User:Devendra Agrawal/sandbox

My first Bio-Graphy on Peshwa Baji Rao

Bajirao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was a general of the Maratha Empire in India. He served as Peshwa (Prime Minister) to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati (king) Shahu from 1720 until Bajirao's death. He is also known by the names Bajirao Ballal and Thorale (Marathi for Elder) Bajirao.[3] Bajirao is credited with expanding the Maratha Empire, especially in the north, which contributed to its reaching a zenith during his son's reign twenty years after his death. In his brief military career spanning 20 years, Bajirao never lost a battle. According to the British Army officer Bernard Montgomery, Bajirao was "possibly the finest cavalry general ever produced by India".[4] Early life[edit] Bajirao was born into the Bhat family of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmin lineage.[5] His father Balaji Vishwanath was the first Peshwa of Chhatrapati Shahu; his mother was Radhabai. Bajirao had a younger brother Chimaji Appa.[6] Bajirao would often accompany his father on military campaigns. He was with his father when the latter was imprisoned by Damaji Thorat before being released for a ransom.[6] When Vishwanath died in 1720, Shahu appointed the 20-year old Bajirao as the Peshwa.[7] He is said to have preached the ideal of Hindu Pad Padshahi (Hindu Empire),[8] Bajirao I intended to plant the Maratha flag upon the walls of Delhi and other cities governed by the Mughals and their subjects. He intended to replace the Mughal Empire and create a Hindu-Pat-Padshahi.[9] Early career as a Peshwa[edit] Shaniwarwada palace fort in Pune, it was built as the seat of the Peshwa rulers during Bajirao's reign. By the time Bajirao became the Peshwa, Chhatrapati Shahu was almost a titular ruler, largely confined to his residence in Satara. The Maratha confederacy was run in his name, but the real power lay in the hands of the Peshwa. By the time of Bajirao's appointment, the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah had recognized Marathas' rights over the territories possessed by Shivaji at his death. In 1719, the Mughals had also recognized the Maratha rights to collect taxes (chauth or chauthaii and sardeshmukhi) in the six provinces of Deccan. Bajirao believed that the Mughal Empire was in decline, and wanted to take advantage of this situation with aggressive expansion in north India. Sensing the declining fortune of the Mughals, he is reported to have said, "Strike, strike at the trunk and the branches will fall off themselves."[10][11] However, as a new Peshwa, he faced several challenges:,[6] •	His appointment as the Peshwa at a young age had evoked jealousy from senior officials like Naro Ram Mantri, Anant Ram Sumant and Shripatrao Pratinidhi •	Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan, had practically created his own independent kingdom in the region, and challenged the Maratha rights to collect taxes in Deccan •	The Marathas needed to assert their rights over the nobles of the newly gained territories in Malwa and Gujarat •	Several areas that were nominally part of the Maratha territory, were not actually under Peshwa's control. For example, the Siddis controlled the Janjira fort. Campaign against the Nizam[edit] On 4 January 1721, Bajirao met Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I at Chikhalthan to settle their disputes through agreement. However, the Nizam refused to recognize the Maratha rights to collect taxes from the Deccan provinces.[6] The Nizam was made Vizier of the Mughal Empire in 1722, but alarmed at his growing power, emperor Muhammad Shah transferred him from Deccan to Awadh in 1723. The Nizam rebelled against the order, resigned as the Vizier and marched towards Deccan. The emperor sent an army against him, which the Nizam defeated in the Battle of Sakhar-kheda. In response, the Mughal emperor was forced to recognize him as the viceroy of Deccan. The Marathas, led by Bajirao, helped Nizam win this battle. In fact, for his bravery in the battle, Bajirao was honored with a robe, a mansabdari of 7,000, an elephant and a jewel. After the battle, the Nizam tried to appease both the Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu as well as the Mughal emperor. However, in reality, he wanted to carve out a sovereign kingdom, and considered the Marathas his rivals in the Deccan.[12] In 1725, the Nizam sent an army to clear out the Maratha revenue collectors from the Carnatic region. The Marathas dispatched a force under Fateh Singh Bhosle to counter him; Bajirao accompanied Bhosle, but did not command the army. The Marathas were forced to retreat. They launched a second campaign after the monsoon season, but once again, they were unable to prevent the Nizam from ousting the Maratha collectors.[13] Meanwhile, in Deccan, Sambhaji II of Kolhapur had become a rival claimant to the title of the Maratha Chhatrapati. The Nizam took advantage of this dispute among the Marathas. He refused to pay the chauth or sardeshmukhi on the grounds that it was unclear who was the real Chhatrapati: Shahu or Sambhaji II (and therefore, to whom the payment needed to be made). The Nizam offered to act as an arbitrator in this dispute. At the court of Shahu, Nizam's spokesman was Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi, a Deshastha Brahmin and a rival of Bajirao (who was a Chitpavan Brahmin). At the court of Sambhaji II, his supporter was Chandrasen Yadav, who had fought Bajirao's father a decade earlier. Bajirao convinced Shahu not to accept the Nizam's arbitration offer, and instead launch an assault against him.[13] On 27 August 1727, Bajirao started a march against the Nizam. He raided and plundered several of Nizam's territories, such as Jalna, Burhanpur and Khandesh. While Bajirao was away, the Nizam invaded Pune, where he installed Sambhaji II as the Chhatrapati. He then marched out of the city, leaving behind a contingent headed by Fazal Beg. On 28 February 1728, the armies of Bajirao and Nizam faced each other at the Battle of Palkhed. The Nizam was defeated, and forced to make peace. On 6 March, he signed the Treaty of Mungi Shevgaon, recognizing Shahu as the Chhatrapati as well as the Maratha right to collect taxes in Deccan.[6] Bajirao moved his base of operations from Saswad to Pune in 1728 and in the process laid the foundation for turning what was a kasba into a large city.[14] Bajirao also started construction of Shaniwar Wada on the right bank of the Mutha River. The construction was completed in 1730, ushering in the era of Peshwa control of the city. Malwa campaign[edit] An equestrian statue of Peshwa Bajirao I outside the Shaniwar Wada (Shaniwar Palace) in Pune In 1723, Bajirao had organized an expedition to the southern parts of Malwa. The Maratha chiefs such as Ranoji Shinde, Malhar Rao Holkar, Udaji Rao Pawar, Tukoji Rao Pawar and Jivaji Rao Pawar had successfully collected chauth from several areas in Malwa. (Later, these chiefs carved out their own kingdoms of Gwalior, Indore, Dhar and Dewas States- Junior and Senior respectively). To counter the Maratha influence, the Mughal emperor had appointed Girdhar Bahadur as the Governor of Malwa.[6] After defeating the Nizam, Bajirao turned his attention towards Malwa. In October 1728, he consigned a huge army commanded by his younger brother Chimnaji Appa, and aided by the generals like Shinde, Holkar and Pawar. On 29 November 1728, Chimnaji's army defeated the Mughals at the Battle of Amjhera. Girdhar Bahadur and his commander Daya Bahadur were killed in the battle. Chimnaji also marched towards Ujjain, but had to retreat due to lack of supplies.[6] By February 1729, the Maratha forces had reached the present-day Rajasthan.[13] Bundelkhand campaign[edit] In Bundelkhand, Chhatrasal had rebelled against the Mughal empire and established an independent kingdom. In December 1728, a Mughal force led by Muhammad Khan Bangash defeated him, and imprisoned his family. Chhatrasal had repeatedly sought Bajirao's assistance, but the latter was busy in Malwa at that time. In March 1729, the Peshwa finally responded to Chhatrasal's request, and marched towards Bundelkhand. Chhatrasal also escaped his captivity and joined the Maratha force. After they marched to Jaitpur, Bangash was forced to leave Bundelkhand. Chhatrasal's position as the ruler of Bundelkhand was restored. Chhtrasal assigned a large jagir to Bajirao, and also married his daughter Mastani to him. Before his death in December 1731, he ceded some of his territories to the Marathas.