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The world is flooded with literature on Western kings, leaders, and personalities. Indians know much about Alexander, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King Jr. But how much do we know about our own kings and leaders, especially the ones who influenced the West?
One particular king, Shivaji Bhonsale, was compared by a Portuguese Viceroy to Caesar and Alexander, due to the Maratha king’s “cunning, valor, agility, and military foresight.” Based on this assessment, it would be fair to call Shivaji one of the most prolific kings in history.
Shivaji was virtuous and prolific par excellence. But he couldn’t achieve what he did without brave and wise councilmen, soldiers, and successors. Their stories inform us of our illustrious past, instill pride within us, and inspire us to follow the path of dharma, in their footsteps.
One such recounting of valid Indian history is The Maratha Century. The book encapsulates the journey of the Maratha Empire, from the beginning of their quest for freedom in 1646, to their rise to paramountcy in the 18th century, and eventually their fall in the 19th century. Apart from Shivaji, it contains brief stories of Bajirao, Chimaji Appa, the Patwardhans, Ramshastri Prabhune, Mahadji Scindia, and others.
The author Uday S. Kulkarni has also written close to a dozen books on Maratha history. His knowledge shines in the seamlessly connected structure and narrations of stories, without making them appear like hagiographies - the hallmark of a historian.
The following article highlights the book The Maratha Century by Uday S. Kulkarni.
On Valor — Subhedar Tanaji Malusare
When Shivaji made up his mind to capture Sinhgad Fort, it was under Rajput Killedar Uday Bhan who was serving the Mughals. Uday Bhan was a powerful foe, making the task Herculean.
As the story goes, Shivaji Raje was lamenting the absence of a warrior to take on the might of Uday Bhan when Tanhaji walked in to invite Shivaji for his son’s wedding. Hearing about the campaign, Tanhaji asked for permission to lead the effort. Shivaji acceded, but asked the Subhedar to do so after his son’s wedding. To which Tanhaji replied, “There will first be Kondana’s wedding and then my son Raiba’s.”
Tanhaji and just 500 men stormed the fort with only sword and shield against the garrison of 1200 men. During the battle, Tanhaji came face-to-face with Uday Bhan and a duel ensued. Tanhaji’s shield broke and he couldn’t find another, so he shielded himself with his left hand. Both warriors inflicted fatal wounds upon each other, to which they succumbed.
When the fort was captured, Shivaji said, “A fort has been taken, but one fort too has been lost.”
On Astuteness
It is said that in the time of Madhavrao Peshwa, the Maratha army in Savanur was in arrears of pay.
Once, the Mughal sultan Hyder Ali disguised himself as a fakir and came to observe the Maratha camp. Sakharam Bapu, a full wise man among the three-and-a-half wise men, became suspicious of the fakir’s military gait and summoned him to his tent. When confronted, Hyder Ali admitted to who he really was and offered Sakharam Bapu two lakh rupees to be released, to which he agreed.
When Madhavrao discovered this, he summoned Sakharam Bapu and charged him with accepting a bribe. Sakharam Bapu said he didn’t take the bribe personally but remitted it to the treasury to pay his army the arrears. The Peshwa accepted and the army was paid.
On Justice
As a young boy, Ramshastri Prabhune was turned out of his home after his parents died, and was employed in menial jobs in the beginning. He then studied dharma śāstra in Kashi, became a śāstrī, and returned to Pune to join Nanasaheb Peshwa as a simple clerk. Within eight years, he was appointed as a judge, due to his character and wisdom.
Once, he couldn’t meet Madhavrao Peshwa because the latter was busy with his prayers. So Ramshastri returned home and requested permission to retire to Kashi. When Madhavrao realized his mistake and apologized, Ramshastri plainly said,
As a ruler, it behooves you to attend to the welfare of your people. If you cannot, quit the musnad, accompany me, and devote your life strictly to those observances, which I fully admit, our faith enjoys.
The Peshwa then mended his ways to be more present for his people instead of spending long hours engaged in religious activity.
Ramshastri’s impartial judgment in the murder of Narayanrao Peshwa is said to have led to the ousting of the perpetrator Ragunathrao, who was until then serving as Peshwa after Narayanrao.
Other Cultural Insights
The Maratha Century highlights the intellectual advancement of the Maratha Empire. Like the Adnyapatra (a comprehensive document on administration), where Shivaji stated:
Their (Europeans’) interference should be restricted to the extent of only coming and going. They should strictly never be given places to settle or allowed to visit the sea forts. If some place has to be given for a factory, it should not be at the mouth of a river or at the shores of a sea… It should be given to two or four famous towns distant about eight or sixteen miles from the mouth of the sea… These places must be low-lying and within the range and control of the neighboring town…
Also their attention to the tiniest detail. For instance, during the wedding preparations of Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa, the eagle-eyed Nana Phadnis wrote an extensive note on duties, instructions, and names. These instructions included the type of fireworks, how to accompany guests to their residence, and even the size of lamps and jars. The latter were to be small so that water didn’t spill on guests’ clothes and excess water didn’t make the ground muddy.
And their physical training — wrestling, archery, sword-fighting, gymnasium, horse-riding, and so on. In 1792, while watching Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa training at the foot of the Parvati Hill, Robert Mabon wrote:
The Peshwa after riding a course with a long spear, on the end of which was stuck a small ball, approached the little pile of stones at full gallop: he struck it and it fell.
Conclusion
Swami Vivekananda once said, “In ancient times, there was little hankering after name and fame in men. So it often happened that one man composed a book and made it pass current in the name of his Guru or of someone else.”
One can assume a similar culture existed among the Marathas. There are stories of a few good men; but the underlying principles of valor, righteousness, and wisdom permeated throughout the culture. No wonder the Marathas ended the Mughul rule and were a threat to the British until the demise of Mahadji Scindia.
Most of their stories were not documented—in fact, they are probably unknown. But a few have been narrated in The Maratha Century. This book can whet your appetite for Maratha (and Indic) history and fill you with pride over being an Indian.
About the Author
Vishal Kataria is the creator of the Daily Sattvik, a blog that shares quotes from Indian sages, scriptures, and monks, along with short, practical commentary on how their timeless wisdom can make us better versions of ourselves in today’s times. It can also be found on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform.