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{{Short description|Father of Shivaji Bhonsle and eldest son of Maloji Raje Bhonsle (1602–1664)}}
{{Short description|Father of Shivaji Bhonsle and eldest son of Maloji Raje Bhonsle (1594–1664)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=February 2016}}{{copyediting|date=February 2022}}
{{use Indian English|date=February 2016}}{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| name        = Shahaji Bhonsale
| name        = Shahaji Bhonsale
| title        =
| image        = Shahajiraje Bhosale.jpg
| image        = Shahaji, the King-Maker.jpg
| caption      = 1923 sketch depicting Shahaji
| caption      = A painting of Shahaji
| succession  = [[Jagirdar]] of [[Pune]] in [[Bijapur Sultanate]]
| succession  = [[Jagirdar]] of [[Pune]] in [[Bijapur Sultanate]]
| reign        =  
| reign        =  
Line 16: Line 14:
| successor1  = [[Ekoji]]
| successor1  = [[Ekoji]]
| predecessor2 = Position Created
| predecessor2 = Position Created
| successor2  = Sambhaji
| successor2  = [[Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale|Sambhaji]]
| birth_date  = 1594
| succession3  = [[Jagirdar]] of [[Pune]] in [[Ahmednagar Sultanate]]
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1664|||1594|||df=yes}}
| predecessor3 = [[Maloji]]
| death_place  = [[Davanagere district|Hodigere]], [[Bijapur Sultanate]]<br/>(present-day [[Karnataka]], India)<ref>{{cite book |author=A. R. Kulkarni |title=Marathas and the Marathas Country: The Marathas |year=1996 |isbn=9788185016504 |page=15 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Marathas_and_the_Marathas_Country_The_Ma/kyBuAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>
| successor3  = Position de-established
| spouse      = [[Jijabai]] <br>Tukabai Mohite<br> Narsabai{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1594|03|15|df=yes}}<ref name="z951">{{cite web | title=The Founding Of Maratha Freedom | last=Sharma | first=S. R.| website=Internet Archive | date=1 July 2015 | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.96507/page/n91/mode/2up | access-date=31 October 2025 | page=80}}</ref><ref name="k456">{{cite web | title=Life And Letters Of Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Section 1 - 2 | last=Gupta | first=Hari Ram | website=Internet Archive | date=1 July 2015 | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98914/page/n153/mode/2up | access-date=31 October 2025 | page=132}}</ref>
| issue        = [[Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale|Sambhaji]] (Shambhuji)<br> [[Shivaji]] <br> [[Ekoji]] <br> Koyaji <br> Santaji{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1664|01|23|1594|03|15|df=yes}}
| house        = [[Bhonsle]]
| death_place  = [[Davanagere district|Hodigere]], [[Bijapur Sultanate]]<br/>(present-day [[Karnataka]], India)<ref>{{cite book |author=A. R. Kulkarni |title=Marathas and the Marathas Country: The Marathas |year=1996 |isbn=9788185016504 |page=15 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kyBuAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>
| father      = [[Maloji]]
| father      = [[Maloji]]
| occupation  = Military leader
| spouse      = [[Jijabai|Jijabai Jadhav]]<br>Tukabai Mohite Chavan
| issue        = [[Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale|Sambhaji]] <br> [[Shivaji]] <br> [[Ekoji]] <br> Koyaji <br> Santaji<ref>Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II, Satish Chandra, p.327 [https://books.google.com/books?id=0Rm9MC4DDrcC&dq=santaji+shahji+son&pg=PA327]</ref> <br> Pratapji <br> Bhivji <br> Raibhanji <br> Hiroji Farzand
| house        = [[House of Bhonsle|Bhonsle]]
| occupation  = Military General
| religion    = [[Hinduism]]
| religion    = [[Hinduism]]
}}
}}
'''Shahaji Bhonsale''' (Pronunciation: [[Help:IPA/Marathi|[ʃəɦad͡ʒiː]]]; c. 1594 – 1664) was a military leader of India in the 17th century, who served the [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate]], the [[Bijapur Sultanate]], and the [[Mughal Empire]] at various points in his career. As a member of the [[Bhonsle]] clan, Shahaji inherited the [[Pune]] and [[Supa, Parner|Supe]] [[jagir]]s (fiefs) from his father [[Maloji Bhosale|Maloji]], who served Ahmadnagar. During the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] invasion of [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], he joined the Mughal forces and served under Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] for a short period. After being deprived of his [[Jagir|jagirs]], he defected to the [[Bijapur Sultanate]] in 1632 and regained control over Pune and Supe. In 1638, he received the jagir of [[Bangalore]] after Bijapur's invasion of Kempe Gowda III's territories. He became the chief general of Bijapur and oversaw its expansion.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC&pg=PA315 |author=Farooqui Salma Ahmed |publisher=Pearson |year=2011 |isbn=9788131732021 |page=315 }}</ref>


He brought the house of Bhosale into prominence. He was the father of [[Shivaji]], the founder of the [[Maratha Empire]]. The [[princely state]]s of [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Tanjore]], [[Kolhapur State|Kolhapur]], and [[Satara district|Satara]] were ruled by Shahaji's descendants.
'''Shahaji Bhonsale''' ({{IPA|mr|ʃəˈɦaːdʑiː ˈbʱos(ə)le}}; 15 March 1594 – 23 January 1664) was a 17th-century Indian military leader who served the [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate]], the [[Bijapur Sultanate]], and the [[Mughal Empire]] at various points in his career. As a member of the [[House of Bhonsle (Royal House)|Bhonsle dynasty]], Shahaji inherited the [[Pune]] and [[Supa, Parner|Supe]] [[jagir]]s (fiefs) from his father [[Maloji Bhosale|Maloji]], who previously served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. During the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] invasion of the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], Shahaji joined the Mughal forces and served under Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] for a short period. After being deprived of his [[jagir]]s, he defected to the [[Bijapur Sultanate]] in 1632 and regained control over Pune and Supe. In 1638, he received the jagir of [[Bangalore]] after Bijapur's invasion of Kempe Gowda III's territories. Afterwards, he became the chief general of Bijapur and oversaw its expansion.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC&pg=PA315 |author=Farooqui Salma Ahmed |publisher=Pearson |year=2011 |isbn=9788131732021 |page=315 }}</ref> He was the father of [[Shivaji]], the founder of the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha Kingdom]].


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Shahaji was on 15 March 1594 to [[Maloji Bhosale]], a Maratha warrior and nobleman who had been awarded the [[jagir]]s of [[Pune]] and [[Supa, Parner|Supe]], Ellora, Dheradi, Kannrad and some more villages in the districts of Jafrabad, [[Daulatabad Fort|Daulatabad]] and [[Ahilyanagar|Ahmadabad]] by Sultan Murtuza Nizamshah of Ahmadnagar. According to ''Shiva Digvijay'',<ref>{{cite book |author=G. H. Khare |title=Studies in Indology and Medieval History |year=1974 |publisher=Joshi & Lokhande |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T8EtAQAAIAAJ |page=176 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=James W. Laine |chapter=A Question of Maharashtrian Identity: Hindu Self-definition in the Tales of Shivaji |editor=Meera Kosambi |title=Intersections: Socio-cultural Trends in Maharashtra |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2000 |isbn=9788125018780 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XU8dmAiaZSgC&q=maloji&pg=PA59 |access-date=2022-11-15 |page=62 }}</ref> a text considered to be a modern forgery by historians such as [[Jadunath Sarkar]] and Surendra Nath Sen,<ref>{{cite book |author=Jagadish Narayan Sarkar |title=History of History Writing in Medieval India|quote="Sir J. N. Sarkar has categorised it as one of the later biographies or ‘bogus bakhars*, which ‘mostly copies the Sabhasad Bakhar and padded it out with Sanskrit quotations, miracles, rhetorical flourishes, commonplaces remarks, and details imagined from the probabilities of the case, and in some cases also forged letters’." |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12225 |year=1977 |publisher=Ratna Prakashan |page=[https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.12225/page/n31 7] }}</ref> Maloji's wife Umabai allegedly prayed in the tomb of [[Sufism|Sufi]] [[Pir (Sufism)|Pir]] Shah Sharif of Ahmadnagar to be blessed with a son. Later when Maloji and Umabai settled in [[Daulatabad Fort|Devagiri]], Umabai went on to give birth to two sons, first of whom was Shahaji and second one was Sharifji, born two years later.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/shivaji-the-great-1-dr.-balkrishna/page/52/mode/2up Shivaji The Great Vol I, Dr. Bal Krishna, p.53]</ref> Both were named after the Pir's own titles.
.


