Mysore/Mysuru: A grand procession was taken out as part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanthotsava celebrations jointly organised by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj 397th Jayanthotsava Committee and District Administration, in city this morning.

The procession was flagged off by Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda. A statue and portrait of Shivaji Maharaj accompanied the procession which passed through Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, Chamaraja Wadiyar Circle, Albert Victor Road, K.R. Circle, Devaraja Urs Road, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle, Vinoba Road before culminating at Kalamandira where a stage programme was held. Various folk troupes including dollu kunita, bidiru bombe among others added glitter to the procession.

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Mysore/Mysuru: The District Administration and the Department of Kannada and Culture has organised a function to celebrate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti in city tomorrow (Feb. 19).

The function will be held at Kalamandira on Hunsur Road at 11.30 am which will be inaugurated by District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh and Jungle Lodges and Resorts Chairman C. Anil Kumar. MLA K. Harish Gowda will preside.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, Chamarajanagar MP V. Sreenivasa Prasad, Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambarish, MLAs Tanveer Sait, G.T. Devegowda, D. Ravishankar, G.D. Harish Gowda, Darshan Dhruvanarayan  and T.S. Srivatsa, MLCs Marithibbegowda, A.H. Vishwanath, Dr. D. Thimmaiah, C.N. Manjegowda and Madhu G. Madegowda will be the chief guests.

Senior littérateur and renowned orator Dr. Pradeep Kumar Hebri will be the main speaker, according to a press release from the Assistant Director of the Kannada and Culture Department. 

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The Mysuru District Administration, Kannada and Culture Department and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajara Jayanthyotsava Samiti had jointly organised a programme at Kirurangamandira in Kalamandira premises in city yesterday to mark Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti celebrations. Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Dr. B.S. Manjunatha Swamy, former MLA Maruthi Rao Pawar, Kannada & Culture Assistant Director H. Channappa and others offered floral tributes to the portrait of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the occasion.

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Domestic difficulties in his last days

[Continued from Apr. 22]

When everything looked good for Shivaji and his expanded empire which included an important Fort Gingee, deep inside Tamil country ruled by Shivaji’s second son Rajaram, his peace was soon clouded by the domestic difficulties.

Here, it must be mentioned that the last years of Shivaji’s life was marked by his role as a defender of Bijapur Sultanate. The Sultan was a minor and queen mother was disliked not only by her son but also by the courtiers because of her unbecoming conduct as the queen. She went on a cruise in the Arabian sea with Dutch sailors discovering a sudden taste for romance in her old age. A quarrel took place when the promise made to give a Bijapur Princess to one of Aurangazeb’s sons was broken leading to a war between Bijapur and Mughals. Dilir Khan, the Mughal General, attacked Bijapur territory and kept the city under siege.

The people of Bijapur became desperate. At last the queen mother of Bijapur approached Shivaji for help. Shivaji agreed to help under conditions conducive for his empire and sent two of his Generals to challenge Dilir Khan. The Mughal army was routed and Bijapur became a vassal State like Golkonda earlier. Historian Dennis Kincaid writes the priests of Bijapur offered prayers in the shrine of the religions bowing before the casket for Shivaji’s safety and prosperity. And as Shivaji rode on his horse into the Palace courtyard, he must have thought of the day, 42 years ago, when his father introduced him to the very Palace and the then Sultan. He must have remembered the occasion when he refused to prostate before the Sultan in a Persian style, instead saluting him in the Maratha style which was considered defiance of the Durbar protocol. As a result, as mentioned earlier, Shivaji’s father Shahaji who was a noble in Sultan’s court had to send Shivaji and his mother to their Jahagir on the Mughal border.

Surprisingly, despite the great victory at Bijapur, Shivaji somehow looked sad and thoughtful. He gave some excuses and immediately left Bijapur to Raigad. The historian writes that Shivaji must have become contemplative wondering at this strange reversal of fate — A neglected child becomes a rebel, now a life-long enemy like Bijapur welcoming him with servile adulation. Probably, these events must have made Shivaji more than ever conscious of the impermanence of everything, the change, the ending.

When Shivaji returned to his capital, his family and friends noticed a change in his demeanour and interaction with them. He appeared talking rather abnormally. He was suffering from increasing melancholy day by day so much so he wrote a letter to spiritual Guru Ramdas saying, “It would be good if God called me to his feet. I cannot bear being separated from my mother any longer.” It was a clear foreboding of his approaching death. There was a swelling on his knee which made walking very painful. Therefore, he was bed-ridden.

And soon he fell into a high fever. By April 3, 1680, he was in his death-bed. He asked those around him not to weep because their religion promised immortality. After one Brahman, who is known as the scapegoat for the purpose, absolved Shivaji and freed him from the burden of all his sins, except of adultery and murder, as per Hindu rituals, Shivaji breathed his last. The famous Bhavani Sword of Shivaji was taken from him and placed in the temple of the mother Goddess at Satara in Maharashtra where people say it could be seen even today.

When the news reached Delhi, Aurangzeb’s face lit up with joy. And yet spontaneously, he paid him a tribute in the following words as recorded by Historian Orme. Aurangzeb said, “Shivaji was a great captain and the only one who had the magnanimity to raise a new Kingdom. My armies were employed against him for 19 years. Nevertheless his territories have always been increasing.”

In contrast, a Mughal Historian Khafi Khan had expressed happiness exclaiming “the infidel has gone to hell.”

Interestingly, the English merchants in Surat and Bombay took a long time to be convinced that Shivaji could really be dead. Even eight months after his death, the English in Bombay were writing ‘Shivaji had died’ so often that some had begun thinking him to be immortal!

While describing in detail the funeral of Shivaji, the author writes, “under the tongue that had so often charmed, encouraged and inspired, they had placed a single emerald.” It was the month of April, a very hot summer, his body was carried in a great palanquin of State as per Hindu ritual and laid on the pyre with the head towards the north. It was already evening and the stars were coming out. Shivaji was aged 50 when he died. Some say he was 52.

[Concluded]

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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Coronation of Shivaji in June 1674

[Continued from Apr. 18]

So it was that the coronation was celebrated at Raigad in June 1674. A massive grand, opulent and  spectacular preparation was made for a month-long celebration. The coronation ceremony was performed by the greatest of the Brahman Ganga Bhat from Banaras known to be the most sacred city of India, the eternal city.

In the book written by Dennis Kincaid, I was not able to find a single name of those VIP guests who attended from among the Hindu Princes or the Mughal representatives or from the Sultanates. However, he writes “By a curious chance an embassy (representative) from a people with red faces was seen going to Shivaji’s court, an English deputation from Bombay.” 

This, I guess, has always been the English genius of diplomacy. No wonder in the next century and after it was British who nudged all other foreign powers in India, first the Mughals, then the Europeans and the remnant of Maratha power and themselves became the rulers!

Be that as it may, the book mentions of Shivaji’s food preferences while contrasting it to the huge appetite of the English who ate goat meat in huge quantities. According to the author, Shivaji himself had only one meal a day and that was only Kachori, a sort of pulse and rice mixed together and cooked in butter. 

At one point of the prolonged coronation ceremony, Shivaji’s mother Jijabai aged over 80 years was brought before the happening place of the ceremony in a litter, a cushioned seat carried by men. Shivaji got down from his seat and prostrated himself in obeisance at her feet while she blessed him by placing her hand on his head.

Then began further ceremonies for three days. It is best for me to quote the author at this point and leave it to our readers the role of the Brahman Ganga Bhat in preparing a non-Brahman Shivaji to wear the crown as a Hindu King.

“At last adjudged free from sin by the priests, he was invested by the Arch-Pontiff, Ganga Bhat, with the sacred thread, the badge of the twice-born and in his ear was whispered invocation to the sun which only the twice-born (a Brahman) may learn.” I think the whispered invocation could be the Gayatri Mantra. 

“Now in imitation of Mughal royalty Shivaji was weighed against precious metals and jewels, spices and wine and fruits and brocades all of which were distributed to Brahmans.”

It was on June 6th 1674 the rites of the coronation proper began. Shivaji entered the great hall of the Palace with his queen-consort Soyra beside him, their robes being knotted together and behind them came Shivaji’s mother and son Sambhaji followed by his eight Ministers. He approached his throne with a canopy of a gold cloth from which pearls hung in festoons. He mounted the throne to the booming of the guns in the city. Sixteen Brahman women advanced towards Shivaji and performed arati with burning lamps for good omen. 

His crown made of flowers were removed and in its place he put on a turban hung with tassels of jewels. The Pontiff Ganga Bhat immediately raised above his head the pearl-studded gold umbrella of imperial sovereignty. Immediately, the soldiers clashed their shields on the spears held by them even as the crowds cheered aloud victory for their King-Emperor.

Thereafter, Shivaji, the new Emperor, descended from his throne, walked across the hall and mounted a caparisoned elephant of the State and went in procession on the main thoroughfares of his capital Raigad.

Soon after the coronation, the season of monsoon set in and it began to rain. Everything looked good for Shivaji’s mother Jijabai who had lived to see her son, whom she had brought up in loneliness and poverty, as already mentioned in the earlier articles, crowned as a Hindu King in the midst of Muslim rulers all around. 

It seemed to Jijabai as though she had nothing further from life to desire. But a few days after Shivaji’s coronation, Jijabai fell ill and she realised she was nearing her end. As a woman of great prudence and experience, she ordered that all her personal goods and possessions be distributed to poor. On the fifth day of her illness, she died. Needless to say his mother’s death was a great blow to him.

For two years after his coronation, Shivaji as an Emperor (Chhatrapati) had a peaceful life without any military or administrative activities. Then in 1676, Shivaji fell seriously ill but soon recovered with a changed attitude towards life. To the shock and surprise of everybody, he declared his intention of abdicating the throne and leading a spiritual life as a religious mendicant. Though he was dissuaded from taking this unexpected and disastrous step, nevertheless he would disappear from his palace and wander alone in the forest and sit in meditation near a pool or under a giant tree. 

Back in the palace, he gave up sleeping on the soft royal bed and preferred to sleep on a peasant’s bed made of wood and string. His first wife had already died and her son, the heir-apparent to the throne, Sambhaji, was growing up, unfortunately into a reckless man. Shivaji was not able to get him under control. It may be mentioned that he was the one who accompanied Shivaji to Delhi to Aurangzeb’s Court. He was looked after by his second wife, queen-consort Soyra, who wished to have her own son Rajaram to inherit the throne. 

