[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Marathas](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha) › [Bakhars](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar) › [Śrī Śiv Chatrapati Caritr](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar) › [Siva Chhatrapati (S. N. Sen)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen) › 23 # Shri Shiv Chatrapati Caritr 23: II. Siva Chhatrapati (S. N. Sen) 23 - **Language:** English ### II. ### [23.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.1) S.D. \[133\] A letter came from Bijapur (that ran as follows), — "You are by heredity a servant of the Badshah. It is not fit that you should behave improperly (towards the Badshah) while you live upon his bread. I have to stay at the court, you are my son, and yet you are plundering treasuries and capturing forts without pausing to think that it will compromise me. (Its only result will be) the Badshah's displeasure and the loss of all we have. What I have earned is for you. You should maintain and gradually increase it. It is your duty to keep secure what my service has procured for me in my old age. This should be your aim. But keeping this aside, you are behaving improperly. But the Badshah is kind, and up to this time he has pardoned your misdeeds in consideration of my service. It is now his gracious pleasure that you should stay at the court and such is also the desire of us all. You should start as soon as you get this note without any hesitation." So ran the letter, and there was a Badshahi letter (also) (to the following effect), — "Your misdeeds will be pardoned and the provinces will be confirmed. Come to the presence." Such was the tenor of the letter. The letter came to the Maharaja and he gave it full consideration. In his mind he thought, — "They will put me into troubles after getting me there. If I behave according to their wish, well and good; otherwise there will be no difficulty in punishing me as I shall be within their hold. ### [23.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.2) I shall not earn my living by serving the Yavanas, but my rebellion will imperil my father. But it is his destiny. \* \* \* \* But if I remain indifferent on this account, my mother will be grieved and her grief will make my mind disquiet." \* \* \* \* \[134\] (So he decided to take counsel of his mother and all his officers, great and small). Accordingly a majalas was held, and Jija Bai Saheb was informed of the contents of the letter. \* \* \* \* \* \* \[135\] Jija Bai Saheb said, — "What property your father has, he has earned for you. Do what may secure future good. That will please your father and do not entertain any doubt about it." Her order (counsel) was accepted with all honour and the assembly was dismissed. Then the Maharaja went to his first wife, fortune-favoured Sai Bai Saheb. As in olden days Sumitra had welcomed Raja Das'aratha with clasped hands after washing his feet and offering sweet scented garlands, presents, and due salutations, when he had gone to enquire after the desires of his pregnant queens, so (also) the Maharaja was honoured by Sai Bai Saheb. \* \* \* With clasped hands the queen enquired after her lord's will. The Raja well pleased with her manner, told her all about the invitation from the Badshah, the danger of his father's being troubled on account of his (Sivaji's) (rebellious) conduct, and then asked for her counsel as to what should be done. \[136\] The queen answered,—" What do we, women, understand of politics? You should not ask my opinion. ### [23.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.3) \* \* \* But my submission is that you want a kingdom and you can win one when you have risen above affection for parents, wives and brothers." \* \* \* \* \[137\] Thereupon the Raja offered his prayers to the Devi and asked for her advice. And the Devi's order was (as follows)—"See the king of the Yavanas at Bijapur. You will fall into some dangers there but do not be frightened. I shall assist you. I take great interest in the extension of the Maharashtra Kingdom." \* \* \* Thereupon it was decided that an answer to the abovementioned letter should be given (telling) that the Raja was coming to Bijapur. The following was the purport of his letter to the Badshah—" You have written about coming to the presence. As ordered by my father, I shall start on an auspicious moment." \* \* (About the confirmation of forts and strongholds recently captured by him, he wrote that, he had punished those who had defied him and disobeyed his orders, and in future also he would mete similar treatment to those who should behave so.) In the letter to his father, he wrote in addition to the above,— "I owe my birth to you but not my deeds. One owes (his) happiness or sorrow to the deeds of his previous birth. My destiny is mine. But you should not undergo any trouble on my account. The Yavanas accuse you, because you are their servant. But I will never serve them and live upon their bread. You may argue that till to-day I have eaten their bread and why should I not do so in future? ### [23.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.4) From my childhood I have been acquainted with their oppression of the Brahmans, but up to the twelfth year one is accounted a child, and up to that age I lived upon your bread. You served (the Muhammadans) but I do not call myself a servant and do not serve them. Till to-day I have passed my days as a rebel; in the future the goddess will do as she likes. \[138\] As I have taken forts and strongholds belonging to others, so are yours in my possession. About them you should decide as is fit. I am born of you and shall come to see you once for I cannot disobey your order. You should do as appears well to you about that. I shall in this way acquit myself of the duties of a son, and in future I shall do as my fortune guides me." The letter reached Bijapur. It was opened and read by all the Amirs and the Omraos and officers. There was not even the slightest reference to loyalty therein. The letter was written in the style of one of equal rank. Then the letter written to Sahajl was sent for to see whether there was anything different. In it also a son's natural regard for a father was not to be found. Thereupon suspicion was roused in the mind of the Badshah and he asked his officers, — " The Raja says that his son does not obey him. What does it mean ? How does the son dare capture forts and strongholds ? The Raja should be punished but how to get him into (our) power without stirring ? He is a good general at the head of an army in the service of the Government. ### [23.