[[File:Hazrat Shah Sharif Dargah हजरत शाह शरीफ दर्गा अहमदनगर.jpg|thumb|Hazrat Shah Sharif Dargah where maloji asked for his two sons to the Muslim saint]]
Shahaji was betrothed to [[Jijabai]], the daughter of [[Lakhuji Jadhav]], the Maratha Deshmukh of [[Sindkhed Raja|Sindkhed]] in the service of Ahmadnagar's Nizamshahi Sultanate, when both of them were children.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bhave|first1=Y.G.|title=From the death of Shivaji to the death of Aurangzeb : the critical years|date=2000|publisher=Northern Book Centre|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788172111007|page=19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5kVk6msxUcC&q=shahaji+maloji+&pg=PR7}}</ref>
Shahaji was the son of [[Maloji Bhosale]], a soldier who was eventually awarded the [[jagir|jagirs]] of [[Pune]] and [[Supa, Parner|Supe]] districts in the court of [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar]]. According to ''Shivabharata'', composed by Shivaji's court poet Paramananda, Maloji's wife Umabai prayed to the [[Sufism|Sufi]] [[Pir (Sufism)|Pir]] Shah Sharif of Ahmadnagar to bless her with a son. She gave birth to two sons, who were named Shahaji and Sharifji after the Pir.<ref>{{cite book |author=G. H. Khare |title=Studies in Indology and Medieval History |year=1974 |publisher=Joshi & Lokhande |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Studies_in_Indology_and_Medieval_History/T8EtAQAAIAAJ |page=176 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=James W. Laine |chapter=A Question of Maharashtrian Identity: Hindu Self-definition in the Tales of Shivaji |editor=Meera Kosambi |title=Intersections: Socio-cultural Trends in Maharashtra |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2000 |isbn=9788125018780 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XU8dmAiaZSgC&q=maloji&pg=PA59 |access-date=2022-11-15 |page=62 }}</ref>
 
Shahaji married [[Jijabai]], the daughter of [[Lakhuji Jadhav]], another Maratha general in the service of Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar when both of them were children.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bhave|first1=Y.G.|title=From the death of Shivaji to the death of Aurangzeb : the critical years|date=2000|publisher=Northern Book Centre|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788172111007|page=19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5kVk6msxUcC&q=shahaji+maloji+&pg=PR7}}</ref>


== Early career ==
== Early career ==
Shahaji served in the army of [[Malik Ambar]], the prime minister of [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate]]. At the time of Maloji's death in 1622, 26-year old Shahaji was a minor commander in Malik Ambar's army.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=44}} By 1625, he held the high military position of ''Sar Lashkar (major general)'', as suggested by a letter sent from Pune on 28 July.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=272}}


Like his father Maloji, Shahaji served in the army of [[Malik Ambar]], the prime minister of [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate]]. At the time of Maloji's death in 1622, 26-year old Shahaji was a minor commander in Malik Ambar's army.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=44}} By 1625, he held the high military position of ''Sar Lashkar'', as suggested by a letter sent from Pune on 28 July.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=272}}
Ahmadnagar was involved in conflicts against the northern [[Mughal Empire]] and other [[Deccan Sultanates]], and Shahaji kept switching his loyalty between these states. For example, sometime before the [[Battle of Bhatvadi]] in 1624, Shahaji and some other Maratha leaders defected to the Mughals, but shortly before the battle they returned to Ahmadnagar. Malik Ambar's army defeated a combined Mughal-[[Bijapur Sultanate|Bijapur]] force in the battle.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=44}} Subsequently, a quarrel arose between Shahaji and his cousin Kheloji Bhonsle, and in 1625 Shahaji shifted his allegiance to Bijapur,{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}} likely because he was dissatisfied with Ahmadnagar rewarding his relatives more than him. He retained his [[jagir]] in the [[Pune district|Pune]] region, which was disputed between Ahmadnagar and Bijapur.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} A letter dated 10 January 1626 indicates that he still held the position of ''Sar Lashkar''.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}}
 
Ahmadnagar was involved in conflicts against the northern [[Mughal Empire]] and other [[Deccan Sultanates]], and Shahaji kept shifting his loyalty between these states. For example, sometime before the [[Battle of Bhatvadi]] (1624), Shahaji and some other Maratha leaders defected to the Mughals, but shortly before the battle they returned to Ahmadnagar. Malik Ambar's army defeated a combined Mughal-[[Bijapur Sultanate|Bijapur]] army in the battle.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=44}} Subsequently, a quarrel arose between Shahaji and his cousin Kheloji Bhonsle, and in 1625 Shahaji shifted his allegiance to Bijapur,{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}} probably because he was dissatisfied with Ahmadnagar rewarding his relatives more than him. He retained his [[jagir]] in the [[Pune district|Pune]] region, which was disputed between Ahmadnagar and Bijapur.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} A letter dated 10 January 1626 indicates that he still held the position of ''Sar Lashkar''.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}}


Shahaji's patron in Bijapur - [[Ibrahim Adil Shah II]] - died in September 1627.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} Ibrahim Adil Shah II, a Muslim, was tolerant towards Hindus like Shahaji and saw Ahmadnagar as a buffer state between his kingdom and the Mughal Empire. After his death, an orthodox Muslim faction that advocated an alliance with the Mughals against Ahmadnagar grew stronger in Bijapur.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}} Amid these circumstances, Shahaji returned to Ahmadnagar in early 1628,{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} under the patronage of Malik Ambar's son Fatah Khan.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}} The power of Ahmadnagar had been declining after Malik Ambar's death in 1626, but Shahaji held a higher position there than the one he held in Bijapur. Meanwhile, the newly-crowned Mughal Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] launched a fresh campaign against Ahmadnagar. In 1629, Shahaji led a 6,000-strong cavalry against the Mughals in the [[Khandesh]] region but was defeated.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}}
[[Ibrahim Adil Shah II]], Shahaji's patron in Bijapur, died in September 1627.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} Adil Shah, a [[Muslims|Muslim]], was tolerant towards Hindus like Shahaji and saw Ahmadnagar as a buffer state between his kingdom and the Mughal Empire. After his death, an orthodox Muslim faction that advocated for an alliance with the Mughals against Ahmadnagar grew stronger in Bijapur.{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}} Amid these circumstances, Shahaji returned to Ahmadnagar in early 1628{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} under the patronage of Malik Ambar's son [[Fath Khan|Fatah Khan]].{{sfn|R. V. Oturkar|1956|p=273}} The power of Ahmadnagar had been declining after Malik Ambar's death in 1626, but Shahaji held a higher position there than the one he held in Bijapur. Meanwhile, the newly crowned Mughal Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] launched a fresh campaign against Ahmadnagar. In 1629, Shahaji led a 6,000-strong cavalry force against the Mughals in the [[Khandesh]] region but was defeated.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}}


In 1630, Shahaji's in-laws and patrons were murdered as a result of factional politics in the Ahmadnagar court.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} Therefore, Shahaji defected to the Mughals, with a 2,000-man cavalry.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|pp=45-46}} The Mughals sent him to occupy [[Junnar]] and [[Sangamner]] and gave these districts to him as jagir.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}}
In 1630, Shahaji's in-laws and patrons were murdered as a result of factional politics in the Ahmadnagar court,{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=45}} leading to Shahaji's defection to the Mughals along with a 2,000-strong cavalry unit.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|pp=45-46}} The Mughals sent him to occupy [[Junnar]] and [[Sangamner]] and gave these districts to him as a jagir.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}}


== War against the Mughals ==
== War against the Mughals ==
{{Main|Battle of Bhatvadi|Siege of Daulatabad|Siege of Parenda (1634)}}
[[File:The siege of Daulatabad (April-June 1633).jpg|thumb|The [[Mughal Army]] [[Siege of Daulatabad (1633)|captures Daulatabad Fort]] in the year 1633.]]
In 1632, Malik Ambar's son [[Fath Khan|Fatah Khan]] placed a puppet ruler on the [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Ahmednagar]] throne and allied with the Mughals. As a reward, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan granted him the ''jagir'' that had been earlier allotted to Shahaji.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2005|p=204}} Shahaji then left the Mughal service and began to plunder the region around [[Pune district|Pune]]. When the Mughals sent an army against him, he took shelter with Hussein Shah the governor of [[Junnar]] and subsequently returned to Bijapur service.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}}


