Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonslé, also known as
Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonslé (
Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले)() was the founder of 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 still considered a hero in the present-day state of
Maharashtra, and stories of his exploits have entered into folklore. He was one of the pioneers of
commando actions, though the term "commando" is modern
[Kasar, D.B., Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great, Mumbai: Manudevi Prakashan (2005)].
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Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj |
Shivaji started his rise to power in what is now the state of
Maharashtra in the
Deccan, close to the power centres of Southern India.
In 1292,
Allauddin Khilji defeated the
Yadavas of
Devgiri, but the Yadavas continued to rule till 1310. But a branch of the Yadavas ruled parts of
Konkan/
Khandesh 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 was defeated. Over time, an understanding evolved between the sultanates and lords and their erstwhile master Yadavas. The Yadavas became 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 and
Ahmednagar and
Golconda. They engaged in a continuous game of mutual alliances and aggressions.
Meanwhile, in northern India, the
Mughals held sway under the Emperor
Shah Jahan.
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Shivneri Fort, where Maharaj was born |
Shivaji was born in
1627, in the
Shivneri Fort 60 kilometers north of
Pune. His father,
Shahaji, a
jagirdar of
Adilshah the sultan of
Bijapur in present-day
Karnataka. His mother,
Jijabai, was the daughter of
Lakhuji Jadhav. The Bhosales and Yadavas both belong to 96 royal Maratha clans, who were the most influential
Kshatriya rulers of yore.
During Shivaji's childhood several
Maratha generals, like
Shahaji, were serving under the Sultanates. When the
Mughals and
Adilshah completed their conquest of the
Nizamshahi kingdom of
Ahmednagar in
1636, Shahaji was forced to leave the region around
Pune. He was inducted by
Adilshah and offered a distant
jagir near present-day
Bangalore, so as to dispel from his mind any ambitions he may have entertained about political independence. 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 includes Shamrao Nilkanth as
Peshwa, Balkrishna Pant as Muzumdar, Raghunath Ballal as Sabnis and Sonopant as Dabir. Apart from these ministers, military commanders like Kanhoji Jedhe and Baji Pasalkar were appointed to look after further training. Under such conditions, he took oath at the temple of
Raireshwar and assumed administrative responsibility ( 644). Shahaji got Lal Mahal built at
Pune. A
royal seal was handed over to Shivaji which reads in
Sanskrit: "Shivaji, son of Shahaji, is growing like the crescent of the new moon. He is there to rule for the welfare of the people". Thus Shivaji started his career as an independent young prince of a small kingdom on mission. Shivaji used the title of 'Raja' 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 and
Jijabai's motivation and military commanders able training were the greatest influences that groomed Shivaji into a brave and fearless military leader as well as a responsible administrator. Young Shivaji, the protegé that he was, took little time to apply what he had learnt.
Shivaji took the oath of swarajya (self rule) at the age of 14. Shivaji carried out his first military action by capturing
Bijapur kingdom's
Torna fort at the age of 16 in
1646. By
1647 he had captured
Kondana and
Rajgad forts and now had complete control of the
Pune region. And by
1659 Shivaji had captured some forts in the
Western Ghats and along the
Konkan coast. In an effort to put down what was seen by Bijapur as a revolt,
Afzal Khan, Bijapur's finest general, was sent to destroy him.
Afzal Khan
Shivaji had encamped at
Pratapgad Fort, which was strategically advantageous for mountainous infantry action. Afzal Khan tried to garner support of local militarily independent landlords of the mountainous region who nominally acknowledged the
suzerainty of
Adilshah. But the powerful baron
Kanhoji Jedhe, as directed by Shahaji, helped Shivaji to counter these moves and attract their support.
