Sivaji was born on February 19, 1630, in a hill fort located in Pune. He grew up as part of a family of bureaucrats. His father, Shahji Bhonsale was a great general for the Bijapur Sultanate, and his mother Jijabai took inspiration from religion that she gave birth to India's biggest kingdom. He led an invincible and valiant life during the 17th century.
Life History of Shivaji Maharaj
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha kingdom of India. The security of the kingdom was entirely based on religious tolerance, as well as functional integration among Brahmans, Marathas, and Prabhus.
Even though Shivaji was a descendant of royalty, he didn't rely on his birthright to get ahead in his career. He used his intelligence and bravery to win wars and consolidate India. At that time, it was divided into two countries: the Mughals were in north India while the Muslim Sultanate of Bijapur and Abu Bakr from Golconda shared the realm in the south.
By the age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj saw the oppression and persecution of Hindus in the realm of Bijapur's Sultan. These conditions shaped his convictions and led him to work tirelessly later in life.
ChildhooSivaji was born on February 19, 1630, in a hill fort located in Pune. He grew up as part of a family of bureaucrats. His father, Shahji Bhonsale was a great general for the Bijapur Sultanate, and his mother Jijabai took inspiration from religion that she gave birth to India's biggest kingdom. He led an invincible and valiant life during the 17th century.
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Life History of Shivaji Maharaj
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha kingdom of India. The security of the kingdom was entirely based on religious tolerance, as well as functional integration among Brahmans, Marathas, and Prabhus.
Even though Shivaji was a descendant of royalty, he didn't rely on his birthright to get ahead in his career. He used his intelligence and bravery to win wars and consolidate India. At that time, it was divided into two countries: the Mughals were in north India while the Muslim Sultanate of Bijapur and Abu Bakr from Golconda shared the realm in the south.
By the age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj saw the oppression and persecution of Hindus in the realm of Bijapur's Sultan. These conditions shaped his convictions and led him to work tirelessly later in life.
Childhood and Early Life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
He grew up studying Ramayana and Mahabharata. He was particularly interested in the religious teachings given by religious saints, and he was taught horse riding, archery, and pattamartki. Dadoji Kond Deo taught him those skills when his father left for Karnataka with his second wife Tukabai.
Conquests of Shivaji
Shivaji began to seize the weaker strongholds of Bijapur along with his band of followers. In doing so, he ruined a few of his very influential coreligionists. They had aligned themselves with the sultans. His daring military skills and also his sternness towards the oppression of the Hindus had him win many battles and administrations. His depredations grew very audacious, and various minor expeditions sent to chastise him always proved to be ineffective.
In 1659, Shivaji Maharaj defeated Afzal Khan, a military commander of the sultan of Bijapur. He managed to do this by acting weak and attracting the force into difficult terrain before killing the commander at a meeting that he had lured him to with all sorts of submissive behaviors.
As soon as the Bijapur army attacked, our handpicked troops were already positioned and swooped down on them to defeat them. Overnight, Shivaji Maharaj became a fearsome warlord with possession of horses, guns, and ammunition from the newly captured Bijapur army.
When Shivaji, king of the Marathas, rose to power and military strength in Maharashtra, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb saw this as a threat. After Shivaji sent out his army to capture the forts of Jamadagni located near Nashik, Aurangzeb was alarmed. Eventually, it was this incident that led him to order an attack on the Maratha army. It was during this brief conflict with the Mughal Army that Shiraji lost the fingers of one hand and also his son.
An embarrassed viceroy retired after this incident. Afterward, Shivaji was thought to provoke the Mughals. He attacked the wealthy coastal city of Surat and took immense booty. This upset Aurangzeb, and he sent out his most prominent general, Mirza Raja Jai Singh, to avenge Shivaji. Mirza Raja was sent along with 100 thousand men.