In 1632, Malik Ambar's son Fatah Khan placed a puppet ruler on the Ahmadnagar throne and allied with the Mughals. As a reward, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan granted him the ''jagir'' that had been earlier allotted to Shahaji.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2005|p=204}} Shahaji then left the Mughal service and started plundering the region around [[Pune district|Pune]]. When the Mughals sent an army against him, he took shelter with the governor of [[Junnar]], and subsequently returned to Bijapur service.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}}
From 1630 to 1632, northern [[Maharashtra]] suffered from a severe famine, part of the [[Deccan famine of 1630–1632|Mahadurga famine]]. Bijapur sent an army to assist Ahmadnagar against the Mughals, who had [[Siege of Daulatabad (1633)|besieged the Daulatabad fort]], but the Mughals emerged victorious and captured [[Daulatabad Fort|Daulatabad]] in 1632, the capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. Shahaji retreated and took control of an area in the southern part of the Sultanate. This area included lands in the triangle formed by connecting the cities of [[Nashik]], [[Pune]], and [[Ahmadnagar]].{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} Unlike southern Maharashtra, which was directly administered by the Bijapur government, this region was politically unstable because of the constant warfare between Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and the Mughals. The political control of the region had changed at least ten times from 1600 to 1635 with the government infrastructure in the area largely destroyed.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|pp=51-52}} Shahaji's control over the area was very weak, but he managed to maintain an army of 2,000-10,000 men and provided services to the Ahmadnagar troops fleeing their state after the Mughal conquest.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}}
 
From 1630 to 1632, northern Maharashtra suffered from a severe famine, called the [[Deccan famine of 1630–1632|Mahadurga famine]]. Bijapur sent an army to assist Ahmadnagar against the Mughals, who had besieged the [[Daulatabad Fort|Daulatabad fort]]. The Mughals emerged victorious and captured [[Daulatabad Fort|Daultabad]], the capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. Shahaji retreated and took control of an area in the southern part of the Ahmadngar Sultanate. This area included lands in the triangle formed by the [[Nashik]], [[Pune]], and [[Ahmadnagar]] cities.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} Unlike southern Maharashtra, which was directly administered by the Bijapur government, this region was politically unstable because of constant warfare between Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and the Mughals. The political control of this region had changed at least ten times from 1600 to 1635 with the government infrastructure in the area largely destroyed.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|pp=51-52}} Shahaji's control over this area was very weak, but he maintained an army of 2,000-10,000 men and provided service to the Ahmadnagar troops fleeing their state after the Mughal conquest.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}}


Meanwhile, in Daulatabad, the Mughals imprisoned the nominal king of Ahamadnagar.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} Shahaji installed 10-year old Murtaza of the Ahamadnagar royal family as the titular puppet ruler{{sfn|Abraham Eraly|2000|p=437}} and appointed himself chief minister.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=56}} Within a year, Shahaji's army captured Junnar and a large part of the northern [[Konkan]] region. Shahaji resided in Junnar and raised an army, which at its height included 12,000 soldiers. The strength of his army kept changing because of the changing loyalty of the various subordinate chiefs, including Ghatge, Kate, Gaikwad, Kank, Chavan, Mohite, Mahadik, Pandhre, Wagh, and Ghorpade.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} He set up his capital at Shahabad and gained control of several large forts. A contemporary [[Brahmin]] newsletter of Bijapur states that the area controlled by him, not including his jagir of Pune and [[Indapur]], yielded 7.5 million rupees in revenue. This estimate was based on the ''potential'' rather than the ''actual'' revenue: the area had been devastated by war and famine, and the actual revenue collected was probably far smaller.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}}  The warring armies had destroyed several villages in the area to deny their enemies revenue, and most of the remaining villages yielded revenue only when forced to do so.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=52}} According to the newsletter, his forces included a 3,000-man cavalry, plus an additional 2,000-man contingent from Bijapur.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}}
Meanwhile, in Daulatabad, the Mughals imprisoned the nominal king of Ahamadnagar.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} Shahaji installed 10-year old [[Murtaza Nizam Shah III|Murtaza]] of the Ahamadnagar royal family as the titular puppet ruler{{sfn|Abraham Eraly|2000|p=437}} and appointed himself chief minister.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=56}} Within a year, Shahaji's army captured Junnar and a large part of the northern [[Konkan]] region. Shahaji resided in Junnar and raised an army, which at its height numbered 12,000 soldiers. The strength of the army kept changing because of the changing loyalties of the various subordinate chiefs including Ghatge, Kate, Gaikwad, Kank, Chavan, Mohite, Mahadik, Pandhre, Wagh, and Ghorpade.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} Shahaji set up his capital at Shahabad and gained control of several large forts. A contemporary [[Brahmin]] newsletter from Bijapur states that the area controlled by Shahaji, not including his jagir of Pune and [[Indapur]], yielded 7.5 million rupees in annual revenue. This estimate was based on the ''potential'' rather than the ''actual'' revenue; the area had been devastated by war and famine and the actual revenue collected was likely far less.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}}  The warring armies had destroyed several villages in the area to deny their enemies income, and most of the remaining villages yielded taxes only when forced to do so.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=52}} According to the newsletter, Shahaji's forces included a 3,000-man cavalry plus an additional 2,000-man contingent from Bijapur.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}}


By 1634, Shahaji had started raiding the area near the Mughal-controlled Daultabad, prompting the Mughals to initiate a major campaign against him.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} In the ensuing battle of Parenda (1634), in which Maratha soldiers fought on both sides, the Mughals defeated the Bijapur army led by Shahaji. In early 1635, the Mughal army forced Shahaji to retreat from the Daulatabad area, capturing his [[train (military)|supply train]] and 3,000 of his soldiers. Subsequently, the Mughal emperor [[Shah Jahan]] personally arrived in Deccan with a large army, compelling Shahaji to leave northern Maharashtra. Shahaji lost control of several cities, including Junar and Nashik, and retreated to Konkan.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}}
By 1634, Shahaji had started raiding the area near the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]]-controlled [[Daulatabad Fort|Daulatabad]], prompting the [[Mughals]] to initiate a major campaign against him.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=46}} In the ensuing battle of Parenda (1634), in which Maratha soldiers fought on both sides, the Mughals defeated the Bijapur army led by Shahaji. In early 1635, the Mughal army forced Shahaji to retreat from the Daulatabad area, capturing his [[train (military)|supply train]] and 3,000 of his soldiers. The Mughal emperor [[Shah Jahan]] personally arrived in Deccan with a large army, compelling Shahaji to leave northern Maharashtra. Shahaji lost control of several cities, including Junar and Nashik, and retreated to Konkan.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}}


Bijapur had two political factions: the first, including Shahaji, favoured resisting Mughal influence in Deccan. The second favoured establishing peace with the Mughals by recognizing their control over parts of the former Ahmadnagar territory. In 1636, the second faction emerged more powerful, and a peace treaty was signed between Bijapur and the Mughal Empire.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}} As part of this treaty, Bijapur agreed to help the Mughals subjugate Shahaji, or depute him away from the Mughal frontier if he chose to serve Bijapur.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2005|p=205}} The Mughals then besieged the [[Mahuli]] fort where Shahaji and Murtaza, the pretender to the Ahmadnagar throne, were residing. In October 1636, Shahaji surrendered Mahuli and Junnar to the Mughals and returned to the Bijapur service.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}} As a result, the Mughals now controlled a major part of present-day Maharashtra, including Pune and Indapur.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47-49}}
Bijapur had two political factions. The first, which Shahaji sided with, favoured resisting Mughal influence in Deccan. The second favoured establishing peace with the Mughals by recognizing their control over parts of the former Ahmadnagar territory. In 1636, the second faction emerged more powerful, and a peace treaty was signed between Bijapur and the Mughal Empire.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}} As part of this treaty, Bijapur agreed to help the Mughals subjugate Shahaji, or depute him away from the Mughal frontier if he chose to serve Bijapur.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2005|p=205}} The Mughals besieged the [[Mahuli]] fort where Shahaji and Murtaza, the pretender to the Ahmadnagar throne, were residing. In October 1636, Shahaji surrendered Mahuli and Junnar to the Mughals and returned to the Bijapur service.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47}} As a result, the Mughals controlled a major part of present-day Maharashtra, including Pune and Indapur.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=47-49}}


== In Bangalore ==
== In Bangalore ==


Shahaji was allowed to retain his [[jagir]] in the Pune region but was barred from living in that area as part of the Mughal-Bijapur treaty. Therefore, the jagir was placed under the nominal administration of his son Shivaji, with his subordinate [[Dadoji Kondadev]] as its manager. Shahaji was transferred to the southern part of the Bijapur Sultanate.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} Shahaji spent the last 20 years of his life in the south, where the Bijapur and the [[Golconda Sultanate|Golconda]] Sultanates were trying to capture territories from the declining Vijayanagara Empire.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=57}}
Shahaji was allowed to retain his [[jagir]] in the Pune region but was barred from living in the area as part of the Mughal-Bijapur treaty. The jagir was placed under the nominal administration of his son Shivaji, with his subordinate [[Dadoji Kondadev]] as its manager. Shahaji was transferred to the southern part of the Bijapur Sultanate.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} Shahaji spent the last 20 years of his life in the south, where the Bijapur and the [[Golconda Sultanate|Golconda]] Sultanates were trying to capture territories from the declining [[Vijayanagara Empire]].{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=57}}