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Ruins of the Raigad Fort, which served as a capital for Maratha Empire. |
Shivaji and Afzal Khan arranged a meeting at a
shamiyana at the foothills of the fort Pratapgarh (Fortress of Valor). It was agreed that the two would meet unarmed, but were to bring with them ten personal bodyguards each, who were to remain at a distance of one 'arrow-shot' away. Nevertheless, Afzal Khan, as was his reputation for cunning, hid a 'katyar' (a small but very sharp dagger) in his coat. Shivaji pre-empted skullduggery on Khan's part (Khan had got Shivaji's elder brother poisoned and later conspired to get his father, Shahaji, arrested.) and came prepared. Amongst Shivaji's weapons was a small but effective weapon called
wagh nakhi which literally means 'the claws of the
tiger'. It consisted of an iron finger-grip with four razor claws which could be concealed in the clenched fist. As the two men entered the tent fixed for meeting, the 6-feet-tall overconfident Khan, having little difficulty hiding his swagger, lounged forward pretending of giving an open-armed hug, grabbed the 5'4" Shivaji in his left arm, swiftly drew the hidden dagger and stabbed Shivaji in his back. But, being prepared, Shivaji was wearing iron gear under his coat and was saved. Thus strikingly made aware of Khan's real intentions, Shivaji opened his fist and disembowelled the Khan with one swift stroke of his "wagh nakhi". Stunned by this sudden turn of events Khan rushed outside shouting for help. Khan's bodyguard, Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni, (each had agreed for one guard be placed immediately outside the tent), pounced on Shivaji on hearing Khan's cries. Before Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni could strike again, Shivaji's bodyguard, Jiva Mahala, who too rushed inside hearing the pandemonium, slashed him with his sabre. (The pithy Marathi phrase: 'Hota Jiva Mhanun Vachala Shiva' - 'As there was Jiva, so lived Shiva' - owes its origin to this miraculous act). Afzal Khan managed to hold his gushing entrails and hurtled, faint and bleeding, outside the
shamiyana and threw himself into his
palanquin. The bearers hastily lifted their charge and began moving rapidly away down the slope when Sambhaji Kavji Kondhalkar, Shivaji's lieutenant and one of the distant guards, went in pursuit, and decapitated the Khan permanently.
Shivaji sped up the slope towards the fortress and his lieutenants ordered a concluding bugle to be sounded. It was a pre-determined signal to his infantry, which had been strategically placed in the densely covered valley, to commence battle in case of any treachery on part of Khan, and save the Swaraj (freedom) which was in its infancy .
The severed head of Khan was sent to Rajgarh to be shown to
Jijabai. She had long wanted vengeance for the deliberate maltreatment of Shahaji (Shivaji's father) in his captivity by Afzal Khan, and for getting her elder son, Sambhaji, killed through treachery.
Khan's death dealt to the Bijapur Sultan's rule a severe blow from which it never recovered until it was eventually eclipsed by the tyrannical Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb.
The
Maratha's
Swarajya on the other hand flourished and blossomed into a muscular Maratha Empire which later spread till
Attock near present-day
Afghanistan, the seeds of which were laid in this small but breathtaking event amidst the mountainous jungles of
Maharashtra.
Siddi Jauhar
Now Adil Shah sent an
Abyssinian general of repute, Siddi Jauhar
1660. Shivaji took up a position at the fort
Panhala, near present day
Kolhapur, on the borders of his dominion. Meanwhile mughals also sent their contingents under celebrated Shaista Khan who camped at
Pune. Shivaji in a brilliant move decided to break the siege of the fort, so that the enemy would scatter. Then war would be fought on a vast territory with an amazing speed. Accordingly, on the dead of the full moon night, he passed through the siege. Meanwhile the enemy chased and caught some portion of his troops. The caught king turned out to be an imposter of Shivaji. He was a barber, namely Shiva. Again the enemy chased him. By that time Shivaji had reached a strategic location, Ghod Khind, a gorge. It was very narrow so as to pass only a few soldiers at a time.
Bajiprabhu Deshpande, a gallant general along with Bandal mavalees took the position to defend the pass till Shivaji reached another fort,
Vishal Gadh.
Shivaji attacked another siege at the base of that fort with such a vigour that it was broken. Meanwhile, Baji Prabhu successfully defended the pass with 300 soldiers. He was badly wounded, but he gave up only when he heard the sound of cannons blasted by Shivaji from the fort that he had reached safely. That pass is now called as 'Pavan Khind' - The Sacred Pass. After crossing the pass, the enemy attacked Shivaji at the
Vishal Gadh fort. But again they were beaten badly and repulsed with heavy losses. They left the battlefield never to return again. To please Siddi Jauhar, Shivaji vacated the fort, Panhal garh. Even today youths trek on the route taken by Shivaji between the forts of Panhala and Vishal Gadh. The distance is around 70 km.
The Mughals 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.
Shahista Khan
Shahista 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 and his troops looted peasants and villages in frustration.
An
Uzbek general, Kartalab Khan, was sent on a mission to attack and reduce Shivaji's forts in the
Konkan. He left Pune with 30,000 troops. This time the Mughals did not march openly, since they wanted to surprise Shivaji. But Shivaji took them by surprise at a pass known as 'Umber Khind', near present-day
Pen, and attacked them from all sides. They surrendered with their baggage and arms.
