A king who inherits sovereignty does not have to do anything to earn it. He merely is born and succeeds to his legacy. There is nothing admirable about that. Most kings become regal by sheer birthright. Shivaji did not inherit his throne. He was not one of those kings. He founded a new state. It is never easy to found a state — more difficult in Shivaji’s case. Yet, he did it. There is a great difference between ascending to a pre-existing throne and creating a new one by one’s own efforts.