Having established peace with the Mughals in the north, the Bijapur government directed its military to its southern frontier.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} An army led by the general ''Rustam-i-Zaman'' Ranadulla Khan invaded [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]], and Shahaji served as a subordinate commander in this army.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}}{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} Each campaigning season during 1637–1640, the Bijapur forces crossed the [[Krishna River|Krishna]] and the [[Tungabhadra River|Tungabhadra]] rivers, and entered Mysore. The Bijapuri forces defeated several [[Nayaka dynasties|Nayakas]], the local chiefs who had administered the area after the decline of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]].{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} In December 1638, the Bijapur forces seized [[Bangalore]], which was assigned to Shahaji. Shahaji was also given the charge of [[Kolar]], [[Hoskote]], [[Doddaballapura]], and [[Sira, Karnataka|Sira]] areas by Ranadulla Khan, in consultation with the Bijapur ruler [[Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur|Muhammad Adil Shah]].{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Shahaji chose Bangalore as his headquarters because of its secure fortress and good climate.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Shahaji was unable to retain control of this entire territory after the departure of the main Bijapur army.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} However, each year, Bijapur army's expeditions brought more territories under Shahaji's control.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}}
Having established peace with the Mughals in the north, the Bijapur government directed its military to the southern frontier.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} An army led by the general Rustam-i-Zaman Ranadulla Khan invaded [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]] with Shahaji serving as a subordinate commander.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}}{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} During each campaigning season between 1637 and 1640, Bijapur forces crossed the [[Krishna River|Krishna]] and the [[Tungabhadra River|Tungabhadra]] rivers, and entered Mysore. The Bijapuri forces defeated several [[Nayaka dynasties|Nayakas]], local chiefs who administered the area after the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} In December 1638, the Bijapur forces seized [[Bangalore]], which was given as a [[jagir]] to Shahaji. Shahaji was also given charge of the [[Kolar, Karnataka|Kolar]], [[Hoskote]], [[Doddaballapura]], and [[Sira, Karnataka|Sira]] areas by Ranadulla Khan, in consultation with the Bijapur ruler [[Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur|Muhammad Adil Shah]].{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Shahaji chose Bangalore as his headquarters because of its secure fortress and good climate.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} While Shahaji was unable to retain control of this entire territory after the departure of the main Bijapur army,{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} the Bijapur army's annual expeditions continued to bring more territories under his control.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}}


The Bijapur ruler exercised little control over the Bangalore region, and Shahaji ruled the area almost independently. The ruler of Bijapur trusted him and called him the pillar of the state in a letter.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} However, in 1639, Shahaji appears to have been involved in a conflict against the Bijapur government. Records show that the Bijapur ruler Muhammad Adil Shah ordered the ''[[Deshmukh]]'' of [[Lakshmeshwara]] to support commander Sidi Mooflah in arresting the "relations, dependents, servants and horses" of Shahaji. However, no further details are available about this episode.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}}
The rulers of Bijapur exercised little control over the Bangalore region, and Shahaji ruled the area almost independently. The ruler of Bijapur trusted him and even called him "the pillar of the state" in a letter.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} However, in 1639, Shahaji appears to have been involved in a conflict against the Bijapur government. Records show that the Bijapur ruler Muhammad Adil Shah ordered the [[Deshmukh]] of [[Lakshmeshwara]] to support commander Sidi Mooflah in arresting the "relations, dependents, servants and horses" of Shahaji. However, few further details are available about this episode.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}}


Shahaji's relations with the Bijapur ruler improved in the subsequent years, and in 1641, he supported the Bijapur government in suppressing a revolt by the Hindu chiefs. He was part of an army led by the Bijapur general [[Afzal Khan (general)|Afzal Khan]] that captured the fort of Basavapatna from Keng Nayak. The Bijapur army captured several other forts, including [[Vellore Fort|Vellore]], during this campaign.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} A letter from Bijapur, dated 30 January 1642, expressed appreciation for Shahaji's services in the Karnataka region.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}
Shahaji's relations with the Bijapur ruler improved in the subsequent years, and in 1641, he supported the Bijapur government in suppressing a revolt by the Hindu chiefs. He joined an army led by the Bijapur general [[Afzal Khan (general)|Afzal Khan]] that captured the fort of Basavapatna from Keng Nayak. The Bijapur army captured several other forts, including [[Vellore Fort|Vellore]], during this campaign.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=55}} A letter from Bijapur dated 30 January 1642 expressed appreciation for Shahaji's services in the [[Karnataka]] region.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}


Not much is known about Shahaji's activities during 1642-1645: he probably mainly stayed at his jagir in [[Bangalore]] or may have been involved in Bijapur's recapture of the [[Ikkeri]] fort in 1644. Sometime between 1642 and 1644, Shahaji's wife [[Jijabai]] and his son [[Shivaji]], visited him in Bangalore.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}} During this period, Shahaji arranged Shivaji's marriage to [[Sai Bhosale|Saibai]] of the Nimbalkar family and held a grand wedding ceremony in Bangalore.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=179}} He also presented his entire family, including his two sons by his second wife, at the Bijapur court. Jijabai and Shivaji returned to Pune shortly after.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}} Shahaji's elder son Shambuji (also called Sambhaji) and another son [[Venkoji]] from his other wife Tukabai, stayed with him in Bangalore.
Not much is known about Shahaji's activities during 1642–1645; he likely stayed at his jagir in [[Bangalore]] and may have been involved in Bijapur's recapture of the [[Ikkeri]] fort in 1644. He likely also stayed at Kolar and Doddaballapura and spent summers at [[Nandi Hills, India|Nandi]].{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}} Sometime between 1642 and 1644, Shahaji's wife [[Jijabai]] and his son [[Shivaji]] visited him in Bangalore.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}} During this period, Shahaji arranged Shivaji's marriage to Soyrabai and held a grand wedding ceremony in Bangalore.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=179}} He also presented his entire family, including his two sons by his second wife, at the Bijapur court. Jijabai and Shivaji returned to Pune shortly after.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}} Shahaji's elder son Shambuji (also called Sambhaji) and another son [[Venkoji]] from his other wife Tukabai stayed with him in Bangalore.


Shahaji beautified Bangalore by commissioning several gardens and also built a palace called Gowri Mahal, which according to popular tradition, was located in the present-day [[Basavanagudi]] extension. Besides, he also stayed at Kolar and Doddaballapura and spent summers at [[Nandi Hills, India|Nandi]].{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}
Shahaji beautified Bangalore by commissioning several gardens and also built a palace called Gowri Mahal, which, according to popular tradition, was located in the present-day [[Basavanagudi]] extension.


Shahaji appointed several [[Brahmin]]s from the Pune region to the Bangalore administration. Meanwhile, Dadoji Kondadev revived the revenue system in Pune, and remitted surplus revenue to Shahaji's treasury in Bangalore.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}
Shahaji appointed several [[Brahmin]]s from the Pune region to the Bangalore administration. Meanwhile, Dadoji Kondadev revived the taxation system in Pune and remitted surplus revenue to Shahaji's treasury in Bangalore.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}


== Last days ==
== Later life ==


Amid the rise of Muslim orthodoxy in Bijapur,{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}} the relationship of Shahaji - a Hindu - with the Bijapur government kept changing. In 1644, the Bijapur government labelled him a rebel and sent a force to subjugate his agent Dadoji Kondadev. An August 1644 letter from the government asks Kanoji Nayak Jedhe, the ''Deshmukh'' of [[Bhor]] near Pune, to assist the government representatives in defeating Dadoji Kondadev, who was campaigning in the [[Kondana]] area.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}} The government also instructed another ''Deshmukh'' - Khopde - to seize Shahaji's estates, but these orders were apparently withdrawn before implementation.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=60}} A similar situation arose in 1646.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}}
Amid the rise of Muslim orthodoxy in Bijapur,{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}} the relationship between Shahaji, a Hindu, and the Bijapur government kept changing. In 1644, the Bijapur labelled Shahaji a rebel - an August 1644 letter from the Bjiapur asks Kanoji Nayak Jedhe, the ''Deshmukh'' of [[Bhor]], to assist government representatives in defeating Dadoji Kondadev, who was campaigning in the [[Kondana]] area.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}} The government also instructed another ''Deshmukh,'' Khopde, to seize Shahaji's estates, but these orders were apparently withdrawn before implementation.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=60}} A similar situation arose in 1646.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=56}}