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.5) Think out what to do." Thereupon it was decided by all that the Raja was a man of rank. He was in the service of the Government and present at the court, He could not possibly be guilty of such an offence. (If politely asked by some of his intimate friends he might frankly tell the fact.) So Baji Rav Ghorpade Mudholkar and Sarja Khan, these two men of rank and honour, were sent for and told what had happened. They were also informed of the pleasure of the Government, — " The Raja is a general of high rank, and it is not proper to dishonour him. You are well-wishers of the Raja, you \[139\] should ask him whether he thinks it well to create rebellion through his son, while he himself stays at the court." (After this Sivaji plundered the Bijapur territories and thereupon the Sultan summoned Sahajl to the presence and rebuked him for his conduct.) \* \* \* \* (When the Nawab was desired to arrest the Raja he excused himself on the ground of his friendship with Sahajl. Ghorpade however was ready to carry out the order of his master on the promise of promotion. Dreading however Sahaji's power, and uncertain whether he should succeed in an open attempt, Baji Ghorpade decided to take recourse to treachery.) \[143\] The Badshah said to him,—"If you can bring the Raja a prisoner your fame will increase and you shall be promoted." Thereupon Ghorpade agreed. The handle of the axe proves the destruction of its kin. Similar was the case on this occasion. ### [23.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.6) The source of growth often proves the source of ruin also \[144\]. This is an old law of nature. Ghorpade was ordered and he accepted his commission (willingly). He invited the Raja to his house for a dinner, but his family was not equal to that of the Raja. \* \* \* \* The Raja usually dined with 150 of his relatives and dependents. Even when only one of them went away on some business, the Raja dined when their business allowed all of them to be present. This was the custom. He did not go anywhere without their company. While making the invitation Ghorpade had requested the Raja not to bring with him many attendants as there was lack of rooms (at his place). His real motive however was to arrest the Raja when the dishes would be served after the dance, and when the Raja was expected to be unarmed. But it was the custom of the Raja's family not to go or sit anywhere unarmed even when in another man's house. And this was (strictly) observed even in going to another's house. Only in his own house could he deliver his arms to his attendants when strangers were not present. Ghorpade ignorant of this, took him to the dining place. In the kachari there were one thousand or five hundred men. From that crowd the Raja was taken into the house. While going in, he was followed by all his friends and attendants. Ghorpade had secured the inside doors of the central hall on pretence of preserving the privacy of his women. ### [23.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.7) There was a staircase by the side of the front door, there Ghorpade stationed himself. The Raja was to go upstairs and his company would sit below. Ghorpade asked the Raja to come and have a look at the new room upstairs. After that the dishes were to be served. But suspicion arose in the mind of the Raja and he turned back to see how many of his followers had come in. But at the preconcerted signal from Ghorpade his men shut the door of the central hall. Only five or ten of the Raja's men were with him, the rest had been left outside. Wrangling between the Raja's and Ghorpade's men increased. The Raja did not stir though taken by hand by Ghorpade and requested to follow. Ghorpade then said, — "You are a traitor; while you live on Government money — your son is harassing territories of the Badshah. I have been therefore ordered to punish you." Hearing this, the Raja's men drew their swords, ready to attack, but the Raja forbade them. He then accompanied Ghorpade to the Badshah's court, and addressed him in the following style after the usual salutation. — "I have been an evildoer towards Your Majesty. My master can punish me in whatever way he pleases. But it is not proper to have me arrested by him (Ghorpade). ### [23.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23.8) It is not at all proper to put a stain on one's family (honour) by assailing one's bread giver. It is on this account that I did not draw my sword. Otherwise it would not be at all difficult to punish him. I have never told an untruth until now and will never tell one in future." The Raja stood with clasped hands and the best courtiers remarked that the Raja was not guilty. Thereupon the Badshah ordered a strict examination of the Raja. The officers when they heard the order prepared an ash mound, as is made for practising archery, put the Raja into it, and began to throw mud. When he was buried up to his navel, the Raja was asked to reveal the truth. But he did not give a different answer and said — "What I formerly said is true." The mud gradually rose up to his throat, \[146\] but still he gave the same answer. \* \* \[The Raja was then released at the prayer of his fellow officers and courtiers.\] Hearing their unanimous opinion the Badshah released the Raja, had him bathed, and presented to him clothes and ornaments and restored him to all his honours. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.maratha.bakhar.sabhasad-bakhar~en-sen.23) · Pramāṇa