[6] Gujarat campaign[edit] After consolidating Maratha influence in central India, Peshwa Bajirao decided to assert Maratha rights to collect taxes from the rich province of Gujarat. In 1730, he sent a Maratha force under Chimnaji Appa to Gujarat. Sarbuland Khan, the Mughal Governor of the province, ceded to Marathas, the right to collect chauth and sardeshmukhi from Gujarat. He was soon replaced by Abhay Singh, who also recognized the Maratha rights to collect taxes. However, this success irked Chhatrapati Shahu's senapati (commander-in-chief) Trimbak Rao Dabhade. His ancestors from the Dabhade clan had raided Gujarat several times, asserting their rights to collect taxes from that province. Annoyed at Bajirao's control over what he considered his family's sphere of influence, he rebelled against the Peshwa.[6] Two other Maratha nobles of Gujarat — Gaekwad and Kadam Bande — also sided with Dabhade.[13] Meanwhile, after the defeat of Girdhar Bahadur in 1728, the Mughal emperor had appointed Jai Singh II to subdue the Marathas. However, Jai Singh recommended a peaceful agreement with the Marathas. The emperor disagreed, and replaced him with Muhammad Khan Bangash. Bangash formed an alliance with the Nizam, Trimabk Rao and Sambhaji II. On 1 April 1731, Bajirao defeated the allied forces of Dabhade, Gaekwad and Kadam Bande: Trimbak Rao was killed in the Battle of Dabhoi. On 13 April, Bajirao resolved the dispute with Sambhaji II by signing the Treaty of Warna, which demarcated the territories of Chhatrapati Shahu and Sambhaji II. Subsequently, the Nizam met Bajirao at Rohe-Rameshwar on 27 December 1732, and promised not to interfere with the Maratha expeditions.[6] Even after subduing Trimbak Rao, Shahu and Bajirao avoided a rivalry with the powerful Dabhade clan: Trimbak's son Yashwant Rao was made the new senapati of Shahu. The Dabhade family was allowed to continue collecting chauth from Gujarat on the condition that they would deposit half the collections in the Chhatrapati Shahu's treasury.[6] Campaign against Siddis[edit] The Siddis of Janjira controlled a small but strategically important territory on the western coast of India. They originally held only the Janjira fort, but after Shivaji's death, they had expanded their rule to a large part of the central and northern Konkan region.[13] After the death of the Siddi chief Rasul Yakut Khan in 1733, a war of succession broke out among his sons. One of his sons, Abdul Rehman, requested Bajirao for help. Bajirao sent a Maratha force led by Sekhoji Angre (son of Kanhoji Angre). The Marathas regained control of several places in Konkan and besieged Janjira. However, their strength was diverted after Peshwa's rival Pratinidhi occupied the Raigad Fort near Janjira in June 1733. In August, Sekhoji Angre died, further weakening the Maratha position. As a result, Bajirao decided to sign a peace treaty with the Siddis. He allowed the Siddis to retain control of Janjira on the condition that they would accept Abdul Rehman as the ruler. The Siddis were also allowed to retain control of Anjanvel, Gowalkot and Underi. The Marathas retained the territories of Raigad, Rewas, Thal and Chaul, which they had gained during the offensive.[6] Soon after the Peshwa marched back to Satara, the Siddis launched an offensive to regain their lost territories. In June 1734, Bajirao dispatched a force to prevent them from taking over the Raigad fort. Subsequently, on 19 April 1736, Chimnaji launched a surprise attack on a Siddi camp near Rewas, killing around 1,500 of them, including their leader Siddi Sat. On 25 September, the Siddis signed a peace treaty, which confined them to Janjira, Gowalkot and Anjanvel.[6] March to Delhi[edit] After death of Trimbak Rao, Bangash's alliance against the Marathas had fallen apart. Consequently, the Mughal emperor recalled him from Malwa, and re-appointed Jai Singh II as the governor of Malwa. However, the Maratha chief Holkar defeated Jai Singh in the Battle of Mandsaur in 1733. After two more battles, the Mughals decided to offer the Marathas the right to collect ₹ 22 lakh as chauth from Malwa. On 4 March 1736, Bajirao and Jai Singh came to an agreement at Kishangad. Jai Singh convinced the emperor to agree to the plan, and Bajirao was appointed as Deputy Governor of the province. Jai Singh is also believed to have secretly informed Bajirao that it was a good time to subdue the weakening Mughal emperor.[6] On 12 November 1736, the Peshwa started a march to the Mughal capital Delhi from Pune. On hearing about the advancing Maratha army, the Mughal emperor asked Saadat Khan to march from Agra and check the Maratha advance. The Maratha chiefs Malhar Rao Holkar and Pilaji Jadhav crossed Yamuna and plundered the Mughal territories in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab. Saadat Khan led a force of 150,000 against them, and defeated them. He then retired to Mathura, thinking that the Marathas had retreated. However, Bajirao advanced to Delhi and encamped at Talkatora. The Mughal emperor dispatched a force led by Mir Hasan Khan Koka to check his advance. The Marathas defeated this force in the Battle of Delhi on 28 March 1737. Bajirao then retreated from Delhi, apprehensive about the approach of a larger Mughal force from Mathura.[6] The Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah then sought help from the Nizam. The Nizam set out from Deccan, and met Bajirao's returning force at Sironj. The Nizam told Bajirao that was going to Delhi to repair his relationship with the Mughal emperor. On reaching Delhi, he was joined by other Mughal chiefs, and a massive Mughal army set out against the Peshwa. The Peshwa also assembled a force of 80,000 soldiers and marched towards Delhi, leaving behind a force of 10,000 under Chimnaji to guard Deccan. The two armies met mid-way at Bhopal, where the Marathas defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Bhopal on 24 December 1737. Once again, the Nizam was forced to sign a peace agreement, this time at Doraha on 7 January 1738.[15] The province of Malwa was formally ceded to the Marathas and the Mughals agreed to pay ₹ 5,000,000 as indemnity. This time, the Nizam took an oath on Koran to abide by the treaty.[6] Against the Portuguese[edit] The Portuguese had captured several territories on the west coast of India. They had violated an agreement to give the Marathas a site on Salsette Island for building a factory, and had been practising religious intolerance against the Hindus in their territory. In March 1737, the Peshwa dispatched a Maratha force led by Chimnaji against them. The Marathas captured the Thana fort and almost all of Bassein, after the Battle of Vasai. They also managed to gain control of Salsette on 16 May 1739, after a prolonged siege. However, the Marathas had to turn their attention away from the Portuguese due to Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in the north.[6] Personal life[edit] Mastani Peshwa Bajirao's first wife was Kashibai; they had three sons: Balaji Baji Rao (aka Nana Saheb), Raghunath Rao and Janardan Rao (who died young).[16] Nana Saheb succeeded him as the Peshwa in 1740, under the name Balaji Baji Rao. His second wife was Chhatrasal's daughter Mastani.[17] He was deeply in love with Mastani, and built a palace for her in Pune, which was called the Mastani Mahal. A reconstruction of it can be seen at the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum in Pune, including remains from the original palace. The contemporary orthodox Hindu Brahmin society refused to accept the marriage because Mastani had a Muslim mother. This led to a crisis in the Bhat family. The historian D. G. Godse claims that Bajirao's brother Chimnaji Appa and mother, Radhabai, never accepted Mastani as one of their own. Many attempts were made on her life, presumably by Chimnaji Appa; she survived with the help of Chhatrapati Shahu. In 1734, Bajirao and Mastani had a son, who was named Krishna Rao at birth. Bajirao wanted him to be accepted as a Brahmin, but because of his mother's Muslim faith, the priests refused to conduct the Hindu upanayana ceremony for him.[6] The boy was brought up as a Muslim, and came to be known as Shamsher Bahadur. Kashibai took the six-year-old boy under her care and raised him as one of her own. To him was bestowed a portion of his father's dominion of Banda and Kalpi. In 1761 he and his army contingent fought alongside the Peshwa in the Third Battle of Panipat between the Marathas and Afghans and he died in the same battle[18] at the age of almost 27. Shamsher Bahadur's own son, Ali Bahadur, later ruled over Bajirao's lands in Bundelkhand, and founded the state of Banda. Death[edit] Bajirao memorial at Raverkhedi Bajirao died on 28 April 1740, at the age of 39 of a sudden fever, possibly heat stroke, while inspecting his jahgirs. At that time, he was en route to Delhi with 100,000 troops under his command at his camp in the district of Khargone, near the city of Indore. He was cremated on 28 April 1740, at Raverkhedi on the river Narmada. The Scindias built a chhatri as a memorial at this place. The memorial is enclosed by a dharmashala. The compound has two temples, dedicated to Nilkantheshwara Mahadeva (Shiva) and Rameshvara (Rama).[19] [hide]Expansion of the Maratha territories during Bajirao I's reign

