ఛత్రపతి శివాజీ జీవిత చరిత్ర
Shivaji Bhonsle (19th Feb 1627 – 3 April
1680) was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan.
Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur
that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned
as the chhatrapati (monarch) of his realm at Raigad.
Early life
Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of
Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in what is now Pune district. Scholars
disagree on his date of birth. The government of Maharashtra lists 19 February
as a holiday commemorating Shivaji's birth (Shivaji Jayanti). Shivaji was named
after a local deity, the goddess Shivai.Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhonsle was a
Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanates. His mother was Jijabai, the
daughter of Lakhuji Jadhavrao of Sindhkhed, a Mughal-aligned sardar claiming
descent from a Yadav royal family of Devagiri. At the time of Shivaji's birth,
power in Deccan was shared by three Islamic sultanates: Bijapur, Ahmednagar,
and Golkonda. Shahaji often changed his loyalty between the Nizamshahi of
Ahmadnagar, the Adilshah of Bijapur and the Mughals, but always kept his jagir
(fiefdom) at Pune and his small army with him.
Upbringing
Shivaji was devoted to his mother
Jijabai, who was deeply religious. His studies of the Hindu epics, the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata, also influenced his lifelong defence of Hindu
values.Shivaji was deeply interested in religious teachings, and regularly
sought the company of Hindu and Sufi saints. He moved Shivaji and Jijabai from
Shivneri to Pune and left them in the care of his jagir administrator, Dadoji
Konddeo. Dadoji has been credited with overseeing the education and training of
young Shivaji. Shivaji traveled the hills and forests of the Sahyadri range
with his Maval friends, gaining skills and familiarity with the land that would
prove useful in his military career.Shivaji's independent spirit and his
association with the Maval youths did not sit well with Dadoji, who complained
to Shahaji to no avail.
In 1639, Shahaji was stationed at
Bangalore, which was conquered from the Vijayanagara nayaks, and asked to hold
and settle the area.Shivaji was taken to Bangalore where he, his elder brother
Sambhaji and his half brother Ekoji I were further formally trained.
Shivaji started his conquests:
Chhatrapati Shivaji began his early career of conquests at the age of 19 by capturing
the fort of Torna, about twenty miles from Puna. After this he conquered other
forts like Chakan, Singhagarh and Purandar, situated within the territories of
the Sultanate of Bijapur. In order to put pressure on Shivaji the Sultan of
Bijapur imprisoned Shahaji Raje Bhosale, Shivaji’s father. After that Shivaji
kept quiet for a few years. Shahaji Raje Bhosale was released by the Sultan.
But Shivaji again started his activities of conquest. By 1655 Shivaji had
occupied the northern part of Konkon and the fort of Javali.
These acquisitions provoked the Sultan
of Bijapur who sent against Shivaji in 1659 a large army under a senior general
named Afzal Khan, with instructions to bring Shivaji to the court dead or
alive. In a clash between Afzal Khan and Shivaji, Afzal Khan was killed by
Shivaji.
November 10, 1659, army of Shivaji
defeated the Bijapuri Sultanate in the Battle of Pratapgarh. Huge quantity of
weapons and war-materials were collected, which further strengthened the
Maratha army. This success gained him much reputation among the Marathas. He
became a Hero.
The Sultan of Bijapur again sent a large
army, under the leadership of Rustam Zaman, which also failed to curb the power
of Shivaji. The battle took place on December 28, 1659. The Maratha army of
Shivaji defeated the Bijapuri army in the Battle of Kolhapur. A large number of
horses, elephants and warfare materials were gained by the Marathas.
Shivaji and the Mughals: Emboldened by
his success Chhatrapati Shivaji began raiding Mughal territories in 1657.
Aurangzeb felt the necessity of chastising him and sent a big army under
Shaista Khan. He occupied Puna and encamped there. One night Shivaji made a
surprise attack on Puna. A large number of Mughal soldiers were killed and
Shaista Khan had a narrow escape.
Thereafter, in 1661, Kartalab Khan was
sent to counter Shivaji. In the Battle of Umberkhind, the large Mughal forces
were defeated by relatively smaller forces of the Marathas.
After this incident in 1664, Shivaji
sacked Surat and carried off a huge booty.
Treaty of Purandar: Aurangzeb then sent Raja Jai Singh of Amber and Dilir Khan to subdue Shivaji. Jai Singh captured a number of forts held by Shivaji and compelled Shivaji to close the treaty of Purandar (1665 A.D.). By the terms of the treaty Shivaji had to cede 23 forts to the Mughals, acknowledge the supremacy of the Mughal emperor and agreed to help the Mughals in their fight against Bijapur. Jai Singh also persuaded Shivaji to pay a visit to the imperial court at Agra.
