Shivaji I | |
---|---|
Maharaj Shakakarta[1] Haindava Dharmoddharak[2] Kshatriya Kulavantas[3][4] | |
Chhatrapati of the Marathas | |
Reign | 6 June 1674 – 3 April 1680 |
Coronation |
|
Predecessor | Position established |
Successor | Sambhaji |
Born | Shivneri Fort, Ahmadnagar Sultanate (present-day Maharashtra, India) | 19 February 1630
Died | 3 April 1680 Raigad Fort, Mahad, Maratha Kingdom (present-day Maharashtra, India) | (aged 50)
Spouse | |
Issue | 8,[6] including Sambhaji and Rajaram I |
House | Bhonsale |
Father | Shahaji |
Mother | Jijabai |
Religion | Hinduism |
Signature |
Shivaji I (Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsale, Marathi pronunciation: [ʃiˈʋaːdʑiː ˈbʱos(ə)le]; c. 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680)[7] was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty.[8] Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Confederacy.
Over the course of his life, Shivaji engaged in both alliances and hostilities with the Mughal Empire, the Sultanate of Golconda, the Sultanate of Bijapur and the European colonial powers. Shivaji offered passage and his service to Aurangzeb to invade the declining Sultanate of Bijapur. After Aurangzeb's departure for the north due to a war of succession, Shivaji conquered territories ceded by Bijapur in the name of the Mughals.[9] : 63 Following the Battle of Purandar, Shivaji entered into vassalage with the Mughal empire, assuming the role of a Mughal chief and undertaking military expeditions on behalf of the empire for a brief duration.[10] Shivaji's military forces expanded the Maratha sphere of influence, capturing and building forts, and forming a Maratha navy.
In 1674, Shivaji was coronated as the king despite opposition from local Brahmins.[9] : 87 [11] Praised for his chivalrous treatment of women,[12] Shivaji employed people of all castes and religions, including Muslims[13] and Europeans, in his administration and armed forces.[14]
Shivaji's legacy was revived by Jyotirao Phule about two centuries after his death. Later on, he came to be glorified by Indian nationalists such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and appropriated by Hindutva activists.[15][16][17][18][19]
Gordon2007
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).Shivaji had almost vanished from the minds of the people and the leaders of Maharashtra it was Phule who first revived them composing a ballad on Shivaji in 1869