The first genuine attempt at writing a history of the Marathas in English was by Grant Duff in 1826, which characterized Shivaji as a brigand. The first biography in English was written by HG Rawlinson in 1910. Thanks to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who used Shivaji and his legacy as a potent force in his militant version of Indian nationalism, he was transformed into a national icon, and an inspirational figure for people squirming under alien rule.
