New History of the Marathas v1.c16.99

v1.c16.99

(8) *Spoke Sir Jadunath Sarkar at the Shivaji birthday celebration in Madras in 1928,—* “Shivaji’s political ideals were such that we might accept them even today without any change. He aimed at giving his subjects peace, universal toleration, equal opportunities for all castes and creeds, a beneficent, active and pure system of administration, a navy for promoting trade and a trained militia for guarding the homeland. Above all he sought for national development through action and not by lonely meditation. Every worthy man, not only the natives of Mahārāshtra but also recruits from other provinces of India who came to Shivaji, were sure of being given some task, which would call forth his inner capacity and pave the way to his own rise to distinction, while serving the interests of the State. The activities of Shivaji’s government spread in many directions and this enabled his people to attain to a full and varied development such as all modern civilized states aim at.