10 Unknown Facts About Shivaji Maharaj
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Answers
1. He protected his kingdom by devising numerous strategies and tactics.
2. Surprisingly, he wasn’t named after Lord Shiva
3. Conquered a fort in his teenage years
4. He built a massive force and knew the importance of a good army
5. He even offered help to Aurangzeb
6. He was an intrepid fighter who triumphed over Afzal Khan, a king with huge built and tiger claws
7. A shrewd strategist, he took hold of water by building sea forts to protect his kingdom
8. With his bravery, he resisted the rule of Mughal and Adishahi
9. One of the best things about him, was his secular nature
10. He taught his army the importance of strategy
Answer:
A lot has been written about Chhatrapati Shivaji’s battles and military successes, viz. the slaying of the giant Afzal Khan, the night raid on Shaista Khan, the defeat of Kartalab Khan in Umbarkhind and many such battles. A lot too has been written about his escape from Agra and his coronation. These are the stories we grew up on but let me share some of the lesser known facts about Chhatrapati Shivaji with you:
Shivaji’s birth and siblings
Shivaji was the second son of his mother Jijabai. Shivaji’s elder brother was Sambhaji Bhosale. Jijabai, unfortunately, lost several children after Sambhaji’s birth. At long last, a child born on 19th February 1630, survived. According to legend, Jijabai named him ‘Shiva’ after the Goddess Shivai, to whom she had begged for a son. This son went on to change the history of the country!
Shivaji’s elder brother Sambhaji died in battle in 1654 and it is widely believed that Afzal Khan plotted his downfall. Shivaji’s elder son was born in 1657 and was named after his deceased uncle as ‘Sambhaji’.
Shivaji’s half-brother
Shivaji’s father Shahaji Bhosale had a second wife, Tukabai, who bore him a son named Vyankoji, Shivaji’s half-brother, who was younger than him. Vyankoji remained firmly in the service of Bijapur’s Sultan Adilshah and never joined Shivaji in his freedom struggle. In fact, Vyankoji fought several battles against Shivaji as an officer in the Adilshahi army.
Shivaji’s ‘other’ half-brother
When Shivaji escaped from Agra, a man named Hiroji Farzand had taken his place as his double. This is a well-known fact. What is less well known is that Hiroji was possibly Shivaji’s half-brother, born to one of Shahaji’s unwedded women. This fact is not confirmed, but is mentioned in the Shedgavkar chronicle.
Shivaji’s family
Shivaji had eight wives, whose names are as follows: Saeebai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, Sagunabai, Kashibai, Laxmibai and Gunwantabai. Saeebai is widely believed to have been his first wife and the one he was most attached to. She bore him a son (Sambhaji) and three daughters (Sakhubai, Ranubai, Ambikabai). Soyarabai bore him a son (Rajaram) and a daughter (Deepabai). His other children were : Rajkunvarbai (born of Sagunabai) and Kamlabai (born of Sakvarbai). Saeebai died after a prolonged illness in 1659. Another Queen died in 1674, just before his coronation (though we do not know for sure which one). Putalabai immolated herself in the ritual of ‘Sati’ after Shivaji’s death in 1680.
Shivaji’s early conquests
Contrary to popular belief, Shivaji accomplished his earliest conquests without actual battle, either by bribing enemy commanders or through some diplomatic ruses. Thus, Torna, the first fort he usurped from Adilshah was acquired by bribing the Adilshahi fort commander, and Kondhana (Sinhagad) was acquired through a diplomatic move. Shivaji fought his first real battle in 1648, when Adilshah sent a force under Fateh Khan to eliminate him.
Shivaji’s Navy
Shivaji was the first indigenious ruler of medieval India to build his own naval force. The western shores of India were, in Shivaji’s time, controlled by foreign powers: the English, the Dutch, the Portuguese and the Abyssinians (Siddis). Shivaji had realized very early in his career that to control the western shores of Konkan and the trade movements off this shore, he would have to invest in his own naval force… and he did, as early as in 1658. He ran into may hurdles in this endeavor, finance being only one of them. His first full fledged naval expedition materialised in 1665, which he led himself.
Shivaji’s administration
Shivaji laid the foundation for a robust administrative system to govern his fief. He revised and upgraded his government at regular intervals and at the time of his coronation, had eight ministers in his cabinet. The hallmark of his administration was decentralisation. His ministers usually had full authority to take administrative decisions, especially in his absence. When leaving on dangerous missions, he would make complete arrangements for the machinery to work in his absence and even in the event that he died during the campaign. He had taken such extreme steps before leaving for the meeting with Afzal Khan and again before leaving for Agra to attend Aurangzeb’s court.