Therefore, a palace intrigue was set in motion which further disturbed Shivaji who wanted his eldest son Sambhaji to ascend the throne.

At the end of 1676, Shivaji recovered fully from his illness and also from his illusion of becoming an ascetic. He appeared to have regained his youthful vigour and decided to go on a last and greatest campaign to expand his Kingdom further, into the South West corner of India.

It was a time when Aurangzeb, because of his increasing religious bigotry, had alienated all his Rajput officers including Jaswanth Singh, who was the Governor of Deccan. According to historian Dennis Kincaid, Raja Jaswanth Singh, who died in 1678 (two years before Shivaji’s death in 1680) had dictated in his death bed a letter to the Emperor Aurangzeb in which he said, “God is the God of all mankind, not the God of Mohammedans alone. To vilify the religion or customs of other men is to set at naught the pleasure of the Almighty.” 

Shivaji realised that Mughal armies in the Deccan acted mostly on the defensive even after hearing of Shivaji’s proposed campaign along the Southern provinces. To neutralise the Mughal army while he went on his Southern campaign, Shivaji secretly sent a huge bribe to the Mughal Command-in-Chief. Then Shivaji set out from Raigad at the beginning of the new year with 70,000 men. 

First, he crossed Bijapur Territory without resistance and arrived at the borders of Golkonda, the richest kingdom ruled by a member of the Persian Qutabshahi dynasty by name Abuhussein, owing allegiance to the Mughal Emperor by paying heavy tribute. Golkonda was known for its diamond mines and gems. It also held the monopoly of alcohol especially the palm liquor, toddy. Another source of income was the brothels, more numerous than in any other Indian city. The brothels were also the distributing centre of toddy for obvious reasons thus increasing the sale of liquor and contributing to the State’s revenue.

After negotiation, the Golkonda Sultan agreed to pay tribute to Shivaji. After staying as Sultan’s guest for a few days, Shivaji continued his campaign and began to capture many forts on the way like Ananthpur, Jinji near Vellore which was fought and won from the Mughal army administered by Bijapur officer. Marching forward, he captured Vellore Fort after giving a fight and thereafter went to Thanjavur which was ruled by Shivaji’s step-brother, son of Shivaji’s father Shahji’s another wife Tukabai.

According to one version, from Golkonda, Shivaji asked his army to march towards the Karnatak border. Crossing the Krishna river, Shivaji, to everybody’s surprise, asked his Army Generals to continue the march towards South. He, however, slipped away from the army and accompanied only by Hanumante, the successful Brahman envoy to Golkonda, he visited the famous temple of God Shiva at Srisaila. 

For ten days, he remained in the temple fasting and in constant prayer. It was Hanumante who persuaded him to leave the temple and join his soldiers who would be leaderless without him. At last, he rejoined his army in Ananthpur. From here he headed towards Thanjavur  which was ruled by Shivaji’s half-brother Venkoji representing Bijapur Sultan. Afraid of Shivaji’s arrival with a huge army, Venkoji timidly offered to negotiate. Being used to negotiation, Shivaji too invited him to his camp. However, Shivaji, suspecting his half-brother’s good faith, demanded that five members of his delegation be given to Shivaji as hostages.

Venkoji was angry and defiant of Shivaji’s proposal. After a week of bargaining, Venkoji escaped by night from his brother’s camp and begged other Sultans for help, including the great Mughal. Shivaji could have kept five hostages with him but he was kind to these trembling hostages and sent them away with presents and robes of honour. 

After nearly a year in hiding, Venkoji finally surrendered to Shivaji. Shivaji, however, gave his step-brother the town of Thanjavur and some lands but he was to be under the supervision of Shivaji’s Ministers and the Brahman Hanumante, who in fact became the real ruler of Thanjavur. 

As for Venkoji, totally depressed by this disgrace, he adopted the life of a religious mendicant. By 1678, Shivaji had not only conquered Karnatak but also Mysore and beyond, leaving behind a large army in charge of his Generals and returned to his capital Raigad with an enormous amount of plunder. The time taken for this apparently effortless military operations by Shivaji was just 18 months.

[To be continued] 

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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[Continued from Apr. 15]

Historians differ in their opinions about the war that began between Mughal army and Shivaji following this letter. One version says Aurangzeb was busy dealing with a sudden Persian invasion in the North and Pathan rising at Peshawar. Here in the South it was a divided command between Dilir Khan, who was newly appointed to South, Emperor’s son Muazzam and Jaswanth Singh. Thus when Marathas decided to take revenge on Aurangzeb for his second attempt to arrest Shivaji deceitfully, as mentioned in his letter to his son Prince Muazzam, the Mughals drifted unawares into war with Marathas who decided to capture the two Forts near Pune — Purandar and Sinhagad —  which were with Mughals as per the second agreement with Commander Jaswanth Singh and Prince Muazzam.

