A History of the Mahrattas v1.c16.104

v1.c16.104

¹ [Kincaid accepts the genealogical tree of the Shedgāvkar Bhoslēs as evidence that Śivājī married seven wives, viz. (1) Saibāī, daughter of Vithojī Mohitē Newāskar, who bore him Sambhājī and a daughter, Ambīkabāī, married to Harjī Rājē Mahādīk, governor of Jinji; (2) Putalībāī, who had no children; (3) Soyara Bāī of the Śirkē family, who bore him Rājārām and a daughter Dīpabāī; (4) Sakvarbāī, who had a daughter married afterwards to Jānojī Pālkar; (5) Lakshmībāī, who died without issue; (6) Sagūnabāī, mother of Nanībāī, who was married to Ganujī Rājē Śirkē Mālekar, and (7) Gūnvantabāī, who was childless. According to the Sabhāsad Bakhar he married six wives besides Saibāī. Another authority states he had three wives and two concubines. Mr. Rājwāde gives him eight wives on the authority of a paper found in Tanjore, which probably means six wives and two concubines. Whatever be the truth, Śivājī ‘at the age of forty-seven had made the mistake of marrying three young women, though he had two or three other wives and two sons living.’ The result was intrigue and conflict within his palace, coupled with attempts on Soyara Bāī’s part to win him back by means of charms and love-philtres from her more youthful rivals. (Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times, Calcutta (1919), pp. 427, 428.)]