Maratha and non-Maratha territories in India in 1720 Maratha and non-Maratha territories in India, in 1740

Battle tactics[edit] An information plaque just below the statue of Bajirao Peshwa describes him as RannMard or 'Man of the battlefield' Bajirao is famous for rapid tactical movements in battle, using his cavalry inherited from Maratha generals including Santaji Ghorpade, Dhanaji Jadhav, and Ananatrao Makaji. Field-Marshal Bernard Montgomery, in his "History of Warfare"[20] likened Bajirao's approach to that subsequently made famous by U.S. Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman during his 1864 "March to the Sea": the use of rapid movements where his troops lived off the land, with minimal concern for their own supply and communication lines, and employing "total warfare" on the enemy civilian population. He is often called a cavalry general. Two examples are the Battle of Palkhed in 1728 when he outmaneuvered the Mughal Governor of the Deccan province, and again in the battle against the Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Shah at Delhi during 1739. British General Montgomery called Bajirao's victory at Palkhed as a "masterpiece of strategic mobility".[21] Bajirao concentrated on using local terrain to cut the enemy supply-lines with the help of rapid troop movement. He followed Maratha traditional tactics of encircling the enemy quickly, appearing from the rear of enemy, attacking from the unexpected direction, distracting the enemy's attention, keeping the enemy off balance, and deciding the battlefield on his own terms. Baji Rao was the son of the former Peshwa Raghunathrao and Anandibai. Raghunathrao had defected to the English, causing the First Anglo-Maratha War, which ended with the Treaty of Salbai. Baji Rao was born in 1775, when both his parents were kept in imprisonment by the then Peshwa's cabinet. Till the age of 19, he along with his brothers were kept in confinement denying even basic rights of education. Raghunathrao's successor as Peshwa Madhavrao II committed suicide in 1795, and died without an heir. A power struggle ensued among the Maratha nobles for control of the Confederacy. The powerful general Daulat Rao Scindia and minister Nana Fadnavis installed Baji Rao II as a puppet Peshwa. Baji Rao II had to carry the unfortunate legacy of his parents who, despite being from the same Brahmin family, were suspected of being involved in the murder of the young fifth Peshwa Narayanrao in 1774 AD. As such, being the son of suspected murderers, he was looked down upon by his ministers, nobility and even by his subjects. His every action was viewed with prejudice and it is said that though regarded as a good administrator and builder of modern-day Pune, he was often labeled as incapable and a coward Peshwa. Being a thorough Brahmin, he was averse to risks and bloodshed and tried to achieve his goals through crafty diplomacy rather than direct head-on confrontations. Holkar's conquest of Pune[edit] After the death of Fadnavis in 1800, Daulat Rao Scindia took complete control over the Peshwa's government. As Scindia started eliminating his rivals within the government, Peshwa Baji Rao II became concerned about his own safety. He turned to British resident Colonel William Palmer for help. General Arthur Wellesley, was already in southern parts of the Maratha territory at that time, having concluded a campaign against Dhondia Wagh. However, Baji Rao was reluctant to sign a treaty with the British. In 1802, Scindia's rival chief Yashwant Rao Holkar marched towards Pune. He proclaimed allegiance to the Peshwa, and sent assurances that he only wanted to free Pune of Scindia's control. But Baji Rao was apprehensive since he had earlier ordered killing of Yashwant Rao's brother Vithoji Rao Holkar. He sought help from Scindia, who was away from Pune at that time. Scindia dispatched an army that arrived in Pune on 22 October 1802. Holkar defeated the joint forces of Peshwa and Scindia in the Battle of Hadapsar on 25 October.[1] On the morning of 25 October, before the battle, Baji Rao had already sent preliminary terms for a treaty to the British. After the Holkar victory in the battle, he fled to Vasai, where he sought assistance from the British in Bombay.[1] Holkar set up an ad-hoc council headed by Baji Rao's adoptive brother Amrut Rao, and ran the Peshwa's government in Amrut Rao's name.[2] Treaty with the British[edit] Baji Rao II concluded the Treaty of Bassein in December 1802, in which the British agreed to reinstate Baji Rao II as Peshwa, in return for allowing in Maratha territory- a force of 6000 infantry troops complete with guns and officered by British, paying for its maintenance and accepting the stationing of a permanent British political agent (Resident) at Pune. Holkar and Sindhia resisted the British intrusion in Maratha affairs, which resulted in the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803-1805.[3] The British triumphed, and the Marathas were forced to accept losses of territories due to internal rivalries between Holkars and Scindias and treachery at all the battles done by Scindia's French and other European officers, who mostly handled the imported guns in Maratha army- the Marathas failing to train their own men in sufficient number to handle imported guns. The raids of the Pindaris, irregular horsemen who resided in the Maratha territories, into British territory ultimately led to the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-1818 which ended in the defeat of the Bhosles, Holkars and other Maratha feudatories. In the mid-1810s, the British had intervened in a financial dispute over revenue sharing between the Peshwa and Gaekwads of Baroda. On 13 June 1817, the Company forced Baji Rao II to sign an agreement renouncing claims on Gaekwad's reveues and ceding large swaths of territory to the British. This treaty of Pune formally ended the Peshwa's titular overlordship over other Maratha chiefs, thus officially ending the Maratha confederacy.[4][5] On Nov 5, 1817, the British Resident at Pune was attacked by Baji Rao II's army led by his Attorney Mor Dixit. Bajirao II could have won this battle had he not halted progress of his forces by succumbing to the request of British Resident Elphinstone for a ceasefire. Baji Rao watched the battle that ensued between his troops and the British from a hill now called Parvati. This battle on 5 November 1817, referred to as Battle of Khadki, resulted in Peshwa's defeat.[6] Later his troops moved to Garpir on outskirts towards present day Solapur road to block the British troops coming from Jalna but treachery of one of his chief, Sardar Ghorpade Sondurkar, led to his force withdrawing. Subsequently, he captured Chakan Fort from British troops. Meanwhile, the British placed Pune under Colonel Burr, while a British force led by General Joseph Smith pursued Peshwa. Towards the end of December, Colonel Burr received news that the Peshwa intended to attack Pune, and asked the Company troops stationed at Shirur for help. The troops dispatched from Shirur came across the Peshwa's forces, resulting in the Battle of Koregaon. The Peshwa was unsuccessful in defeating the Shirur contingent, and was forced to retreat fearing the arrival of a bigger Company force led by General Smith.[7][8] Five British columns set out after Baji Rao II in full cry, slavering at the thought of the 'Prize money' that lay at the end of the chase. After running for five months from one fort to another, awaiting the promised help from Scindias, Holkars and Bhosles that did not come, Baji Rao II surrendered to Sir John Malcolm. Much to the chagrin of the Company's Governor-General Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings (no relation to Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India), Malcolm was prepared to keep him a lifelong prince, allow him to retain his personal fortune and pay him an annual pension of £80,000 (£100,000 according to some sources) every year. In return, Baji Rao II would have to live in a place assigned by the British along with his retainers on the condition that he would never return to his homeland at Pune. He would also have to forsake all his claims to his heritage and could not style himself as Peshwa but there was no objection to call himself as 'Maharaja'. The only reason why Francis Rawdon-Hastings ratified the treaty made by Malcolm was his conviction that Baji Rao II would not live long as he was already above 40 and many of his ancestors did not live much beyond that age. To keep Baji Rao II under watchful eyes, the British selected a small village on the right bank of Ganges at a place called Bithur near Kanpur, where they had a large military establishment then. The place selected was exactly six square miles in area and in it, together with his relatives and others who moved from Pune along with him in 1818, there were about 15,000 inhabitants. He had once ruled 50 million. Contrary to the Company's wishes, he lived for another 33 years and died in 1851 at Bithur. There were many stories making the rounds in the Court of Gwalior about Baji Rao II, where Manohar Malgonkar’s grandfather P. Baburao was a minister. One such story was about the ghost of a slain Peshwa, Narayan Rao, haunting Baji Rao throughout his life that was widely known to many people due to Baji Rao II’s unceasing efforts to exorcise the ghost. Narayan Rao was the fifth Peshwa who was allegedly murdered with the connivance of Baji Rao’s parents as was mentioned earlier. In order to get rid of the ghost, Baji Rao employed the priests of Pandharpur, a temple town of Maharashtra on the banks of a local river. Initially the priests succeeded in driving away the ghost and in gratitude, Baji Rao II ordered the building of a riverside embankment in Pandharpur, which still bears his name. However, when Baji Rao II was exiled to Bithur the ghost re-appeared and started haunting again. Since he was forbidden to visit his homeland, he performed religious penances prescribed by the priests of Benares (Varanasi) and was extravagant in distributing alms to Brahmins. He built temples, bathing ghats, performed endless poojas (religious prayers), underwent countless stringent fasts, fell at the feet of sadhus and soothsayers, etc., but the ghost wouldn’t leave him. It stayed with him till end warning him that his line will end with his successor, his house will burn to ashes and his clan will perish. Incidentally after the flare-up of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, company troops in July that year, after their successful re-capture of Kanpur, under Major-General Henry Havelock initially and later under the then Brigadier James Hope Grant sacked and burnt down Bithur, including the residence of Baji Rao II (wada) where many members of his extended family except his adopted son, Nana Sahib, resided. Mastani was the second wife of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I.[1] She is said to have been a beautiful and brave woman, skilled in arts, literature, and warfare.[2] She had been dearly loved by Peshwa Bajirao but always neglected by his mother Radhabai and his brother Chimajiappa. Contents [hide] •	1Early life •	2Biography •	3Death •	4Descendants •	5Mastani in popular culture •	6References •	7Further reading Early life[edit] Mastani was born to Bundelkhand's Maharaja Chhatrasal of the Rajput clan. She was born in MauSahaniya, now a village in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. There is a Mastani Mahal in Dhubela where Mastani lived.[3] Biography[edit] Peshwa Bajirao I There are many legends associated with Mastani. One of the most well-known is that Mastani was the daughter of Bundela Rajput leader Maharaja Chhatrasal (1649–1731), the founder of Panna State in Bundelkhand province.[4] When a Mughal officer from Allahabad, the Pathan Mohammad Khan Bangash, invaded Chhattrasal's kingdom during 1727-28, Chhattrasal sent a secret message, seeking help, from Bajirao I, who happened to be on a military campaign in the vicinity of Bundelkhand. Bajirao came to the rescue of Chhatrasal. In gratitude, Chattrasal gave Bajirao his daughter Mastani, and a third of his kingdom, including Jhansi, Sagar and Kalpi as well as 33 lakh gold coins to Bajirao. He also gifted a Diamond mine to Bajirao in marriage to Mastani along with handful of villages. However, sources vary on this context. According to another view of Chhatrasal, she was the daughter of Nizam of Hyderabad. The Nizam, defeated by Chhatrasal in 1698, was advised by his wife to marry his daughter to Chhatrasal to foster friendly relations with the Bundelas who had become the most dominant power in Central India.[5] However, the most accepted and conclusive version is that she was the daughter of Chhatrasal with his Persian Muslim wife Ruhaani Bai. Mastani is often referred to as Bajirao's concubine or mistress, but she was his lawfully wedded wife.[6] Mastani was skilled in horse-riding, spear-throwing and swordsmanship and a talented dancer and singer. She accompanied Bajirao on his military campaigns. Bajirao's first wife, Kashibai, and Mastani bore sons to Bajirao within a few months of each other. Kashibai's child was named Raghunathrao and Mastani's child was named Shamsher Bahadur, who was named Krishna Rao at birth. Bajirao bestowed the Jagir of Banda on Shamsher (Peshwa). The son fought on the side of the Marathas in the third Battle of Panipat in 1761 against Ahmed Shah Abdali and is said to have been killed in the battle.[7] Bajirao's love for his half-Muslim wife Mastani, and neglect of Kashibai angered his mother, Radhabai. In deference to Radhabai, Bajirao's brother, Chimajiappa, tried to send Mastani into exile. Bajirao's son, Balaji, also tried to coerce Mastani into leaving his father, but she refused. Enraged by her growing influence on Bajirao, and Bajirao's neglect of Kashibai, Balaji had Mastani placed under house arrest for a time, while Bajirao was on military campaign. Mastani lived for some time with Bajirao at his palace of Shaniwar Wada in the city of Pune. The palace's north-east corner held Mastani Mahal and had its own external doorway called Mastani Darwaza. Because of his family's intolerance of Mastani, Bajirao later built a separate residence for Mastani at Kothrud in 1734,[4] some distance away from Shaniwar Wada. The site still exists at the Mrutyunjay temple on Karve road. The palace at Kothrud was dismantled and parts of this are displayed at a special section of Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum.[2][4] Court records (Bakhars) during Bajirao's regime specifically never included any reference to her.[citation needed] Historians have determined that the paintings of Mastani in both Raja Kelkar Museum and Wai museum are not authentic.[citation needed] Mastani is believed to be a skilled horse-rider and a warrior. She also assisted Bajirao Peshwa in running the day to day course of courts.[citation needed] According to a local folklore, the lake near Dive Village, on Pune-Saswad Road, was funded by Mastani to fulfill water requirements of nearby villages.[citation needed] Death[edit] In April 1740, while Bajirao was inspecting his lands at Khargon, he suddenly became ill from fever (possibly heat stroke) and died. Kashibai, Chimajiappa and Balaji (Nanasaheb) came to Khargon. Mastani was not permitted to attend the funeral.[citation needed] Bajirao's mortal remains were consigned to flames on 28 April 1740, at Raver Khed on the banks of the Narmada River. Mastani died at Pabal Village near Pune, soon afterwards.[citation needed] How Mastani died is still a mystery. It is not known if she committed suicide, was assassinated, or died of shock after hearing the news of her husband's death. One folk story claims that she committed suicide by sati.[8] Mastani's grave is in Pabal and is called Mastani's samadhi or mazaar.[9] Descendants[edit] Kashibai took Mastani's six-year-old son Shamsher Bahadur into her household and raised him as one of her own. He was given the jagir of Banda and Kalpi.[10] The Nawabs of Banda are his descendants.[11] In 1857, the Nawab of Banda sided with the Rani of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[12] The descendants now live in Bhopal, Indore and Sehore.[citation needed] A painting depicting Mastani - at display in Aina Mahal in Bhuj. Mastani in popular culture[edit] •	The story of Baji Rao and Mastani was made into a motion picture, Mastani, directed by Dhirubhai Desai, and released in 1955.[13] •	A Marathi serial, "Rau", was produced in the 1990s, based on a Marathi book of the same name by historical novelist N. S. Inamdar about the life of Baji Rao and Mastani. •	A serial was broadcast on ETV Marathi by the name, Shrimant Peshwa Bajirao Mastani.[14] •	In the 2015 drama film Bajirao Mastani directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mastani was portrayed by Deepika Padukone.[15] Chhatrasal From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Chhatrasal Maharaja Born	4 May 1649 Kachar Kachnai Died	20 December 1731 (aged 82) Spouse	Dev Kunwari, Ruhaani Bai House Bundela