There is another version which made Shivaji to attack these two Forts in possession of the Mughals and capture them. It is said Shivaji was at first nervous of attacking the Lion Fort and had to be urged by his mother. According to a Maratha folklore (ballad) Shivaji’s mother Jijabai was sitting one morning at the window of the Palace in Pratapgad combing her hair. When Sinhagad  Fort (Lion Fort) came into her view and was mesmerised by the sight, she remembered that it was in Mughal hands. 

She immediately sent a message to Raigad, the capital where Shivaji was and asked her son to come immediately. When Shivaji came, she did not tell him the purpose immediately but challenged him for a game of dice. Out of great reverence to his mother and also to honour her, he agreed. He lost the game and asked what she wanted as a prize for winning the game. She pointed towards the window and said, “Give me the Sinhagad.”

Since it was in Mughal hands, Shivaji offered her any other Fort she wished but his mother insisted on having the Lion Fort only. Helpless, Shivaji agreed.

Immediately Shivaji called his gallant Commandant Tanaji and ordered him to launch an attack on Sinhagad and capture it. History records this was one of the Forts which was very well fortified by high walls with smooth surface and without crevice or foothold.

Tanaji’s soldiers were unable to impregnate the Fort in their traditional method. Therefore, Tanaji ordered for a well-trained hill-iguana, a unique animal species of western India which is known in Marathi as Ghorpad.

These iguanas are sure-footed on a vertical smooth surface to ascend any height and they are so strong they can take the weight of a man. The Ghorpad that was brought by Tanaji was called Yeshwant. Do you remember the Defence Minister of India during the period of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Finance Minister under PM Indira Gandhi, Yashwantrao Chavan? With the help of Yeshwant, Tanaji sent one soldier on the Fort wall and the rest of the operation of taking soldiers up became easy. The Marathas, in that chill February night, climbed the Fort wall with rope ladders and poured over the wall yelling their battle cry, “Hurr! Hurr! Mahadev!” The war was won but their Commander Tanaji, who was standing on the edge of the wall, was suddenly attacked by an Afghan Mughal soldier and killed.

Shivaji and his mother saw the victory fire and flag of Marathas from their Palace Pratapgad. Shivaji told his mother with pride, “You have your fortress now.” However, when soldiers came with the sad news of Tanaji’s death, there was gloom all around. Shivaji said in sorrow, “I have won the Lion Fort but lost my Lion.” (Gad Aala, Sinh Gela). Later Tanaji’s brother Suryaji captured the other Fort Purandar from the Mughals.

In spite of the Mughal defeat, Emperor Aurangzeb ordered his Viceroy of Gujarat to go to Maratha country with fresh troops. But Shivaji’s army threw them out successfully.

Since the second Treaty of February 1668, a war was fought in which Shivaji decisively defeated Mughals and occupied two important Forts and also defeated the Mughals led by the Viceroy of Gujarat. Shivaji was the King and Lord of the Maratha country.

Now in September 1668 Shivaji prepared a second attack on Surat and on October 3, 1668 opened the assault. The Mughal General of Surat lost. Surat was looted to the last house and big merchants shifted to Bombay which thereafter benefited materially. The Mughals began to believe that English were in league with Shivaji and hence English were Maratha agents who collaborated in Surat’s attack by Shivaji.

With every victory against Mughal forces Shivaji’s ambition to add more territories to his kingdom also swelled. He marched to the South of Goa and built a castle upon a very high hill so that others could see his power and glory. Shivaji threatened a third attack on Surat to mislead the Mughals and make them move their forces from Central India towards Surat. Shivaji’s strategy worked. He moved his forces and captured the Mughal territory Khandesh. The Emperor was furious and he sent reinforcement of 40,000 under General Mahabat Khan who was an elderly person but fun-loving. In his camp there were his friends and 400 selected Afghan dancing girls. His army met Shivaji’s army in 1672 only to be defeated with heavy causalities on Mughal side. But Aurangzeb was not the one to accept defeat. He appointed a new Viceroy Bahadur Khan to wage war against Shivaji. But unfortunately Marathas remained dominant against a demoralised Mughal army. Bahadur Khan simply sank from the battle.

After thus reducing the Mughal armies in the Deccan to a mere presence while the Mughal Generals and Viceroys were wallowing in luxury,  Shivaji suddenly turned his attention towards east of India and advanced against the Kingdom of Golconda. Hastily the Musalman King of a rich Golconda offered two million gold pagodas as tribute.

Shivaji was now Supreme in South India and for Hindus he seemed a great defender of Hindu faith against the Muslim Mughal Emperor and other Muslim Sultans. Shivaji thus decided to give a dramatic exhibition of his increasing power and authority by becoming an Emperor. Accordingly he announced he would hold a grand coronation in the manner of old Emperors of India like Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya, Prithviraj Chauhan and the like.

[To be continued] 

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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[Continued from Apr. 12]

Shivaji on his return to Raigad from the prison of Aurangzeb in Agra took over the administration of the Government from his mother and the Ministers. Officially, there appeared a sort of peace between Mughal Emperor and Raja Shivaji even though the agreement was broken by the Emperor by his imprisonment and attempted murder. All things considered, neither Shivaji nor Aurangzeb desired war.

