Shivaji’s Career
Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivner near Junnar in 1630, the writers of -one school hold, or in 1627, ” some modem ‘historians say.’ Shahji removed to his new jagir with his second wife leaving Shivaji and his mother Jija Bai under the guardianship of an able Brahmana, Dadaji Khonddev. Neglected by her husband, Jija Bai, a lady of virtuous temperament and extra- ordinary, infused into her child’s mind high and inspiring ideas by reciting stories of heroism, spirituality and chivalry in pot ages, and stimulated his zeal in defence of religion. “If ever great men owed their greatness to the inspiration of mothers”, wrote Ranade, ” the influence off Jaja BaI was a factor of prime importance in the of Shivaji’s career.” The influence of Dadaji Khonddev combmed to make him bold and enterprising. We do not know if Shivaji received any formal literary education. but he. grew up as a brave and adventurous soldier, ” inspired by a real desire to free his country from what he considered to be a foreign tyranny, and not by a mere love of plunder”. His early intimacy with the hillmen of the Maval country, ninety miles in length and about twelve to fourteen miles in breadth along the Western Ghats, was of immense value to him in his subsequent as the Mavalis turned out to be ” his best soldiers, his years, earliest comrades, and his most devoted commanders”. Through his mother, he was descended from the Yadava rulers of Devagiri, and on -his father’s side he claimed descent from the brave 8 of Mewar. Thus the sentiment of glorious here, and the influence of early training and environment, combined to rouse in the young Maratha soldier aspirations for founding an. independent kingdom. He chose for himself a ” career of independent*”. which, though full of risk “had undreamt-of advantages to compensate for the risk if only be could succeed”.
The growing weakness of the Deccan SuItanates, and the prolonged cam of ‘the imperialists in the north, greatly favoured the rise of -the Maratha power. In 1646 Shaviji captured the fortress of Torn&, five miles east of which he soon built the fort of R&. After the death of Dadaji Khonddev (1647), who probably did not approve of these risky enterprises Shavaji acquired many forts from their hereditary owners, or the local officers of Bijapur, by force, bribery or trickery, and also built new ones. He thus came to a considerable estate, protected by a long chain of hill-forts. He had to suspend offensive operations against,Bijapur for a few years (1649-1655) as his father was put under arrest by the Bijapur Government and was released on condition of his son’s good behviour. But he utilized this time in consolidating his conquests, and in January, 1656, annexed the small Maratha principality of Javli, by having its semi-independent Maratha prince, Chandra RiLo More, done to death by one of his agents. The extent and revenue of Shivaji’s heritage were by this time more than doubled. He came into conflict with the Mughuls for the first time in 1657, when, taking advantage of Aurangzeb and his troops being engaged in the invasion of Bijapur, he raided the Mughul districts of Ahmadnagar and Junnar and even looted the city of Junnar. Aurangzeb promptly reinforced his officers in that part and Shivaji was defeated. When ‘Adil Shah concluded peace with Aurangzeb. Shivajl also submitted to him. Auranpeb never trusted Shivaji but he patched up the peace as his presence in the no became necessary owing to his father’s illness. Shivaji next turned his attention to the North Konkan, captured Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Mahuli, and proceeded as far south as Mahad.
sarkar’s Shivage P. 25; JJ.H., 1927, pp. 177-97. Mr. Daseraths Sharma” has borough to light (J.D.O.B.S.. June, -19341 a contemporary record of Shivaji’s birth (tnst is, a horosope of Shivaji preserved in the Bikaner Fortw Library), according to which Shivaji was born in Somvat 1686
Temporarily relieved from internal -strife and immediate Mughul lnvasion, the Sultan of Bijapur decided to destroy the’ power of Shivaji once for all, and sent a large force against him, early in A.D. 1659, under Afzal Khan, one of the foremost nobles and generals of the kingdom, “to bring back the rebel (Shivaji) dead or alive”. Afzal Khan reached Wai, twenty miles north of Satara, within a fortnight. Failing to bring Shivaji out of his stronghold of Pratapgarh, the Bijapur general opened negotiations with him through a Maratha Brahmana, named Krishnaji Bhaskar and invited him to a conference. Shivaji received the envoy with respect, and appealed to him in the name of religion to disclose the real intention of Afzal Khan. Moved by this, Krishnaji Bhaskar hinted that the Bijapur general had mischief in his min, which was confirmed by what Shivaji learnt from Gpinath, his own envoy to Afzal. This put Shivaji on the alert, and he proceeded to meet his adversary in a conference, apparently unarmed but with concealed weapons and clad in armour, with a view to meeting craft with craft if necessary. it has been unanimously alleged by the Marathas that, as the two embraced each other the strong and stalwart Muslim gerneal held the short and slim Maratha chief’s neck in his left arm with “an iron grip” and with his right hand tried to thrust a dagger into the body of Shivaji, whose hidden armous, however, saved him from harm. Shivaji immediately killed Afzal by rending his body with his baghnakh or gloves with steel claws. With the help of his troops, who were lying in ambush, he defeated the leaderless Bijapur troops and plundered their camp. Khafi Khan and Duff charge Shivaji with having treacherously murdered Afzal Khan, who, in their opinion, did not first try to strike Shivajl. But Maratha writers have justified Shivaji’s treatment of Afzal an act of self-defence against the attack of the Bijapur general. The contemporary factory records accord with the statement of the Maratha chroniclers.
Shivaji next entered the South Konkan the Kolhapur district. But in July, 1660, he was invested in the Panhala fort by a Bijapur force under Sid Jauhar and was forced to evacuate it. He was soon confronted with a new danger. Shaista, Khan, the new Mughul governor of the Deccan, commissioned by Aurangzeb to suppress the Maraths chief’s activities, occupied Poona, captured the fort of Chakan and drove away the Marathas from the Kalyan district. But Shivaji soon patched up a truce with the Bijapur State, through the intervention of his father, who still held a position of importance there. Thus he became free to turn his whole attention to the Mughuls. After about two years’ desultory fighting, he secretly entered into Shaista Khan’s apartments in Poona with some attendants on the 15th April, 1663, “surprised and wounded the Mughul viceroy of the Deccan in the heart of his camp, in his very bed-chamber, within the inner ring of his body-guards and female slaves”, slew his son, Abul Fath, one captain, forty attendants and six women of his harem, and then went safely &way to the neighbouring stronghold of Singhagarh. The Mughul viceroy lost his thumb and barely escaped with his life. This daring exploit immensely in the prestige of Shivaji, who soon performed another feat, not less adventurous than the one described above. During the period 16th-20th January, 1664, he attacked and sacked Surat, the richest port on the west, without hindrance, as the governor of the place had taken to his heels instead of opposing him. The Maratha chief decamped with rich plunder exceeding ten million rupees in value. Only the local English and Dutch factories successfully resisted him and escaped being plundered.
