As a passionate follower of Indian History, one thing that always comes to my mind is what is one event, which is one personality & what is one period that I consider as one of the most significant ones. I find there are many contenders in each of the cataegories but the clear winner for me is – Shivaji as a National hero, his coronation as the most dazzling event to be cherished and Maratha period as most critical one which played enormous role in securing our culture & civilization from Islamic onslaught which was threatened like never before. Shivaji was born at a time when 3 major Sultanates were ruling over majority of our Nation – Moghuls centered at Delhi, Adilshah centered at Bijapur and Nizam at Hyderabad. European powers from Portugal, France & Holland were showing their colors already and just couple of decades before the cunning East India Company had set its foot as well. The danger to our society seemed to be graver than ever before. The foreign rulers always displayed religious arrogance towards the Hindu subjects. Justice was never even and lawlessness was rampant. Even their royal courts produced rival factions, with the Irani (Persian) / Turani (Central Asian) stock getting precedence over the indigeneous Hindustani. Their Hindu fief holders were more interested in retaining their estates and turned a blind eye to the fanaticism of their masters. Hence there was a general discontent amongst the populace albeit muted. However, people secretly desired a liberator. And then was born our Hero of the Heroes, the great Shivaji. He gave them a hope to cling on to and a dream to cherish. He promised them a land they could call their own. A land free of oppression and religious bigotry, a land where justice prevailed, a land where people were heard and had their say . After decades of enslavement, the most fierce of warriors had turned benign and resigned to their fate of subservience . This remained the case until the advent of Shivaji. He stirred them up from their slumber and ignited in them the spark of freedom. After almost three and a half centuries of a foreign rule (of the Afghans , the Mughals or the Sultans of Persian descent), finally the people had a king who had risen from their own stock. After a long hiatus of foreign rule, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had managed to carve out a Hindu kingdom in an Islamic India. Eventually, it took Shivaji almost three decades to translate his dream into reality. His kingdom was duly named ‘swarajya’ or self rule. Though popularly known as Hindavi swarajya, it wasn’t just a swarajya for the hindus but a swarajya for all those who considered themselves to be the sons of the soil (sons of hind – hindustan). Shivaji’s swarajya was accomplished amidst extreme adversities. This was something nobody had envisaged. British, Islamic and Marxist historians have tried their best to project the great Shivaji as a local Maratha king, but looking at the events from his life time, there remains no doubt what so ever that he was not just a National Hero but a potential International role model, who in-spite of toughest of all times, could change the current of history fighting cruellest of enemies at multiple fronts, yet himself, not deviating from the path of righteousness. Even after establishing a great Empire starting with handful of teenaged vagabond friends, he was willing to give up everything on one word of his Guru, showing no signs of attachment to the worldly possessions. Where in the world is another example of such an Emperor par excellence!! Character Unparalleled There is ample of material available already, so without getting into details of his life story, I would like to just give some pointers to highlight his character. Enthusiastic readers can search the web to continue further reading. •At the age of 16, he took the oath to establish Hindavi Swaraj at temple of Rohideshwar & subsequently won Torna fort in his first ever conquest. •Shivaji himself, with a very small troop, attacked Moghul officer Shaistakhan by entering the very heart of his camp where he was stationed with more than 50,000 personnel. Shaistakhan survives, though loses not only his 3 fingers but also entire confidence and had to retreat. •Shivaji attacked Surat, the most prosperous trade center of Aurangzeb, this story was even reported on front page of London Gazette. •Shivaji, when insulted, openly expressed his anger on Aurangzeb in his own court, which no one could ever dared to do before or ever after. •Marked with brilliance of planning & finesse in execution, the great Shivaji, left entire mughal empire including Alamgir in shock by escaping from house arrest at Agra. •Shivaji was an able administrator who established a government that included modern concepts such as cabinet (Ashtapradhan mandal), foreign affairs(Dabir) and internal intelligence. •Shivaji established an effective civil and military administration. He also built a powerful navy. Maynak Bhandari was one of the first chiefs of the Maratha Navy under Shivaji, and helped in both building the Maratha Navy and safeguarding the coastline of the emerging Maratha Empire. He built new forts like Sindhudurg and strengthened old ones like Vijaydurg on the west coast. The Maratha navy held its own against the British, Portuguese and Dutch. •Shivaji is well known for his benevolent attitude towards his subjects. He believed that there was a close bond between the state and the citizens. He encouraged all accomplished and competent individuals to participate in the ongoing political/military struggle. He is remembered as a just and welfare-minded king. He brought revolutionary changes in military organisation, fort architecture, society and politics. •Shivaji was the first king of the medieval world to undertake the revolutionary idea of abolishing the feudal system, 150 years before its worldwide recognition in the French revolution. For a span of about 50 years, there were no feudals in his kingdom. This is just the glimpse of his achievements, which are so many and so heroic that perhaps one book, one historian or even one life time may not be enough to really measure & document. Impact Sir Jadunath Sarkar, through his research, had published Auzangzeb’s Will, which had 12 guidance points based on his life experiences. His last point was – “TWELFTH – The main pillar of government is to be well informed in the news of the kingdom. Negligence for a single moment becomes the cause of disgrace for long years. The escape of the wretch Shiva took place through [my] carelessness, and I have to labour hard [against the Marathas] to the end of my life, [as the result of it].” This shows the impact of Shivaji on Aurangzeb even at his death bed. And what if Shivaji was not there? This cannot be better said by anybody else other than the great poet Bhushan, who forsook the royal favours of the Mughal court to come over to Shivaji to sing his glories: ‘’Kashiji ki kalaa jaati, Mathura masjid hoti | Shivaji na hote to sunnat hoti sab ki ||’’ (Kashi would have lost its culture, Mathura would have been turned into a mosque. Had there been no Shivaji, all of us would have been circumcised.) For further reading – Shivaji – by H V Sheshadri (freeebookse/HVSheshadri-PDF8-1401317/) Shivaji and his times – by Sir Jadunath Sarkar (archive.org/details/shivajihistimes00sarkrich)
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 11:44:49 +0000
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