In the meanwhile, Aurangzeb after dismissing Raja Jai Singh appointed another great Rajput King Maharaja of Jodhpur by name Jaswanth Singh. It was curious, Aurangzeb, who suspected a Hindu Raja Jai Singh and his son Ram Singh of being sympathetic to a fellow Hindu Warrior King Shivaji, should have appointed another Hindu to command the army of the South. The reason for this was said to be Aurangzeb’s suspicion of all his Muslim Generals with their ambitions. Therefore, Aurangzeb relied, in spite of him being a bigot and a Muslim fanatic, on Hindu Generals. 

However, according to Historians, Aurangzeb made fatal mistake of a divided command by making his son, the pleasure-loving Prince Mauzzam, the Viceroy of the South in-charge of the civil administration while Jaswanth Singh was made the Commander of the armed forces. With these two appointments, Aurangzeb hoped that each would spy on the other and thus he would get information about the doings of both. In short, Aurangzeb wanted his two top officials in the South to spy on each other.

Unfortunately, for Aurangzeb, Jaswanth Singh was a smooth operator with a gift of the gab. He flattered the Prince by supplying polo ponies and organising wrestling bouts to keep him entertained. The result was the Prince allowed Jaswanth Singh to take over the administration also apart from the army. There was no military activity by the Mughals with Shivaji for over a year and finally in February 1668, a Treaty was drawn up with very different terms and conditions from those accepted by Shivaji when he surrendered to Raja Jai Singh.

Surprisingly, under the new Treaty with Jaswanth Singh, most of the 27 Forts occupied by the Mughal troops in accordance with the earlier Treaty were returned to Shivaji. Only two Forts namely Purandar and Sinhagad, the Lion Fort, were retained by the Mughal Emperor.

Soon after this, Shivaji wrote a letter to Aurangzeb who replied saying that he dignified him with the title of Raja and hoped Shivaji would show greater capacity to work for the Emperor. Apparently, it was an unpleasant exercise to Aurangzeb in the art of face-saving. Following this development, the Bijapur Sultan too surrendered to Shivaji paying tributes. For two years thereafter, Shivaji remained at peace with his two Muslim neighbours, Mughals and Bijapur Sultans. The English and other European merchants at Surat were very happy about these years of peace among the Kings and Sultans. Shivaji on his part engaged himself in organising the administration of his kingdom. He introduced new system of tax, giving special concession to the farmers whose lands and properties were devastated by the Mughal invaders. 

He put in place a just and equal land tenure and also centralised the administration of justice taking it away from the erratic feudal system. As a result, Shivaji’s Maratha country recovered from the losses of the wars. Shivaji introduced a sensible and just system of taxation. It is quite interesting to read the details of the manner in which Shivaji levied land tax to farmers. I guess today’s experts who levy agricultural taxes would be wiser if they read the details of what Shivaji did in this regard in the                  17th century.

It is significant to realise that the revenue system of Shivaji was the basis of the agricultural administration in the British India. There was no tax terrorism as seen in today’s India!

Under Shivaji, the State was administered by a Council of eight Ministers. Probably, Shivaji had not heard of Navaratnas in the Court of Emperor Ashoka the Great! If only he had added one more Councillor, there would have been Navaratnas  in the Court of Emperor Shivaji the Great also!!

Be that as it may, among the Councillors was also a Chief Justice to dispense justice. Interestingly, all his Councillors were Brahmins with the exception of the War Minister,  who was a Maratha. Who says caste system those days was not based on dharma — the work one does?!

When everything seemed going well for Shivaji and the Mughal representatives in the South, Prince Mauzzam and the new Commander Jaswanth Singh,  Aurangzeb was suspicious of his own son who he thought would adopt his own method of ascending the throne. We know how Aurangzeb killed his brothers and imprisoned his father Shah Jahan and occupied the Mughal throne. Aurangzeb suspected some secret triple alliance, call it a conspiracy between his son Prince Muazzam, the new Mughal Commander Jaswanth Singh and Shivaji to overthrow him. Therefore, he sent a secret letter to his son Prince Muazzam to entice Shivaji to his Palace, arrest him and send him to Delhi where Aurangzeb was in residence. There would be no escape this time for Shivaji, Aurangzeb thought.

However, when the messenger from the Emperor arrived, his son Muazzam, who already knew about the letter through his own spies in Delhi, made a show of obeying his father’s instructions, knowing that Shivaji was already informed of the plot for his capture.

[To be continued] 

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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The great escape and predicament of priest Kashi !

[Continued from April 9]

At Mathura, Shivaji  moved around in disguise with the help of a friendly Brahmin named Kashi. Shivaji shaved his head, removed his moustache and beard, smeared his face with ashes and put on the yellow robe as a religious mendicant. He had at his waist a begging bowl and in his hand a pilgrim’s bamboo staff. 

The bamboo staff had been hollowed out and Shivaji carried treasure inside this stick apparently to bribe whenever necessary. Shivaji then left his tired son behind with the Brahmin Kashi to protect him as his own son while Shivaji and his companions set out on a journey of hundreds of miles to Maratha country — Pune.

On his journey, he discovered that in every town and village the Mughal officials had announced rewards to those who helped in capturing Shivaji. In one village, he was actually captured on suspicion but after judging the Officer’s character Shivaji with his usual acumen bribed him with some jewels and the Inspector allowed Shivaji to proceed. It was then Shivaji changed his direction of journey and headed to Banaras (Kashi), the most holy place of Hindus. 