The pressure exerted by this vast force combined with Jai Singh's tenacity and courage soon compelled Shivaji to seek peace. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj submitted to Aurangzeb and called for peace during a court audience in Agra. During his visit, Shivaji along with his son was under house arrest. They lived under the threat of execution, which was a constant and looming threat throughout the duration of their house arrest.
Shivaji pretended to be sick to avoid having to take the blame for doing something he didn't want to do. However, this set in motion events that led Shivaji and his son on an epic journey across the Indian countryside. They reached the port city of Surat and on 17 August 1666, they left in a basket passed their guards.
As his son, Shivaji began to rise in power and prominence, Aurangzeb intensified the persecution of Hindus. This included levying taxes on them and initiating forced conversions as well. As well, he demolished Hindu temples and erected mosques at their religious sites to assert his authority in the region over such matters.
Independent Sovereign (Purna Swaraj)
Despite the great pomp and circumstance that surrounded his coronation, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had a tumultuous six-year rule that saw repeated conflicts with both Mughal and Maratha adversaries. Yet, to still maintain his reputation as a protector of Hinduism, he gave two Muslims who'd been forcefully converted back to Hinduism protection.
The sultan was noted for respecting the beliefs of both Christians and Muslims, despite many instances in which the two groups continued to stir up trouble. His policy represented a striking break from that of his predecessors, but one not without cost. Over time, he came to be allied with many Muslims, including special attention paid to wayward Hindus.
Spouses and Children of Shivaji Maharaj
Born to an important tribe in Indian history, Shivaji Maharaj had many wives and two sons. One of his sons eventually defeated the Mughals and was brought back with difficulty. Many don't know that Shivaji Raj belongs to eight wives. His first wife is known as Nimbalkar and she was also the mother of a son named Sambhaji.
The names of the other wives were Soyarabai, Mohite, Putalabai, Palkar, Sakvarbi Gaikwad, Sangunabai, and Kashibai Jadhav. The first wife Saibai bore him Sambhaji and three daughters. His second wife Saigunabai bore him a son named Rajaram and a daughter whose name was Deepabai. His other children were Rajkunvarbai from his wife Sagunabai and also Kamlabai from Sakvarbai. In 1659, the first wife Saibai passed away due to prolonged illness.
How Did Shivaji Maharaj Die?
The exact reason behind the death of Shivaji Maharaj is still unknown, although it appears he died on the eve of Hanuman Jayanti. Many scholars and historians say that he suffered a severe illness that likely led to his death. Myths also claim Soyarabai poisoned him and made her son Rajaram the successor so she could retain power over him.
The Rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
One of the most pivotal battles in history was between the Mughal Sultanate at Delhi and Shahaji Bhonsle for control of India's Maratha region. The Deccan plateau in Maharashtra came under the rule of a rebel leader, Shahaji Bhonsle who belonged to the Bhonsle clan. However, he never achieved his goal and had to run from fortress to fort with his wife Jijabai and young son Shivaji. That's when Shivaji became a great leader later in life.
By the age of 16, Shivaji had his own band of fighters and continued to fight for Shahaji. In 1647, he took on the administration of Poona against the Bijapur government. This was a major step and led him into conflict with Bijapur. Subsequently, in a very short period, he also captured the Forts of Purandhara, Kondhana, and Chakan. Then Supa, Baramati, and Inderpuri came into control of Shivaji. The loot gathered helped him to build a capital fort at Raigad and later he went on to capture many other forts within no time thanks to his new version of gorilla tactics that helped him out in such terrains.
Bijapur government became conscious of his victories and imprisoned Shahaji in 1648. After his release one year later, Shivaji stayed low and consolidated the area that was already under his rule. In 1656, he again began his raids and campaigns and captured the valley of Javali, near Mahabaleshwar. Along with this, Shivaji successfully subdued many other families with Deshmukh rights under Adilshah of Bijapur.
Shivaji was a great king who established the Maratha Kingdom in India. He fought and won many conflicts, and formed alliances with several kingdoms including those surrounding his region to fight the wars.
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