Shivaji: The Grand Rebel

by Dennis Kincaid

a man who is intelligent, quick-witted, a master planner and strategist, brave and chivalrous, who unerringly seeks out his opponent’s weakness, and uses it to destroy him.

Afghan invasion of the Maratha country began.

1294

people together in attachment

Cosmopolitanism brought around a bond of us v them creating a sense of nationality.

Hinduism is the last remaining branch of the great religion of the Archaic Culture that was the ancestor, through Sumeria and Egypt and Crete, of the western world.

Their women are free of speech and notably outspoken; purdah being unknown among them.

one storey; the roofs either thatched or rising steeply like the roofs of a chalet in a wave of red-brown tiles.

1594 Shahaji, Shivaji’s father, was born.

He resisted for a while, and then rode southwards to Bijapur, taking with him his baby son Sambhaji, but abandoning not only his lands but also his wife Jijabai who was again pregnant.

April 16th, 1627, Jijabai gave birth to a second son whom she called Shivaji.

However, Google and Indian calendars show it to be 19 February-1630.

offered good land to them at graded rates—a nominal rental of one rupee for the first year, three rupees for the second, and so up to twenty rupees in the sixth year.

chief village in Shivaji’s lands was Puna.

“Although the first moon is small, men know that it will grow great. This seal befits Shivaji.”

every one in the capital was far less interested in the escapades of a petty landowner near the frontier than in a mysterious illness which had attacked the Sultan of Bijapur.

Whatever Shivaji’s gifts, his followers were as yet no match for regular soldiers; they were untrained, undisciplined, ill-armed and accustomed to Muhammadan victory and domination.

one must always remember how differently men three centuries ago regarded loyalty to the state from their descendants of to-day.

“The Seat of the Shadow of God,”

local cults of the Maratha country had been inseparably connected both with the birth of a Marathi literature and the gradually awakening national consciousness.

first decree was against the use of wine

decree regulated the length of beards. No Mussulman, ran the firman, should wear a beard longer than four finger-breadths;

third decree prohibited music of all kinds,

“One cannot rule without deception. A government depending on cunning will last for ever.”

villagers had abandoned in their flight Aurangzeb destroyed with malignant ingenuity; trees, orchards and gardens were burnt; canals filled with earth and fields sown with salt.

breaking of the monsoon prevented these comprehensive measures of revenge being carried out at once; and in the interval Shivaji—having obtained as many cavalry mounts as he needed for the moment, but also requiring above all things time to train his men—wrote to Aurangzeb, imploring pardon and offering submission and reparation.

Buy time. Knowledge of climate helped. + Dara Sukho regent Shah Jehan ill

War of Succession.

Dara supported religious harmony while Aurangzeb wanted Islam domination.

Aurangzeb declared for his elder brother Prince Murad, Governor of Gujarat, as Regent. Murad was also championed by Prince Shuja, Governor of Bengal.

white tunic; but under it he wore a coat of mail. In his belt he thrust a dagger wrought like a scorpion and in the palm of his left hand he clasped a small but terrible weapon, the wag-nak,

he approached his father with hands clasped humbly under his chin, prostrated himself at full length and laid his forehead upon his father’s feet. Bursting into tears Shahaji raised his son and embraced him. Shivaji had ordered a palanquin of princely magnificence for his father but he himself walked barefoot beside the palanquin. He led his father to a great pavilion where a banquet was prepared; but he refused to sit at meat with his father, contenting himself with standing meekly before him with arms crossed upon his breast.

Humility. Respect for father who was indifferent to him mostly.

Unlike the soldiers of the Mogul armies they were subject to severe discipline, disobedience often entailing death. No women were allowed into the camp, nor was the wife or mistress of any soldier permitted to follow the armies on campaign.

New soldiers were only admitted to the service after a personal interview with Shivaji

Shivaji relied largely on the Portuguese and English to provide him with artillery.

The military organisation of the new state was completed by a network of forts,

Shivaji with a single stroke cutting off the trunk of a war-elephant with which the sentries tried to bar his path,

insignia of Mogul royalty, the two silver Fishes, the two Dragons, the gold scales, the open Hands raised in arrogant command, and the personal standard of the Emperor, a couchant lion casting a shadow over the sun;

So secret was Shivaji’s departure that none of his own officers knew of it—only the men whom he himself had chosen and sworn to secrecy.

Raja Jai Sing, to the command of the Army of the South in action, against the Marathas.

undeterred by climate or cramped quarters, the eye-flies at noon or the mosquitoes moaning about his lamp at night, Jai Sing worked indefatigably, studying, reflecting, planning.

incited Bijapur to attack Shivaji in the rear and regain its lost territories;

lavish distribution of gold, Jai Sing’s agents tried to corrupt Shivaji’s own officers.

bridge of forts which, it will be remembered, formed the nucleus of Shivaji’s power and joined together his territories to west and to east of the western Ghats.

in other Indian wars, after a victory the enemy forts would probably fall like the branches of a dead tree, with the Marathas the network of mountain forts formed the backbone of the whole body military,

diversions that would induce Jai Sing to divide his forces. His activity and energy aroused even his enemies’ astonishment.

No matter what. And here I’m thinking ethical ways such as not burning jungle to save from climate change. Lol I was right about attacking western Mughal ports though.

poudered Sugar. Here all the way is set on both sides with trees, the most of them being Mulberry. Every ten or twelve miles, there are Serais built by the King, very faire for the beautifying of the way, for the memory of the King’s name, and entertainment of travellers. There you shall have a Chamber and place to tye your Horses, also store of Horse-meat.”

Akbar had been hated by the majority of his officials for his egocentric theosophy and Jehangir for his lazy toleration, Aurangzeb was now sneered at for his old-fashioned beliefs.

land was divided into three classes: rice; hill tract; and garden land. On rice land the tax assessed was thirty-three per cent. of the yield, payable either in kind or in cash. In garden land (that is, orchards, palm-groves, etc.) an amount equal to half the produce of each tree was levied. Hill country was very lightly taxed. If these assessments seem high it should be remarked that they were far lower than those prevailing then in any other state in India.

regularly collected and remitted direct to the State; there was no intermediary class of tax-farmers nor any feudal landowners who could rack-rent their tenants.

Shivaji the State was administered by a Council of Eight.

divided command and no common plan of action the Moguls drifted into war with the Marathas, who at once took and maintained the initiative.

was capable of such a feat. This was the gay and gallant Tanaji who had accompanied him in all his campaigns, had been with him in Agra and followed him in his escape.

But Tanaji was already over the edge of the wall. Some Afghan guardsmen saw him. They rushed at him and cut him down. As he fell he still shouted encouragement to his men and then, rolling over, died.

The Mogul Army of the South was almost immobilised by the increasing quarrels between the three commanders, Prince Muazzam, Jaswant Sing and Dilir Khan.