Father	Champat Rai Mother	Lal Kunwar Religion	Hinduism

Maharaja Chhatrasal (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731) was a medieval Indian warrior from the Bundela Rajput clan, who fought against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and established his own kingdom in Bundelkhand,[1] becoming the founder of Panna State. Contents [hide] •	1Early life •	2Revolt against the Mughals •	3Alliance with the Marathas •	4Patron of literature •	5Religious views •	6Legacy •	7Further reading •	8References •	9External links Early life[edit] Chhatrasal was born in Kachar Kachnai on the 4 May 1649, to Champat Rai and Lal Kunwar. He was a descendent of Rudra Pratap of Orchha.[2] His ancestors were vassals of the Mughal emperor. He was the father of Mastani, who was his daughter with his Indian Muslim wife -Ruhaani Bai. Revolt against the Mughals[edit] Inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji's advice Chhatrasal raised the banner of revolt against the Mughals in Bundelkhand at the age of 22, with an army of 5 horsemen and 25 swordsmen[citation needed], in 1671. During the first ten years of his revolt he conquered a large tract of land between Chitrakoot and Panna on the east and Gwalior on the west. His domains stretched from Kalpi in the north to Sagar, Garah Kota and Damoh in the south. Some of the Mughal generals who were defeated by him were Rohilla Khan, Kaliq, Munawwar Khan, Sadruddin, Sheikh Anwar, Sayyid Latif, Bahlol Khan and Abdus Ahmed etc. Chhatrasal captured Mahoba in 1680. In the second phase of his struggle between 1681 and 1707, Chhatrasal suffered a few reverses. Alliance with the Marathas[edit] Mastani, the wife of the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I was Chhatrasal's daughter The Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I's second wife Mastani was Chhatrasal's daughter.[2] In his book Mastani, the historian D. G. Godse states that the relationship between Chhatrasal and Baji Rao I was like that of father and son. Before his death on the 20 December 1731, Chhatrasal bequeathed Mahoba and the surrounding area to Baji Rao I in return for Baji Rao's assistance against the Mughals. Patron of literature[edit] Chhatrasal was a patron of literature, and his court housed several noted poets. His eulogies written by Kavi Bhushan, Lal Kavi, Bakhashi Hansaraj and other court poets helped him gain lasting fame.[3] Religious views[edit] Chhatrasal was a disciple of Mahamati Prannathji and accepted him as his guru and accepted Nijanand Sampraday also known as Pranami Sampraday. Their meeting took place in Mau in 1683, a place near Panna. His nephew Dev Karanji who had met Swami Prannathji, earlier in Ramnagar, was instrumental for this meeting. Chhatrasal was highly impressed of Prannathji and became his disciple. When Maharaja Chhatrasal came to meet him, he was going for a battle against Mughals. Swami Prannathji gave him his own sword and covered his head with a scarf, saying, "You will always be victorious. Diamond mines will be discovered in your land and you will become a great emperor." His prophecy came true and even today Panna region is famous for their diamond mines. Swami Prannathji was not only the religious Guru of Chhatrasal; but he guided him too in political, social, and economic matters. It was by being granted the boon of finding diamonds in Panna by Swami Prannathji that Maharaja Chhatrasal became prosperous.[4][5][6] Legacy[edit] The Chhatarpur town and its eponymous district in Madhya Pradesh are named after Chhatrasal. Several places in Chhatarpur, including the Maharaja Chhatrasal Museum, are named after him. The Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi is also named after the Maharaja Chhatrasal. The Royal family still resides in Chhatarpur. Shivaji From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For Shivaji (disambiguation), see Shivaji (disambiguation). Shivaji शिवाजी भोसले Shivaji's portrait (1680s) housed in the British Museum

1st Sovereign (Chhatrapati) of the Maratha Realm

Reign	1674–1680 CE Coronation 6 June 1674 Successor	Sambhaji

Born	c. April 1627 / 19 February 1630[1] Shivneri Fort (presently in Maharashtra, India)

Died	3 April 1680 Raigad Fort, Raigad, Maratha Empire (presently in Maharashtra) Consort	Saibai (Nimbalkar)

Wives	Soyarabai (Mohite) Putalabai (Palkar) Sakvarbai(Gaikwad) Laxmibai Gunwantibai[2] Kashibai (Jadhav)[3]

Issue	Sambhaji, son Rajaram, son Sakhubai Nimbalkar, daughter Ranubai Jadhav, daughter Ambikabai Mahadik, daughter Rajkumaribai Shirke, daughter Father	Shahaji Bhonsle

