SHIVAJI

- PRAKASH ARULAPPA
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RISE OF MARATHA POWER UNDER SHIVAJI
(a) CIRCUMSTANTIAL FACTORS
1. PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE MARATHA COUNTRY
EXISTANCE OF MOUNTAINS, SCANTY RAINS, AND HARSH CLIMATE MADE THE MARATHAS STRONG HARD WORKING
AND PROVIDED THEM WITH NATURAL FORTRESSESS.
2. BHAKTI MOVEMENT LED BY TUKARAM, RAMDAS AND EKNATH WENT A LONG WAY IN UNITING THE PEOPLE AND
MAKING ALL OF THEM RELIGIOUS AND PATRIOTIC.
3. MARATHI LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE ALSO CREATED A SENSE OF COMMONNESS AMONG THE PEOPLE.
4.THE TRAINING OF MARATHAS IN ADMINISTRATION AND MILITARY AFFAIRS, ACQUIRED IN THE SERVICES OF BIJAPUR,
GOLKANDA AND AHMADNAGAR PROVED VERY HELPFUL IN THE FORMATION OF THE MARATHA NATION
(b) PERSONAL FACTORS
1. SHIVAJIS MOTHER JIJABAI MADE HER SON NOBLE , RELIGIOUS AND PATRIOTIC
2. SHIVAJIS GUARDIAN DADAJI KONDADEV, GAVE HIM A VERY GOOD TRAINING IN FIGHTING AND EXPLOITS
3.SWAMI RAMDAS THE GURU OF SHIVAJI TAUGHT HIM TO MAKE DHARMA LIVE AND TO PROTECT THE FAITH,
BRAHMANAS AND COWS FROM MUGHAL TYRANNY.
EARLY LIFE
SHIVAJI WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 19, 1630 IN THE HILLFORT OF SHIVNARY. HIS FATHER SHAHJI BHNSLE WAS AN
AMBITIOUS JAGIRDAR. HIS MOTHER WAS JIJABAI. WHEN SHIVAJI BORN SHAHJI WAS IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. SO
HE LEFT HIS WIFE AND CHILD AT HIS JAGIR OF POONA WHICH WAS TAKEN CARE BY HIS HONEST SERVANT DADAJI
KONDADEV.
EARLY INFLUENCES
SHIVAJIS CAREER WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY TWO PERSONALITIES
-HIS MOTHER JIJABAI
-HIS GUARDIAN DADAJI KONDADEV
EARLY CONQUESTS (1646- 57 A.D. )
SHIVAJI STARTED HIS CAREER OF CONQUESTS AT THE AGE OF NINETEEN. AFTER HE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED THE JAGIR OF
POONA IN 1641 HE GATHERED A FORCE OF SOME YOUNG ADVENTURERS AND STARTED LEADING MILITARY
EXPEDITIONS. ENCOURAGED BY THE CONFUSION PREVALENT IN BIJAPUR, SHIVAJI CAPTURED THE FORT OF TORNA IN
1646 A.D. THEN SHIVAJI CAPTURED THE FORT OF RAIGARH WHICH WAS REBUILT. PURANDAR AND KONDANA WERE
ALSO TAKEN POSSESSION OF. THUS SHIVAJI IN A FEW YEARS TIME CARVED OUT CONSIDERABLE TERRITORIES FOR
HIMSELF. THESE ACTIVITIES OF SHIVAJI GREATLY ANNOYED SULTAN OF BIJAPUR ALI ADIL SHAH II,WHO IMPRISONED
SHIVAJIS FATHER. SHIVAJI DID NOT WANT TO ENDANGER THE LIFE OF HIS FATHER. SHIVAJI STOPPED HIS CONQUESTS
FOR TIME BEING. AT THE SAME TIME HE BEGAN TO NEGOTIATE WITH PRINCE MURAD EXPRESSING HIS DESIRE TO JOIN
THE IMPERIAL SERVICES. THE GOVERNMENT OF BIJAPUR OF ALI ADIL SHAH II WAS ALARMED AT THIS AND ON THE
ADVICE OF THE NOBLES LIKE SHARZA KHAN AND RANDULLA KHAN, ORDERED THE RELEASE OF SHAHJI IN 1649 A.D. AS
HE WAS RELEASED CONDITIONALLY SHIVAJI STOPPED HIS RAIDS FROM 1649 A.D. TO 1655 A.D. HE DEVOTED THAT
PERIOD FOR CONSOLIDATING AND ADMINISTRATIVE WORKS. IN 1656 A.D. SHIVAJI RESUMED HIS CONQUESTS. HE
CONQUERED JAWALI BY KILLING ITS CHIEF CHANDER RAO.
