Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great warrior of his time. He was the founder of the Maratha Empire of western India. Even today, the tales of Shivaji Maharaj are sung in folk songs. In this article, we will learn a lot about the life of Shivaji Maharaj. Like, apart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth, wives, children, death, height and his horses, we will also know how he died.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Shivaji Maharaj was born in the hill fort of Shivneri near the city of Junnar in today’s Pune district. Different scholars have different opinions about the exact date of his birth. However, the government of Maharashtra has declared his birth anniversary on 19 February.
His father’s name was Shahaji Bhonsle. Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha general who served the Sultanate of the Deccan. His mother’s name was Jijabai. Shivaji’s name was inspired by the name of Shivai Devi, who was worshipped by the people of that place and that community.
At the time of Shivaji’s birth, three Muslim sultanates shared power in the Deccan. At that time the powers of the Deccan were divided between Golconda, Bijapur and Ahmednagar. Shahaji Bhosale served these three powers of the Deccan in turn. Apart from this, Shahaji also had a small army of his own and a jagir in Pune.
Shivaji’s mother was the daughter of Lakhuji Jadhav Rao, the leader of Sindkhed. His mother was a very religious woman and he was very close and dear to her. Shahaji Bhosale mostly stayed outside Pune. Therefore, the responsibility of Shivaji’s education and care was given to a small council of ministers.
This council of ministers included a Peshwa, a Majumdar, a Sabnis, a Dabir, and a chief teacher. Kanhoji Jedhe and Baji Pasalkar were chosen to teach Shivaji war, military, and martial arts. Names of people in his council of ministers –
- Peshwa – Shamrao Neelkanth
- Majumdar – Balkrishna Pant
- Sabnis – Raghunath Ballal
- Dabir – Sonopant
- Head Teacher – Dadoji Konddev
A grand ceremony was held for Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation and he was made the first king of Hindavi Swaraj in the fort of Raigad on 6 June 1674. Some people believe that at the time of his death, Shivaji Maharaj must have been around 52 to 55 years old.
shivaji maharaj information
Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti
Shivaji Maharaj was born in Shivneri Fort on 19 February 1630. Shivaji Maharaj’s birth date
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s spouse
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj married many times to expand his political scope and unite other Maratha chieftains and rulers. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had 8 wives.
His wives always supported him during his reign whether it was military campaigns or management or taking important decisions or giving him emotional support and cooperation. The names of the 8 wives of Shivaji Maharaj are given below in order.
Shivaji Maharaj’s wife’s name:-
- Saibai Nimbalkar – first wife
- Soyarabai Mohite – second wife
- Ranisaheb Putlabai Bhonsle (Putlabai Palkar, from the Palkar family) – third wife
- Sakwarbai Gaekwad (Kamalabai) – fourth wife
- Sagunabai Shirke (Rajkuwarbai) – fifth wife
- Kashibai Jadhav – Sixth wife
- Laxmibai Vichare – seventh wife
- Gunavantabai Ingle – Eighth Wife
The name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s first wife was Saibai Nimbalkar. They both were married on 14 May 1640 in Lal Mahal Pune.
Shivaji Maharaj had four children from Saibai Nimbalkar namely Sambhaji Bhosale, Ambikabai, Sakubai Nimbalkar and Ranubai.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj children
Out of Shivaji Maharaj’s wives, he had children from only four wives. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had eight children, out of which 6 were daughters and 2 were sons.
Names of daughters of Shivaji Maharaj: –
- Ranubai Jadhav
- Ambikabai Mahadik
- Sakubai Nimbalkar
- Rajkumarbai Shirke
- Kamalabai Palkar
- Deepabai
Names of sons of Shivaji Maharaj:-
- Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Bhosale (elder son)
- Chhatrapati Rajaram Raje Bhosale (younger son)
Shivaji Maharaj died on 3 April 1680 in his Raigad fort. Shivaji Maharaj punyatithi date is 3 April.
height of shivaji maharaj
Shivaji Maharaj’s height must have been about 5 feet 7 inches. However, no exact information is available about his height.
