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{{Short description| Queen of Swarajya from 1680 to 1689)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Maharani Yesubai Bhosale
| title = [[Maharani]] of [[Maratha Kingdom]]
| image =
| caption =
| succession = [[Queen consort|Chief Queen Consort]] of the [[Maratha Kingdom]]
| reign = 20 July 1680 – 11 March 1689
| predecessor = [[Sai Bhosale|Saibai]]<br>[[Soyarabai]]
| successor = [[Jankibai]]<br>[[Tarabai]]
| birth_date = 1658
| birth_place = [[Shringarpur]], [[Konkan]]
| birth_name = Jivubai Shirke
| death_date = 1730
| death_place = [[Satara district|Satara]], [[Maharashtra]]
| consort = yes
| spouse = [[Sambhaji]]
| issue = Bhavani Bai <br> [[Shahu I]]
| full name = Yesubai Sambhaji Bhonsale
| house = [[Shirke]] (by birth)<br>[[House of Bhonsle|Bhonsle]] (by marriage)
| father = Pilajirao Shirke
| mother =
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
}}

'''Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale''' was the wife of Chhatrapati [[Sambhaji]] Maharaj, and referred to as Maharani of the [[Maratha Kingdom]]. She was second officially crowned Queen of Swarajya. She was also mother of Chhatrapati [[Shahu I]]. Later on she became [[Rajmata]] in Chhatrapati Shahu I's reign. Chhatrapati Sambhaji had shared his power with Yesubai. When Chhatrapati Sambhaji was away from the maratha capital due to battles, all the political decisions were made by her.<ref>{{harv|Vaidya|2000|p=8-9, 101-127}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gate|first=Smita|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjI-AAAAMAAJ&q=maharani+yesubai|title=Development of Women: The Maharashtra Experience in Women's Policy Implementation|date=1998|publisher=Yeshwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Joshi|first=Pandit Shankar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ngBAAAAMAAJ&q=maharani+yesubai|title=Chhatrapati Sambhaji, 1657-1689 A.D.|date=1980|publisher=S. Chand|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mehta|first=Jl|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TsMl0vSc0gC&dq=yesubai&pg=PA561|title=Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-81-207-1015-3|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=G.S.Chhabra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UkDi6rVbckoC&dq=Zeb-un-Nissa+and+shahu&pg=PA15|title=Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803)|date=2005|publisher=Lotus Press|isbn=978-81-89093-06-8|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mukherjee|first=Soma|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-2TyjzZhZEC&q=maharani+yesubai+zeb|title=Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions|date=2001|publisher=Gyan Books|isbn=978-81-212-0760-7|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Parameswaran|first=Uma|title=Malgonkar, Manohar|date=2010-12-24|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781444337822.wbetcfv3m004|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Fiction|place=Oxford, UK|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd|doi=10.1002/9781444337822.wbetcfv3m004|isbn=9781444337822|access-date=2021-12-09|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Life ==
Yesubai was born AD 1660–61. She was the daughter of Pilaji [[Shirke|Shirkey]], who the prominent chief of Shringarpur. After [[Shivaji]] defeated the Shirkey Sardars and captured Shringarpur, Shivaji's son [[Sambhaji]] married Yesubai.<ref>{{harv|Vaidya|2000|p=101}}</ref>

