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HBSE Class 8 History Chapter 4 Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Peshwa notes for Haryana Board of Our Bharat III Book Solution.
Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Peshwa Class 8 History Chapter 4 Notes
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In the first chapter of the book, we learned about the roles of Hemchandra Vikramaditya, Maharana Pratap and Durgavati in the resistance against the Mughals. In this series, we will learn about Chhatrapati Shivaji in the present chapter and study Shivaji’s struggles, administrative policies, military management and religious ideas. We will also study how his successor Peshwas expanded the Maratha empire after Shivaji from Atak to Cuttack and also gave protection from the Mughal rulers.
| Seeing a huge statue in the main square of the market, Vinny asked her father, “Papa, whose idol is this?”.
Father: Beti, this is a statue of Shivaji Maharaj. Vinny: Papa, what is the reason for putting such a huge idol here? Father: Beti, he is our great warrior and ancestor, who saved us from the atrocities of foreign invaders without caring for his life. We are all inspired by them. We should have true devotion to these great patriots of ours and never forget their contributions. |
In the seventeenth century, the Marathas established a powerful Maratha kingdom in South India under the leadership of Shivaji. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an efficient administrator, determined and capable strategist, who broke the chain of slavery, unrooted the Mughal rule, freed India from foreign and tyrannical power and instilled the spirit of self-rule among the people. He fought with Aurangzeb for years and established ‘Hindavi Swarajya’ on the strength of his indomitable courage and might. Shivaji provided an efficient and progressive administration with the help of his disciplined army and well- organised administrative units. He developed a new style of guerrilla warfare. By reviving ancient Indian political practices and courtly etiquette, Marathi and Sanskrit were made official languages in place of Persian. The thoughts of his guru ‘Samarth Ramdas’ and the saints of that time, Tukaram, Namadev etc. contributed a lot towards making Shivaji great. His entire life is full of many victorious stories, inspiring episodes and astonishing incidents.
Early life
Shivaji was born on February 19, 1630 AD, in the famous Shivneri Fort in Poona. He was named Shiva after the presiding deity of the fort. His father was Shahaji Bhonsle, who was a Maratha general and worked for the Deccan Sultanate and his mother’s name was Jijabai.
Main reasons for the excellency of Marathas – eographical conditions, fanaticism of Aurangzeb, Hindu awakening, religious movement of Maratha saint poets and the miraculous personality of Shivaji.
Famous work of Mahadev Govind Ranade is “Rise of the Maratha Power” which describes the history of the rise of the Marathas.
Shivaji’s childhood was spent under the guidance of his mother Jijabai. She had an influence on the character of Shivaji Maharaj. She raised Shivaji by narrating bright stories of Ramayan, Mahabharat and other Indian legends, while telling stories of war and events of that time along with religion, culture and politics. Grandfather Kondadev taught horse riding, fencing and shooting. In his childhood, Shivaji used to gather the boys of his age and become their king and play the game of winning the fort by fighting a battle. He began to understand the events of that era and he used to become restless after hearing the story of the atrocities of the Mughals. With the advancing age, the thoughts of breaking the shackles of the Mughal rule had begun to rise in his mind.
Once, Shivaji’s father Shahaji took him to Bangalore to the court of emperor Adil Shah to introduce him. In Adil Shah’s court, Shivaji did not bow to him. This incident shows his valour and courage.
Early struggle of Shivaji
At the age of nineteen, Shivaji started his conquest. He organised people of all castes to capture the nearby forts. With the cooperation of the youth, the work of the conquest of the forts was started. At that time, the southern states were troubled by mutual conflict. In 1643 AD, Shivaji first won the fort of Sinhagarh. After this, Shivaji took control of Toran fort in 1646 AD. This caused panic in the surrounding Muslim territories. After taking over the Toran fort, Shivaji gradually took the fort of Raigarh under his control, which later became the capital of Shivaji’s kingdom. Adilshah, the ruler of Bijapur, was very angry with this policy of expansion of Shivaji. He imprisoned Shivaji’s father Shahaji. But Shivaji freed his father from captivity with great tact and skill. After Raigarh, he captured the fort of Chakan in 1647 AD. After Chakan fort he occupied Kondana fort. Shivaji conquered Purandar in 1654 AD. After winning these forts, Shivaji planned to enter the plains and captured nine forts including Konkan on the strength of his cavalry.
Killing of Afzal Khan: The continuous success of Shivaji was not letting the ruler of Bijapur sleep peacefully. Finally, the Sultan of Bijapur gave his commander, Afzal Khan several temptations and prepared him to fight against Shivaji in 1659 AD. He reached Bijapur with the best generals and a large army. He reached the fort of Pratapgarh, destroying the temples and killing cows in great numbers. Afzal Khan wanted to kill Shivaji with deceit without going to war. He pretended brotherhood and reconciliation and sent his messenger to Krishnji Bhaskar, sending a message to Shivaji that if he accepted the subjugation of Bijapur, he would get the right to all the areas that were under the control of Shivaji, and he would get an honourable post in the court of Bijapur. Krishnji Bhaskar informed Shivaji about Afzal Khan’s trick. Therefore, Shivaji agreed to this treaty. The meeting of the two was decided near the fort of Pratapgarh. As soon as Shivaji arrived, Afzal Khan extended his hands to hug him and tried to strike him with the dagger; then Shivaji killed Afzal Khan with a Bagh Nakh. It was a historical event. After this incident, Shivaji was counted among the best generals.
Defeat of Shaista Khan: Aurangzeb was deeply concerned with Shivaji’s increasing dominance. He wanted to defeat Shivaji with the help of Bijapur, so Aurangzeb made his maternal uncle Shaista Khan the governor of the south and ordered him not to show mercy to the Marathas, but to cut them to pieces and destroy their forts. Shaista started conquering Shivaji’s fortress one by one. On April 15, 1663 AD, Shivaji’s army entered the fort of Poona. When Shivaji attacked Shaista, he jumped out of the window and ran away. Shaista escaped and saved his life, but his son Fateh Khan was killed. Shaista Khan lost his fingers in this attack. Shivaji’s reputation increased with this victory.
Treaty of Purandar (June 22, 1665 AD): In 1664 AD, Aurangzeb appointed the worthy Mirza of his kingdom Jai Singh to campaign against Shivaji. Jai Singh was a great conqueror as well as an able diplomat. He attacked Shivaji with the support of the Sultan of Bijapur, European powers and small feudatories. Jai Singh surrounded the fort of Purandar skillfully. When Shivaji was not successful in saving the fort, he started a conversation with Jai Singh. Treaty was held between Shivaji and Jai Singh. The conditions of the treaty were as follow:
- Shivaji would give 23 of his 35 forts to the Mughals.
- Shivaji would participate in the war on the side of the Mughals in South India and remain loyal to them.
- Shivaji’s son Shambaji would be given a Mansab of 5000 in the Mughal court.
On the request of Jai Singh, Shivaji reached Agra to meet Aurangzeb on May 12, 1666 AD under the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji called Aurangzeb treacherous after seeing his behaviour contrary to what Shivaji had expected in the court of Aurangzeb. Angered by this, Aurangzeb placed Shivaji under house arrest. With the help of Madari Mehatar and with his unmatched courage and tact, he was able to escape from there and reach Raigarh via Banaras, Prayag and Puri. This gave new life to the Marathas.
Shivaji’s letter to Jai Singh
After reading this letter, we know that there is a vision for the whole of India, the intention to get the support of Jai Singh and the spirit of Hindutva. In this letter, Shivaji has called for the struggle against Aurangzeb by awakening the feeling of Hindutva in the heart of Jai Singh. In this letter, he exposed the diplomacy of Auranzeb in inciting a Hindu against another Hindu.
Foundation of Hindu Swarajya
After the foundation of an independent Hindu nation in Western Maharashtra, Shivaji was crowned on June 6, 1674 AD by Rana Bhatu with Hindu customs and conferred the title of ‘Chhatrapati. Many scholars, messengers from different states and foreign traders were also invited to this ceremony. Shivaji’s accession to the coronation of Hindu Swarajya was the greatest, unprecedented and most widely known event in seventeenth-century Indian history. This event led to the emergence of an independent Maratha state. A system of governance was prepared to guide the administration, a new era began, rules were made separately, considering Shukracharya and Kautilya as ideal. Gold and copper currencies were issued on which Shri Shiva Chhatrapati was inscribed. Within fifty years after the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the saffron flag of Maratha power was unfurled in a large part of India.
