Chhatrapati Shivaji was one of the bravest, most progressive and sensible rulers of India. The founder of the Maratha Kingdom, Shivaji was born to be a natural leader and fighter on 19th February, 1630 in the prestigious Shivneri Fort. Till date, the day is celebrated as Shiv Jayanti with great r
Chhatrapati Shivaji was one of the bravest, most progressive and sensible rulers of India. The founder of the Maratha Kingdom, Shivaji was born to be a natural leader and fighter on 19th February, 1630 in the prestigious Shivneri Fort. Till date, the day is celebrated as Shiv Jayanti with great rigour and traditional style by Maharashtrians.
Shivaji established a royal name for himself in history with his administrative skills by upholding the Swarajya values and the Maratha heritage. He was known for his bravery and tactics with which he won numerous wars against the Mughals. Remembering the greatest Maratha ruler on his birthday, here are some interesting facts about Shivaji.
1. Known as the Father of Indian Navy, Shivaji was the first to realise the importance of having a naval force, and therefore he strategically established a navy and forts at the coastline to defend the Konkan side of Maharashtra. The Jaigad, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and other such forts still stand to testify his efforts and ideas.
2. Contrary to popular belief, Shivaji was not named after Lord Shiva. In fact, he was named after a regional Goddess Shivai. His mother prayed to the goddess for a son and was blessed with one. The god-like stature was given to him for his deeds, and not his name.
3. The secular ruler was very accommodating of all religions. He had numerous Muslim soldiers in his army. His only aim was to overthrow Mughal rule and establish Maratha empire. He was also very supportive of people who converted to Hinduism.
4. Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honour. He opposed all kinds of violence, harassment and dishonour against women. Anyone under his rule caught violating woman's rights was severely punished. In fact, women of captured territories were also released unharmed, and with integrity.
5. Chhatrapati Shivaji was called as the 'Mountain Rat' and was widely known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. He was called so because of his awareness in geography of his land, and guerrilla tactics like raiding, ambushing and surprise attacks on his enemies. He knew the importance of a good army, and with his skills, expanded his father's 2000 soldier army to 10,000 soldiers.
Shivaji was on a spree, annexing empires, and had taken over most of India. The Mughals on the other hand were threatened, as he was proving to be invincible. They were constantly devising methods to defeat and capture him. In 1666, Shivaji received a letter from Emperor Aurangzeb inviting him to come to the royal court at Agra. Shivaji had a hunch about the Emperor’s intentions, but accepted the invitation as he did not want it to appear that he was afraid of Aurangzeb.
Shivaji arrived in Agra with his eldest son, Shambhuji, and a small contingent of soldiers on May 12, Aurangzeb’s 50th birthday.
As Shivaji entered the hall, he placed his offering before Aurangzeb. The Emperor said nothing, not even a word of welcome. Shivaji was led to the back of the hall. By now, it was clear that it was a trap and Shivaji and his son were captives.
They were imprisoned for many months but, Shivaji did not despair. Aurangzeb schemed to send Shivaji to Kandahar (Afghanistan) to consolidate the Mughal Empire’s north-western frontier and Shivaji planned his escape.
Shivaji’s was allocated spacious quarters in one of the big houses and his personal servants stayed in the interior of the haveli. He was always under guard with at least 1,000 men on duty. Shivaji used his time to gather information. He befriended the postmaster and a few subordinates of the emperor and collected information about the happenings around the kingdom.
Shivaji feigned illness and requested that his men be released so they go back home. Aurangzeb granted this wish. His men went to several towns and settled there, after which Shivaji was ready to execute his plan.
Aurangzeb was busy making arrangements to suppress the rising in the northwest and this helped Shivaji greatly. When he received the news that Aurangzeb was leaving Agra for Shikar on July 22, 1666, matters came to a head.
Shivaji held a ceremony honouring Pandit Kavindra Paramananda who had come to meet him. He also gave away his elephants and horses after announcing that he had decided to become a fakir. He then dressed up as a fakir. His close associate and trustee, Niraji Raoji, dressed himself as Shivaji and emerged from his house, mingled with the other pandits and then escaped from Agra.