Topic
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj grew up in a Deccan divided between the Mughals and the sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda, and built an independent Maratha state that outlived the empire that tried to crush it. Here is everything Itiha has published on Shivaji Maharaj, his father Shahaji Raje, his son Sambhaji Maharaj and the world they fought in, in the order the story unfolds.
Documentaries
India Before Shivaji: The Deccan and the Mughals
Vijayanagara after Talikota, the Deccan sultanates and the Mughal advance: the political map Shivaji Maharaj was born into.
The Early Years of Shivaji Maharaj, 1624 to 1648
Shahaji Raje, Jijabai and the Pune jagir, and the teenage Shivaji’s first forts. Episode 1 of the series.
The Arrest of Shahaji Maharaj
Bijapur arrests Shahaji at Gingee in 1648, Shivaji wins at Purandar, and gives up Kondhana to free his father. Episode 2.
Akkanna and Madanna: Shivaji’s Allies in Golconda
The Golconda ministers who received Shivaji Maharaj in Hyderabad in 1677 and helped fund his southern campaign.
Sambhaji Maharaj vs the Portuguese, 1683
After the Portuguese sided with Aurangzeb, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj relieved Ponda and drove deep into Goa.
Essays
Sambhaji Maharaj vs the Portuguese: The 1683 Goa War
How Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj took the war to the Portuguese after they betrayed the Marathas. With full sources.
The “Infidels” Who Defended a Golconda Sultanate
Akkanna and Madanna, the Brahmin ministers who allied Golconda with Shivaji Maharaj. With full sources.
Shorts
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Bans Slavery
Bhimthadi: The Forgotten Horse That Powered Swarajya
Maharani Tarabai: How a Woman Saved the Swarajya
What Happened After Aurangzeb Killed Chhatrapati Sambhaji
How Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Died
Frequently asked questions
When was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj born?
At Shivneri Fort near Junnar, on 19 February 1630 according to the date used by the Maharashtra government and most historians. Some older accounts give 1627.
Who were Shivaji Maharaj’s parents?
Shahaji Bhosale, a Maratha general who served the Nizam Shahi Sultanate, the Mughals and then Bijapur, and Jijabai of the Jadhav family of Sindkhed, who raised Shivaji in Pune.
Which was the first fort Shivaji Maharaj captured?
Torna, usually dated to around 1646 or 1647, which he renamed Prachandagad. He then built up Rajgad as his first capital and took Kondana from its Adil Shahi garrison.
When was Shivaji Maharaj crowned Chhatrapati?
On 6 June 1674 at Raigad, in a Vedic coronation conducted by Gaga Bhatt of Varanasi. It formally established him as an independent sovereign.
When did Shivaji Maharaj die?
On 3 April 1680 at Raigad. He was succeeded by his elder son, Sambhaji Maharaj.
What happened to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?
He fought the Mughals, the Portuguese and the Siddis through the 1680s. In February 1689 he was captured by Mughal forces at Sangameshwar and, after refusing Aurangzeb’s demands, was executed in March 1689.