Coronation of Shivaji
Coronation of Shivaji was performed by the well known scholar Gangabhatt on June 6, 1674 AD. On this occa- sion, Shivaji issued a new calendar and coins of gold and copper. “Shri Shiv Chhatrapati” was in- scribed on these coins.
Shivaji’s Religious Policy : Shivaji was a religious, tolerant and devoted Hindu and he respected all religions and women. He was against forced conversions. Shivaji gave grants for many mosques. Like Hindu saints, he also respected Muslim saints and fakirs. His army had many Muslim soldiers, bodyguards and officers like Siddi Ibrahim, Daulat Khan, Siddi Hilal, Siddi Wahwah, Qazi Haider and Madari Mehtar. Traditional Hindu values and culture were propagated under his rule. He used to order all the soldiers during the war to protect the honour of women and the womenfolk of defeated kings. There was no major incident like an internal rebellion during his reign.
Death of Shivaji: Shivaji departed this world on April 3, 1680, after a long illness. His son Sambhaji ascended the throne after the death of Shivaji.
Successors of Shivaji
Sambhaji 1680-1689 AD
Rajaram 1689-1700 AD
Tarabai 1700-1707 AD
Shahuji 1707-1749 AD
Rajaram Second 1749-1750 AD
Shivaji Maharaj was a great warrior and diplomat. Chhatrapati Shivaji is remembered for his indomitable courage, wisdom and efficient governance. Famous historian Jadunath Sarkar says, “I consider him to be the last great active person and nation builder born in the Hindu caste. Shivaji proved that the tree of Hindutva was not really dead, but could rise again after centuries of political slavery, secession from rule and legal tyranny. New leaves and branches may come to it, and it may once again raise its head to the freer sky”.
Maratha Kingdom under Peshwa
Peshwa held the post of Prime Minister in the Maratha state. Later on the Peshwa started exercising the powers of the ruler and became the ruler. The main reasons for the rise of the Peshwas were the policies of Maratha ruler Shahuji and political discontent in Maharashtra. Their rise was neither accidental nor unprecedented, they gradually rose from ordinary status to head of state and then to absolute hegemony. By making this position hereditary in their family, they disabled the power of their companions and later the king himself. Initially, their goal was to get the highest position in the state by removing the representative of the ruler and after attaining the highest position, the king’s position had to be surrendered to him.
Balaji Vishwanath (1713-1720 AD): Balaji Vishwanath was a confidant of Maratha ruler Shahu Maharaj. He was appointed to the post of ‘Senakarta’, ie., manager of the army. Shahu Maharaj was impressed by Balaji Vishwanath’s character, devotion and ability. At the same time, a diplomatic struggle was going on among the Mughal courtiers to appoint a new Mughal ruler in Delhi. In 1719 AD, Balaji Vishwanath received an invitation from Delhi to help the Mughal courtiers, the Syed brothers. As a result, the Maratha- Mughal treaty was concluded. Balaji Vishwanath received three grants from the new emperor, Mohammed Shah, who later went on to become the foundation stone of Maratha power. Sir Richard Temple, describing the character and successes of Balaji Vishwanath, has said that “He was a calm, visionary, possessing the qualities of governance, high spirited and thoughtful enough to conquer demonic power with his character. He forced the Mughals to accept the Marathas as an independent power”. Balaji Vishwanath, being invincible in the political field, tried to establish Hindu kingdoms on the ruins of the power of the Muslims, but he unfortunately died prematurely.
Maratha Magna Carta
The Maratha-Mughal treaty of 1719 AD was called the Maratha Magna Carta by Richard Temple. According to this treaty, Shahu was accepted as the lord of the Maratha kingdom. The Marathas were allowed to collect Chauth and Sardeshmukhi from the six territories of South India. The Peshwa provided military assistance to the Mughal emperor as per his needs.