SHIVAJI AND AFZAL KHAN (1660 A.D.)
ALI ADIL SHAH II SULTAN OF BIJAPUR WANTED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST SHIVAJI. SO HE SENT A HUGE FORCE UNDER
THE LEADERSHIP OF AFZAL KHAN TO CRUSH SHIVAJI. AFZAL KHAN WHEN REACHED MARATHA COUNTRY FOUND THAT
IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FIGHT AND DEFEAT SHIVAJI IN THE BATTLE FIELD BECAUSE OF THE HILLY REGION. SO HE
THOUGHT OF LURING SHIVAJI INTO A TRAP. HE SENT HIS REPRESENTATIVE KRISHNAJI BHASKAR TO SHIVAJI WITH


TEMPTING OFFERS. FINALLY AN INTERVIEW WAS ARRANGED BETWWEN SHIVAJI AND AFZAL KHAN. WHEN THEY MET
AFZAL KHAN EMBRACED SHIVAJI AND THEN HELD THE NECK OF SHIVAJI IN HIS LEFT ARM WITH AN IRON GRIP AND
WITH HIS RIGHT HAND TRIED TO ATTACK SHIVAJI WITH HIS DAGGER. BUT SHIVAJI ATTACKED AFZAL KHAN WITH TIGER
CLAWS FASTENED TO HIS LEFT HAND, SHIVAJI FORCED AFZAL KHAN TO RELAX HIS GRIP AND THEN STABBED HIM TO
DEATH WIT HIS DAGGER. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS MARATHAS POUNCED UPON BIJAPURI FORCES AND MASSACRED
THEM MERCILESSLY. AS A RESULT OF THIS VICTORY SHIVAJI CONQUERED THE TERRITORIES TO THE SOUTH OF PANHALA
ALONG THE BANKS OF KRISHNA.
THE FORTUNE SO FAVOURED SHIVAJI THAT HIS FORCES INCREASED, AND HE GREW MORE POWERFUL EVERYDAY. HE
CREATED NEW FORTS AND EMPLOYED HIMSELF IN SETTING HIS OWN TERRITORIES AND IN PLUNDERING THOSE OF
BIJAPUR. HE ATTACKED THE CARAVANS AND AMASSED THE WEALTH FOR HIS WAR EFFORTS AGAINST MUGHALS. BUT
HE MADE IT A RULE THAT WHERE HIS FOLLOWERS WENT PLUNDERING , THEY COULD DO NO HARM TO THE MOSQUES,
THE SACRED LITERATURE(SACRED BOOKS) AND WOMEN OF ANYONE. WHENEVER A COPY OF THE SACRED QURAN
CAME INTO HANDS, HE TREATED IT WITH RESPECT AND GAVE IT TO SOME OF HIS MUSALMAN SOLDIERS. WHEN THE
WOMEN OF ANY HINDU OR MUSALMAN WERE TAKEN PRISONER BY HIS MEN AND THEY HAD NO ONE TO PROTECT
THEM, HE WATCHED OVER THEM TILL THEIR RELATIONS CAME WITH SUITABLE RANSOM TO BUY THEIR LIBERTY.
WHENEVER HE FOUNDOUT THAT A WOMAN WAS A SLAVE GIRL, HE LOOKED UPON HER AS BEING THE PROPERTY OF
HER MASTER, APPROPRIATED HER TO HIMSELF. WHENEVER A PLACE WAS PLUNDERED, THE GOODS OF THE POOR
PEOPLE, THE COPPER MONEY AND VESSELS OF BRASS AND COPPER SHOULD BELONG TO THE MAN WHO FOUND THEM.
BUT OTHER ARTICLES , GOLD AND SILVER, COINS, GEMS, VALUABLE STUFFS AND JEWELS WERE NOT TO BELONG TO
FINDER BUT WERE TO BE GIVEN UP WITHOUT THE SMALLEST DEDUCTION TO THE TREASSURY OF SHIVAJI.
SHIVAJI AND THE MUGHALS
SHIVAJI BY HIS VICTORIES AGAINST BIJAPUR HAD BEEN GREATLY ENCOURAGED AND HE BEGAN TO ATTACK THE
MUGHAL TERRITORIES. AUARANGAZEB THE THEN MUGHAL EMPEROR COULD NOT TOLERATE THIS AND DESCIDED TO
TAKE ACTION.