After [[Jijabai]], Yesubai was made Kulmuktyar (one who can interfere in the case of justice) of Swarajya as per custom {{fact|date=March 2025}}. After the [[execution of Sambhaji]] by the Emperor [[Aurangzeb]], she announced [[Rajaram I|Rajaram]] as the next chhatrapati of swarajya.{{fact|date=March 2025}}
For nearly two decades {{fact|date=March 2025}}, Yesubai and Shahu were held captive in Mughal custody. During this time, she displayed immense patience and resilience, ensuring her son's survival and preparing him for his future role {{fact|date=March 2025}}. Eventually, in 1707, after Aurangzeb's death, a succession struggle within the [[Mughal Empire]] led to Shahu being released by [[Bahadur Shah I]].{{fact|date=March 2025}} This event marked the beginning of Shahu's rise to power and the expansion of the Maratha Kingdom.
<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Sarkar |first1=Jadunath |author1-link=Jadunath Sarkar|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.1426 |title=Maasir I Alamgiri (1658-1707) |date=1947 |pages=199, 200 |quote= "Before the capture of Sambha ‘Itiqad Khan had been sent to conquer fort Rairi, the home and treasurehouse of this villain; on Saturday, the 19th October /15th Muharram he captured the fort and made the mothers, wives, daughters, and sons of Sambha and of Rama [Rajaram] prisoners.".... "The Emperor graciously ordered that tents fit for holding Sambha’s mother (Shivaji’s wife) and other relatives of the deceased should be set up in the gulalbdr and they should be made to alight there with all respect and privacy. Close to the misl of ‘Umdat-ul-mulk, the misl of the Rani’s bazar was located for her servants and dependants to live in. Annual pensions were fixed on all of them according to their position. Shahu, the nine year old elder son of Sambha, was given the mansab of 7-hazari (same tr.), the title of Raja, and a robe, a jewelled dagger, arsi, horse, elephant, kettledrums, and standard."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jaques |first1=Tony |title=Dictionary of battles and sieges: a guide to 8500 battles from Antiquity through the twenty-first century |last2=Showalter |first2=Dennis Edwin |date=2007 |publisher=Greenwood press |isbn=978-0-313-33536-5 |location=Westport (Conn.) |page=837 |quote=Emperor Aurangzeb executed Maratha King Sambhaji then dispatched Geenral Zulfiqar Khan against the new teenage King Rajaram at Raigarh (Rayyagad), southwest of Poona. Rajaram escaped and fled to Gingee (5 April). When Raigarh fortress eventually fell by treachery, Sambhaji's widow Yesu Bao and son Shahu were captured and held for 17 years (25 March-19 October 1689).}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
Many actresses have portrayed Yesubai's life in various films and television shows produced in India. These include:

* Zillu in ''[[Chhatrapati Sambhaji (1925 film)|Chhatrapati Sambhaji]]'' (1925)
* Prajakta Gaikwad in [[Swarajyarakshak Sambhaji|Swarajya Rakshak Sambhaji]] (2017–2020)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rajadhyaksha |first=Ashish |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofi0000raja |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema |date=1999 |publisher=London : British Film Institute |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-85170-669-6}}</ref>
* Mohini Potdar in ''[[Chhatrapati Sambhaji (2024 film)|Chhatrapati Sambhaji]]'' (2024)
* Ayesha Madhukar in ''[[Shivrayancha Chhava]]'' (2024)
* [[Amruta Khanvilkar]] in ''[[Dharmarakshak Mahaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj: Chapter 1]]'' (2024)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naik |first=Payal |date=2024-10-04 |title='धर्मरक्षक महावीर छत्रपती संभाजी महाराज' मध्ये अमृता खानविलकर साकारणार महाराणी येसूबाई; लूक होतोय व्हायरल |url=https://www.esakal.com/premier/amruta-khanvilkar-playing-yesubai-in-dharmarakshak-mahaveer-chhatrapati-sambhaji-maharaj-movie-psn14 |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=Marathi News Esakal |language=Mr}}</ref>
* [[Rashmika Mandanna]] in ''[[Chhaava]]'' (2025)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-28 |title=Rashmika Mandanna praises Chhaava co-star Vicky Kaushal, says he was 'warm and kind, except for the last day'; the Sam Bahadur actor reacts |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/rashmika-mandanna-praises-chhaava-co-star-vicky-kaushal-says-he-was-warm-and-kind-expect-for-the-last-day-the-sam-bahadur-actor-reacts-9131712/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}
== References ==
*{{Cite book|last=Vaidya|first=Sushila|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wVNuAAAAMAAJ&q=yesubai|title=Role of Women in Maratha Politics, 1620-1752 A.D.|date=2000|publisher=Sharada Publishing House|isbn=8185616671|language=en}}

[[Category:17th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:1730 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Queens consort of the Maratha Empire]]

Yesubai Bhonsale - Revision history

LizzieSugerman6: Made Data