Canberra, 11 October 2022 The Maratha Empire originated as a small jagir handed over to a young Shivaji by his father to learn the rudiments of land management under the watchful eyes of Dadaji Kondadev. As Shivaji gradually grew it into a kingdom, of necessity the administrative system of the budding State also changed, expanded […]
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Tag Archives: Shahji
The Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section V Coronation and the Great Southern Campaign
August 23, 2021 
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Canberra, 23 August 2021 By the early 1670s, Shivaji was acutely aware of the need to establish a politically legitimate ‘Hindu’ kingdom in the Deccan, although an informal kingdom was already in existence. For him personally, there were several disadvantages to not being ‘crowned’ as a king. While it was true that he had conquered […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section IV Dealing with the Mughals 2. Towards a Maratha Kingdom
August 18, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 18 August 2021 From the time of his return to Bijapur, Shahji had been heavily involved in pacifying the restive nobles of the Doab on behalf of the Adil Shah. In appreciation of Shahji’s service, Ali Adil Shah had bestowed the fiefdoms of Bangalore and Tanjore on Vyankoji. Unfortunately, during the campaign Shahji died […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section III: A Decade of Conquest
July 13, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 13 July 2021 Even though Shivaji had emphatically asserted his independence, he carefully maintained peace with the Mughals for two primary reasons. First was that from 1653, the Mughal territories in the Deccan were being governed by Aurangzeb, a prince of singular efficiency and vigour who no one wanted to offend. The second, Shivaji […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section II: Coming of Age
June 28, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 28 June 2021 Shivaji’s reluctance to do the ‘sajida’ was looked upon by the Adil Shah as an act of a spirited youth and overtly condoned. The sultan was also aware that Shahji, who was extremely loyal to him, was embarrassed by his son’s behaviour and therefore was content to let the matter rest […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section I: Tumultuous Early Years
June 21, 2021 1 Comment
Canberra, 21 June 2021 Shivaji was born in April–May 1627, with 6th/10th April being generally accepted as the actual date, at the fort of Shivner near Junnar. Some accounts give the date as Monday, 10 February 1630, which is the one accepted by Sir Jadunath Sarkar, a well-known historian and an acknowledged authority on medieval […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 4 Shahji Bhonsle Section II: Later Career
June 6, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 6 June 2021 [The later career of Shahji Bhonsle and the early development of his son Shivaji overlap in several areas and took place in parallel. This chapter only examines the aspects of Shivaji’s early activities that had a direct bearing on Shahji’s actions and the progress of his career. Shivaji’s actions will be […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 4 Shahji Bhonsle Section I: Entrenching Maratha Power
June 2, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 2 June 2021 Till the last few years of Malik Ambar’s defiance of Mughal invasion into the Deccan, the Muslim chronicles hardly mention the local Maratha chieftains and soldiers fighting against them. However, by about 1625, the loyalty of the Maratha chiefs was sufficiently important for the Nizam Shah to surreptitiously have Lakhoji Jadhav […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 3 – The Rise of the Bhonsle Clan
May 30, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 30 May 2021 Even after the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate, the general circumstances of the Marathas remained unaltered. A majority of the hill forts were garrisoned by Maratha chiefs—some in the service of one or the other Shahi kingdom and a lesser number by semi-independent Deshmukhs. By this time Muslim ranks—mansabs, depending on […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 84 Aurangzeb Section VI: The Last Foray into the Deccan
February 23, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 23 February 2021 On 8th September 1681 Aurangzeb, 63 years old and having been on the throne for 23 years, made a hasty peace with Mewar and set out from Ajmer for the Deccan, reaching Burhanpur on 13th November 1681. This was the culmination of a sequence of events in Rajputana, most of which […]
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Sanu Kainikara 
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