Mother	Jijabai

Religion	Hinduism

Shivaji Bhonsle (Marathi [ʃiʋaˑɟiˑ bʱoˑs(ə)leˑ]; c. 1627/1630[1] – 3 April 1680), also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (Monarch) of his realm at Raigad. Shivaji established a competent and progressive civil rule with the help of a disciplined military and well-structured administrative organisations. He innovated military tactics, pioneering non-conventional methods which leveraged strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise and focused pinpoint attacks to defeat his larger and more powerful enemies. He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration. Shivaji's legacy was to vary by observer and time but began to take on increased importance with the emergence of the Indian independence movement, as many elevated him as a proto-nationalist and hero of the Hindus.[4] Particularly in Maharashtra, debates over his history and role have engendered great passion and sometimes even violence as disparate groups have sought to characterise him and his legacy. Contents [hide] •	1Early life o	1.1Upbringing and concept of Hindavi Swarajya •	2Conflict with Adilshahi sultanate o	2.1Combat with Afzal Khan o	2.2Battle of Pratapgarh o	2.3Battle of Kolhapur o	2.4Siege of Panhala and Battle of Pavan Khind •	3Clash with the Mughals o	3.1Attack on Shaista Khan o	3.2Treaty of Purandar o	3.3Arrest in Agra and escape •	4Reconquest o	4.1Dealings with the English o	4.2Battle of Nesari •	5Coronation •	6Conquest in Southern India •	7Death and succession o	7.1The Marathas after Shivaji •	8Governance o	8.1Promotion of Marathi and Sanskrit o	8.2Religious policy •	9Military o	9.1Forts o	9.2Navy •	10Legacy o	10.1Historiography o	10.2Legacy o	10.3Commemorations o	10.4Depiction in popular culture •	11See also •	12References •	13Further reading •	14External links Early life Shivaji's birthplace on Shivneri Fort. Main article: Early life of Shivaji Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in Pune district on 6 April 1627 or 19 Feb. 1630.[5] The Government of Maharashtra accepts 19 February 1630 as his birthdate; other suggested dates include 6 April 1627 or other dates near this day.[6][7][8]Per legend, his mother named him Shivaji in honour of the goddess Shivai, to whom she had prayed for a healthy child.[9] Shivaji was named after this local deity.[10][11] Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha general[clarification needed] who served the Deccan Sultanates.[12] His mother was Jijabai, the daughter of Lakhujirao Jadhav of Sindkhed (Sindkhed Raja). At the time of Shivaji's birth, the power in Deccan was shared by three Islamic sultanates: Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda. Shahaji often changed his loyalty between the Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar, the Adilshah of Bijapur and the Mughals, but always kept his jagir (fiefdom) at Pune and his small army with him.[12] A Statue of Young Shivaji with Jijabai installed at the fort of Shivneri in 1960s. Upbringing and concept of Hindavi Swarajya Shivaji was extremely devoted to his mother Jijabai, who was deeply religious. This religious environment had a great impact on Shivaji, and he carefully studied the two great Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata; these were to influence his lifelong defence of Hindu values.[13] Throughout his life he was deeply interested in religious teachings, and regularly sought the company of Hindu and Sufi saints.[7] Shivaji meets his guru Ramadas Shahaji, meanwhile had married a second wife, Tuka Bai from the Mohite family, and moved to Karnataka to lead a military campaign on behalf of Adilshahi. He left Shivaji and Jijabai in his Pune holdings on the fort Shivneri.[14] In the care of his administrator, Dadoji Konddeo, Shivaji learnt basic fighting techniques from him such as horse riding, archery and marksmanship, patta and others.[15] Shivaji as a boy was a keen outdoorsman and, though he received little formal education and most likely could neither read nor write, he is said to have possessed considerable erudition.[16][17][18] Shivaji drew his earliest trusted comrades and a large number of his soldiers from the Maval region,[when?] including Yesaji Kank, Suryaji Kakade, Baji Pasalkar, Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Tanaji Malusare.[19] In the company of his Maval comrades, Shivaji wandered over the hills and forests of the Sahyadri range, hardening himself and acquiring first-hand knowledge of the land, which was to later prove applicable to his military endeavours.[13] At the age of 12, Shivaji was taken to Bangalore where he, his elder brother Sambhaji and his half brother Ekoji I were further formally trained. He married Saibai from the prominent Nimbalkar family in 1640.[20]:60 Around 1645–46, the teenage Shivaji first expressed his concept for Hindavi Swarajya, in a letter to Dadaji Naras Prabhu.[21][22][23][24] Conflict with Adilshahi sultanate In 1645, the 15-year-old Shivaji bribed or persuaded the Bijapuri commander of the Torna Fort, Inayat Khan, to hand over the possession of the fort to him.[7]:26[20]:61[25]:268 Firangoji Narsala, who held the Chakan fort professed his loyalty to Shivaji and the fort of Kondana was acquired by bribing the Adilshahi governor.[7]:26 On 25 July 1648, Shahaji was imprisoned by Baji Ghorpade under the orders of Mohammed Adil Shah, in a bid to contain Shivaji.[26] Accounts vary, with some saying Shahaji was conditionally released in 1649 after Shivaji and Sambhaji surrendered the forts of Kondana, Bangalore and Kandarpi,[7] others saying he was imprisoned until 1653 or 1655; during this period Shivaji maintained a low profile.[27] After his release, Shahaji retired from public life, and died around 1664–1665 during a hunting accident. Following his father's death, Shivaji resumed raiding, seizing in 1656, the valley of Javali fromChandrarao More, a fellow Maratha feudatory of Adilshah.[28] Combat with Afzal Khan Death of Afzal Khan In 1659, Adilshah sent Afzal Khan, an experienced and veteran general to destroy Shivaji in an effort to put down what he saw as a regional revolt. The two met in a hut at the foothills of Pratapgad fort on 10 November 1659. The arrangements had dictated that each come armed only with a sword, and attended by a follower. Shivaji, either suspecting Afzal Khan would attack him[7]:47–52[29] or secretly planning to attack,[30]wore armour beneath his clothes, concealed a bagh nakh (metal "tiger claw") on his left arm, and had a dagger in his right hand.[25]:22Accounts vary on whether Shivaji or Afzal Khan struck the first blow:[29] the Maratha chronicles accuse Afzal Khan of treachery, while the Persian-language chronicles attribute the treachery to Shivaji.[31][32] In the fight, Afzal Khan's dagger was stopped by Shivaji's armour, and Shivaji's weapons inflicted mortal wounds on the general; Shivaji then signalled his hidden troops to launch the assault on the Bijapuris.[30] Battle of Pratapgarh Main article: Battle of Pratapgarh Pratapgad fort In the ensuing Battle of Pratapgarh fought on 10 November 1659, Shivaji's forces decisively defeated the Bijapur Sultanate's forces.[33]The agile Maratha infantry and cavalry inflicted rapid strikes on Bijapuri units, attacked the Bijapuri cavalry before it was prepared for battle, and pursued retreating troops toward Wai. More than 3,000 soldiers of the Bijapur army were killed and two sons of Afzal Khan were taken as prisoners.[7]:53 This unexpected and unlikely victory made Shivaji a hero of Maratha folklore and a legendary figure among his people. The large quantities of captured weapons, horses, armour and other materials helped to strengthen the nascent and emerging Maratha army. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb now identified Shivaji as a major threat to the mighty Mughal Empire. Soon thereafter Shivaji, Shahaji and Netaji Palkar (the chief of the Maratha cavalry) decided to attack and defeat the Adilshahi kingdom at Bijapur.[citation needed] Battle of Kolhapur Main article: Battle of Kolhapur To counter the loss at Pratapgad and to defeat the newly emerging Maratha power, another army, this time numbering over 10,000, was sent against Shivaji, commanded by Bijapur's Abyssinian general Rustam Zaman. With a cavalry force of 5,000 Marathas, Shivaji attacked them near Kolhapur on 28 December 1659. In a swift movement, Shivaji led a full frontal attack at the centre of the enemy forces while two other portions of his cavalry attacked the flanks. This battle lasted for several hours and at the end Bijapuri forces were soundly defeated and Rustamjaman fled the battlefield. Adilshahi forces lost about 2,000 horses and 12 elephants to the Marathas.[citation needed] This victory alarmed Aurangzeb, who now derisively referred to Shivaji as the "Mountain Rat", and prepared to address this rising Maratha threat.[34] Siege of Panhala and Battle of Pavan Khind Plaque to commemorate the entrance to Paavankhind Main article: Battle of Pavan Khind In 1660, Adilshah sent his general Siddi Jauhar to attack Shivaji's southern border, in alliance with the Mughals who planned to attack from the north. At that time, Shivaji was encamped at Panhala fort near present-day Kolhapur with his forces. Siddi Jauhar's army besieged Panhala in mid-1660, cutting off supply routes to the fort. During the bombardment of Panhala, Siddhi Jahuar had purchased grenades from the British at Rajapur to increase his efficacy, and also hired some English artillerymen to bombard the fort, conspicuously flying a flag used by the English. This perceived betrayal angered Shivaji, who in December would exact revenge by plundering the English factory at Rajapur and capturing four of the factors, imprisoning them until mid-1663.[35] Accounts vary as to the end of the siege, with some accounts stating that Shivaji escaped from the encircled fort and withdrew to Ragna, following which Ali Adil Shah personally came to take charge of the siege, capturing the fort after four months besiegement.[36] Other accounts state that after months of siege, Shivaji negotiated with Siddhi Jahuar and handed over the fort on 22 September 1660, withdrawing to Vishalgad;[37] Shivaji would later re-take Panhala in 1673.[36] There is some dispute over the circumstances of Shivaji's withdrawal (treaty or escape) and his destination (Ragna or Vishalgad), but the popular story details his night movement to Vishalgad and a sacrificial rear-guard action to allow him to escape.[38] Per these accounts, Shivaji withdrew from Panhala by cover of night, and as he was pursued by the enemy cavalry, so his Maratha sardar Baji Prabhu Deshpande of Bandal Deshmukh, along with 300 soldiers, volunteered to fight to the death to hold back the enemy at Ghod Khind ("horse ravine") to give Shivaji and the rest of the army a chance to reach the safety of the Vishalgad fort.[39] In the ensuing Battle of Pavan Khind, the smaller Maratha force held back the larger enemy to buy time for Shivaji to escape. Baji Prabhu Deshpande was wounded but continued to fight until he heard the sound of cannon fire from Vishalgad,[40] signalling Shivaji had safely reached the fort, on the evening of 13 July 1660.[41] Ghod Khind (khind meaning "a narrow mountain pass") was later renamed Paavan Khind ("sacred pass") in honour of Bajiprabhu Deshpande, Shibosingh Jadhav, Fuloji, and all other soldiers who fought in there.[41] Clash with the Mughals Until 1657, Shivaji maintained peaceful relations with the Mughal Empire. Shivaji offered his assistance to Aurangzeb in conquering Bijapur and in return, he was assured of the formal recognition of his right to the Bijapuri forts and villages under his possession.[7]:37 Shivaji's confrontations with the Mughals began in March 1657, when two of Shivaji's officers raided the Mughal territory near Ahmednagar.[42] This was followed by raids in Junnar, with Shivaji carrying off 300,000 hun in cash and 200 horses.[7]:38 Mughal viceroy for Deccan at that time, Aurangzeb responded to the raids by sending Nasiri Khan, who defeated the forces of Shivaji at Ahmednagar. However, Aurangzeb's countermeasures against Shivaji were interrupted by the rainy season and his battle of succession with his brothers for the Mughal throne following the illness of the emperor Shah Jahan.[7]:39–40 Attack on Shaista Khan Main article: Battle of Chakan Upon the request of Badi Begum of Bijapur, Aurangzeb sent his maternal uncle Shaista Khan, with an army numbering over 150,000 along with a powerful artillery division in January 1660 to attack Shivaji in conjunction with Bijapur's army led by Siddi Jauhar. Shaista Khan, with his better-equipped and -provisioned army of 300,000 seized Pune and the nearby fort of Chakan, besieging it for a month and a half until breaching the walls. Shaista Khan pressed his advantage of having a larger, better provisioned and heavily armed Mughal army and made inroads into some of the Maratha territory, seizing the city of Pune and establishing his residence at Shivaji's palace of Lal Mahal.[citation needed] In April 1663, Shivaji launched a surprise attack on Shaista Khan in Pune; accounts of the story differ in the popular imagination, but there is some agreement that Shivaji and band of some 200 followers infiltrated Pune, using a wedding procession as cover. They overcame the palace guards, breached the wall, and entered Shaista Khan's quarters, killing those they found there. Shaista Khan escaped, losing his thumb in the melee, but one of his sons and other members of his household were killed. The Khan took refuge with the Moghul forces outside of Pune, and Aurangzeb punished him for this embarrassment with a transfer to Bengal.