Shivaji's next target was the Mughal camp at
Pune. In April 1663 he led a small group, in the guise of a marriage party, on a daring attack on the residence of the Khan, who was occupying a small palace (
Lal Mahal) which had been Shivaji's childhood residence. The attack was successful, though the Khan managed to escape with the loss of three fingers, cut off by Shivaji as he jumped out of a window. Shivaji managed to escape, fooling pursuing Mughals with torches attached to bulls in the pass known as 'Katraj Ghat', and beat off an attack at
Kondana the next day. The narrow escape made the Khan give up the fight and withdraw from Pune. He was left untouched after Shaistekhan's wife pleaded with Shivaji for his life. That was to be a biggest mistake in Shivaji's life.
Surat
As
Shaista Khan was in
Maharashtra for more than three years, the financial condition of the state was dire. So to improve his finances, Shivaji planned to attack Surat, a key Mughal power centre, the gateway for the pilgrimage to
Mecca, and a wealthy port town which generated a million rupees in taxes. The defences of the city were poor, as the local Sardar Inayatkhan appointed by Aurangzeb was corrupt and instead of the stipulated force of nearly 5000 soldiers had appointed only 1000 and pocketed the rest of the money himself. But an attack on Surat was an audacious feat as the city was 300 km from Shivaji's state and a large part of the journey had to be carried out inside Mughul territory. When Shivaji arrived at Surat he demanded tribute from the Mughal commander and a small army stationed for port security, which was refused. So after Shivaji took the city in 1664 he put it to the sack. Surat was under sack for nearly 3 weeks, in which the Maratha army looted all possible wealth from
Mughal &
Portuguese trading centers. All this loot was successfully transported to
Maharashtra before the
Mughal Empire at
Delhi was alerted. This wealth later was used for development & strengthening the
Maratha Empire.
Mirza Raje Jai Singh
The Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb was angered by Shivaji's attacks on the Mughal empire in
Maharashtra and sent a large army to finish him off, led by
Raja Jai Singh of
Amber. Shivaji's army was defeated badly. The commander of the key
Purandhar fort was killed in its defence (see
Murarbaji). Faced with overwhelming force, Shivaji opted for peace and surrendered, accepting in the 1665
Treaty of Purandar the loss of about 90% of his territory and 23 of his forts. He was allowed to retain some strategic forts. He accepted a position of a
mansabdar for his son
Sambhaji in the [[Mughal] military hierarchy.
Trip To Agra and Escape
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.
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.
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Statue Commemorating the coronation of Maharaj in Raigad |
In pursuit of royal seal given by his father, Shivaji did coronation. On that occasion, he extended the council of ministers to
Ashtapradhan (eight ministers). A new era was started which is known as the 'Rajybhishek era'. New gold coin known as 'Shivrai' was brought into circulation.
A thread ceremony (
Upanayanam) took place on
May 29,
1674, and then a
Vratya Stoma ceremony was performed.
Shivaji was formally crowned
Chatrapati ("Holder of the Umbrella", 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. 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.
Some historians attribute the need for the coronation to resentment by the other Maratha
Deccan nobles of Shivaji's success (he being a
Bhosle) and his taking a higher seat than them at state dinners
[Vaidya, C.V., History of Mediaeval India]. However it is worth mentioning that Shivaji had mentioned his
gotra as
kaushika (
Vishwamitra) in his
danpatra (donation)
[Prof.Bhagat, Datta., SABHASAD WRITTEN SHIV CHARITRA(EDITED)]. Hence this kind of observation made during late 19th century does not hold any ground .
Henry Oxinden (later Acting President of the Bombay Presidency) from the
British East India Company was present at the ceremony.
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Bust of Tanaji on top of Simhagad Fort |
After Shivaji was crowned, one fort on the outskirts of
Pune,
Kondana, was stil under the control of a Mughal general. Shivaji requested one of his most senior and trusted generals,
Tanaji Malusare, to head a mission to capture Kondana. Tanaji Malusare was already occupied with his son's marriage. But for him duty came first, and he chose to go for the mission although Shivaji tried to convince him to attend his son's marriage. Kondana was heavily guarded by the
Mughals, and there was only one way to gain access: an almost impossible to climb, steep edge of the fort. Tanaji's soldiers braved all odds and climbed the steepest side of the fort. In the bloody battle that followed, Tanaji led from the front but was seriously wounded. Two pieces of news arrived in quick succession at Shivaji's palace: first that Kondana fort had been captured by Shivaji's soldiers; and second that General Tanaji had gone down fighting. Shivaji quipped "Gadh ala, pan Sinha gela" (paraphrased and translated): "The fort is captured but the Lion is dead !" In Tanaji's honour, Kondana was renamed Sinhagad (= "the fort of the lion").
