Shivaji

Chatrapati Shivaji

Shivaji's portrait (1680-7), 7), housed in the British Museum 1st Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire 16741680 CE Reign 6 June 1674 Coronation Sambhaji Successor Consort Wives Saibai (Nimbalkar) Soyarabai Putalabai Sakvarbai Kashibai (Jadhav)[1] (Mohite) (Palkar) (Gaikwad)

Issue Sambhaji, son Rajaram, son Sakhubai Nimbalkar, daughter Ranubai Jadhav, daughter Ambikabai Mahadik, daughter Rajkumaribai Shirke, daughter Shahaji Bhosale Father Jijabai Mother c. April 1627 / 19 February 1630[2] Born Shivneri Fort, near Pune Pune, India 3 April 1680 Died Raigad Fort, , Pune, India Hinduism Religion

Shivaji Bhosale (c. 1627/1630[2] 3 April 1680), was the founder and first Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, , which at its peak in the 18th century covered much of the Indian subcontinent. subcontinent An aristocrat of the Bhosle Maratha clan clan, Shivaji led a resistance against the Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur and the Mughal Empire and re-established a Hindavi Swarajya ("self-rule ("self of Hindu

people"). He created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigad as its capital, and was crowned Chhatrapati ("paramount sovereign") of the Marathas in 1674. 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 the guerilla warfare methods (Shiva sutra or ganimi kava), which leveraged strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise and focused pinpoint attacks to defeat his larger and more powerful enemies. From a small contingent of 2,000 soldiers inherited from his father, Shivaji created a force of 100,000 soldiers; he built and restored strategically located forts both inland and coastal to safeguard his territory. 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 protonationalist and hero of the Hindu people. 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.