[43] An Uzbek general, Kartalab Khan, was sent by Shaista Khan to attack and reduce the number of forts under Shivaji's control in the Konkan region on 3 February 1661. The 30,000 Mughal troops left Pune, marching through the back-country in an attempt to surprise the Marathas. In the Battle of Umberkhind, Shivaji's forces ambushed and enveloped them with infantry and light cavalry in the dense forests of Umberkhind pass near present-day Pen. In retaliation for Shaista Khan's attacks, and to replenish his now-depleted treasury, in 1664 Shivaji sacked the city of Surat, a wealthy Mughal trading centre.[43] Treaty of Purandar Raja Jai Singh of Amber receiving Shivaji a day before concluding the Treaty of Purandar. Main article: Treaty of Purandar (1665) Attack on Shahista khan and Surat, enraged the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. In response he sent Mirza Raja Jai Singh I with an army numbering around 150,000[44] to defeat Shivaji. Jai Singh's forces made significant gains and captured many Maratha forts, forcing Shivaji to come to terms with Aurangzeb rather than lose more forts and men. In the Treaty of Purandar, signed between Shivaji and Jai Singh on 11 June 1665, Shivaji agreed to give up 23 of his forts and pay compensation of 400,000 rupees to the Mughals. He also agreed to let his son Sambhaji become a Mughal sardar, serve the Mughal court of Aurangzeb and fight alongside the Mughals against Bijapur.[citation needed] One of Shivaji's commander, Netaji Palkar joined the Mughals, was rewarded very well for his bravery, converted to Islam, changed his name to Quli Mohammed Khan in 1666 and was sent to the Afghan frontier to fight the restive tribes. He returned to Shivaji's service in 1676 after ten years with the Mughals, and was accepted back as a Hindu on Shivaji's advice.[45] Arrest in Agra and escape A depiction of Shivaji in Aurangzeb's court in Agra in 1666. In 1666, Aurangzeb invited Shivaji to Agra, along with his nine-year-old son Sambhaji. Aurangzeb's plan was to send Shivaji to Kandahar, now in Afghanistan, to consolidate the Mughal empire's northwestern frontier. However, in the court, on 12 May 1666, Aurangzeb made Shivaji stand behind mansabdārs (military commanders) of his court. Shivaji took offence and stormed out of court,[20]:78 and was promptly placed under house arrest under the watch of Faulad Khan, Kotwal of Agra. Shivaji feigned severe illness and requested to send most of his contingent back to the Deccan, thereby ensuring the safety of his army and deceiving Aurangzeb. Thereafter, on his request, he was allowed to send daily shipments of sweets and gifts to saints, fakirs, and temples in Agra as offerings for his health.[citation needed] After several days and weeks of sending out boxes containing sweets, Sambhaji, being a child had no restrictions and was sent out of the prison camp and Shivaji, disguised as labourer carrying sweet basket escaped on 17 August 1666, according to the Mughal documents.[clarification needed][46] Shivaji and his son fled to the Deccan disguised as sadhus (holy men). After the escape, rumours of Sambhaji's death were intentionally spread by Shivaji himself in order to deceive the Mughals and to protect Sambhaji.[citation needed] Recent research has proposed that Shivaji simply disguised himself as a Brahmin priest after performance of religious rites at the haveli grounds on 22 July 1666, and escaped by mingling within the departing priestly entourage of Pandit Kavindra Paramananda. Sambhaji was removed from Agra and taken to Mathura later by Shivaji's trusted men.[47] Reconquest Statue of Shivaji The Great opposite Gateway of India in South Mumbai After Shivaji's escape, hostilities with the Mughals ebbed with Mughal sardar Jaswant singh acting as intermediary between Shivaji and Aurangzeb for new peace proposals.[48] The peace lasted until the end of 1670, when Shivaji launched a major offensive against Mughals, and in a span of four months recovered a major portion of the territories surrendered to Mughals. During this phase, Tanaji Malusare won the fort of Sinhgad in the Battle of Sinhagad on 4 Feb 1670, dying in the process.[49] Shivaji sacked Surat for second time in 1670; while he was returning from Surat, Mughals under Daud Khan tried to intercept him, but were defeated in the Battle of Vani-Dindori near present-day Nashik.[50] Dealings with the English In October 1670, Shivaji sent his forces to harass the English at Bombay; as they had refused to sell him war material, his forces blocked Bombay's woodcutting parties. In September 1671, Shivaji sent an ambassador to Bombay, again seeking material, this time for the fight against Danda-Rajpuri; the English had misgivings of the advantages Shivaji would gain from this conquest, but also did not want to lose any chance of receiving compensation for his looting their factories at Rajapur. The English sent Lieutenant Stephen Ustick to treat with Shivaji, but negotiations failed over the issue of the Rajapur indemnity. Numerous exchanges of envoys followed over the coming years, with some agreement as to the arms issues in 1674, but Shivaji was never to pay the Rajpur indemnity before his death, and the factory there dissolved at the end of 1682.[51] When Shivaji went to Tanjore to fight his half-brother Venkoji (Ekoji I), he met the English at Madras (then known as Madraspatnam) on 3 October 1677 as stated in a plaque in the Kalikambal temple, located on Thambu Chetty Street in George Town. The East India Company officials who looked after the fort at that time have recorded that Shivaji came up to the gates of Fort St. George and had sought the services of the English engineers but the request was politely turned down.[52] Battle of Nesari In 1674, Prataprao Gujar, the then commander-in chief of the Maratha forces, was sent to push back the invading force led by the Adilshahi general, Bahlol Khan. Prataprao's forces defeated and captured the opposing general in the battle, after cutting-off their water supply by encircling a strategic lake, which prompted Bahlol Khan to sue for peace. In spite of Shivaji's specific warnings against doing so Prataprao released Bahlol Khan, who started preparing for a fresh invasion.[citation needed] Raigad Fort Shivaji sent a displeased letter to Prataprao, refusing him audience until Bahlol Khan was re-captured. In the ensuing days, Shivaji learnt of Bahlol Khan having camped with 15,000 force at Nesari near Kolhapur. Not wanting to risk losing his much smaller Maratha force entirely, Prataprao and six of his sardars attacked in a suicide mission, buying time for Anandrao Mohite to withdraw the remainder of the army to safety.[53][verification needed] The Marathas avenged the death of Prataprao by defeating Bahlol Khan and capturing his jagir (fiefdom) under the leadership of Anaji and Hambirao Mohite. Shivaji was deeply grieved on hearing of Prataprao's death; he arranged for the marriage of his second son, Rajaram, to Prataprao's daughter. Anandrao Mohite became Hambirrao Mohite, the new sarnaubat (commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces). Raigad Fort was newly built[when?] by Hiroji Indulkar as a capital of nascent Maratha kingdom.[23] Coronation The coronation of Shivaji Shivaji had acquired extensive lands and wealth through his campaigns, but lacking a formal title he was still technically a Mughal zamindar or the son of an Adilshahi jagirdar, with no legal basis to rule his de facto domain. A kingly title could address this, and also prevent any challenges by other Maratha leaders, to whom he was technically equal; it would also provide the Hindu Marathas with a fellow Hindu sovereign in a region otherwise ruled by Muslims.[7]:238 Shivaji was crowned king of the Marathas in a lavish ceremony at Raigad on 6 June 1674.[22][23][54] In the Hindu calendar it was on the 13th day (trayodashi) of the first fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha in the year 1596.[55] Pandit Gaga Bhatt officiated, holding a gold vessel filled with the seven sacred waters of the rivers Yamuna, Indus, Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri over Shivaji's head, and chanted the coronation mantras. After the ablution, Shivaji bowed before Jijabai and touched her feet. Nearly fifty thousand people gathered at Raigad for the ceremonies.[56][57] Shivaji was bestowed with the sacred thread jaanva, with the Vedas and was bathed in an abhisheka. Shivaji was entitled Shakakarta ("founder of an era")[39] and Kshatriya Kulavantas ("head of Kshatriyas"),[58] and Chhatrapati ("paramount sovereign"). He also took the title of "Haindava Dharmodhhaarak". His mother Jijabai died on 18 June 1674, within a few days of the coronation. Considering this a bad omen, a second coronation was carried out 24 September 1674, this time according to the Bengali school of Tantricism and presided over by Nischal Puri.[59] The state as Shivaji founded it was a Maratha kingdom comprising about 4.1% of the subcontinent at the time he died,[22] but over time it was to increase in size and heterogeneity,[60] and by the time of the Peshwas in the early 18th century the Marathas were dominant across the northern and central regions of the Indian subcontinent.[61] Conquest in Southern India Beginning in 1674, the Marathas undertook an aggressive campaign, raiding Khandesh (October), capturing Bijapuri Ponda (April 1675),[62] Karwar (mid-year), and Kolhapur (July).[citation needed] In November the Maratha navy skirmished with the Siddis of Janjira, and in early 1676 Peshwa Pingale, en route to Surat, engaged the Raja of Ramnagar in battle.[citation needed] Shivaji raided Athani in March 1676, and by year's end besieged Belgaum and Vayem Rayim in modern-day northern Karnataka. At the end of 1676, Shivaji launched a wave of conquests in southern India, with a massive force of 30,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry.[citation needed] He captured the Adilshahi forts at Vellore and Gingee, in modern-day Tamil Nadu. In the run-up to this expedition Shivaji appealed to a sense of Deccani patriotism, that the "Deccan" or Southern India was a homeland that should be protected from outsiders.,[63][64] His appeal was somewhat successful and he entered into a treaty with the Qutubshah of the Golconda sultanate that covered the eastern Deccan. Shivají's conquests in the south proved quite crucial during future wars; Gingee served as Maratha capital for nine years during the Maratha War of Independence. Shivaji intended to reconcile with his half-brother Venkoji (Ekoji I), Shahaji's son by his second wife, Tukabai (née Mohite), who ruled Thanjavur (Tanjore) after Shahaji. The initially promising negotiations were unsuccessful,[citation needed] so whilst returning to Raigad Shivaji defeated his half-brother's army on 26 November 1677 and seized most of his possessions in the Mysore plateau. Venkoji's wife Dipa Bai, whom Shivaji deeply respected, took up new negotiations with Shivaji, and also convinced her husband to distance himself from Muslim advisors. In the end Shivaji consented to turn over to her and her female descendants many of the properties he had seized, with Venkoji consenting to a number of conditions for the proper administration of the territories and maintenance of Shivaji's future Memorial (Samadhi).[65][66][67] Death and succession Sambhaji, Shivaji's elder son who succeeded him. See also: Maratha War of Independence The question of Shivaji's heir-apparent was complicated by the misbehaviour of his eldest son Sambhaji, who was irresponsible and "addicted to sensual pleasures." Unable to curb this, Shivaji confined his son to Panhala in 1678, only to have the prince escape with his wife and defect to the Mughals for a year. Sambhaji then returned home, unrepentant, and was again confined to Panhala.[68]:551 In late March 1680, Shivaji fell ill with fever and dysentery,[7]:383 dying around 3–5 April 1680 at the age of 52,[25]:278 on the eve of Hanuman Jayanti. Putalabai, the childless eldest of the surviving wives of Shivaji committed sati by jumping in his funeral pyre. The other surviving spouse, Sakwarbai, was not allowed to follow suit because she had a young daughter[69]. Rumours followed Shivaji's death, with Muslims opining he had died of a curse from Jan Muhammad of Jalna, and some Marathas whispering that Soyarabai, the youngest of the three wives who survived him[69], had poisoned him so that his crown might pass to her 10-year-old son Rajaram.[7]:383After Shivaji's death, Soyarabai made plans with various ministers of the administration to crown her son Rajaram rather than her prodigal stepson Sambhaji. On 21 April 1680, ten-year-old Rajaram was installed on the throne. However, Sambhaji took possession of the Raigad Fort after killing the commander, and on 18 June acquired control of Raigad, and formally ascended the throne on 20 July.[68][70] Rajaram, his wife Janki Bai, and mother Soyrabai were imprisoned, and Soyrabai executed on charges of conspiracy that October.[71] The Marathas after Shivaji Shivaji died in 1680, leaving behind a state always at odds with the Mughals. Soon after Shivaji's death, the Mughals attempted to invade it, but could not subdue the Marathas and it resulted in a war of 27 years from 1681 to 1707 ending in the defeat for the Mughals.