In 1648, during a Bijapur campaign to support the rebellion of [[Nayaka dynasties|Nayakas]] against the [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara]] king [[Sriranga III]], Shahaji was arrested for acting against the interests of Bijapur. The forces of Bijapur and [[Golconda Sultanate|Golconda]] had besieged the [[Gingee Fort|Jinjee]] fort. Shahaji started acting independently of the Bijapur commander Mustafa Khan and started negotiating with the Nayakas of Jinjee, [[Madurai]], and [[Tiruchirapalli]]. He even sought service with the Golconda government.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|pp=56-57}} Shahaji was brought to the capital [[Bijapur]] in chains and forced to surrender the forts of Kondana and Bangalore.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}} According to the texts written under the Maratha patronage - such as ''Shiva-Bharat'', Shahaji was arrested because of a rebellion by his son Shivaji, but the Bijapur records do not support this claim. Whatever the case, Shahaji was pardoned within a year.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}}
In 1648, during a Bijapur campaign to support the rebellion of the Nayakas against the Vijayanagara king [[Sriranga III]], Shahaji was arrested for acting against the interests of Bijapur. While the forces of Bijapur and [[Golconda Sultanate|Golconda]] laid siege to the [[Gingee Fort|Jinjee]] fort, Shahaji had started acting independently of Bijapur commander Mustafa Khan and started negotiating with the Nayakas of Jinjee, [[Madurai]], and [[Tiruchirapalli]]. He even sought service with the Golconda government.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|pp=56-57}} Shahaji was brought to the capital [[Bijapur]] in chains and forced to surrender the forts of Kondana and Bangalore.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}} While texts written under Maratha patronage such as ''Shiva-Bharat'' state that Shahaji was arrested because of a rebellion conducted by his son Shivaji, Bijapur records do not support this claim. Whatever the case, Shahaji was pardoned within a year.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}}


Little information is available about Shahaji's life from 1648 to 1660. He appears to have moved out of Bangalore, where his son [[Ekoji I|Ekoji]] was stationed. Shahaji himself was stationed at [[Kanakagiri]], and his son [[Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale|Sambhaji]] was killed during a revolt by the chief (''Rajah'') of Kanakagiri in 1654. During this period, Shahaji participated in Bijapur's war against Golconda.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}}
Little information is available about Shahaji's life from 1648 to 1660. He appears to have moved out of Bangalore, where his son [[Ekoji I|Ekoji]] was stationed. Shahaji himself was stationed at [[Kanakagiri]], and his son [[Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale|Sambhaji]] was killed during a revolt by the chief (''Rajah'') of Kanakagiri in 1654. During this period, Shahaji participated in Bijapur's war against Golconda.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=57}}


Meanwhile, Shahaji's son [[Shivaji]], who administered his jagir in the Pune region, started acting independently of the Bijapur government and started capturing territories of Bijapur vassals around Pune. Shivaji claimed to be a servant of the Bijapur government, and justified his actions, arguing that he was governing these territories better than the deposed rulers did. However, the ruler of Bijapur doubted his loyalty, and Shahaji distanced himself from his son's actions.{{sfn|James W. Laine|2003|p=21}} A letter from Bijapur, dated 26 May 1658, gives back Shahaji the control of his former jagir of Bangalore and assures him that he will not be punished for the rebellion of his son. Some writers have speculated that Shahaji and Shivaji collaborated to establish an independent kingdom, but no contemporary sources support this theory. The majority of historians believe that Shahaji did not support his son's rebellion.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=58}} In 1659, the Bijapur government sent a 12,000-strong army led by [[Afzal Khan (general)|Afzal Khan]] against Shivaji, but Shivaji emerged victorious in the conflict.{{sfn|James W. Laine|2003|pp=21-23}} Between the years 1659 and 1662, Shahaji travelled to Pune as a mediator between Shivaji and Bijapur, meeting his son for the first time in 12 years. This was also Shahaji's last meeting with Shivaji, as Shahaji died in early 1664, in a hunting accident.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=58}}
Meanwhile, Shivaji, who now administered Shahaji's jagir in the Pune region, began acting independently of the Bijapur government and started capturing territories of Bijapur vassals around Pune. Shivaji claimed to be a servant of the Bijapur government and justified his actions by arguing that he was governing these territories better than the deposed rulers did. However, the ruler of Bijapur doubted Shivaji's loyalty and Shahaji distanced himself from his son's actions.{{sfn|James W. Laine|2003|p=21}} A letter from Bijapur, dated 26 May 1658, returns to Shahaji the control of his former jagir of Bangalore and assures him that he will not be punished for the rebellion of his son. Some writers have speculated that Shahaji and Shivaji collaborated to establish an independent kingdom, but no contemporary sources support this theory. The majority of historians believe that Shahaji did not support his son's rebellion.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=58}} In 1659, the Bijapur government sent a 12,000-strong army led by [[Afzal Khan (general)|Afzal Khan]] against Shivaji, but Shivaji emerged victorious in the conflict.{{sfn|James W. Laine|2003|pp=21-23}} Between the years 1659 and 1662, Shahaji travelled to Pune as a mediator between Shivaji and Bijapur, meeting his son for the first time in 12 years. This was also Shahaji's last meeting with Shivaji, as Shahaji died in early 1664 in a hunting accident.{{sfn|Stewart Gordon|1993|p=58}}


== Patronage to scholars ==
== Patronage to scholars ==


At his court in Bangalore, Shahaji patronized several scholars, including Jayarama Pindye, who composed ''Radha-Madhava-Vilasa [[Champu]]'' and ''Parnala-Parvata-Grahan-Akhyana''.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Jayarama had heard about Shahaji's generosity to poets from traveling ''bhats'' (poets) who were returning to their homes in the north.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|pp=58-59}} He traveled from [[Nashik]] to Bangalore, and was introduced to Shahaji's court by a man named Shivaraya Gosvamin.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Jayarama presented 12 coconuts before Shahaji, signifying his knowledge of 12 languages.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|pp=177-178}} Under Shahaji's patronage, Jayarama composed ''Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu'' (c. 1660 or earlier), a multi-lingual collection of poems.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|pp=57-58}} The work names and cites poets in 35 languages, including [[Sanskrit]], [[Prakrit]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Kannada language|Kannada]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]], and [[Urdu language|Urdu]].{{sfn|Bal Krishna|1932|p=57}} Jayarama compares Shahaji to [[Arjuna|Partha]] in heroism, [[Vikramaditya|Vikramarka]] in generosity, and [[Bhoja]] in learning.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|pp=58-59}} He makes grandiloquent claims, such as that "hundreds and thousands" of scholars and poets from all over the world came to Shahaji's court to seek his patronage.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=58}} In a [[Dingal]]-language poem, he describes a scene in which the king of [[Jaipur State|Amber]] learns of Shahaji's greatness from poets, and announces his intention to present gifts to Shahaji, if he ever visited Amber; this is a purely imaginary scene.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=57}} According to a Sanskrit poem in the collection, when Jayarama requested leave from Shahaji's court to go on a pilgrimage to [[Varanasi|Kashi]] and other places, Shahaji told him to take whatever wealth he desired before leaving.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=59}} Jayarama credits Shahaji with reviving Sanskrit language, and states Shahaji himself composed a part of a stanza in Sanskrit; his sons Sambhaji and Ekoji also composed lines to test Jayarama's poetic skills.{{sfn|Bal Krishna|1932|p=57}}
At his court in Bangalore, Shahaji patronized several scholars, including Jayarama Pindye, who composed ''Radha-Madhava-Vilasa [[Champu]]'' and ''Parnala-Parvata-Grahan-Akhyana''.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Jayarama had heard about Shahaji's generosity to poets from traveling ''bhats'' (poets) who were returning to their homes in the north.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|pp=58-59}} He traveled from [[Nashik]] to Bangalore, and was introduced to Shahaji's court by a man named Shivaraya Gosvamin.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=177}} Jayarama presented 12 coconuts before Shahaji, signifying his knowledge of 12 languages.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|pp=177-178}} Under Shahaji's patronage, Jayarama composed ''Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu'' ({{Circa|1660}} or earlier), a multi-lingual collection of poems.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|pp=57-58}} The work names and cites poets in 35 languages, including [[Sanskrit]], [[Prakrit]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Kannada language|Kannada]], [[Old Hindi|Hindi]], and [[Urdu language|Urdu]].{{sfn|Bal Krishna|1932|p=57}} Jayarama compares Shahaji to [[Arjuna|Partha]] in heroism, [[Vikramaditya|Vikramarka]] in generosity, and [[Bhoja]] in learning.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|pp=58-59}} He makes grandiloquent claims, such as that "hundreds and thousands" of scholars and poets from all over the world came to Shahaji's court to seek his patronage.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=58}} In a [[Dingal]]-language poem, he describes a scene in which the king of [[Jaipur State|Amber]] learns of Shahaji's greatness from poets and announces his intention to present gifts to Shahaji if Shahaji ever visited Amber; which according to scholar Sumit Guha is a purely imaginary scenario but shows how Bards were responsible for propagating a transregional reputation.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=57}} According to a Sanskrit poem in the collection, when Jayarama requested leave from Shahaji's court to go on a pilgrimage to [[Varanasi|Kashi]] and other places, Shahaji told him to take whatever wealth he desired before leaving.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=59}} Jayarama credits Shahaji with reviving the Sanskrit language and states that Shahaji himself composed a part of a stanza in Sanskrit; his sons Sambhaji and Ekoji also composed lines to test Jayarama's poetic skills.{{sfn|Bal Krishna|1932|p=57}}