SHIVAJI AND SHAYISTHA KHAN (1663 A.D.)
IN 1660 AURANGAZEB SENT HIS MATERNAL UNCLE, SHAYISTHA KHAN AS GOVERNOR OF DECCAN TO TAKE ACTION
AGAINST SHIVAJI. SHAYISTHA KHAN EASILY CAPTURE POONA, NORTH KONKAN AND THE FORT OF CHAKAN. AS RAINY
SEASON SET IN SHAYISTHA KHAN DESCIDE TO CAMP AT POONA AND TOOK HIS RESIDENCE IN THAT VERY HOUSE WHERE
SHIVAJI HAD SPENT HIS CHILDHOOD. SHIVAJI ENTERED POONA IN THE NIGHT ON 5
TH
APRIL 1663 A.D. WITH 400 SELECT
SOLDIERS IN THE DISGUISE OF MARRIAGE PARTY. SHIVAJI MADE A SURPRISE ATTACK ON SHAYISTHA KHAN. IN THAT
ACTION SHAYISTHA KHAN LOST HIS THUMB AND HIS SON WAS KILLED. THIS WAS HIS FIRST MASTERLY BLOW TO THE
MUGHALS.
SACK OF SURAT (1664 A.D.)
IN 1664 A.D. SHIVAJI WITH 4000 SELECT SOLDIERS MADE A FIERCE ATTACK UPON SURAT, THE RICHEST PORT OF THE
MUGHALS. SHIVAJI LOOTED SURAT AND SECURED A BOOTY OF ONE CRORE OF RUPEES.
PRINCE MUZZAM AND JAI SINGH AGAINST SHIVAJI (1665 A.D.)
AURANGAZEB DESPATCHED A BIG FORCE OF 4000 UNDER JAI SINGH, PRINCE MUZZAM AND DILER KHAN TO DEAL WITH
SHIVAJI. THIS MUGHAL FORCE MARCHED AGAINST MARATHAS AND KILLED MURARJI DESHPANDE. PURANDAR FORT
WAS CAPTURED BY MUGHAL FORCE AND MARCHED TOWARDS RAIGARH, THE CAPITAL. SHIVAJI WAS ALARMED AT THIS
AND SIGNED THE TREATY OF PURANDHAR WITH THE MUGHALS.


THE CLAUSES OF THE PURANDHAR TREATY OF 1665 A.D. WERE
1.SHIVAJI WAS TO SURRENDER 23 FORTS TO THE MUGHALS AND TO RETAIN ONLY 12 FORTS FOR HIMSELF.
2. SHIVAJIS SON SAMBHAJI WAS TO BE ENROLLED AS MANSABDAR OF 5000
3. SHIVAJI WOULD PAY 40 LAKHS OF HUNS IN 13 INSTALMENTS
THE TREATY WAS A GREAT TRIUMPH FOR JAI SINGH WHO ALSO SUCCESSFULLY PERSUADED SHIVAJI TO PAY A VISIT TO
THE MUGHAL COURT.
SHIVAJIS VISIT TO THE IMPERIAL COURT (MAY 12, 1666 A.D.)
IN MAY,1666 A.D., SHIVAJI PAID A VISIT TO THE MUGHAL COURT AT AGRA. JAI SINGH HAD GUARANTEED THE SAFETY
AND GIVEN HIM HIGH HOPES THAT HE WOULD BE REWARDED AND HONOURED BY THE EMPEROR. SHIVAJI AND HIS
SON SAMBHAJI REACHED AGRA ON MAY 9
TH
1666 A.D. BUT HE WAS GRANTED AN INTERVIEW ONLY ON 12
TH
MAY 1666
A.D., THREE DAYS AFTER HIS COMING TO AGRA. IN THE COURT ALSO HE WAS GIVEN PLACE AMONG THE THIRD CLASS
MANSABDARS. THUS AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO HUMILIATE HIM. SHIVAJI PROTESTED THI MALTREATMENT. BUT HE
WAS ARRESTED AND IMPRISONED. WITHIN 9 MONTHS OF IMPRISONMENT SHIVAJI HOWEVER MANAGED TO ESCAPE IN
A CAMOUFLAGED BASKET.
SHIVAJIS VICTORIES FROM 1669-74 A.D.
