Swarajya Sansthapak - Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosale
For 300 years, Maharashtra was under the barbaric domination of the Sultans. The natives were tired of suffering under the oppressive rule of the Mughals and the Adilshahi forces. In such troubled times, the people needed a saviour, who would lead them to freedom. And on 19th February, 1630, Shivaji Raje was born on Shivneri Fort. His father, Shahaji Raje Bhosale was a fierce and calculating commander who had defeated the Mughals and the Adilshahi forces on several occasions. His mother, Jijabai, was the daughter of Lakhuji Jadhavrao, another brave Maratha chieftain. The two of them were experts in Military warfare as well as civil policies.
Shahaji Raje Bhosale
Jijabai always dreamt of an independent kingdom for the Marathas. The Mughal atrocities had increased in those years. They used to snatch away lands of the poor farmers. The soldiers used to raid villages and take away the women as their prize. Such times called for a hero who had taken birth as the son of Shahaji Raje and Jijabai.
The great Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, was currently the ruler of Northern India. He was a cruel despot who aimed at nothing but the extermination of Hinduism from India. The South was divided between three powers – the Adil shah at Bijapur, Qutub Shah at Golconda and the Nizam Shah at Ahmednagar. This foreign rule infuriated Jijabai and Shivaji Raje. And this rage transformed into the movement for Swarajya. Shahaji Raje was the Governor of Bangalore. He was forbidden from entering Maharashtra and hence sent a skilled teacher – Dadaji Pant Kondadev to train Shivaji in the arts of warfare and civil administration. The idea of Swarajya was forming in Shivaji Raje’s mind at the tender age of 12. He directed the anger in the hearts of Marathas and united them for achieving the common goal of Swarajya. Many brave and wise men answered his call. The most prominent of these were Tanaji Malusare, Yesaji Kank, Baji Pasalkar, Shamrajpant Ranjrekar, Sonopant Dabir, Sarnobat Netaji Palkar, Maynak Bhandari, Kanhoji Jedhe Naik and Bahirji Naik. These people laid the foundation of Swararjya along with Shivaji Maharaj at the temple of Raireshwar. They took an oath of Swarajya or self - rule by making Lord Shiva as their witness. And then a cry went up in the valleys of Sahyadri! A cry which wasn’t heard for 300 years! A cry marking the birth of a new kingdom! All the people shouted at the top of their voices - Har Har Mahadev! It was a war cry that would shatter the Mughal Empire to its core.
At the young age of 15, Shivaji Maharaj undertook his first military expedition against the Adil Shah. He captured the fort of Torana. And after this victory, he didn’t look back. Purandhar, Lohagad, Pratapgad, Rajgad, Raigad – one by one these forts fell to the Marathas. Shivaji Maharaj preferred a battle of wits to a battle of strength. His main tactic was guerrilla warfare against the huge armies of the Sultans. Irritated by the exploits of Shivaji Raje, Adil Shah sent his most powerful commander, Afzal Khan against him. Afzal Khan was a man of monstrous strength. He invited Shivaji Raje for a friendly meeting. But Maharaj wasn’t a novice. He had anticipated Khan’s plan and hence went with precautions. When Khan tried to stab and kill Maharaj, he failed miserably as Maharaj had worn an armour under his clothes. Shivaji Maharaj exposed his Wagh Nakh (Tiger claws) and ripped off Afzal Khan’s intestines. This was followed by the conquest of Satara, Kolhapur and Panhala. To counter this, Adilshah sent the killedar of Kurnool, Siddi Jauhar to tackle this threat. Siddi Jauhar laid siege to the fort of Panhala where Maharaj was temporarily residing. Netaji Palkar tried to break the encirclement but was unsuccesful. Finally, Maharaj escaped safely through the siege due to the sacrifice of Baji Prabhu Deshpande who gave up his life defending the narrow pass of Ghodkhinda till the time Maharaj reached Vishalgad safely.
Afzal Khan vadh
Baji Prabhu Deshpande
At the same time, Shasta Khan had invaded Swarajya from the north. His general Kartalabkhan was defeated at Umber khind by the forces of Maharaj. Aurangzeb’s uncle, Shasta Khan had occupied Lal Mahal in Pune which was the residence of Shivaji Maharaj. And then Maharaj undertook his most daring expedition. On a new moon night, Shivaji Maharaj and his followers, disguised as members of a marriage procession, attacked Shasta Khan and chopped off three fingers of his right hand but failed to kill him. They failed to kill him but scared him to such an extent that he fled the Deccan after this.
An irritated Aurangzeb sent his most powerful commanders, Mirza Raje Jaisingh and Dilerkhan Pathan. When Diler Khan attacked Purandhar, Murar Baji Deshpande refused to submit to the Mughals and gave up his life defending the fort. Unable to bear the death of his loyal followers, Maharaj was forced sign a treaty and had to give up 23 forts and 4 lakh hons. He was also made to visit Agra to pay respects to the Emperor. At Agra, Maharaj stormed out of the durbar as he was insulted by the Mughals. He was later placed under House arrest by Aurangzeb. But here too Maharaj fooled the Mughal guards and escaped through big chests which were meant to transport sweets to the sages and fakirs. On returning back from Agra, Maharaj started recapturing his lost territories. Only Kondhana remained out of his control. Tanaji Malusare, the Braveheart agreed to undertake this dangerous mission. Maharaj tried to stop him as his son was going to be married the next day. But this warrior said, “First I will wed Kondhana to Swarajya and then I shall get my son married (आधी लगीन कोंढाण्याचं, मग माझ्या रायबाचं!) and set out to capture Kondhana. The fort was won but the lion was lost. Tanaji lost his life on the battlefield but managed to capture the fort. Shivaji Maharaj personally oversaw the wedding of Tanaji’s son, Raiba and made him a captain in his armies.
Murarbaji
Subedar Tanaji Malusare
After all these exploits, the common folk and the generals requested Shivaji Maharaj to be coronated as the king of this new Maratha state. Maharaj agreed to their demands and preparations for the coronation ceremony began. Pandit Gaga Bhatt presided over the ceremonies and on 6 June, 1674, Shivaji Maharaj became the Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom. But this title came at a cost. The state was shaped by the sacrifices of many Braveheart. Tanaji on Kondhana, Baji Prabhu in Ghodkhinda, Murar Baji on Purandhar, Pratap Rao Gujar and many others gave away their lives for the sake of Swarajya. History shall never forget their contribution.
The coronation was followed by a renewed campaign in the Deccan. Shivaji Maharaj visited Golconda and struck an alliance with Abul Hasan Qutubshah, the ruler of Hyderabad. He then turned his attention further south and captured the mighty forts of Jinjee and Vellore in the Tamil lands. But these victories were followed by a terrible tragedy.
Many ignorant people believe that Shivaji Maharaj fought a religious war. But that isn’t true. His fight was against the Mughal and Adilshahi empires and not against Islam or any other religion. That is supported by the fact that his army consisted of Hindus as well as Muslims. His admiral, Daulat Khan Siddi and generals like Siddi Hilal, prove his secular nature. His biggest virtue was that he treated women with the same amount of respect which he gave to his mother. Maharaj gave his life for the betterment of the people and the state and became a lighthouse, guiding the future generations. On 3 April, 1680, this great King died at the age of 50. On that day, Maharaj died physically. But his ideals and his deeds became immortal. And it was after his death and the sacrifice of his son, Sambhaji Maharaj that the small sapling of the Maratha Empire grew into a huge Banyan tree, capturing lands all the way upto Attock and Peshawar. He still lives in the hearts of each and every patriotic Indian.
Jai Bhavani! Jai Shivaji!
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