The Mughal spies came to know that Shivaji was in Banaras, but here too Shivaji bribed a Brahmin who was likely to be a Mughal informant and quietly left Banaras. At last, a few months later, Shivaji reached his kingdom where his mother Jijabai was still acting as Regent. She had heard of Shivaji’s escape in August that year but nothing about his whereabouts, even after four months. It was on a December morning, a tired and weakened Shivaji in the guise of a mendicant appeared before his mother. The news of Shivaji’s return spread like lightning over the Maratha country. There were festivities and celebrations with people pouring in to get a glimpse of the King who had returned from captivity.

The Mughal Viceroy of the South, Raja Jai Singh, who stood guarantee for Shivaji’s safe return from Mughal Court in Agra did not know how to react to Shivaji’s return escaping from the Mughal prison. He knew Shivaji’s imprisonment was a breach of the safe conduct he had promised to Shivaji, but he was worried about Aurangzeb’s action in holding his son responsible for Shivaji’s escape from the prison.

Unfortunately, Raja Jai Singh was also accused of his complicity in Shivaji’s escape. There was fear and grief in the heart of Raja Jai Singh at the fag end of his long service to the Mughal Emperor.

Raja Jai Singh said, “There is no medicine against fate,” and appeared to reconcile to his fate as he awaited words from the Emperor. Indeed soon it came. Raja Jai Singh was dismissed from his post as Viceroy and ordered to go to Agra and meet the Emperor. With shame and apprehension, Raja Jai Singh travelled slowly northward to Agra. Fate seemed kind to him that he died on the way and did not have to face the Emperor. His son Ram Singh also died of Plague in Assam where he was sent by Aurangzeb.

As mentioned earlier, Shivaji, to make his journey after escaping from the prison safe,  had left his son in Mathura with a Brahmin named Kashi. Though Shivaji’s companions from Agra had arrived in Raigad, Pune, the problem of getting his son seemed very serious because Mughal soldiers were still looking for him in Mathura. Here also, Shivaji used his cunning to mislead the Mughal officials. He announced that he had received intelligence of his son Sambhaji’s death. He wept bitterly and ordered all his followers to go in for mourning. The Mughal agents were completely deceived by this show of sorrow and assumed that the news must be correct. The Mughal agents in Mathura gave up their search for Sambhaji.

Many days later, Shivaji sent his trusted officials with a letter to Brahmin Kashi at Mathura, pleading with him to bring Sambhaji to Raigad.

Accordingly, Kashi and Sambhaji, still disguised as a Brahmin boy, began their journey to Maratha country. Even when they thought that it would be a smooth passage for them to Raigad, at Ujjain they were confronted by a Mughal Police Officer who, looking at the demeanour of the young Brahmin boy, thought the boy was not priest Kashi’s son. “Is he really your son ?” the Officer asked. Kashi said yes and told the Officer that they were returning after a pilgrimage to their village. 

The Mughal Officer was not convinced and wanted to test the truth of the boy being his son. The Mughal Officer asked him, “If he is really your son, let me see you both eating out of the same plate.” This indeed was an acid test for Brahmin priest Kashi because for a Brahmin to eat with a non-Brahmin (like Sambhaji) was a gross infringement of caste rules. Of course, this impure act could be atoned by expensive and wearisome penance. However, Kashi realised the Police Officer was watching his every expression and waiting for his instant answer. Intelligent  Brahmin that he was, Kashi never showed for a moment his reluctance.

He and Sambhaji sat down to eat together from the same plate. Convinced by the proof of kinship, the Mughal Police released them and they reached Raigad without further difficulties.

[To be continued] 

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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Life as a prisoner… and the great escape!

[Continued from April 6]

Shivaji in turn sent a message to the Prime Minister Umdat-ul-Mulk reminding him of the safe conduct granted to him. The message was to be conveyed to Aurangzeb. Unfortunately for Shivaji, the official to whom he gave the message happened to be the brother-in-law of Shayista Khan (whose thumb Shivaji cut off in an attack). He was intriguing in the Palace for Shivaji’s murder. This official never gave Shivaji’s letter to the Prime Minister and naturally Shivaji never got any reply from the Emperor.

Luck indeed had a major role in Shivaji’s life of dare-devilry and military challenges. It was Aurangzeb’s favourite daughter named Zinat-un-Nisa who came to his rescue. She had been watching the Durbar through a lattice and she had fallen in love with Shivaji. She had interceded for him with her father. Raja Jai Singh’s son Ram Singh too was pleading continually for Shivaji’s life and safety.

Three months had passed and Shivaji remained as prisoner in Agra. Shivaji showed no signs of anxiety and was friendly with the guards and officials. Shivaji, a man of extraordinary imagination in times of crisis like this one, had seen many such situations earlier in his life. Thus he began to plan for his escape all the time pretending to have accepted his fate as the prisoner of the Mughal Emperor. 

One day, Shivaji asked the Emperor if his wife and mother could come and live with him in Agra. The Emperor was only too happy to give his consent thinking, with his mother and wife beside him, he would remain a prisoner or surrender completely to the service of the Mughal Court. However, they never came to Agra and Aurangzeb thought it was only a delay because of the rainy season in Pune (Maratha country) and travelling would be difficult. In the meanwhile, Aurangzeb began to think that the tales he heard of Shivaji’s valour and cunning were only fables told by his officers as an excuse for their own failures. 

