Shivaji: The Grand Rebel

by Dennis Kincaid

In one village he was actually arrested on suspicion and brought before the police inspector of the village, who put him through a gruelling cross-examination lasting far into the night. Towards midnight Shivaji broke down and confessed his identity, but judging the inspector’s character with his usual acumen he offered him some jewels as the price of his freedom. The inspector accepted the bribe and let Shivaji go. It was a lesson that he must move

Kashiat

The Mogul cut short his chatter with, “If he is really your son, let me see you both eating out of the same plate.”

Prince Muazzam, Viceroy of the South, in charge of the civil administration, while Jaswant Sing commanded the armed forces. The Emperor hoped that each would spy on the other and thus he would be kept fully informed about the doings of both.

“The greatest pillar of Government is the immediate knowledge of everything

that happens in the ...

problem that faced him from the beginning was the employment and provisioning of his army. In time of peace the upkeep of a standing army would be a heavy burden on a poor State; at the same time the army’s discipline and organisation had been the work of years. All that labour would be lost once the army was dispersed, and no one imagined that the present peace would last long. Shivaji’s partial solution of this problem was typical. Playing on Jaswant Sing’s admiration for him he proposed that, as a symbol of the new friendliness between the Marathas and the Empire, a body of Maratha horse should enter Imperial service. The proposal was eagerly accepted. Shivaji chose out a thousand picked troopers, the nucleus of his cavalry, and despatched them to the Viceroy’s Court. There they remained for two years “feeding at Mogul expense” as the Marathas gleefully commented, while the Imperialists congratulated themselves on their diplomatic tact.

This was attacked after the Lion Fort, the storming party being led by Suryaji, Tanaji’s brother, and brilliantly captured.

eleven thousand priests and one hundred thousand visitors journeyed towards Raigad,

On June 6th the rites of the coronation proper began.

No gentleman of Golconda stirred out of his house without an elephant or two to precede

fifty or sixty horsemen and trumpeters and fluteplayers, and lacqueys “carrying lances and with fine Napkins driving away the Flies.”

Abu Hussein smiled, almost scornfully, and began to tell stories of how his elephant was regarded by every one with terror. Shivaji nodded to one of his captains, Yesaji. “You’ll find him more than a match for your elephant,” he said.

“Let us see,” said Abu Hussein. The war elephant’s mahout slid off its back and the stable-hands incited it to fury. Yesaji advanced, his sword drawn. The elephant trumpeted and rushed towards him. Yesaji stepped aside and with a single blow severed the brute’s trunk.

As if to justify her insinuations of Sambhaji’s instability and selfish indulgence, the senior prince became involved in a discreditable intrigue with a Brahman woman. Shivaji had him arrested and confined in Panhala Fort.

“Not even if the Emperor bribed me with his daughter.”

“I, Shivaji, present this jar of milk and if there is anything else I can do for you, I am at your service.”