Poets cited in the ''Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu'' include Sbuddhi-Rav, a native of [[Ghatampur]], who compares Shahaji to [[Krishna]] holding up the [[Govardhan Puja|Govardhan Hill]] to protect the people.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=57}} Other prominent personalities in Shahaji's court included Prabhakarabhatta (the ''[[purohit]]''); Naropant Hanumanthe; and his sons Janardana-pant and Raghunath-pant.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}
Poets cited in the ''Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu'' include Sbuddhi-Rav, a native of [[Ghatampur]], who compares Shahaji to [[Krishna]] holding up the [[Govardhan Puja|Govardhan Hill]] to protect the people.{{sfn|Sumit Guha|2011|p=57}} Other prominent personalities in Shahaji's court included Prabhakarabhatta (the ''[[purohit]]''), Naropant Hanumanthe, and his sons Janardana-pant and Raghunath-pant.{{sfn|B. Muddachari|1966|p=178}}


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Shahaji Samadhi is at Hodigere near [[Channagiri]] in Karnataka.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/101217/sunday-story-in-davangere-rests-a-great-maratha-warrior-the-pride-of-kannadigas.html|title=Sunday Story: In Davangere rests a great Maratha warrior, the pride of Kannadigas|date=10 December 2017|work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>{{Further explanation needed|reason=More info about Shahaji samadhi.|date=February 2022}}
Shahaji's tomb is located at Hodigere, near [[Channagiri]] in Karnataka.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/101217/sunday-story-in-davangere-rests-a-great-maratha-warrior-the-pride-of-kannadigas.html|title=Sunday Story: In Davangere rests a great Maratha warrior, the pride of Kannadigas|date=10 December 2017|work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>


'''In popular culture'''  
'''In popular culture'''


* In [[Raja Shivchatrapati]] (2008), a Marathi historical TV serial of [[Star Pravah]] Avinash Narakar played the role of Shahaji Raje.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Popular historical show ‘Raja Shivchatrapati’ to return on the audience’s demand - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/marathi/popular-historical-show-raja-shivchatrapati-to-return-on-the-audiences-demand/articleshow/74935697.cms|access-date=2022-02-01|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>
* In [[Raja Shivchhatrapati (TV series)|Raja Shivchhatrapati]] (2008), a Marathi historical TV serial aired on [[Star Pravah]], Avinash Narakar played the role of Shahaji Raje.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Popular historical show 'Raja Shivchatrapati' to return on the audience's demand |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/marathi/popular-historical-show-raja-shivchatrapati-to-return-on-the-audiences-demand/articleshow/74935697.cms|access-date=2022-02-01|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>
* In [[Bharat Ek Khoj]] he was portrayed by [[Achyut Potdar]]
* In [[Bharat Ek Khoj]], Shahaji was portrayed by [[Achyut Potdar]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Bharat Ek Khoj (TV Series 1988– ) |work=IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155424/fullcredits |access-date=2023-01-02}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
 
{{Portal bar|Biography|History}}


{{Shivaji}}
{{Shivaji}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahaji,}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahaji,}}
[[Category:17th-century nobility]]
[[Category:17th-century soldiers]]
[[Category:1594 births]]
[[Category:1594 births]]
[[Category:1664 deaths]]
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[[Category:People of the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:Shivaji]]
[[Category:Shivaji]]
[[Category:People from the Sultanate of Bijapur]]

Latest revision as of 02:20, 24 March 2026


Shahaji Bhonsale
1923 sketch depicting Shahaji
Jagirdar of Pune in Bijapur Sultanate
PredecessorMaloji
SuccessorShivaji
Jagirdar of Bangalore in Bijapur Sultanate
PredecessorPosition Created
SuccessorEkoji
PredecessorPosition Created
SuccessorSambhaji
Jagirdar of Pune in Ahmednagar Sultanate
PredecessorMaloji
SuccessorPosition de-established
Born(1594-03-15)15 March 1594[1][2]
Died23 January 1664(1664-01-23) (aged 69)
Hodigere, Bijapur Sultanate
(present-day Karnataka, India)[3]
SpouseJijabai Jadhav
Tukabai Mohite Chavan
IssueSambhaji
Shivaji
Ekoji
Koyaji
Santaji[4]
Pratapji
Bhivji
Raibhanji
Hiroji Farzand
HouseBhonsle
FatherMaloji
ReligionHinduism
OccupationMilitary General

Shahaji Bhonsale (mr; 15 March 1594 – 23 January 1664) was a 17th-century Indian military leader who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire at various points in his career. As a member of the Bhonsle dynasty, Shahaji inherited the Pune and Supe jagirs (fiefs) from his father Maloji, who previously served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. During the Mughal invasion of the Deccan, Shahaji joined the Mughal forces and served under Emperor Shah Jahan for a short period. After being deprived of his jagirs, he defected to the Bijapur Sultanate in 1632 and regained control over Pune and Supe. In 1638, he received the jagir of Bangalore after Bijapur's invasion of Kempe Gowda III's territories. Afterwards, he became the chief general of Bijapur and oversaw its expansion.[5] He was the father of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Shahaji was on 15 March 1594 to Maloji Bhosale, a Maratha warrior and nobleman who had been awarded the jagirs of Pune and Supe, Ellora, Dheradi, Kannrad and some more villages in the districts of Jafrabad, Daulatabad and Ahmadabad by Sultan Murtuza Nizamshah of Ahmadnagar. According to Shiva Digvijay,[6][7] a text considered to be a modern forgery by historians such as Jadunath Sarkar and Surendra Nath Sen,[8] Maloji's wife Umabai allegedly prayed in the tomb of Sufi Pir Shah Sharif of Ahmadnagar to be blessed with a son. Later when Maloji and Umabai settled in Devagiri, Umabai went on to give birth to two sons, first of whom was Shahaji and second one was Sharifji, born two years later.[9] Both were named after the Pir's own titles. .

Shahaji was betrothed to Jijabai, the daughter of Lakhuji Jadhav, the Maratha Deshmukh of Sindkhed in the service of Ahmadnagar's Nizamshahi Sultanate, when both of them were children.[10]

Early career[edit | edit source]

Shahaji served in the army of Malik Ambar, the prime minister of Ahmadnagar Sultanate. At the time of Maloji's death in 1622, 26-year old Shahaji was a minor commander in Malik Ambar's army.[11] By 1625, he held the high military position of Sar Lashkar (major general), as suggested by a letter sent from Pune on 28 July.[12]

Ahmadnagar was involved in conflicts against the northern Mughal Empire and other Deccan Sultanates, and Shahaji kept switching his loyalty between these states. For example, sometime before the Battle of Bhatvadi in 1624, Shahaji and some other Maratha leaders defected to the Mughals, but shortly before the battle they returned to Ahmadnagar. Malik Ambar's army defeated a combined Mughal-Bijapur force in the battle.[11] Subsequently, a quarrel arose between Shahaji and his cousin Kheloji Bhonsle, and in 1625 Shahaji shifted his allegiance to Bijapur,[13] likely because he was dissatisfied with Ahmadnagar rewarding his relatives more than him. He retained his jagir in the Pune region, which was disputed between Ahmadnagar and Bijapur.[14] A letter dated 10 January 1626 indicates that he still held the position of Sar Lashkar.[13]

Ibrahim Adil Shah II, Shahaji's patron in Bijapur, died in September 1627.[14] Adil Shah, a Muslim, was tolerant towards Hindus like Shahaji and saw Ahmadnagar as a buffer state between his kingdom and the Mughal Empire. After his death, an orthodox Muslim faction that advocated for an alliance with the Mughals against Ahmadnagar grew stronger in Bijapur.[13] Amid these circumstances, Shahaji returned to Ahmadnagar in early 1628[14] under the patronage of Malik Ambar's son Fatah Khan.[13] The power of Ahmadnagar had been declining after Malik Ambar's death in 1626, but Shahaji held a higher position there than the one he held in Bijapur. Meanwhile, the newly crowned Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan launched a fresh campaign against Ahmadnagar. In 1629, Shahaji led a 6,000-strong cavalry force against the Mughals in the Khandesh region but was defeated.[14]

In 1630, Shahaji's in-laws and patrons were murdered as a result of factional politics in the Ahmadnagar court,[14] leading to Shahaji's defection to the Mughals along with a 2,000-strong cavalry unit.[15] The Mughals sent him to occupy Junnar and Sangamner and gave these districts to him as a jagir.[16]

War against the Mughals[edit | edit source]

Main articles: Battle of Bhatvadi, Siege of Daulatabad, and Siege of Parenda (1634)
The Mughal Army captures Daulatabad Fort in the year 1633.