Baji Rao-I (1720-1740 AD): After the death of Baji Rao Vishwanath, his eldest son, Baji Rao, became Peshwa. Despite his young age, Baji Rao had sharp intellect and a strong body. He was skilled in politics and governance. He came to the important conclusion that Mughal power was on the decline, and at the time it was possible to snatch the territory from them. Baji Rao gave this challenge, “It is time to drive the terrorists out of India and get inexhaustible fame. Come, let us strike at the roots of that dying tree (the Mughal state), from which its branches will fall on their own. If we move our struggle towards Hindustan (North India), the Maratha flag will fly from Krishna to Atak”. Baji Rao-l is remembered as a fighting Peshwa. He was the greatest exponent of guerrilla warfare after Shivaji.
Baji Rao’s Challenge
Come, let us strike at the roots of that dying tree, from which its branches will fall on their own. If we take our struggle towards Hindustan, the Maratha flag will fly from the Krishna river to Atak.
Mastani
In 1728 AD, the king of Bundelkhand Chhatrasal sought military help from Baji Rao against the Mughals. Benefiting from military assistance, Chhatrasal organised a court in honour of Peshwa in 1728 AD. He presented several jagirs to the Peshwa and Mastani, a Muslim dancer.
Baji Rao-I kept the ideal of the Hindu Padshahi. Baji Rao reorganised the state army. In 1731 AD, the rights of Chauth and Sardeshmukhi of the Marathas became permanent in many states. He conquered Bundelkhand in 1737 AD and marched towards Delhi. Nizam-ul-Mulk proceeded to help the Mughal emperor from the south, but near Bhopal he had to face defeat. He had to formally give Malwa and Gujarat to the Marathas. According to the opinion of the famous historian Dr. Dighe, “Bhopal victory was the highest time of the Maratha’s success campaign. By defeating the combined army of Muslims at Bhopal, the Peshwas proved the military power of the Marathas to be the best in the whole of India. Nizam-ul-Mulk also gave 50 lakh rupees to Baji Rao as compensation for war damages. The Marathas snatched the island of Basin from the Portuguese in 1739 AD. Baji Rao established the foundation of Maratha power and passed away in 1740 AD”.
Later Peshwa Period 1761-1818 AD
Madhav Rao 1761-1772 AD
Narayan Rao 1772-1773 AD
Madhav Narayan Rao 1774-1795 AD
Baji Rao Second 1795-1818 AD
Balaji Baji Rao (1740-1761 AD): After the death of Baji Rao, his son Balaji Baji Rao became Peshwa. Balaji Baji Rao himself was not a genius. He used to seek the advice of his cousin Sadashiv Bhau on everything. Under the supervision of Sadashiv Bhau, the power of the Marathas reached its highest peak in 1740 AD. Raghuji Bhonsle trampled the Mughals several times in central India and attacked Bengal. In 1750 AD, a treaty was signed between Rajaram II and Balaji Baji Rao by the mediation of Raghuraj Bhonsle. This treaty is known as the treaty of Sangola. According to this treaty, the Chhatrapati was a nominal king and real power came into the hands of the Peshwa. Poona became the new centre of Maratha power. In 1751 AD, he forced the Bengal ruler Alivardi Khan to accede Orissa to the Marathas. The Marathas also started receiving Chauth from Bengal and Bihar. From 1752 AD to 1756 AD the Marathas got an assurance of getting Chauth from North India. In 1758 AD, the Marathas won Punjab and hoisted their flag on Atak Fort. Ahmad Shah Abdali accepted this challenge of the Marathas. The Rohilla chieftain Nazibuddaula and the Nawab of Awadh Shuja-ud-Daula sided with Ahmad Shah Abdali as both of them were defeated by the Maratha chieftains. According to the famous historian Sidney Oval, “Ahmed Shah Abdali being a staunch Muslim was opposed to the campaigns of the Marathas against his fellow believers of Islam. So he decided to fight”. Therefore, in 1761 AD, there was a battle between the two armies at Panipat. This battle proved decisive for the Marathas and Balaji Baji Rao. The Marathas were defeated in this battle. They suffered heavy military losses. Balaji Baji Rao could not bear this defeat and died suddenly on June 23, 1761 AD.
Third battle of Panipat
On January 14, 1761 AD, there was a battle between Sadashiv Rao Bhau and Ahmad Shah Abdali. The Marathas were defeated in the war after a hard struggle. Chieftains like Vishwas Rao, Sadashiv Rao Bhau, Jaswant Rao, Tankoji Scindia and about 28000 soldiers sacrificed their lives in this war. According to Maratha historian Kanshiraj Pandit, “The Third Battle of Panipat proved to be fatal for the Marathas”.
