HINDUS (Part 5)

 HINDUS

(Part 5)

The Legend of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
(Part 1)

In 1627, when Shah Jahan ascended the throne of Mughal Sultanate with his beloved wife Begum Arjumand Banu, in the southern west, near Aadilshahi Sultanate, a brave mother gave a birth to a brave son. Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha General of Deccan Sultanates. He changed his loyalty between Aadilshah and Mughals. However, he kept his jagir and small army at Pune, in case they would be betrayed. 

After worshipping for many years, Shahaji’s wife Jijabai gave birth to a son. She worshipped Goddess Bhavani (Shivai) for a brave son like Lord Shiva, and she was blessed with a son. Though she was sure that her son would be brave warrior, she didn’t know that he would become the reason of fall of the strongest rule of Hindustan. She didn’t know that her son, who she named as Shivaji, would unite the Hindu Marathas and make Mughals kneel at certain point. 

Shivneri Fort, birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj

Shivaji was born at Shivneri fort, while his father Shahaji was serving as a general to Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur. He was extremely devoted to his mother Jijabai, who every day told him the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. She also told him stories of great Hindu Kings like Ashoka The Great, Chandragupta Mourya, Chandragupta I, Prithviraj Chauhan and Maharana Pratap. As a child, Shivaji always wondered why these foreigners were ruling the land which actually belonged to Hindus. Why were they making Hindus suffer? Why do they want to destroy the Hindu religion? The answer was straight. Except, Akbar and Jahangir, every Muslim Emperor wanted to rob Hindustan’s wealth and glory. They want to hail their religion as the greatest and others were false. They always had arrogance of supreme. But Shivaji couldn’t let that happen. He knew that Hindu religion was not going to torture anyone even if Hindus become rulers. And he also believed that Hindus must rule their motherland, since this land belonged to them. If Islamic Lands were ruled by Muslims, why couldn’t Hindu Land be ruled by Hindus? 

Jijabai (Jijamata), Mother of Shivaji Maharaj

Shivaji wandered in forests and mastered in horse-riding, sword fighting and even in hand to hand combat. Even in his teenage, he could defeat more than two fully-grown warriors. Jijabai knew that her worships were true and this was the proof. In 1645, at the age of 17, he persuaded the Bijapuri Commander of Torna Fort to hand over possession of fort to him. Firangoji Narsala of Chakan Fort professed his loyalty to Shivaji. When Muhammad Adil Shah of Adilshahi Sultanate heard about these incidents, he immediately imprisoned Shahaji so that Shivaji and his brother Sambhaji would surrender before him. Here accounts vary. Some say that Shivaji and Sambhaji actually surrendered and Shahaji was freed. Other accounts say that Shahaji remained in prison until 1655 and then he retired from his public life. However Shivaji resumed his persuading more and more forts and making them his own jagir. 

Earlier, Sahaji had given the jagir of Pune to Shivaji, where Shivaji trained himself in Guerrilla Warfare. 

1659, Combat with Afzal Khan and fall of Adilshahi Sultanate

When Adilshah felt that Shivaji was making an army for regional revolt, he sent an experienced general of him to Shivaji. His name was Afzal Khan. The meeting was arranged at Pratapgadh Fort on 10th November 1659. Shivaji knew the mentality of these people very well. They could attack any time. Each one would come with one sword, the arrangements were predetermined. However, Shivaji wore a metal armour beneath his clothes, and kept a dagger in his right hand. He secretly wore tiger claws (bagh nakh) in his left hand. 

During the meeting, Afzal Khan attacked with his sword all of a sudden. However, the attack went unharmed due to the armour of Shivaji. And Shivaji immediately responded with carrying out his dagger and blocked another attack. In the meantime, Shivaji pulled out his left arm with tiger claws and attacked on Afzal Khan’s rib. Claws pierced his rib and Shivaji pierced his dagger into his abdomen, and ripped his rib apart. 

Assassinatin of Afzal Khan

Battle of Pratapgadh, 1659

When the military came to know that Shiaji had killed Afzal Khan, they attacked on Maratha Army. On one side, Bijapuri troops were more than 3000 in numbers and Shivaji had very less men. However, Shivaji and all Maratha Warriors fought bravely and killed 3000 Bijapuri Soldiers and captured two sons of Afzal Khan. This was an uncommon victory which made Shivaji a hero of Marathas. 

Pratapgadh fort

Meanwhile, Mughal Sultanate had seen vast bloodshed in their own fort. Aurangzeb had killed all of his brothers and imprisoned his own father to ascend the throne. As soon as he became the emperor of Mughal Sultanate in 1658, the biggest news he heard was about this victory of a Maratha Warrior, called Shivaji. Aurangzeb had identified Shivaji as the biggest threat to Mughal Sultanate, who could come to fight the Mughals any time. 

Battle of Kolhapur, 1659

In the very next month, Adilshah wanted revenge to the defeat of Pratapgadh and he sent an army of more than 10000 to attack Marathas. However, Shivaji and his men had their eye on Adilshahi activities. On everyone’s surprise, Shivaji attacked Bijapuri army with 5000 Maratha warriors and captured more than 2000 horses and weapons of Adilshahi Army. This was one of the biggest defeats Adilshahi Sultanate had ever seen. And soon they all disappeared in the mountains.

