Sai Bhonsale: Difference between revisions

|consort=yes

| name =Saibai Bhosale

| image =Saibai.png

| caption = A 2012 artist's rendition of Saibai<ref name="Tare" />

| title =Maharani of the Maratha Empire <br>

Shrimant Akhand Saubhagyavati Saibai Sahib <br> Rajmata Shrimant Chatrapati Saibai Shivajiraje Bhosale

| reign =

| spouse =[[Shivaji I ]]

| issue =Sakhubai Nimbalkar<br>Ranubai Jadhav<br>Ambikabai Mahadik<br>[[Sambhaji]]

| house =[[Nimbalkar]] ''(by birth)''<br>[[Bhosale]] ''(by marriage)''

| father =Mudhoji Rao Naik Nimbalkar

| mother =Reubai

| birth_date =Saibai Nimbalkar <br>

| birth_place =[[Phaltan]], [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate]] (present-day [[Maharashtra]], [[India]])

| death_date =September 5, 1659 (aged 26)

| death_place =[[Rajgad|Rajgad Fort]], [[Pune]], [[Maratha Empire]] (present-day Maharastra, India)

| place of burial=

| religion =[[Hinduism]]

| date of burial =

| full name=

| signature=

Saibai and [[Shivaji|Chhatrapati Shivaji]]  were married while still in their childhood on 16 May 1640 at [[Lal Mahal]], [[Pune]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Balkrishna Deopujari|first=Murlidhar|title=Shivaji and the Maratha Art of War|year=1973|publisher=Vidarbha Maharashtra Samshodhan Mandal|page=35}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=Stewart|title=The Marathas 1600-1818|year=1993|publisher=Cambridge University|isbn=9780521268837|pages=60}}</ref> The marriage was arranged by his mother,  [[Jijabai]]; but was evidently not attended by his father, [[Shahaji]] nor his brothers, [[Sambhaji]] and [[Ekoji]]. Thus, Shahaji soon summoned his new daughter-in-law, Chh.Shivaji Maharaj and his mother, Jijabai, to [[Bangalore]], where he lived with his second wife, Tukabai.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rana|first1=Bhawan Singh|title=Chhatrapati Shivaji|date=2004|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788128808265|page=19|edition=1st}}</ref>

Saibai and Chh.Shivaji Maharaj shared a close relationship with each other. She is said to have been a wise woman and a loyal consort to Chh.Shivaji Maharaj.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sen|first=Surendra Nath|title=Foreign Biographies of Shivaji Volume 2 of Extracts and Documents relating to Maratha History|year=1930|publisher=K. Paul, Trench, Trubner & Company Limited|page=165}}</ref> By all accounts, Saibai was a beautiful, good-natured and an affectionate woman. She is described as having been a "gentle and selfless person."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kincaid|first1=Dennis|title=The History of Chh.Shivaji Maharaj: The Grand Rebel|date=1987|publisher=Karan Publications|page=78|language=en}}</ref>

All of her endearing personal qualities, however, were a sharp contrast to Chh.Shivaji Maharaj‘s second wife, [[Soyarabai]], who was an intriguing lady.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sardesai|first=H. S.|title= Chh.Shivaji Maharaj, the Great Maratha|year=2002|publisher=Cosmo Publ.|isbn=9788177552881|page=1011|edition=1. publ.}}</ref> Yet, there is no record of any friction or mutual differences between Saibai and Chh.Shivaji Maharaj other wives.<ref name=Vaidya>{{cite book|last=Vaidya|first=Sushila|title=Role of Women in Maratha politics : 1620-1752 A.D.|year=2000|publisher=Sharada Publ. House|isbn=9788185616674|page=77|edition=1. publ.}}</ref> As long as Saibai was alive, she was an asset to Shivaji, not only regarding the affairs of the state, but also regarding the household affairs. She also had significant influence over her husband and the royal family as well. Saibai is reported to have acted as a counsel to Chh.Shivaji Maharaj when he was invited by [[Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur|Mohammed Adil Shah]], the king of [[Bijapur]], for a personal interview.<ref name=Kulkarni>{{cite book|last1=Kulkarni|first1=A. R.|title=Medieval Maratha country|date=1996|publisher=Books & Books]|location=[New Delhi|isbn=9788185016498|page=20|edition=1. publ.|language=en}}</ref> During Saibai's life time, the entire household of Chh.Shivaji Maharaj bore a homogeneous atmosphere despite the fact that most of his marriages were performed due to political considerations.<ref name=Vaidya/>

After Saibai's untimely death in 1659 followed by Jijabai's death in 1674, Chh.Shivaji Maharaj private life became clouded with anxiety and unhappiness.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sardesai|first1=Govind Sakharam|title=New History of the Marathas: Chh.Shivaji Maharaj and his line (1600-1707)|date=1957|publisher=Phoenix Publications|page=263|language=en}}</ref> Although Soyarabai had gained prominence in the royal household following their deaths, she was not an affectionate consort like Saibai, whom Chh.Shivaji Maharaj had dearly loved.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kincaid|first=Dennis|title=The Grand Rebel: An Impression of Chh.Shivaji Maharaj, Founder of the Maratha Empire|year=1937|publisher=Collins|pages=162, 176}}</ref>

Saibai remained Chh.Shivaji Maharaj favourite till he died. A great source of inspiration to him, legend has it that "Sai" was the last word he uttered on his deathbed.<ref name="Tare" />

During the course of their nineteen years of marriage, Saibai and Chh.Shivaji Maharaj became parents of four children: Sakavarbai (nicknamed "Sakhubai"), Ranubai, Ambikabai and [[Sambhaji]]. Sakhubai was married to her [[cousin|first-cousin]], Mahadji, the son of Saibai's brother, Bajaji Rao Naik Nimbalkar. This marriage took place in 1657 with an objective to consolidate Bajaji's return to [[Hinduism]] as he had been converted to [[Islam]] by the Mughal viceroy [[Aurangzeb]]{{Citation needed|reason=Your explanation here|date=February 2017}}. Ranubai married into the [[Jadhav]] family. Ambikabai married Harji Raje Mahadik in 1668.<ref>{{cite book|last=Charles Augustus Kincaid, Dattātraya Baḷavanta Pārasanīsa|title=A History of the Maratha People: From the death of Chh.Shivaji Maharaj to the death of Shahu|year=1922|publisher=S. Chand|page=44}}</ref> Saibai's fourth issue was her only son, Sambhaji, who was born in 1657 and was Chh.Shivaji Maharaj eldest son and thus, his [[heir-apparent]]. The birth of Sambhaji was an occasion of great joy and significance in the royal household for many different reasons.<ref>{{cite book|last=Joshi|first=P.S.|title=Chhatrapati Sambhaji, 1657-1689 A.D.|year=1980|publisher=S. Chand|pages=3, 4}}</ref>

*'''Television'''-[[Poorva Gokhale]] played Saibai in [[Swarajyarakshak Sambhaji]], based on the life of [[Sambhaji|Chhatrapti Sambhaji]]

*'''Television'''- Saibai is portrayed by Samira Gujar-Joshi while Gargi Ranade plays the young Saibai in [[Swarajya Janani Jijamata]] based on the life of [[Jijabai|Rajmata Jijabai]]