In 1632, Malik Ambar's son Fatah Khan placed a puppet ruler on the Ahmednagar throne and allied with the Mughals. As a reward, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan granted him the jagir that had been earlier allotted to Shahaji.[17] Shahaji then left the Mughal service and began to plunder the region around Pune. When the Mughals sent an army against him, he took shelter with Hussein Shah the governor of Junnar and subsequently returned to Bijapur service.[16]

From 1630 to 1632, northern Maharashtra suffered from a severe famine, part of the Mahadurga famine. Bijapur sent an army to assist Ahmadnagar against the Mughals, who had besieged the Daulatabad fort, but the Mughals emerged victorious and captured Daulatabad in 1632, the capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. Shahaji retreated and took control of an area in the southern part of the Sultanate. This area included lands in the triangle formed by connecting the cities of Nashik, Pune, and Ahmadnagar.[16] Unlike southern Maharashtra, which was directly administered by the Bijapur government, this region was politically unstable because of the constant warfare between Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and the Mughals. The political control of the region had changed at least ten times from 1600 to 1635 with the government infrastructure in the area largely destroyed.[18] Shahaji's control over the area was very weak, but he managed to maintain an army of 2,000-10,000 men and provided services to the Ahmadnagar troops fleeing their state after the Mughal conquest.[16]

Meanwhile, in Daulatabad, the Mughals imprisoned the nominal king of Ahamadnagar.[16] Shahaji installed 10-year old Murtaza of the Ahamadnagar royal family as the titular puppet ruler[19] and appointed himself chief minister.[20] Within a year, Shahaji's army captured Junnar and a large part of the northern Konkan region. Shahaji resided in Junnar and raised an army, which at its height numbered 12,000 soldiers. The strength of the army kept changing because of the changing loyalties of the various subordinate chiefs including Ghatge, Kate, Gaikwad, Kank, Chavan, Mohite, Mahadik, Pandhre, Wagh, and Ghorpade.[16] Shahaji set up his capital at Shahabad and gained control of several large forts. A contemporary Brahmin newsletter from Bijapur states that the area controlled by Shahaji, not including his jagir of Pune and Indapur, yielded 7.5 million rupees in annual revenue. This estimate was based on the potential rather than the actual revenue; the area had been devastated by war and famine and the actual revenue collected was likely far less.[21] The warring armies had destroyed several villages in the area to deny their enemies income, and most of the remaining villages yielded taxes only when forced to do so.[22] According to the newsletter, Shahaji's forces included a 3,000-man cavalry plus an additional 2,000-man contingent from Bijapur.[21]

By 1634, Shahaji had started raiding the area near the Mughal-controlled Daulatabad, prompting the Mughals to initiate a major campaign against him.[16] In the ensuing battle of Parenda (1634), in which Maratha soldiers fought on both sides, the Mughals defeated the Bijapur army led by Shahaji. In early 1635, the Mughal army forced Shahaji to retreat from the Daulatabad area, capturing his supply train and 3,000 of his soldiers. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan personally arrived in Deccan with a large army, compelling Shahaji to leave northern Maharashtra. Shahaji lost control of several cities, including Junar and Nashik, and retreated to Konkan.[21]

Bijapur had two political factions. The first, which Shahaji sided with, favoured resisting Mughal influence in Deccan. The second favoured establishing peace with the Mughals by recognizing their control over parts of the former Ahmadnagar territory. In 1636, the second faction emerged more powerful, and a peace treaty was signed between Bijapur and the Mughal Empire.[21] As part of this treaty, Bijapur agreed to help the Mughals subjugate Shahaji, or depute him away from the Mughal frontier if he chose to serve Bijapur.[23] The Mughals besieged the Mahuli fort where Shahaji and Murtaza, the pretender to the Ahmadnagar throne, were residing. In October 1636, Shahaji surrendered Mahuli and Junnar to the Mughals and returned to the Bijapur service.[21] As a result, the Mughals controlled a major part of present-day Maharashtra, including Pune and Indapur.[24]

In Bangalore[edit | edit source]

Shahaji was allowed to retain his jagir in the Pune region but was barred from living in the area as part of the Mughal-Bijapur treaty. The jagir was placed under the nominal administration of his son Shivaji, with his subordinate Dadoji Kondadev as its manager. Shahaji was transferred to the southern part of the Bijapur Sultanate.[25] Shahaji spent the last 20 years of his life in the south, where the Bijapur and the Golconda Sultanates were trying to capture territories from the declining Vijayanagara Empire.[26]

Having established peace with the Mughals in the north, the Bijapur government directed its military to the southern frontier.[25] An army led by the general Rustam-i-Zaman Ranadulla Khan invaded Mysore with Shahaji serving as a subordinate commander.[27][25] During each campaigning season between 1637 and 1640, Bijapur forces crossed the Krishna and the Tungabhadra rivers, and entered Mysore. The Bijapuri forces defeated several Nayakas, local chiefs who administered the area after the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire.[25] In December 1638, the Bijapur forces seized Bangalore, which was given as a jagir to Shahaji. Shahaji was also given charge of the Kolar, Hoskote, Doddaballapura, and Sira areas by Ranadulla Khan, in consultation with the Bijapur ruler Muhammad Adil Shah.[27] Shahaji chose Bangalore as his headquarters because of its secure fortress and good climate.[27] While Shahaji was unable to retain control of this entire territory after the departure of the main Bijapur army,[25] the Bijapur army's annual expeditions continued to bring more territories under his control.[27]

The rulers of Bijapur exercised little control over the Bangalore region, and Shahaji ruled the area almost independently. The ruler of Bijapur trusted him and even called him "the pillar of the state" in a letter.[27] However, in 1639, Shahaji appears to have been involved in a conflict against the Bijapur government. Records show that the Bijapur ruler Muhammad Adil Shah ordered the Deshmukh of Lakshmeshwara to support commander Sidi Mooflah in arresting the "relations, dependents, servants and horses" of Shahaji. However, few further details are available about this episode.[25]

Shahaji's relations with the Bijapur ruler improved in the subsequent years, and in 1641, he supported the Bijapur government in suppressing a revolt by the Hindu chiefs. He joined an army led by the Bijapur general Afzal Khan that captured the fort of Basavapatna from Keng Nayak. The Bijapur army captured several other forts, including Vellore, during this campaign.[25] A letter from Bijapur dated 30 January 1642 expressed appreciation for Shahaji's services in the Karnataka region.[28]

Not much is known about Shahaji's activities during 1642–1645; he likely stayed at his jagir in Bangalore and may have been involved in Bijapur's recapture of the Ikkeri fort in 1644. He likely also stayed at Kolar and Doddaballapura and spent summers at Nandi.[28] Sometime between 1642 and 1644, Shahaji's wife Jijabai and his son Shivaji visited him in Bangalore.[29] During this period, Shahaji arranged Shivaji's marriage to Soyrabai and held a grand wedding ceremony in Bangalore.[30] He also presented his entire family, including his two sons by his second wife, at the Bijapur court. Jijabai and Shivaji returned to Pune shortly after.[29] Shahaji's elder son Shambuji (also called Sambhaji) and another son Venkoji from his other wife Tukabai stayed with him in Bangalore.

Shahaji beautified Bangalore by commissioning several gardens and also built a palace called Gowri Mahal, which, according to popular tradition, was located in the present-day Basavanagudi extension.