“Two pearls merged, 27 gold pieces disappeared and silver and copper cannot be fully calculated”. Code message of loss suffered by the Maratha in the battle of Panipat in 1761 AD by a merchant.
Maratha Administration
The Maratha administration was based on ancient Indian tradition. The form of Maratha administration during Shivaji’s time was very elaborate. Several departments were created to run the administration in an orderly manner.
Chhatrapati : The Maharaj himself was the center of administration during Shivaji’s time. The Maharaj mainly assumed the title of ‘Chhatrapati.’ The coronation of Chhatrapati was done in a grand ceremony according to the Vedic tradition. At the time of his coronation, Shivaji took a vow to protect the cow and Brahmins by adopting Hindu patriarchy. He assumed the title of “Hindutva-Reformer”. Chhatrapati was the head of the army, finance, justice, religion and administration. Thus, Maharaj was the centre point and highest authority of the Maratha administration. After the death of Shivaji, the power of the Maharaj gradually waned and was replaced by the Peshwa.
Ashtapradhan Parishad (Council of Eight Ministers)
Shivaji appointed a council of eight ministers. This was called Ashtapradhan. Its aim was to aid and advise in administration. Its main function was only to give advice to the king. It was the decision of Chhatrapati to accept the advice. Generally, the task of the Ashtapradhan was only to follow the instructions of Shivaji and to supervise his departments. In the jurisdiction of Ashtapradhan, the ministers were responsible to Shivaji.
Main Departments and Ministers
| Minister | Department |
|
|
Peshwa : This was the prime minister of the king. In the absence of the king, the Peshwa also looked after his affairs. On government letters and docu- ments, he used to sign after the stamp of Chhatrapati. The Peshwa was not very powerful. during Shivaji’s time. After the death of Shivaji, the post of Peshwa got the maximum benefit from the political disturbances. The post of Peshwa became hereditary during the time of Shahu Maharaj. After the Treaty of Sangola of 1750 AD, the Peshwa transferred the entire power of Chhatrapati to himself.
Land Revenue System : The main sources of income for the Maratha state were agricultural taxes and other prevalent taxes. One-tenth of the farmers’ production was collected as Sardeshmukhi tax. Another important source of income was the tax called Chauth. It was collected from the neighbouring state as one-fourth of its income. Apart from this, the main sources for income of the state were house tax, irrigated land tax, customs duty, etc.
Provincial Administrative Officers
| Unit | Officer |
|
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Military : During the time of Shivaji, the Marathas had a very powerful army, whose salary was paid directly from the royal treasury. Shivaji never depended on the army of the feudatories. Padati was the cavalry chief in the Maratha army. Horsemen were divided into major categories like bargir, sildar, paga etc. The army was regular and well equipped. The entire army used to come under an officer named ‘Sar-e-Naubat’. Shivaji included soldiers of all religions and castes in his army. He also built a fleet at Colaba. Under the Peshwas, the central army had become feudal in nature. They started distributing huge jagirs to the army in lieu of cash salary. The Peshwas set up factories in Pune and Junnar to manufacture artillery.
Subsequent Division of the Empire
| Peshwa Poona
Scindia Gwalior Holkar Indore Gaikwad Baroda Bhonsle Nagpur |
Judicial System: In the Maratha empire, justice was done according to ancient Indian traditions. The supreme head of justice was the Chhatrapati or Peshwa. He used to give decisions with the help of judge and Panditrao. Shivaji’s court was called Dharmsabha or Huzur-Hazir Majlis. Patel in the village, Mamlatdar in the district, Sar-Subedar in the state used to do the judicial work. Panchayat used to decide the disputes in the village. The judicial system of the Marathas was quite rigid and reformative.
Thus, we see that the Marathas organised a powerful state under the leadership of Shivaji in South India. The Peshwas further expanded Shivaji’s policy of expansion. The saffron flag of the Marathas was waving all over India. The Maratha empire began to disintegrate in the early 19th century and the British East India Company decimated the Maratha state by establishing subsidiary alliances with the Maratha chieftains.