Glorious King-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

                                                         By Milan Nare

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who was a determined, efficient, courageous king who fought against the Mughals, Adil Shah, Nizamshah, Siddi was born on 19^th February 1630 on Shivneri fort. His mother Jijabai and father Shahaji Bhosale with their courage and hard work brought up their son. With the encouragement of his mother and father he fought bravely and wisely against the Mughals and the cunning Brahmins. His dream was to establish ‘Rayat Rajya’ for his people. His mother and father made him combative. They made him excel in using the sword, in tackling his enemies and so on. From time to time Shivaji Maharaj received support from his father and mother. He is well known for maintaining peace in his kingdom. Bringing social equality in India was his prime concern. The status of dignity given to women by him is immeasurable. Defeating his enemies he established ‘Rayateche Raj’. 

Under his rule he would not tolerate a man tease any woman or look badly at. All were equal before law under his leadership. He even protected the Brahmin women. Shivaji Maharaj was the protector of ‘Mawalas.’ He was the King not only of the Marathas but also of all the mulnivasis of India. He overturned the system of four varnas and treated everyone equally.

        According to the four varnas system of Brahmin, the efficient and able fighters who were declared shudras and divided as kunbis, mahars, maang, bhandari, dhangar,  Chambhaar were recruited as soldiers in his army by Shivaji Maharaj and given one identity i.e. mawala. Besides the support of  the soldiers  belonging to Maratha caste if Shivaji Maharaj was not to receive help from Tanaji Malusure, Suryaji Pisal, Bajiprabhu Deshpande, Netaji Palkar, Prataprao Gujjar, Hiroji Faarjad, Madari Mehtar, Habirao Mohite, Ibrahim Khan, Maynayak  Bhandari, Daulat Khan, Siddi Mistri it would have  been not possible for him to establish ‘Rayateche Raj’. 

In gist, his struggle was not against any caste or religion but it was against his enemies. His struggle was political struggle. He believed in equality of all castes and instalment of feelings of fraternity among brotherhood and indeed he behaved accordingly. He organised people belonging to all castes under one common name ‘Mawalas’ and also provided these people with job opportunities. The people who carried out sea activities like fishing and filled their bellies were also recruited as soldiers in his army by him. He also extended the boundary of ‘Rayat’ beyond Maharashtra. He was not limited to any particular caste but was the protector of all Mawalas. 

          With the inspiration from his father Shahaji Bhosale and mother Jijabai, he sown the seeds of ‘Rayat rajya’. People felt that Shivaji Maharaja’s Rajya was their rajya. In the kingdom of Shivaji Maharaj everyone was entitled to get justice. He was the first king to establish ideals like equality, fraternity, justice and freedom from Buddism which were later on brought into effect in the constitution of India by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. 

              During Shivaji Maharaja’s time there was a pitiable condition in India. The rules of Mughals tortured the Bhumiputra (the sons of the land). People from the Maratha caste itself saluted the Mughals and fought against their own people. There was also prevalent of manusmruti, Vedas, Upanishad, puranas. Overcoming this terrible condition and giving people their freedom by establishing ‘Rayateche Raj’ was a strong desire of Mata Jijabai. 

Accordingly she and Shahaji Bhosale gave a fighting spirit to their son, Shivaji Maharaj.  Jijabai instilled in him the spirit to fight against injustice, to give justice to the downtrodden and the sufferers. She instilled in him lessons like ‘If one try and work hard one can overcome all the difficulties even a mountain.’ With the encouragement and support of his parents he established Rayateche raj. 

Under his rule he had well designed plan for giving justice, with regard to dignity of women, his army etc. The information required for a good social activist with regard to politics, Geography, economic, social, cultural and religious was well known by Shivaji Maharaj. The qualities of being determined, firm are primarily found in him. He gave importance to give training to soldiers. He also made the provision of protection of livelihood of the soldiers’ families. The welfare of his people was important characteristic of his rule. His soldiers were well- disciplined. The soldiers were bound not to take to drinking, to trouble women and swaraj, to loot swaraj etc. The soldiers were paid on time.  

  Shivaji Maharaja’s greatness is note worthy. Even the courageous and well built Mughals had to bow before him. While he spoke Aurangzeb once said “He can purchase anything in the world with his money but he could not purchase Shivaji Maharaj” Shivaji Maharaja’s history is glorious. Today’s youth should read his real history and learn a lesson from it. He had established Rayat rajya for poor and those declared inferior by varna system. The times when no justice was given to the people, when they were looted, the times when women’s chastity was in danger, he helped the poor and treated women in respect. He had become a king not by his ancestral rights but on his own strength. This revolutionary king dreamt to establish Rayat rajya and to give freedom to the people of India in the 17^th century.

He was the first king to establish his own army. He started giving regular fixed salaries to his workers. He was scientific in nature who fought against bad times boldly.     

          Shivaji Maharaj established ideals like liberty, justice, fraternity equality, among the people of India but the benefactor of this system, Eurasian Brahmins are greatly shocked by this.  Today they take utmost care that Shivaji Maharaja’s real history does not reach the mulnivasis of India. Prabhodankar Thakare says, “The moment we utter Shivaji Maharaja’s name, the strength of thirty three crore Gods become useless.” 

      When Shivaji Maharaj decided to perform coronation and accept the throne of the Maratha kingdom, all the Brahmins from Maharashtra  became furious and boycotted his coronation. Moropant Pingale , Annaji Datto Rahuji Somnath  denied the idea pointing out that Shivaji  Maharaj could not be coroneted as he was the shudra according to four varnas. Dadoji Kondeo Kulkarni frightened him opposing his coronation. By getting coroneted at the hands of Brahmins he wanted to get right to inquire into the matter of a criminal Brahmins. 

          There are youths in lakhs who are ready to sacrifice for Shivaji Maharaj. Understanding this mindset the Brahmins have very wisely hid the History of him by manipulating his history through books, drama etc. In order to destroy his unpublished work the Brahmins today propagate that the sword he used was given to him by the goddess Bhavani. This propaganda is carried out to spread the message that no mulnivasi or indigenous person can achieve great heights without the support of God whose creators are the Brahmins. In a whole the world lots is controlled by the Brahmims.   

Shivaji Maharaj could be the great king due to his trust on his hard work and potentiality. As also he received help from his father and mother .He was greatly influenced by the teachings of Saint Tukaram who was his Guru. By much hard work, continuous struggle with the organization of ‘Mawalas’ belonging to eighteen different castes, he established ‘Rayatecheraj’. He became chhatrapati, the protector of the people. Such a glorious king was killed by the cunning Brahmins through his wife, Soirabai who breathed his last on 3^rd April 1680 on Raigad.