Shivaji Maharaj’s horse name
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj loved horses. He also had very good breed of horses. Shivaji Maharaj used seven horses in his entire life. Some of them were stallions and some were mares.
Names of horses and mares of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:-
- Pearl
- faith
- Gajra
- Ranbir
- Krishna
- Prison
- Indrayani (or Indrayana)
According to some historians, Shivaji Maharaj’s last horse was Krishna. He used to use not only Indian horses but also western tall horses depending on the situation.
Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation date
The coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is also called Rajyabhishek Sohala or Shivrajyabhishek Sohala. Shivaji Maharaj was coronated on 6 June 1674 in Raigarh.
He became the king of the Maratha Empire on this day. This day is celebrated as Shivarajyabhishek Diwas in the Raigad fort of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
shivaji maharaj photo
Shivaji Maharaj quotes
shivaji maharaj quotes
We can learn a lot from the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We can take inspiration from his thoughts to face the difficulties in our life and do something good. Some important quotes given by Shivaji Maharaj are given below.
“ Never bow your head, always keep it high. “
“ Freedom is a blessing, which everyone has the right to get. “
“ When you are passionate, even a mountain looks like a pile of mud. “
“ The greatest of all rights of women is to become a mother. “
“ Even if everyone has a sword in their hand, it is the will that establishes a government. “
“ If a tree, which is not a very superior creature, can be so tolerant and kind that it can give sweet mangoes even when someone beats it, then shouldn’t I, as a king, be more tolerant and kind than the tree? “
shivaji maharaj movie
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a famous king of India. Many people also worship him. Because he established the Maratha Empire and always took care of his people. Everyone was crazy about his bravery and courage then and even today.
Many books have been written on the life of Shivaji Maharaj and the battles he fought. Apart from this, many TV shows and films have also been made on him.
We have written below the names of some selected movies of today’s era of Shivaji Maharaj, which everyone must watch once.
Shivaji Maharaj movies:-
- Bal Shivaji (1981)
- Sarja (1987)
- Rajmata Jijau (2011)
- Farzand (2018)
- Tanhaji (2020)
- Har Har Mahadev (2022)
Shivaji Maharaj fort
Many forts were won and built by Shivaji Maharaj. He built forts like Sindhudurg and Pratapgarh.
Apart from this, on the orders of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the fort of Raigad was constructed under the supervision of Chief Engineer Hiroji Indudkar and Shivaji Maharaj.
This is the same Raigad Fort where Shivaji Maharaj was coronated. After the coronation, he chose Raigad as the capital of the Maratha Empire.
How did Shivaji Maharaj die?
There are differences among historians about the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Some historians say that he died a natural death. But many historians say that he was killed through a conspiracy.
They say that Shivaji Maharaj was poisoned in some way. Due to this, his condition deteriorated and it worsened with time.
After that he got high fever and started suffering from blood dysentery. Shivaji Maharaj died due to fever, dysentery and deteriorating health.
Conclusion
Shivaji Maharaj caused a lot of damage to the Mughals during his reign. There were many disputes between Shivaji Maharaj and the Bijapur Sultanate. Due to Shivaji Maharaj’s repeated victories, he came under the notice of the Mughal emperor.
Aurangzeb considered Shivaji a threat to the Mughal Empire and sent his forces to defeat and capture him and other Marathas. But Shivaji Maharaj used his intelligence every time to defeat and outsmart the Mughals.
After many battles, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj entered into a peace agreement with the Mughals to avoid further loss of life and property.
Shivaji struggled a lot in his life and established a new empire. Even today people feel very proud seeing him.
Read More : Jawaharlal Nehru Biography: Complete information about Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in Hindi
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Who is called the father of the Indian Navy?
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is called the father of the Indian Navy because he built naval forts for the first time in India at Jaigarh, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and other places.
Were Muslims also included in Shivaji Maharaj’s army?
Shivaji Maharaj’s army included both Hindus and Muslims. Shivaji Maharaj did not discriminate between the two religions.
Did Shivaji Maharaj know how to fight guerrilla warfare?
Shivaji Maharaj was well versed in the art of guerrilla warfare. He understood the geography of his region very well. That is why he was always successful in guerrilla warfare.