Question

Project
Find out about the powadas and poetry attributed to Shivaji Maharaj.​

Answer 1

Answer:

Powada is a well-known genre of Marathi literature. It is a genre of ballads, originally sung by the members of the Gondhal (Gondhia) caste, which is a Dalit community. Post-Shivaji, all castes adopted it. The powada ballads were centred on wars. The singers painted a very vivid picture of different battles. This genre must have originated in the times when internecine battles and attacks by invaders were common and it had become a bounden duty of a poet to inspire his patron to fight with all his might. But Mahatma Phule used powada for spreading awareness among the masses. During the Independence struggle, powadas became the songs of national movement and, after Independence, of people’s movementsPowada is considered a credible chronicler of the contemporary Maratha history. The history of powada begins in the 17th century. But in the Yadav era, prior to Shivaji’s anointment, the devotional songs that were sung in Gyaneshwari were also a form of powada. The era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680) was the golden age of powada. The classic powada emerged in this period. Shahiri literature originated during the rule of Shivaji Maharaj. The first powada, Afzal Khanacha Vadh, (the killing of Afzal Khan) was sung by Agnidas in 1659. This powada describes the killing of Afzal Khan by Shivaji in stirring words and finds mention in Maharashtra’s gazette. Another important powada was about the capture of Singhgarh fort by Tanaji Malsure. It was first sung by Tulsidas. Equally important is the powada about Baji Pasalkar sung by Yamji Bhaskar. There were many powadas centred on Shivaji like Shivaji Avtari Purush, Shiv Pratigya, Pratapgarhacha Ransangram, Shahistakhancha Parabhav, Shivaji Maharaj Powada, Chhatrapati Rajamata Jeejabai, Shivrayanche Punyasmaran, Singhgarh, Shivrajyabhishek, Samajwadi Shiv Chhatrapati, Shiv-Gaurav, Shivdarshan, Porogami Shivaji, Shivsambhav, Shivkavya, etc