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 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.
But he 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.
Shivaji's forts
Shivaji is well known for his forts; he was in possession of around three hundred at the time of his death. Many, like Panhala, existed before him but others like
Raigad (hailed as the 'Gibraltar of the East') and
Pratapgad were built by him from scratch. These forts were central to his empire and their remains are among the foremost sources of information about his rule. The French missionary Father Fryer witnessed the fortifications of
Gingee, Madras, built by Shivaji after its conquest, and appreciated his technical knowhow and knowledge.
The hill fort Salher in Nashik district was at a distance of 1200 km from the hill fort Jingi, near Chennai. Over such long distance, hill forts were supported by seaforts. Sea fort Colaba,near Mumbai was at a distance of 500 km from seafort
Sindhudurg. These all forts were put under a havaldar with a strong garrison. Strict discipline was followed. These forts proved useful during Mughal-Maratha wars.
Along with Rana Kumbha of
Mewar and Raja
Bhoj of Shilahar, he stands as a grand figure in the art of fortification in Indian sub-continent. There are a number of legends about these forts. Even today thousands of youths visit these forts in his memory.
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
Bhonsle continued the tradition by printing the first book in Marathi
Devnagari.
Shivaji and Religion
Shivaji was a deeply religious Hindu, and respected all religions within the region. Shivaji had great respect for
Warkari saints like
Tukaram and others.
Shahaji had donated a huge piece of land to Shaha-Sharif Durga of Ahmednagar. Shivaji generally did not give land to any particular person except on a rare occasion. Shivaji had one-third
Muslims in his forces, especially in the navy. Shivaji's most trusted general in all his military campaigns was
Haider Ali Kohari, a
Muslim. Not only that, many of his other generals were Muslims too,
Darya Sarang was chief of armoury,
Ibrahim Khan and
Daulat Khan were prominent in his naval division and
Siddi Ibrahim was chief of his cannon division. The first thing Shivaji did after a conquest was to promulgate protection of
mosques and Muslim tombs. Shivaji had great respect for the
Sufi tradition of
Islam. Shivaji used to pray at the mausoleum of the great
Sufi Muslim saint
Baba Sharifuddin. He also used to visit the abode of another great
Sufi saint,
Shaikh Yacub of the
Konkan, and take his blessings. He used to call
Hazrat Baba of
Ratnagiri bahut thorwale bhau, meaning "great elder brother". Kafi Khan, the mughal historian, and also Bernier, a French traveler, speaks highly of his religious policy. He was against forced conversion, which he opposed successfully. He also brought back converts like
Netaji Palkar, Bajaji in
Hinduism. He did not forcefully
convert any captive or defeated person. He had prohibited
slavery in his kingdom.
Shivaji was extremely humane to all his subjects, whichever religion they practised. Shivaji applied a humane and liberal policy on the Muslim
women of his state. 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.
The secularism practised by Shivaji can be observed 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. A political party, the
Shiv Sena, claims to draw inspiration from him. School texts in Maharashtra glorify his period. 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.
Devotional and political approaches to Shivaji have clashed with historical ones. The publication in 2003 of James W. Laine's
Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India [Laine, James W., Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2003), ISBN 0195141261] sparked controversy in India for its inclusion of contemporary speculation 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.
Kalki Prophecy
As per
Hindu religious texts, there would be tenth avataar of
Lord Vishnu after
Buddha in
kali yuga, whose name will be
Kalki. Kalki will ride on horse and wear a divine sword to destroy his enemies.
Kalki and Reality
Reality is that, in present age, Kali yuga no person in
India or elsewhere can become a king like Kalki. That period has passed long back. This is the age of rockets and nuclear weapons, it is not possible for a present or future king to defeat his enemies by riding on horse and to fight in the battles with the help of weapon like sword.
But prophecies about earlier avatars of Lord Vishnu including Buddha were correct as per
Vedic text, so prophecy about Kalki avataar must be correct.
To relate both these possibilities, we have to concentrate on such a period when kings were riding on horses and were wielding swords and we should also concentrate on such a personality who restored good government.
Why Shivaji as Kalki?
* Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the Hindu king.
* He was riding on horse.
* He was welknown for His Bhavani sword, which is still in british mueseum, this divine Bhavani sword was offered to him by Godess
Bhavani.
