Today is the birth anniversary of the greatest Maratha ruler ever-known — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in Pune district, he carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. He was crowned as the Chhatrapati (Monarch) of his realm at Raigad in 1674 and subsequently, established a progressive civil rule with the help of a disciplined military and well-structured administrative organisations.
At the young age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj seized the Toma fort and by the age of 17 had seized the Raigad and Kondana forts. Shivaji Maharaj as he is popularly known was named Shivaji Bhonsle and was a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan.
Shivaji Maharaj is known for his military and civil administration. He was named after the local Goddess Shivai to whom his mother Jijabai prayed for a son. Shivaji’s father Shahaji Bhonsle was the chief of the Bijapur kingdom. Shivaji Maharaj was the creator of the Maratha kingdom and he was instrumental in uniting the Maratha chiefs of Mayal, Konkan, and Desh regions.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not only a hero for the people of Maharashtra but also for the rest of India as his military prowess and guerilla tactics of warfare are considered of great importance in the Indian history.
Chhatrapati Shivaji only person who noticed a major flaw in the war machinery of the established Empires and Sultanates. It was riddled with the jagirdari system. The king appointed a trustee of the estate, or huge lands (jagir) to his jagirdars. Instead of a salary, jagirdars were given the right over the land revenue from the region that fell in their jagir. With those funds they were to maintain a contingent of horsemen for their king (to help their king in times of war) as well as use some of the money for their personal expenses. They had no hereditary rights over the estates the king bestowed upon them.
On the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, several processions are taken out and people dress up like Shivaji and his associates. Shivaji Jayanti is an official statewide holiday in Maharashtra. Shivaji Jayanti is also celebrated in Goa and Karnataka. There are processions and dramas enacted on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and speeches made on Shivaji Jayanti by prominent government officials on this day.
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