Ransacking History: Bickering over Shivaji Maharaj’s Legacy

The legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has sparked a political storm in Maharashtra, with NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jayant Patil’s comments labelling the great 17th century warrior-king’s raids on Surat as “extortion” inciting backlash from the ruling BJP. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis swiftly condemned these remarks, asserting that describing the great leader as “a looter” was unacceptable.

Fadnavis called on Indian scholars to correct historical narratives about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, particularly those shaped by English historians. His plea reflects a broader sentiment in Maharashtra, where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is venerated as a symbol of Maratha pride and valour. While Marathi-speaking historians will be laudatory (and perhaps uncritical), it is instructive to begin with views of Englishmen. James Grant Duff, in his flawed three-volume ‘History of the Mahratthas’ (1826), felt constrained to extol Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by saying “the richest plunder never made him deviate from the rules he had laid down for its appropriation.”

Dennis Kincaid, in his 1932 book, ‘The Grand Rebel: An Impression of Shivaji, Founder of the Maratha Empire,’ offers a stunningly readable and sympathetic portrayal of the great ruler as a charismatic leader who defied the odds to build a powerful empire.

Kincaid praises Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s military genius, guerrilla warfare tactics, and his capacity to inspire loyalty among his followers, describing him as “a man of extraordinary foresight and intelligence,” not merely a warrior, but a visionary leader with a strong sense of administration and justice.

Kincaid, who tragically drowned in 1937, gives Maharaj the greatest tribute when he compares Maharaj’s humanity to his brutal 17th century European contemporaries like Oliver Cromwell, whose genocidal practices in Ireland are still remembered and Count Tilly, whose brutal actions in the ‘30 Years War’ which ravaged Central Europe still continue to chill Independent India’s first President, Rajendra Prasad, described Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as the builder of “an epoch in history,” who employed tolerance to supplant bigotry and lay the foundations of an enlightened government to end tyranny. He noted how the great leader had more than a dozen Muslim commanders in his army and navy. On the other hand, Sir Jadunath Sarkar’s classic biography, ‘Shivaji and His Times,’ (published in 1919 and revised in 1952), provides a more nuanced view. Sarkar hails the warrior-king with transforming a disorganized band of warriors into a formidable nation, calling it “one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of mankind.” Despite his critiques, Sarkar acknowledges Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s profound impact, lauding him as “not only the maker of the Maratha nation but also the political saviour of the Hindu race.”

Marathi-speaking historians offer a perspective deeply rooted in regional pride and cultural reverence. The great G. S. Sardesai, in his classic ‘New History of the Marathas’ (1946), provides a detailed account of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s military campaigns, including the famed raids on Surat in 1664 and 1670. Sardesai views these actions as calculated moves necessary to fund the expansion of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s kingdom and weaken the Mughal Empire’s economic stronghold. “The raid on Surat was not just an act of plunder; it was a statement of defiance against the might of the Mughal Empire,” Sardesai notes.

Babasaheb Purandare, one of the most celebrated chroniclers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life, portrays the king as an almost mythical figure in his two-part, 900-page magnum opus, ‘Raja Shivchhatrapati,’ which was first published in the late 1950s.

He describes the Surat raids as bold strikes against a wealthy Mughal stronghold, carefully planned to fund the Maratha state and underscores Maharaj’s chivalrous conduct during the raids, noting that his orders spared non-combatants, illustrating a moral code even in conflict. “Shivaji’s Surat raids were not mere plunder but strategic strikes against the economic backbone of his enemies,” Purandare writes. Setu Madhavrao Pagadi celebrates the Surat raids as examples of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s daring and innovative military strategies. Pagadi views the raids as more than financial manoeuvres; he considers them psychological blows to Mughal dominance. In the first raid on Surat, Maharaj’s forces targeted wealthy Mughal and Portuguese merchants while sparing local traders who paid protection money while the second raid in 1670 further cemented Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reputation as a leader capable of repeatedly defying Mughal power. These historians argue that the Surat raids symbolize Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s broader strategy: destabilising Mughal control in the Deccan while simultaneously strengthening the Maratha state’s finances and military. If only today’s leaders could look beyond the petty politics and embrace the principles Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj stood for, they might find common ground in the enduring legacy of Maharashtra’s revered king.