singh, on the throne.
Ajay Singh’s sons, Sajjan Singh and Kshema Singh moved southwards. Sajjan Singh settled in Maharashtra. Around three generations from Sajjan Singh, Bhonsaaji was born from whose name the surname Bhonsle was derived.
Muslim Commanders in Shivaji Maharaj’s Army:
1. Siddhi Hilal.
2. Daulat Khan.
3. Ibrahim Khan.
4. Kazi Haider.
5. Siddi Ibrahim.
6. Siddi Wahwah.
7. Noorkhan Beg.
8. Shama Khan.
9. Hussain Khan Miyani.
10. Siddi Mistri.
11. Sultan Khan.
12. Dawood Khan.
13. Madari Mehtar.
Failed Mission:
Shivaji Raje defeated many enemies in his life, but he could not defeat Siddis of Janjira. He undertook many missions to defeat them but all were in vain. Not only he but his son Sambhaji Maharaj also could not defeat them. Janjira remained invincible until 1947 when India got freedom.
Following were some of the reasons for the failure of the mission:
1. The geological location of Janjira was such that it was tough to reach the fort. Its door was not easily visible from shore.
2. Siddi used to get help from the Mughals and the British. This was the main reason.
3. Guides at Janjira Fort say that there was a dargah inside the fort of a very powerful Muslim pir. Hence, it was invincible.
4. Some people say it was built on a very auspicious Muhurat, called Amrit Muhurat, hence it remained invincible.
Real Images of Shivaji Maharaj:
V. S. Bendre is the person who found the real image of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In 1664 AD, Von Valentyn, Dutch Governor of Surat, commissioned the paintings of Shivaji Raje and other princes.
The only sculpture made during the lifetime of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj commissioned by Belavadi Mallamma, warrior queen of Bailhongal in 1678 is Located at Hanuman Temple at Yadwad, Karnataka.
The Temple of Shivaji Maharaj:
The oldest temple of King Shivaji is located at Sindhudurg Fort in Malvan, Maharashtra. Its name is Shivrajeshwar Temple. It also hosts his personal sword named Bhawani Talwar. It is not clear whether it is a replica of the original sword. There is an original print of his foot also in the fort.
Legends about Shivaji Maharaj:
1. It was a rumor that Shivaji was a phantom and could appear at many places at the same time.
2. King Shivaji was gifted a divine Shiva Linga called Chandrashekhar Baan by a saint. It was said that one who worships it for 12 years, used to get sovereignty.
3. Shrigund – Near the Walakeshwar sea, there was a round hole in a hill. It was said that one who passes through it successfully, gets successful in life. Shivaji passed this hole easily.
4. After the death of King Shivaji and King Sambhaji, Aurangzeb won Raigad Fort and vandalized Shivaji’s throne but some people believe the original throne was moved before and the duplicate was vandalized. The original throne is still lying somewhere in Maharashtra. It is worth millions of rupees.
5. While returning from the second sack of Surat, a large portion of loot could not reach back to Raigad due to an enemy attack and is still missing and values billions of dollars.
6. Some people believe that King Shivaji was murdered by poisoning. He was just 50 when he died and was in good health.
7. Both King Shivaji and his son Sambhaji Maharaj were voodooed by somebody.
8. Goddess Tulajabhavani gave him a divine sword, which is known as Bhavani Talwar. The sword is in Britain nowadays.
9. It is said that when Waghya (dog) saw Shivaji Maharaj’s body being cremated, he jumped into the burning pyre of Shivaji Maharaj.
No need to tell this great king of India has become a legend himself. Some people think he was an incarnation of God and worship him. There is a temple of Shivaji Maharaj in Sindhudurg Fort. Maharashtra Government is going to build a monument of Shivaji in the Arabic Sea near Mumbai. The horse-riding statue of Shivaji will be taller than that of the Statue of Liberty.
It is arguable to say whether he was a god or not, but one can definitely say that he was blessed by God.
Famous Songs Related to Shivaji Maharaj:
1. Indra Jimi Jrumbha Par:
इन्द्र जिमि जृंभ पर, बाड़व सुअंभ पर
रावण सदंभ पर रघुकुल राज है
इन्द्र जिमि जृंभ पर …
पवन बारि बाह पर, संभु रति नाह पर
ज्यों साहस बाह पर राम ध्वज राज है
इन्द्र जिमि जृंभ पर …
दावा दृम दण्ड पर, चीता मृग झुण्ड पर
भूषण वितुण्ड पर जैसे मृग राज है
इन्द्र जिमि जृंभ पर …
तेज तम अंस पर, कान्हा जिमि कंस पर
त्यों म्लेच्छ बंस पर सेर सिवराज है
इन्द्र जिमि जृंभ पर …
2. Prabho Shivaji Raja:
हे हिंदूशक्ती संभूत दीप्तितम तेजा
हे हिंदू तपस्यापुत ईश्वरी ओजा
हे हिंदुश्री सौभाग्यभूतीच्या साजा
हे हिंदू नृसिंहा प्रभो शिवाजी राजा
करी हिंदूराष्ट्र हे तुते, वंदना
करी अंतःकरणज तुज, अभिनंदना
तव चरणी भक्तीच्या चर्ची चंदना
गुढाशा पुरवी त्या न कथु शकतो ज्या
हे हिंदू नृसिंहा प्रभो शिवाजी राजा
ही शुद्धी हृदाची रामदास शीर डुलवी
जी बुद्धी पाच शाह्यास शत्रूच्या झुलवी
जी युक्ती कुटनीतीत खलासी बुडवी
जी शक्ती बलोन्मत्तास पदतली तुडवी
ती शुद्धी हेतूची कर्मी राहु दे
ती बुद्धी भाबड्या जीव लाभू दे
ती शक्ती श्रोणीतामाजी वाहु दे
दे मंत्र पुन्हा तो दिले समर्थे तुज ज्या
हे हिंदू नृसिंहा प्रभो शिवाजी राजा
हे हिंदू नृसिंहा प्रभो शिवाजी राजा
हे हिंदू नृसिंहा प्रभो शिवाजी राजा
3. Chhatrapati Shivrayancha Trivar Jayajayakar:
छत्रपती शिवरायांचा त्रिवार जयजयकार ॥ध्रु॥
हिंदवी स्वराज्याचे तोरण बांधुनिया गाजवी समरांगण,
आई भवानी प्रसन्न होउन देई साक्षात्कार ॥१॥
धर्माचा अभिमानी राजा, देशाचा संरक्षक राजा,
चारित्र्याचा पालक राजा घडवी देशोद्धार ॥२॥
स्फूर्तीकेन्द्र हे भारतियांचे, दैवत अमुच्या महाराष्ट्राचे
आद्यप्रवर्तक संघटनेचे सदा विजयी होणार ॥३॥
पूजा बांधू सामर्थ्याची, इच्छापूर्ती श्रीशिवबाची
उठता ऊर्मी समर्पणाची काय उणे पडणार ॥४॥
प्रभात झाली लोकशाहिची, जाणिव हो कर्तव्याची
घेउ प्रतिज्ञा एकजुटीची, नको आता माघार ॥५॥
कितीक झाले आणी होतिल राजे असंख्य जगती
परी न शिवबासम होइल या अवनीवरती राजे छत्रपती ॥६॥
References:
1. Reddit.
2. Raja ShivChhatrapati – I & II by Babasaheb Purandare.