Escape of Shivaji: Aurangzeb did not
treat him well and kept Shivaji and his son Shambhaji, imprisoned under careful
watch. But Shivaji managed to escape from Agra with his son. Reaching home he
started war against the Mughals with renewed vigor. At last Aurangzeb was obliged
to recognize him as a Raja (king).
In 1674 Shivaji declared himself an
independent ruler of Maharashtra and amid great pomp and grandeur celebrated
his Rajyabhishek (coronation ceremony). He assumed the title of Chhatrapati.
Then he conquered Jinji, Vellore and a large part of Tanjore. Shivaji died in
1680 A.D.
Estimate of Shivaji: Shivaji was a born
leader and a great administrator. He had a successful military career. He is
known for establishing a well-managed administrative and military system. His
charisma drew people around him. In him they found the leader who never
hesitated to risk his own life in times of danger. Shivaji had a constructive
genius of a high order. The army of Shivaji was well organized. The most
significant achievement of Shivaji was the welding of the Marathas into a
nation. He infused a new spirit of unity and dignity into the Maratha people
consisting of 96 clans.
In recruitment to services Shivaji
showed no partiality to any community. There was no discrimination, no
casteism, and no communalism. He, however, laid emphasis on the recruitment of
the son of the soil. Though a champion of Hinduism, he extended his liberality
to the people professing other religions.
Art and Culture: Shivaji was a patron of
art and culture, piety and letters. Prominent among the saintly persons whom
Shivaji admired were Ramdas, Tukaram, Baba Yakub, Mauni Baba, etc. Sanskrit
poets like Jairam, Paramananda, Gaga Bhatt, and some Hindi poets received his
patronage.
Administrative system of Shivaji: The administrative
system of Shivaji was largely borrowed from the administrative practices of the
Deccan states. It was also influenced by the principles laid down in Kautilya’s
Arthasastra and the Dharmasastras. In the discharge of his duties he was assisted
by a council of ministers.
Provincial administration: Shivaji
divided the territory under his direct rule (which he called the Swaraj
territory) into a number of provinces. The ancient institution of the Panchyat
was preserved in the rural areas. The head of the village, administered the
village with the help of the panchyat.
Revenue system: Shivaji laid down an
excellent revenue system based on the principles adopted by Todar Mal and Malik
Ambar. His officers made an elaborate survey of the land and fixed the rent at
33 per cent of the gross produce. Shivaji afterwards demanded a consolidated
rent of 40 per cent. It is however, wrong to assume that Shivaji abolished the
jagirdari system.
Chauth and Sardeshmukhi: Chauth and
Sardeshmukhi were also the main sources of income of the state. They were
levied on the territories which were not under the direct control of Shivaji.
The inhabitants of these areas paid the Chauth or one fourth of the standard
revenue as protection money against the plundering raids of Shivaji. The
territories and principalities which paid chauth were also required to pay an
additional tax called Sardeshmukhi. This was one tenth of the revenue of those
areas. Those who paid Sardeshmukhi received Marathi protection against other
invaders. Both the taxes together made a sizeable income for the Maratha kings.
Military system: Shivaji created and
maintained an organized and disciplined armyconsisting of infantry, cavalry and
navy. Shivaji recruited only able persons in his army. He had the skills to
manage a huge army. His army mostly composed of light infantry and light
cavalry was admirably well-adapted to guerilla warfare and hill campaign. The
army movements were extremely quick.
Forts played an important role in
Shivaji’s military system. Every fort was kept under three officers of equal
status. They acted together but served as a check on one another.
Shivaji recognized the necessity of a
strong navy. He had a navy of about 200 warships. The creation of a navy shows
the foresight of Shivaji. A number of coastal fortresses kept guard over the
sea. The Portuguese, the British, the Siddis and the Mughals were thus
effectively kept in check.
Nor were Shivaji’s intelligence service
neglected. The espionage system formed a well-paid and efficient wing of the
Maratha army.
Death of Shivaji: In late March 1680, Shivaji fell ill with fever and dysentery, died on April 3, 1680. After the death of Shivaji, his son Sambhaji Maharaj (1680-1689) succeeded him. After the death of Sambhaji, his brother, Rajaram Maharaj, assumed the leadership of Maratha Empire and continued the struggle.
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