DURING 1668-69 SHIVAJI REMAINED QUIET AND FOCUSSED ON REORGANISATION OF THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION.
ON THE PERSUATION OF PRINCE MUZZAM AND JAI SINGH THE TITTLE OF RAJA WAS CONFERRED UPON SHIVAJI AND
HIS SON SAMBHAJI WAS MADE A MANSABDAR OF 5000. IN 1670 A.D. SHIVAJI RESUMED WARFARE. HE CAPTURED THE
FORTS OF KONDANA, PURANDHAR, MABULI AND NANDED. SURAT WAS LOOTED FOR SECOND TIME AND SHIVAJI
SECURED A BOOTY OF 66 LAKHS. FROM 1670 A.D. TO 1674 A.D. SOME MUGHAL EXPEDITIONS WERE SENT AGAINST
SHIVAJI BUT THEY WERE DEFEATED SUCCESSFULLY.
SHIVAJIS CORONATION (1674 A.D.)
IN JUNE 1674 A.D. SHIVAJI CELEBRATED HIS CORONATION CEREMONY AMIDST GREAT POMP AND SHOW. THE
CEREMONY TOOK PLACE AT RAIGARH. ABOUT 50 LAKHS OF RUPEES WERE SPENT ON THE CEREMONY. SHIVAJI THUS
BECAME CHATRAPATHI MAHARAJ.
EXTENSION OF TERRITORIES (1674 A.D.-1680 A.D.)
DURING 1674 A.D.- 1680 A.D. SHIVAJI CONQUERED MORE TERRITORIES. HE ALSO WON MANY VICTORIES IN THE SOUTH
AND CAPTURED VELLORE, JINJI AND OTHER FORTS. HIS CAREER OF CONQUEST WAS CUT-SHORT BY HIS DEATH. HE DIED
IN 1680 A.D.
ADMINISTRATION OF SHIVAJI
(a) CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION
(i) THE HEAD OF THE ADMINISTRATION WAS THE KING OR CHATRAPATHI SHIVAJI HIMSELF WHO WAS ABENEVOLENT
DESPOT.
(ii) THERE WAS A COUNCIL OF EIGHT MINISTERS TO ASSIST SHIVAJI IN THE ADMINISTRATION KNOWN AS ASHTA
PRADHAN.


THEY WERE
1.PESHWA OR PRIME MINISTER
2. AMATYA OR FINANCE MINISTER
3. MANTRI OR CHRONICLER
4. SAMANT OR FOREIGN SECRETARY
5. SACHIV OR HOME SECRETARY
6. PANDIT RAO OR MINISTER OF ECLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS
7. SENAPATI OR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
8. NYAYADHISH OR CHIEF JUSTICE
(iii) DEPARTMENTS FOR THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION THERE WERE 18 DEPARTMENTS.
(b) LOCAL ADMINISTRATION
THE STATE WAS DEVIDED INTO 3 PROVINCES, EACH BEING UNDER A VICEROY. A PROVINCE WAS DEVIDED FURTHER
INTO DISTRICTS AND PARGANAS.
(C) FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
1. SHIVAJI SET UP A GOOD LAND REVENUE SYSTEM BASED UPON MEASUREMENT OF LAND. STATE SHARE WAS FIXED AT
30% AND LATER INCREASED TO 40% OF THE TOTAL PRODUCE. PEASANTS WERE NOT OPPRESSED.
2. CHAUT AND SARDESHMUKHI WERE THE OTHER SOURCES OF STATE INCOME
(d) JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
HAZIR MAJLIS WAS THE HIGHEST COURT. NEXT WAS NYAYADHISH WHO HEARD APPEALS FROM LOWER COURTS.
PANCHAYATS AND PATELS DESCIDED CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES RESPECTIVELY IN VILLAGES.
(e) MILITARY SYSTEM
1. SHIVAJI MAINTAINED A BIG STANDING ARMY OF INFANTRY, CAVALRY,ELEPHANTS, NAVY AND ARTILLERY.
2.INFANTRY AND CAVALRY WERE WELL ORGANISED.
3.THERE WERE BOTH THE HINDUS AND THE MUSLIMS IN THE ARMY.
4.DISTINGUISHED GENERALS WERE PROPERLY REWARDED AND HONOURED.
5. SHIVAJI MAINTAINED DISCIPLINE AND MORALE IN THE ARMY.
6. SHIVAJI HAD 280 FORTS FOR PROTECTIVE PURPOSES.
- PRAKASH ARULAPPA