Shivaji made a second request to Aurangzeb to send back all his escorts of Maratha horsemen saying as a prisoner he (Shivaji) had no use for them. Aurangzeb was only very happy to grant his request. Now the Mughal guards in the prison thought they have nothing to fear from Shivaji. Shivaji began to cultivate  Persian way of manners and food habits with the nobles of the Court to whom he used to send gifts of sweets and fruits and even food dishes prepared by his cook in a Maratha style in huge baskets. Shivaji too used to get such gifts in a reciprocal gesture.

By August that year, Shivaji fell seriously ill. He was bed-ridden and looked after by the Palace Physicians. It was from this sick bed that Shivaji planned to escape.

Aurangzeb’s daughter who had developed special affection and love for Shivaji was successful in urging Aurangzeb to be patient with Shivaji as a prisoner. In the meanwhile,  Shivaji fell ill to the point of being bed-ridden as mentioned earlier. However, his sickness could also be his cunning. He wanted the Mughal officials to know that the doctors alone could not cure him and begged the sentries guarding him to allow two of his servants to buy some horses to gift them to the temple of Lord Krishna at Mathura, located between Agra and Delhi. 

The officer Polad Khan, who was in-charge of Shivaji’s security, took it as Hindu’s superstition and allowed Shivaji’s servants to take the horses as requested by Shivaji. On August 19, 1666, Shivaji felt much better and told the official that he wanted to offer two baskets of fruits to one of the Court officials. The chief of Police, who was in-charge of Jaipur House where Shivaji was imprisoned, did not raise any objection for Shivaji’s request. Therefore, two baskets came out of Jaipur House swinging on their bamboos without the sentries searching the baskets.

When the porters carrying the two baskets were out of sight from the Jaipur House, they put those baskets down. Out of one basket, Shivaji came out and out of the other basket his son Sambhaji stepped out. The porters removed their clothes and there were two Maratha Officers who stayed with Shivaji after he had sent home his other retainers.

It was recorded that while Shivaji left the Jaipur House in the basket, one more Officer of Shivaji by name Heera was used as a decoy for Shivaji. (It is said Shivaji had many doubles as decoys which led to his enemy’s failure to catch him at all). Heera was made to lay down on Shivaji’s bed, wearing Shivaji’s clothes and his trademark chaplet of pearls. He pulled his blanket up to his neck and turned his face to the wall as though fever had returned. Heera kept one arm outside the blanket so that Shivaji’s bracelet and Shivaji’s signet ring (ring used as signature of Raja Shivaji in messages by stamping it on the letter) could easily be seen. 

In the morning, the doctor came for massage and later at noon the guards also noticed that everything was normal with Shivaji lying down with fever. One report says, Shivaji known for his cunning and ability to bribe or charm his people must have either bribed or charmed the doctor and even the guards.

In such a conducive situation, Heera quietly left Shivaji’s bed, put on his own clothes and walked out of the front door accompanied by the Physician who came to massage him, the masseur. Heera told the sentries who stopped him that Shivaji had sent him to buy drugs and ointments from the bazaar. That was the last trace of Shivaji, the Maratha warrior,  in the Jaipur House as a prisoner of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor. 

It was only when there were no human movements or sound of human voices and no lamps were lit in the evening Polad Khan, the Police chief and his men realised what had happened. Polad Khan hurried to the Palace and flung himself before Emperor Aurangzeb. “Witchcraft, witchcraft!” he stammered and said, “He has vanished. Whether he has flown through the air out of the window or disappeared down into the earth we do not know,” Polad Khan told the Emperor.

According to another version, it was Ram Singh, son of Raja Jai Singh whom Aurangzeb had made responsible for Shivaji’s safe custody in the Jaipur Palace prison who broke the news to Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb immediately deprived Ram Singh of his rank and property and banished him to Assam where he died or might have been killed. The Palace courtiers in the meanwhile were whispering that the Mughal Emperor had silently ordered the murder of Shivaji that night and Shivaji might have known this decision of the Emperor and hence planned his escape as quickly as he could.

By now, Shivaji and his son Sambhaji had crossed the river in the ferryboat by bribing the boatman not to tell the Emperor’s Officers that he had carried Shivaji and his son across the River Jamuna. From here, Shivaji headed towards Mathura on horseback, the horses that his servants took out of Jaipur House as an offering to Krishna temple.

[To be continued] 

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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Shivaji goes to Aurangzeb’s Durbar… imprisoned

[Continued from April 4]

Three days after Shivaji’s arrival, the Emperor was to hold a Durbar and Shivaji was summoned for his first interview with Aurangzeb. Accompanied by Raja Jai Singh’s son Ram Singh, his son Sambhaji and attended by their retainers, Shivaji rode to the main gateway of the Palace. Here, they were asked to dismount. Only Princes of the Mughal blood were allowed to continue on horse back into the Palace enclosure from here.

