The great Shivaji maharaj needs no introduction , especially for a marathi person. We have heard and read a lot about Shivaji in history books, in Babasheb Purandare's lectures, in several blogs on the internet. I read the book Shriman yogi recently , and was spellbound. Sriman Yogi, although relatively new to me, is really an old novel by Ranjeet Desai. Desai's strength is his dramatic language (rather than his knowledge of history) which touches your heart and transports you back in time to the very scenes the battles. Very less information is available about those times, and the author has painstakingly rebuilt the characters from "bakhars" (political accounts written by special writers of those times) of Marathas, Englishmen, Moghals, and other research already done on the topic. Often the bakhars are heavily influenced by the writers, their limited knowledge of the political situation, and the natural human tendency to exaggerate. Desai has made an attempt to weave the complete story, right from his birth to the his "mahanirwana". What makes the novel "unputdownable" is the dialogues and the fast place (despite its 1000 pages) making it more exciting that a Frederick Forsyth thriller. Desai uses his skill and experience as an accomplished novelist fully, and that makes it stand out from other drab commentaries that perhaps only history students will be able to digest. The scenes of killing of Afzalkhan, the attack on Shaistekhan, battle of ghodkhind, escape from agra are still flashing in front of my eyes.
Shivaji stands out from other kings (especially the rapacious Mughals who looted their subjects and built lofty monuments, tretaed enemy captives in the most inhuman way and sold enemy women as slaves) in his vision to build a Swaraj (on the model of 'Ramrajya') where the subjects could live a life of dignity. He not only freed the territory from the clutches of the Mughlas, but also established an efficient governance and tax system. He abolished watandars, so that the revenue came directly to the crown and there were no middlemen to pockets commissions. He built a strong navy and forts like Sindhudurg to protect the kingdom from foreigners like Portuguese and English. He himself lived a frugal lifestyle. Crimes were punishable with heavy penalties, often severing hands and limbs and the dignity of women was never compromised. He employed the best people for the job and nepotism was totally discouraged. Everyone was free to practice his own religion. He pardoned his enemies and often built successful partnerships with them. He knew of his limitations (his kingdom and army were a fraction of the mughals) and therefore awas cautious in his ventures. In the style of "phantom rough on roughnecks", he dealt with treacherous people in their own language , but never compromising on principles. He had many muslims in his employment, sardars like siddhi hilal. Shivaji had probably never read Chanakya, but he practiced the principles thoroughly. Shivaji's ahered to dharma (dharma means principles, not religion) . Saints like Samartha Ramdas Swami has written words of great praise for Shivaji, describing him as a "Shrimant yogi"
In some ways it reminds of the jargon we use today in the corporate world today. Vision, Mission, values..institution building .. Swot analysis.. Professional attitudes, employee empowerment? Probably Shivaji would have been a very successful CEO in today's world.
The book succeeds in one more way in that it kindles your curiosity to look for more information and that led me to the book Sambhaji by vishwas Patil.Sambhaji is often projected as a villain engrossed in wine and women. But do we know that after Shivaji's death, Sambhaji defended the Maratha empire for nine long years, at a time when Aurangazeb himself came to deccan with an army of around half a million, which was more than three times the Maratha Army? While Sambhaji's rebellion against his father is well known, what is not is that he was probably driven to this situation by his step mother Soyarabi(mother of Shivaji's second son Rajaram, who was very young at the time of Shivaji's death) and some of Shivaji's ashtapradhan (council of ministers). AfterS hivaji's death in 1680 (speculated to be due to poisoning by Soyrabai) Sambhaji successfully overcame the rebellion against him with the help of Maratha army commander Hambirrao Mohite. Incidently Soyrabai was Hambirrao's sister
but he did not let the relation cloud his judgement. Sambhaji later sentenced the rebels Annaji Datto and Hiroji Farjad (his uncle, Shahaji's illegitimate child) to death. Sambhaji was a poet and an emotional person which sometimes against him, because being emotional is not useful in poltics.
Aurangazeb had come to the south (i.e south of Narmada) with an intention to defeat Sambhaji within a year. But he eventually had to stay there for 27 long years (See : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_War_of_Independence ) . Shivaji's great contribution was in reinstating the Maratha pride in the minds of the people and creating the institutional framework that lasted long after his death. Sambhaji fought for nine years. After his capture, people continued to fight, in whatever way they could. In the end aurangazeb died a sad man, having spent all his money and effort fighting a small kingdom, which refused to quit. The Mughal empire practically vanished after his death and the sun of the Maratha empire rose.
The recent marathi movie 'Mi Shivaji Raje bhosale boltoy" seeks to rekindle the lost marathi bana of the present days Marathas. It is the story of a Bhosale kulwant - Dinkarrao Bhosale (played by Sachin Khedekar) who is frustrated by his own and the situation of maharashtrians in general. He laments that maharashtrians have fallen behind others in all spheres of life and lead a life of misery and disrespect. they are nowhere in the business and political circles. Shivaji maharaj (played by Director Mahesh Manjrekar himself) comes back to earth and exhorts Dinkarrao to remember the golden days when the marathas had the throne of delhi under their belt (or sword if u may say ).
An interesting movie.
Har Har Mahadev!