* He was the Shak karta - creator of calendar -timeline, he started his Shiv-shaka calendar as per
vedic timeline.
* He was the milestone in the
History of India.
Kalki and Mlench
Shivaji built his
Maratha empire from scratch, he dared to fight against mighty muslim invaders(mlench). Before his arrival
Hindustan was occupied by muslim invaders, they were torching hindus to convert to muslim religion, they were destroying hindu temples, they were killing innocent hindu peoples and no one was there to help hindus.
Kal and Khan
Shivaji took the oath of Hindvi swarajya at the age of 14. He started his military ambitions at the age of 16 by conquering fort of Bijapur kingdom's Torna. To control Shivaji's activity, Bijapur sent it's mighty general Afzal Khan, who had earlier captured Shivaji's father and killed Shivaji's elder brother Sambhaji. Shivaji agreed to meet him at Pratapgadh fort and killed Afzal Khan. Khan's death dealt to the Bijapur's rule a severe blow from which it never recovered. The Shivaji's Swarajya on the other hand flourished and blossomed into a muscular
Maratha Empire which later spread till
Attock near present-day
Afghanistan, Maratha's inspired by Shivaji, destroyed
Mughal empire, the seeds of which were laid in this small but breathtaking event amidst the mountainous jungles of Maharashtra.
Go Brahman Pratipalak
Shivaji established an effective civil and military administration. People called him as ‘Go - Brahman Pratipalak' and 'Rayatecha Raja' King of common people. He also built a powerful
Maratha Navy and erected new sea 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. He was 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.
[edit]
Comparison between Kalki and Shivaji
KALKI: Birth to the VishnuyaSHA and his wife SuMATI in the mystical kingdom of Shambhala. SHIVAJI: Birth to the SHAhaji and his wife JijaMATA on the fort Shivneri.
KALKI: Martial training under Guru Parashurama, 6th and only immortal avatar of Lord Vishnu. SHIVAJI: Martial training under Dadoji Konddeo.
KALKI: Long penance to Lord Shiva in the Himalayas; SHIVAJI: Started his Swarajya by taking oath at Raireshwar Shiv temple.
KALKI: Acceptance of the winged steed Devadatta (God-Given), and the divine Nandaka (Bringer of Bliss) sword from Lord Shiva; SHIVAJI: Shivaji is the last Hindu king who rode horse and defeated Mlench by his divine sword given by Godesses Bhavani.
KALKI: Two sons Jaya and Vijaya; SHIVAJI: Two sons Sambhaji and Rajaram
KALKI: War with the dark forces of Kali (Demon), including the demon generals Koka and Vikoka. SHIVAJI: War with Afzal KHAN. Khan's death dealt to the Bijapur rule a severe blow from which it never recovered. The Maratha's Swarajya on the other hand flourished and blossomed into a muscular Maratha Empire which later spread till Attock near present-day Afghanistan, the seeds of which were laid in this small but breathtaking event amidst the mountainous jungles of Maharashtra.
KALKI: Challenge and defeat under RAJA Shashidhwaja; SHIVAJI: Defeat under Mirza RAJA Jaysingh.
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,
Prataprao Gujar,
Kanhoji Jedhe,
Kondaji Farjand,
Balaji Avji Chitnis,
Netaji Palkar and
Lay Patil Koli, and Khando BallalUnder 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,
Kanhoji Aangre.
* Apte, B.K. (editor),
Chhatrapati Shivaji: Coronation Tercentenary Commemoration Volume, Bombay: University of Bombay (1974-75)
* Duff, Grant," History of Marhattas",London
* Desai, Ranjeet,
Shivaji the Great, Janata Raja (1968), Pune: Balwant Printers - English Translation of popular Marathi book.
* 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)
*
Phule, Mahatma Jyotiba,
Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle Yanche Powade, Marathi, (1869)
* Sarkar, Jadunath, "Shivaji and his times", Calcutta
* Zakaria, Rafique, "Communal Rage in Secular India", Popular Prakashan, Mumbai (2003)
*
Sivaji Ganesan*
Marathas*
Maratha Empire*
List of people known as The Great*
Secularism*
Real History of Shivaji Maharaj*
A website dedicated to Shivaji*
A blog dedicated to Shivashahir Babasaheb Purandare's Shivacharitra.*
Marathi Bestselling book 'Janata Raja' by Ranjeet Desai available in English*
Some forts captured and ruled by Shivaji*
the controversy over James Laine's Shivaji (Complete Review Quarterly)
*
a review of Laine's Shivaji (Asia Times)