However, Shivaji’s arrival was heralded by the sound of trumpets from the band room over the gate. From that gate, Shivaji, along with his retainers, proceeded slowly through a red archway that ended at the outer Hall of Audience. On either side of this Hall of Audience could be seen the legendary Mughal gardens and courtiers in their colourful robes. There were pillars covered with gold leaves. In short, the Hall of Audience was magnificently adorned. 

A courtier ushered Shivaji and Ram Singh,…… into the Hall of Audience which was attached to the main Palace. This was even more magnificent and spectacular. Just above the Hall of Audience was the balcony of the throne. The throne upon which the Mughal Emperor sat was known as “The Seat of the Shadow of God.”

There was a flowered curtain at the back of the balcony and at about noon, to the sound of the trumpets and drums, this flowered curtain was drawn apart and Emperor Aurangzeb emerged walking in from his private  quarters and took his seat on the throne. Behind him could be seen a massive peacock constructed out of blue sapphires and pearls. Over his head, there were two umbrellas of red velvet sewn with rubies. Wearing white silk robes and a turban made of gold cloth studded with diamonds, over his forehead was an enormous topaz. A group of eunuchs were  providing gentle breeze by stirring the air with specially made fans of yak’s tails and of peacock’s feathers.

Below the balcony, there were railed-in enclosures where invitees were seated according to their status. As if to impress or intimidate the invitees, with the possibility of the Emperor punishing any one in the audience for whatever reason the Emperor deems just, there was a Master Hangman standing in the middle of the audience. He was accompanied by forty other hangmen wearing a different dress and carrying a hatchet (heavy sword) on their shoulders while others carried metal or leather whips. Then began the slow ceremony of the Durbar.

As Emperor Aurangzeb entered the Durbar, all the courtiers stood up, bent their heads and crossed their hands upon their breasts expressing their supreme submission and awe at the royal appearance.

Then began the slow ceremonial protocol of the Durbar. Needless to say, it was elaborate. There was an elephant march in front of the Emperor. One Historian records that there were unicorns in the procession of animals. The power and glory this Mughal Emperor carried in his person was described by a Historian in the following manner: “Occasionally, the Emperor permitted himself a remark, an oral reaction to what he saw. Those around him of his household and eunuchs would lean forward to catch every syllable that he uttered. Then, bending over the balcony railings would repeat the august comment of the Emperor to those below who were craning up their necks to hear those words of the Emperor. They would then express awe saying in refrain Karamat, Karamat (a miracle!) with raised arms. 

At last, the serious business of the Durbar began. The first name heralded to appear before the Emperor was the Prime Minister, Umdat-ul-Mulk. Thereafter, the courtiers and officials were summoned to appear before the balcony to be seen by the Emperor. Each one of them performed what was known as “Taslim,” a particular kind of salute reserved only to the Emperor. 

This required one to bend too low to place the back of the right hand on the ground and then raising the hand slowly till the person stood erect and then placing the palm of the hand on the crown of his head. This “Taslim” had to be repeated thrice and then he made his offering to the Emperor in the form of gifts, jewels or money on a gold tray. If the Emperor was pleased with the gift, he would place his open palm upon it. The tray was then taken behind the throne. 

It was 12th of May 1666. After the Ministers had thus presented their gifts, the herald cried aloud, “Shivaji Raja.” Immediately, Shivaji with his son Sambhaji and ten Maratha Officers moved to the enclosure below the balcony carrying a tray with a heap of 2,000 gold mohurs. However, Shivaji, instead of performing the “Taslim,” saluted in a Maratha style by raising his hands in “Salaam” thrice to the Emperor bowing low and touching his forehead with his open hand.

There was a moment’s silence in the hall. The courtiers and Ministers covertly watched the Emperor for his reaction. Aurangzeb was impassive, without any expression on his face. He accepted Shivaji’s gift  by nodding his head and was seen whispering to an official. The official immediately descended from the balcony and approaching Shivaji took him away from the centre of the hall to an enclosure where minor nobility in ranks were standing and went away. It was clear the Emperor was looking for an excuse to revoke the safe conduct assured to Shivaji during his visit to Agra and Durbar. Shivaji was upset. He was addressed by the herald (announcer) as Shivaji Raja. How then could a Raja be made to stand among lesser courtiers? 

Shivaji turned round and asked a neighbour and began to protest creating a stir in the assembly. Ram Singh was alarmed and tried to calm Shivaji and promised to persuade the Emperor to treat Shivaji with honour that was his due. Aurangzeb, who noticed the interruption caused by Shivaji, ignored it and directed the officials to proceed with the ceremony of weighing the Emperor against gold to commence. After this ceremony, the Durbar came to an end.

Shivaji and Ram Singh returned together to Jaipur House. Soon, a surprise awaited Shivaji when soldiers on horseback surrounded the Jaipur House followed by foot soldiers and gunners who trained cannons at every door of the House. Shivaji knew what it was all about and he sank upon the divan (sofa) and burst into tears even as his son Sambhaji came to comfort him. 

Shivaji thought it was his last farewell to his son as the Emperor might have planned his immediate execution. Surprisingly, it became clear Emperor Aurangzeb had no such plans to execute Shivaji, instead had plans to torture him with suspense. So much so Aurangzeb was sending Shivaji little messages with some fruits for what purpose nobody knew.

[To be continued] 

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

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