After this battle, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was now fully identified Shivaji as the greatest threat. He also named Shivaji as “Mountain Rat”. However, Shivaji had helped Aurangzeb in two battles when Aurangzeb was still a prince and military commander until 1657. But when Shivaji raided one of his territory. Aurangzeb responded with more raids. And after that incident, Shivaji’s clash with Mughals had started. So, Aurangzeb was sure that Shivaji would come to fight Mughals for sure. But the only question was, when? 

Siege of Panhala and Battle of Pavan Khind and the clash with British

To avenge another defeat, Adilshah sent his general Siddi Jauhar to siege Shivaji’s jagir and kill him. Siddi Jauhar was a wise man, and he knew that they couldn’t defeat Marathas with manpower and traditional weapons. They needed more. So, Siddi Jauhar went to Britsh, and bought grenades, originally manufactured in Europe. Mughals also helped Adilshahi financially and with immense manpower. Shivaji had warriors, but they couldn’t protect their jagirs when Siddi Jauhar bombarded the jagirs using European Grenades. However, Adilshahi Soldiers didn’t know how to use grenades. So they hired English Military-men to bombard the forts. Shivaji had kept good relations with British, and had never interfered in their business. This betrayal made Shivaji angry. 

As a revenge, Shivaji attacked English Factory at Rajapur and imprisoned four of factors. There is some dispute over the circumstances of Shivaji's withdrawal (treaty or escape) and his destination (Ragna or Vishalgad), but the popular story details his night movement to Vishalgad and a sacrificial rear-guard action to allow him to escape. Per these accounts, Shivaji withdrew from Panhala by cover of night, and as he was pursued by the enemy cavalry, so his Maratha sardar Baji Prabhu Deshpande of Bandal Deshmukh, along with 300 soldiers, volunteered to fight to the death to hold back the enemy at Ghod Khind ("horse ravine") to give Shivaji and the rest of the army a chance to reach the safety of the Vishalgad fort. In the ensuing Battle of Pavan Khind, the smaller Maratha force held back the larger enemy to buy time for Shivaji to escape. Baji Prabhu Deshpande was wounded but continued to fight until he heard the sound of cannon fire from Vishalgad, signalling Shivaji had safely reached the fort, on the evening of 13 July 1660. Ghod Khind (khind meaning "a narrow mountain pass") was later renamed Paavan Khind ("sacred pass") in honour of Bajiprabhu Deshpande, Shibosingh Jadhav, Fuloji, and all other soldiers who fought in there.

Entrance of Pavan Khind

Shivaji vs Mughal Sultanate

On the request of Badi Begum, Aurangzeb sent his maternal uncle Sahista Khan to attack Shivaji with an army of 1,50,000 men. In January 1660, Sahista Khan met with Siddi Jauhar and they attacked together with an army of 300000 and sieged many of Maratha Territories, and established his residence in Pune at Shivaji’s palace, Lal Mahal.

As an answer, Shivaji launched a surprise attack in 1663 as some wedding attendees and breached the walls of Pune Palace. Shivaji had only 200 men, yet they killed everyone who came in their way. Sahista Khan was terrified and escaped somehow, but lost his thumb during his escape. Shivaji regained his possession of Pune and Lalmahal. Sahista Khan went to Aurangzeb, where Aurangzeb punished him for such embarrassment and transferred him to Bengal.

Sacking of Surat

Later, Sahista Khan sent an Uzbek General, Kartalab Khan to attack Shivaji. However, Shivaji’s army defeated them and eventually Shivaji sacked the entire city of Surat, which was the business capital of Mughals and British.

Now, Shivaji had his control over the business capital of Mughals and British. SURAT.

Treaty of Purandar

Sacking of Surat City terrified both Mughals and British. At last, Aurangzeb sent Raja Jaisingh I with an army of 150000 with a deal. Treaty of Purandar.

Aurangzeb had asked more than 22 forts from Shivaji along with 400000 rupees and loyalty of Shivaji, or they had to fight battle which would last in blood.

Shivaji had no other choice but to agree on the treaty of Purandar. He had less army this time and couldn’t fight with Mughals at particular moment. So he agreed on the treaty of Purandar and gave 22 forts and 400000 rupees to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Shivaji also agreed to make his eldest son Sambhaji, a Maratha Sardar at Mughal Court. One of his loyal general, Netaji Palkar also joined Mughals and was rewarded for his bravery. However, he was converted to Islam by Aurangzeb, and changed his name to Muhammad Quli, and was sent to Afghan Border. Later in 1976, he returned to Shivaji’s service and Shivaji accepted him as Hindu again.

Until 1666, these Treaty of Purandar had bound Shivaji. However, Shivaji was not the man who could be bound of imprisoned. He would rise again, and this time he would rise with immense power and a great ambition to make this nation, A HINDU NATION.

To be continued...

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj The Great
We all bow to the legendary soul who inspired us that this land belongs to us and only us.