Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, is a great hero. Known for his valor, administrative acumen and war strategies, Shivaji Maharaj is an exemplary leader. Remembering the great hero on his 342nd death anniversary, here are some fascinating facts about the warrior king:
1. Shivaji was born in the Bhonsle Maratha dynasty to Shahaji and Jijabai on February 19, 1630 in present-day Maharashtra. His father was a Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanate.
2. According to many beliefs and accounts, Shivaji was named after Lord Shiva. However, scholars suggest that it was a local deity Shivai, after whom he was named.
3. Shivaji was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (Emperor) of his kingdom at Raigad in 1674.
4. He was a skilled general and a brave warrior. He was highly skilled in guerrilla-style warfare and planned covert warfare. He was often referred to as the ‘Mountain Rat’ for his art of stealth warfare.
5. Although he was a keen learner with in-depth knowledge of religious texts including Ramayana and Mahabharata, he had no formal schooling.
6. He is also known to have revived Hindu political and court traditions. He promoted the use of Marathi and Sanskrit language in administrative procedures instead of the widely used language Persian.
7. He established the Council of Eight Ministers or Ashta Pradhan Mandal, an administrative and advisory council that advised Shivaji on various political and administrative matters.
8. He was the first indigenous ruler of medieval India to build his own naval force and led his first full naval expedition in 1665.
9. He was a secular king and had many Muslims in his army and office such as Ibrahim Khan and Daulat Khan who were chiefs in the navy and Siddi Ibrahim the chief of artillery.
10. He was a great supporter of women’s rights and passed rules that forbade the humiliation of women. Strict punishment was given for any crime against women. His soldiers and officers were strictly forbidden to be feminized and he never allowed women to be taken captive.
11. Shivaji fell ill with fever and dysentery in 1680 and died on 3 April at the age of 52.
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