[72] Shahu, a grandson of Shivaji was kept prisoner by Aurangzeb during the War of 27 years. After the latter's death, his successor released Shahu. After a brief power struggle over succession with his aunt Tarabai, Shahu ruled the Maratha Empire from 1707 to 1749. During this period, he appointed Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and later his descendants as the Peshwas or the prime ministers of the Maratha Empire. After the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the empire expanded greatly under the rule of the Peshwas. The empire at its peak stretched from Tamil Nadu[73][74] in the south, to Peshawar (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in the north, and Bengal. In 1761, the Maratha army lost the Third Battle of Panipat to Ahmed Shah Abdali of the Afghan Durrani Empire which halted their imperial expansion in North western India. Ten years after Panipat, young Madhavrao Peshwa reinstated the Maratha authority over North India. In a bid to effectively manage the large empire, he gave semi-autonomy to the strongest of the knights, which created a confederacy of Maratha states. They became known as Gaekwads of Baroda, the Holkars of Indore and Malwa, the Scindias of Gwalior and Ujjain, Bhonsales of Nagpur. In 1775, the British East India Company intervened in a succession struggle in Pune, which became the First Anglo-Maratha War. The Marathas remained the preeminent power in India until their defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha wars (1805–1818), which left the British East India Company in control of most of India.[75][76][77] Governance Promotion of Marathi and Sanskrit Though Persian was a common courtly language in the region, Shivaji replaced it with Marathi in his own court, and emphasised Hindu political and courtly traditions.[78] The house of Shivaji was well acquainted with Sanskrit and promoted the language; his father Shahaji had supported scholars such as Jayram Pindye, who prepared Shivaji's seal. Shivaji continued this Sanskrit promotion, giving his forts names such as Sindhudurg, Prachandgarh, and Suvarndurg. He named the Ashta Pradhan (council of ministers) as per Sanskrit nomenclature with terms such as nyayadhish, and senapat, and commissioned the political treatise Rajyavyavahar Kosh. His rajpurohit, Keshav Pandit, was himself a Sanskrit scholar and poet.[79] Religious policy Sajjangad, where Samarth Ramdas was invited by Shivaji to reside, now a place of pilgrimage Shivaji was a devout Hindu, but respected all religions within the region. Shivaji had great respect for other contemporary saints, especially Samarth Ramdas, to whom he gave the fort of Parali, later renamed as 'Sajjangad'. Among the various poems written on Shivaji, Ramdas' Shivastuti ("Praise of King Shivaji") is the most famous.[80] Shivaji's son Sambhaji later built a samadhi for Ramdas Swami on Sajjangad upon the latter's death. Samarth Ramdas had also written a letter to Sambhaji guiding him on what to do and what not to do after death of Shivaji.[81] Shivaji allowed his subjects freedom of religion and opposed forced conversion.[82][page needed] Shivaji also promulgated other enlightened values, and condemned slavery.[83] He applied a humane and liberal policy to the women of his state.[84][page needed] Kafi Khan, the Mughal historian, and Francois Bernier, a French traveller, spoke highly of his religious policy.[citation needed] He also brought converts like Netaji Palkar and Bajaji back into Hinduism. Shivaji's contemporary, the poet Kavi Bhushan stated: Had not there been Shivaji, Kashi would have lost its culture, Mathura would have been turned into a mosque and all would have been circumcised".[85] Islam Though many of Shivaji's enemy states were Muslim, he treated Muslims under his rule with tolerance for their religion. Shivaji's sentiments of inclusivity and tolerance of other religions can be seen in an admonishing letter to Aurangzeb, in which he wrote: Verily, Islam and Hinduism are terms of contrast. They are used by the true Divine Painter for blending the colours and filling in the outlines. If it is a mosque, the call to prayer is chanted in remembrance of Him. If it is a temple, the bells are rung in yearning for Him alone.[84] Shivaji had several noteworthy Muslim soldiers, especially in his Navy. Siddi Sanbal, Noor Khan, Daulat Khan, and Siddi Misri were prominent in the navy; and Siddi Ibrahim Khan was chief of artillery.[84] Muslim soldiers were known for their superior skills in naval and artillery combat. Military Shivaji demonstrated great skill in creating his military organisation, which lasted till the demise of the Maratha empire. He also built a powerful navy. Maynak Bhandari was one of the first chiefs of the Maratha Navy under Shivaji, and helped in both building the Maratha Navy and safeguarding the coastline of the emerging Maratha Empire. He built new forts like Sindhudurg and strengthened old ones like Vijaydurg on the west coast.[citation needed] The Maratha navy held its own against the British, Portuguese and Dutch.[86] Many Dalit warriors joined Shivaji's Maratha Empire forces as scouts and fort guards.[87][88] Shivaji was responsible for many significant changes in military organisation:[citation needed] •	A standing army belonging to the state, called paga. •	All war horses belonged to the state; responsibility for their upkeep rested on the Sovereign. •	Creation of part-time soldiers from peasants who worked for eight months in their fields and supported four months in war for which they were paid. •	Highly mobile and light infantry and cavalry excelling in commando tactics. •	The introduction of a centralised intelligence department; Bahirjee Naik was the foremost spy who provided Shivaji with enemy information in all of Shivaji's campaigns. •	A potent and effective navy. •	Introduction of field craft like commando actions, and swift flanking attacks. •	Innovation of weapons and firepower, innovative use of traditional weapons like the tiger claw (vaghnakh) and vita. •	Militarisation of large swathes of society, across all classes, with the entire peasant population of settlements and villages near forts actively involved in their defence.[89] Shivaji realised the importance of having a secure coastline and protecting the western Konkan coastline from the attacks of Siddi's fleet.[citation needed][7] His strategy was to build a strong navy to protect and bolster his kingdom. He was also concerned about the growing dominance of British Indian naval forces in regional waters and actively sought to resist it. For this reason he is also referred to as the "Father of Indian Navy".[90] Forts Suvela Machi, view of southern sub-plateaux, as seen from Ballekilla, Rajgad. Main article: Shivaji's forts Shivaji captured strategically important forts at Murambdev (Rajgad), Torna, Konkana (Sinhagad) and Purandar and laid the foundation of swaraj or self-rule. Toward the end of his career, he had a control of 360 forts to secure his growing kingdom. Shivaji himself constructed about 15–20 totally new forts (including key sea forts like Sindhudurg), but he also rebuilt or repaired many strategically placed forts[91] to create a chain of 300 or more, stretched over a thousand kilometres across the rugged crest of the Western Ghats. Each were placed under three officers of equal status lest a single traitor be bribed or tempted to deliver it to the enemy. The officers (sabnis, havaldar, sarnobat) acted jointly and provided mutual checks and balance.[citation needed] Navy Sindudurg Fort provided anchorages for Shivaji's Navy. Shivaji built a strong naval presence across long coast of Konkan and Goa to protect sea trade, to protect the lands from sack of prosperity of subjects from coastal raids, plunder and destruction by Arabs, Portuguese, British, Abyssinians and pirates. Shivaji built ships in towns such as Kalyan, Bhivandi, and Goa for building fighting navy as well as trade. He also built a number of sea forts and bases for repair, storage and shelter. Shivaji fought many lengthy battles with Siddis of Janjira on coastline.[89] The fleet grew to reportedly 160 to 700 merchant, support and fighting vessels. He started trading with foreigners on his own after possession of eight or nine ports in the Deccan. Shivaji's admiral Kanhoji Angre is often said to be the "Father of Indian Navy".[7][92] Legacy Statue of Shivaji at Raigad Fort. Today, Shivaji is considered as a national hero in India,[93] especially in the state of Maharashtra, where he remains arguably the greatest figure in the state's history. Stories of his life form an integral part of the upbringing and identity of the Marathi people. Further, he is also recognised as a warrior legend, who sowed the seeds of Indian independence.[93] Nineteenth century Hindu revivalist Swami Vivekananda considered Shivaji a hero and paid glowing tributes to his wisdom.[94] When Indian Nationalist leader, Lokmanya Tilak organised a festival to mark the birthday celebrations of Shivaji, Vivekananda agreed to preside over the festival in Bengal in 1901.[95] He wrote about Shivaji:[94] "Shivaji is one of the greatest national saviours who emancipated our society and our Hindu dharma when they were faced with the threat of total destruction. He was a peerless hero, a pious and God-fearing king and verily a manifestation of all the virtues of a born leader of men described in our ancient scriptures. He also embodied the deathless spirit of our land and stood as the light of hope for our future." —Swami Vivekanada Rabindranath Tagore wrote in his famous poem "Shivaji": In what far-off country, upon what obscure day I know not now, Seated in the gloom of some Mahratta mountain-wood O King Shivaji, Lighting thy brow, like a lightning flash, This thought descended, "Into one virtuous rule, this divided broken distracted India, I shall bind."[96] Historiography Shivaji's role in the research and the popular conception has developed over time and place, ranging from early British and Moghul depiction of him as a bandit or a "mountain mouse",[97] to modern near-deification as a hero of all Indians. One of the early commentators who challenged the negative British view was M. G. Ranade, whose Rises of the Maratha Power (1900) declared Shivaji's achievements as the beginning of modern nation-building. Ranade criticised earlier British portrayals of Shivaji's state as "a freebooting Power, which thrived by plunder and adventure, and succeeded only because it was the most cunning and adventurous... This is a very common feeling with the readers, who derive their knowledge of these events solely from the works of English historians."[98] At the end of the 19th century, Shivaji's memory was leveraged by the non-Brahmin intellectuals of Bombay, who identified as his descendants and through him claimed the Kshatriya varna.[99] While some Brahmins rebutted this identity, defining them as of the lower Shudra varna, other Brahmins recognised the Maratha's role in the Indian independence movement, and endorsed this Kshatriya legacy and the significance of Shivaji.[99] As political tensions rose in India in the early 20th century, some Indian leaders came to re-work their earlier stances on Shivaji's role. Jawaharlal Nehru had in 1934 noted "Some of the Shivaji's deeds, like the treacherous killing of the Bijapur general, lower him greatly in our estimation." Following public outcry from Pune intellectuals, Congress leader Deogirikar noted that Nehru had admitted he was wrong regarding Shivaji, and now endorsed Shivaji as great nationalist.[100] In 2003, American academic James W. Laine published his book Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, which was followed by heavy criticism including threats of arrest.[101] As a result of this publication, the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune where Laine had researched was attacked by a group of Maratha activists calling itself the Sambhaji Brigade.[102] The book was banned in Maharashtra in January 2004, but the ban was lifted by the Bombay High Court in 2007, and in July 2010 the Supreme Court of India upheld the lifting of ban.[103][104] This lifting was followed by public demonstrations against the author and the decision of the Supreme Court.[105][106] Legacy Shivaji remains a political icon in modern India, and particularly in the state of Maharashtra. His image adorns literature, propaganda and icons of the Maratha-centric Shiv Sena ("Army of Shivaji"[107]) party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and also of the Maratha caste dominated Congress parties (namely, NCP and Indira) in Maharashtra.[108] Past Congress party leaders in the state such as Yashwantrao Chavan were considered political descendants of Shivaji.[109] Field-Marshal Bernard Montgomery, in his History of Warfare (1983),[110] while generally dismissive of the quality of generalship in the military history of the Indian subcontinent, makes an exception for Shivaji and Bajirao I. Summarizing Shivaji's "mastery of guerilla tactics", Montgomery describes him as a "military genius". Commemorations Statues •	Shivaji's statues and monuments are found almost in every town and city in Maharashtra as well as in different places across India including Goa,[111] Bangalore, Vadodara, Surat, Indore,[112] Agra,[113] Arunachal Pradesh,[114][115][116] and Delhi.[117] •	There is a statue of Shivaji inside the premises of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Pune.[118] •	An equestrian statue can be seen inside the Parliament House complex in Delhi.[119] •	A statue of Shivaji was proposed in 2014, to be built on the Mumbai coastline by the Maharashtra government by 2020, with a planned height of 312 feet (95.0976 metre). If built it would be among the tallest statues in the world.[120] Armed forces •	The Indian Navy has named one of its bases after Shivaji, christening it as INS Shivaji.[121] Government •	The Government of India issued postage stamps commemorating Shivaji in 1961, 1974 and 1980.[122]