Shahaji appointed several Brahmins from the Pune region to the Bangalore administration. Meanwhile, Dadoji Kondadev revived the taxation system in Pune and remitted surplus revenue to Shahaji's treasury in Bangalore.[28]

Later life[edit | edit source]

Amid the rise of Muslim orthodoxy in Bijapur,[31] the relationship between Shahaji, a Hindu, and the Bijapur government kept changing. In 1644, the Bijapur labelled Shahaji a rebel - an August 1644 letter from the Bjiapur asks Kanoji Nayak Jedhe, the Deshmukh of Bhor, to assist government representatives in defeating Dadoji Kondadev, who was campaigning in the Kondana area.[29] The government also instructed another Deshmukh, Khopde, to seize Shahaji's estates, but these orders were apparently withdrawn before implementation.[32] A similar situation arose in 1646.[29]

In 1648, during a Bijapur campaign to support the rebellion of the Nayakas against the Vijayanagara king Sriranga III, Shahaji was arrested for acting against the interests of Bijapur. While the forces of Bijapur and Golconda laid siege to the Jinjee fort, Shahaji had started acting independently of Bijapur commander Mustafa Khan and started negotiating with the Nayakas of Jinjee, Madurai, and Tiruchirapalli. He even sought service with the Golconda government.[33] Shahaji was brought to the capital Bijapur in chains and forced to surrender the forts of Kondana and Bangalore.[31] While texts written under Maratha patronage such as Shiva-Bharat state that Shahaji was arrested because of a rebellion conducted by his son Shivaji, Bijapur records do not support this claim. Whatever the case, Shahaji was pardoned within a year.[31]

Little information is available about Shahaji's life from 1648 to 1660. He appears to have moved out of Bangalore, where his son Ekoji was stationed. Shahaji himself was stationed at Kanakagiri, and his son Sambhaji was killed during a revolt by the chief (Rajah) of Kanakagiri in 1654. During this period, Shahaji participated in Bijapur's war against Golconda.[31]

Meanwhile, Shivaji, who now administered Shahaji's jagir in the Pune region, began acting independently of the Bijapur government and started capturing territories of Bijapur vassals around Pune. Shivaji claimed to be a servant of the Bijapur government and justified his actions by arguing that he was governing these territories better than the deposed rulers did. However, the ruler of Bijapur doubted Shivaji's loyalty and Shahaji distanced himself from his son's actions.[34] A letter from Bijapur, dated 26 May 1658, returns to Shahaji the control of his former jagir of Bangalore and assures him that he will not be punished for the rebellion of his son. Some writers have speculated that Shahaji and Shivaji collaborated to establish an independent kingdom, but no contemporary sources support this theory. The majority of historians believe that Shahaji did not support his son's rebellion.[35] In 1659, the Bijapur government sent a 12,000-strong army led by Afzal Khan against Shivaji, but Shivaji emerged victorious in the conflict.[36] Between the years 1659 and 1662, Shahaji travelled to Pune as a mediator between Shivaji and Bijapur, meeting his son for the first time in 12 years. This was also Shahaji's last meeting with Shivaji, as Shahaji died in early 1664 in a hunting accident.[35]

Patronage to scholars[edit | edit source]

At his court in Bangalore, Shahaji patronized several scholars, including Jayarama Pindye, who composed Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu and Parnala-Parvata-Grahan-Akhyana.[27] Jayarama had heard about Shahaji's generosity to poets from traveling bhats (poets) who were returning to their homes in the north.[37] He traveled from Nashik to Bangalore, and was introduced to Shahaji's court by a man named Shivaraya Gosvamin.[27] Jayarama presented 12 coconuts before Shahaji, signifying his knowledge of 12 languages.[38] Under Shahaji's patronage, Jayarama composed Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu (c. 1660 or earlier), a multi-lingual collection of poems.[39] The work names and cites poets in 35 languages, including Sanskrit, Prakrit, Persian, Kannada, Hindi, and Urdu.[40] Jayarama compares Shahaji to Partha in heroism, Vikramarka in generosity, and Bhoja in learning.[37] He makes grandiloquent claims, such as that "hundreds and thousands" of scholars and poets from all over the world came to Shahaji's court to seek his patronage.[41] In a Dingal-language poem, he describes a scene in which the king of Amber learns of Shahaji's greatness from poets and announces his intention to present gifts to Shahaji if Shahaji ever visited Amber; which according to scholar Sumit Guha is a purely imaginary scenario but shows how Bards were responsible for propagating a transregional reputation.[26] According to a Sanskrit poem in the collection, when Jayarama requested leave from Shahaji's court to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi and other places, Shahaji told him to take whatever wealth he desired before leaving.[42] Jayarama credits Shahaji with reviving the Sanskrit language and states that Shahaji himself composed a part of a stanza in Sanskrit; his sons Sambhaji and Ekoji also composed lines to test Jayarama's poetic skills.[40]

Poets cited in the Radha-Madhava-Vilasa Champu include Sbuddhi-Rav, a native of Ghatampur, who compares Shahaji to Krishna holding up the Govardhan Hill to protect the people.[26] Other prominent personalities in Shahaji's court included Prabhakarabhatta (the purohit), Naropant Hanumanthe, and his sons Janardana-pant and Raghunath-pant.[28]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Shahaji's tomb is located at Hodigere, near Channagiri in Karnataka.[43]

In popular culture

References[edit | edit source]

Citations[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Sharma, S. R. (1 July 2015). "The Founding Of Maratha Freedom". Internet Archive. p. 80. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Gupta, Hari Ram (1 July 2015). "Life And Letters Of Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Section 1 - 2". Internet Archive. p. 132. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  3. ↑ A. R. Kulkarni (1996). Marathas and the Marathas Country: The Marathas. p. 15. ISBN 9788185016504.
  4. ↑ Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II, Satish Chandra, p.327 [1]
  5. ↑ Farooqui Salma Ahmed (2011). A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. Pearson. p. 315. ISBN 9788131732021.
  6. ↑ G. H. Khare (1974). Studies in Indology and Medieval History. Joshi & Lokhande. p. 176.
  7. ↑ James W. Laine (2000). "A Question of Maharashtrian Identity: Hindu Self-definition in the Tales of Shivaji". In Meera Kosambi (ed.). Intersections: Socio-cultural Trends in Maharashtra. Orient Blackswan. p. 62. ISBN 9788125018780. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Jagadish Narayan Sarkar (1977). History of History Writing in Medieval India. Ratna Prakashan. p. 7. Sir J. N. Sarkar has categorised it as one of the later biographies or 'bogus bakhars*, which 'mostly copies the Sabhasad Bakhar and padded it out with Sanskrit quotations, miracles, rhetorical flourishes, commonplaces remarks, and details imagined from the probabilities of the case, and in some cases also forged letters'.
  9. ↑ Shivaji The Great Vol I, Dr. Bal Krishna, p.53
  10. ↑ Bhave, Y.G. (2000). From the death of Shivaji to the death of Aurangzeb : the critical years. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre. p. 19. ISBN 9788172111007.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 44.
  12. ↑ R. V. Oturkar 1956, p. 272.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 R. V. Oturkar 1956, p. 273.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 45.
  15. ↑ Stewart Gordon 1993, pp. 45-46.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 46.
  17. ↑ Satish Chandra 2005, p. 204.
  18. ↑ Stewart Gordon 1993, pp. 51-52.
  19. ↑ Abraham Eraly 2000, p. 437.
  20. ↑ Sumit Guha 2011, p. 56.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 47.
  22. ↑ Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 52.
  23. ↑ Satish Chandra 2005, p. 205.
  24. ↑ Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 47-49.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 55.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Sumit Guha 2011, p. 57.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 B. Muddachari 1966, p. 177.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 B. Muddachari 1966, p. 178.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 56.
  30. ↑ B. Muddachari 1966, p. 179.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 57.
  32. ↑ Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 60.
  33. ↑ Stewart Gordon 1993, pp. 56-57.
  34. ↑ James W. Laine 2003, p. 21.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Stewart Gordon 1993, p. 58.
  36. ↑ James W. Laine 2003, pp. 21-23.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Sumit Guha 2011, pp. 58-59.
  38. ↑ B. Muddachari 1966, pp. 177-178.
  39. ↑ Sumit Guha 2011, pp. 57-58.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Bal Krishna 1932, p. 57.
  41. ↑ Sumit Guha 2011, p. 58.
  42. ↑ Sumit Guha 2011, p. 59.
  43. ↑ "Sunday Story: In Davangere rests a great Maratha warrior, the pride of Kannadigas". Deccan Chronicle. 10 December 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  44. ↑ "Popular historical show 'Raja Shivchatrapati' to return on the audience's demand". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  45. ↑ "Bharat Ek Khoj (TV Series 1988– )", IMDb, retrieved 2 January 2023

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

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