Kashibai From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kashibai Spouse(s)	Bajirao I

Children	Balaji Baji Rao Ramchandra Raghunath Rao Janardan Rao Parent(s)	Mahadji Krishna Joshi Shiubai[1]

Kashibai was the first wife of Bajirao I,[2] who is acknowledged as the most influential of the nine Peshwas from the Bhat family, a general and prime minister to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shahuji Raje Bhonsle of present-day India. Biography[edit] Kashibai was a daughter of Mahadji Krishna Joshi and Shiubai of Chas, belonging to a wealthy banker family.[3] She also had a brother named Krishnarao Chaskar.[4] She was married to Bajirao on 11 March 1720 in a household ceremony at Saswad.[5] Kashibai and Bajirao had four sons together. Balaji Baji Rao aka Nanasaheb, was born in 1721 and was later appointed Peshwa by Shahu in 1740 after Bajirao's death. Second son Ramchandra died young. Third son Raghunath Rao served as the Peshwa during 1773–1774 and fourth son Janardan also died young.[4] She suffered from a type of arthritis.[6] Bajirao married Mastani, the daughter of Hindu king Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand and his wife Ruhaani Bai, a Persian Muslim. This marriage was not accepted by the Peshwa family. Kashibai is also noted to have not played any role in the household war waged by the Peshwa family against Mastani.[7] Historian Pandurang Balkawade notes that various historical documents suggest that she was ready to accept Mastani as Bajirao's second wife, but could not do so going against her mother-in-law Radhabai and brother-in-law Chimaji Appa. Like many women of 18th century orthodox India, she had no say in important matters.[8] As the Brahmins of Pune boycotted the Peshwa family due to Bajirao's relations with Mastani, Chimaji Appa and Balaji Baji Rao aka Nanasaheb resolved to forceful separation of Bajirao and Mastani in early 1740. While Bajirao was out of Pune on expedition, Mastani was put under house arrest. Seeing deteriorating health of Bajirao, Chimaji asked Nanasaheb to release Mastani and send her to meet Bajirao. Nanasaheb instead sent his mother Kashibai.[9] Kashibai is said to have served him on his deathbed as a "loyal and dutiful wife"[7] and has been described as highly devoted to her husband.[2] She and her son Janardan performed the last rites.[10] After death of Bajirao, Mastani died soon in 1740 and Kashibai took care of their son Shamsher Bahadur and made facilities to train him in weaponry.[8] She became more religious after her husband's death. She performed various pilgrimages and stayed in Banaras for four years.[11] On one such tour she was accompanied with 10,000 pilgrims and had expenditure of rupees one lakh.[12] Returning from a pilgrimage in July 1747, she commissioned a temple dedicated to Shiva in her hometown Chas naming it Someshwar Temple. Built in 1749, the temple stands on a 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) land and is popular for Tripurari Poornima celebrations and finds mention in the Marathi book Sahali Ek Divasyachya Parisaraat Punyachya as a tourist spot near Pune.[8] In popular culture[edit]

Raghunathrao From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Shreemant Raghunath rao Ballal Peshwa Shreemant Peshwa

Peshwa of Maratha Empire

In office 5 December 1773 – 1774 Monarch	Rajaram II

Preceded by	Narayanrao

Succeeded by	Madhavarao Narayan

Personal details Born	18 August 1734 Satara

Died	11 December 1783 (aged 49) Nationality	Indian Profession	Peshwa Religion	Hinduism

Shreemant Raghunathrao Ballal Peshwa (a.k.a. Ragho Ballal or Ragho Bharari[1]) (b. 18 Aug.1734 – d. 11 Dec.1783) was Peshwa of the Maratha Empire from 1773 to 1774. Contents [hide] •	1Early life •	2Regency •	3Death and aftermath •	4See also •	5References Early life[edit] Raghunathrao, also known as "Raghoba", "Raghoba Dada" and "Ragho Bharari," was the younger brother of Nanasaheb Peshwa. His father was Peshwa Bajirao I & mother was Kashibai. Raghunathrao was born in Mahuli near Satara on 8 December 1734. Much of his childhood was spent in Satara. In his early years he fought with great success in the north. His expedition during 1753–1755 was concluded by an advantageous treaty with Jat. He is favorably remembered by Hindus for the fact that during that expedition he brought an end to Muslim rule at Hindu religious places such as Mathura, Vrindavan, Gaya, Kurukshetra. Raghunathrao imprisoned Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and made Alamgir II Emperor in his place. Ahmad Shah Durrani (of present-day Afghanistan) approached Punjab in 1760 and defeated Dattaji Scindia in battle of Barari Ghat near modern-day Delhi, Dattaji was also killed in battle.To counter this Raghunathrao was supposed to go north to handle the situation. Raghunathrao asked for large amount and an army, which was denied by Sadashivrao Bhau, his cousin and Diwan of Peshwa, so he declined to go. Sadashivrao Bhau was there upon made commander in chief of the Maratha Army,under whom the Battle of Panipat was fought. After the crushing Maratha defeat at Third Battle of Panipat, his brother Nanasaheb Peshwa's death and his half brother's (Shamsher Bahadur I) death in 1761, Raghunathrao had plans to seize the Peshwa throne for himself, but instead the throne was passed on to his nephew Madhavrao I, son of Nanasaheb. Regency[edit] He was appointed as a regent to the young Peshwa, but tried to interfere with the administration. He soon fell out of favour with the Peshwa, and even tried to conspire against him by joining the Nizam of Hyderabad against the Peshwa. The alliance was defeated at Ghodegaon, and Raghunathrao was placed under house arrest. After Madhavrao I's death in 1772, Raghunathrao was released from house arrest. He then became the regent of Madhavrao's younger brother Narayanrao. Together with his wife Anandibai, he had his nephew Narayanrao murdered. Anandibai herself was very cruel and cunning in her ways. Legend has it that when the assassins attacked the young Peshwa, he ran to Raghoba crying "Kaakaa malaa waachwaa" (Uncle, save me). His cry fell on deaf ears and Raghoba stood by as his nephew was killed. After Narayanrao's murder, Raghoba became Peshwa, but he was shortly overthrown by Nana Phadnis and 11 other administrators in what is called "The Baarbhaai Conspiracy" (Conspiracy by the Twelve). Raghunathrao was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by the justice Ram Shastri Prabhune but the sentence was never carried out. At Kasegaon near Pandharpur the first battle between the Baarbhai and Raghobadada took place in 1774. He then went to Khambhat with hope of getting help from the British, who did not help but transported him to Surat from their ship. At Surat a treaty was signed between Raghunathrao and the British East India Company on 6 March 1775. According to the treaty it was decided that Thane, Vasai and Sashti were to be handed over to the British, and in return the Company would assist Raghunathrao to become the Peshwa.[2] However, the Company was not yet ready for war, so that the treaty between the Baarbhai and the Company was signed at Purandar. After the Treaty of Purandar (1776), the Company openly distanced itself from Raghunathrao and asked him to live as their pensioner. But due to the fear of the Baarbhai, Raghunathrao was unhappy to leave Surat and in fact the Company did not insist on it, so he kept on living there. In 1776, Raghunathrao unsuccessfully tried to get help from the Portuguese. After that he came to Bombay. During that period Company gave him Rs 15000. At the Battle of Talegaon, the East India Company was defeated. A treaty was signed at Vadgaon according to which Raghunathrao's claim on the position of Peshwa was rescinded. Death and aftermath[edit] Raghunathrao died on 11 December 1783 of unknown causes. He had two sons Baji Rao II and Chimaji Rao II; in addition, he had adopted Amrit Rao. After his death, his wife Anandi Bai and his three sons were kept in confinement by the Peshwa's minister Nana Fadnavis. After the death of Peshwa Madhav Rao II, Nana Fadnavis and the powerful chief Daulat Rao Scindia installed Chimaji Rao and Baji Rao II as puppet Peshwas in quick succession.[3] Shamsher Bahadur I (Krishna Rao) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Shamsher Singh Bahadur (Krishna Baji Rao) Jahagirdar of Banda and Kalpi,[1] Subedar of Jhansi

Maratha ruler of Banda

Reign	1753 - 1761 Predecessor	Peshwa Bajirao I, Peshwa of Maratha India

Successor	Ali Bahadur (Krishna Sinh), Nawab of Banda

Born	1734 Died	14 January 1761 Issue	Ali Bahadur (Krishna Singh)[2]

Full name Shamsher Singh Bahadur (aka Krishna Rao/Krishnasinh)

House Banda (Maratha India)

Father	Peshwa Bajirao I

Mother	Mastani

Shamsher Bahadur (Krishna Rao) (1734 - 14 January 1761) also spelled as Samsher Bahadur, aka Krishnasinh, was a Maratha ruler of the dominion of Banda in northern India. He was the son of Peshwa Bajirao I and Mastani.[1][2][3] Contents [hide] •	1Early life and Career •	2See also •	3References •	4External links •	5Further reading Early life and Career[edit] Shamsher Bahadur was the son of Peshwa Bajirao I and his second wife Mastani. Bajirao wanted Shamsher Bahadur to be accepted as a Brahmin, but because of his mother's Muslim ancestry, the priests refused to conduct the Hindu upanayana ceremony for him. His education and military training was conducted in line with other sons of the Peshwa royal family, although Maratha nobles and chiefs didn't recognize Mastani as a legitimate wife of the Peshwa.[1] After the death of both Bajirao and Mastani in 1740, Shamsher was taken into the household of Kashibai, Bajirao's first wife, and raised as one of her own. He was bestowed upon a portion of his father’s dominion of Banda and Kalpi. In 1761, he and his army contingent were involved (fought alongside the Peshwa) in the Third Battle of Panipat between the Marathas and Afghans.He was wounded in that battle and died a few days at Deeg.[4] Shamsher’s successor Ali Bahadur (Krishna Sinh) established his authority over large parts of Bundelkhand and became the Nawab of Banda. The descendants of Shamsher Bahadur continued their allegiance towards the Maratha polity and his grandson, Shamsher Bahadur II, fought the English in the Anglo-Maratha War of 1803.[5] See also[edit]