New History of the Marathas v1.c6.55

v1.c6.55

It has already been mentioned that Lukhji Jadhavrao, a descendant of the Yadav kings of Deogiri, was a powerful noble, holding lands and high military commands under the Nizamshahi rulers. The Bhosles were also a large family, comparatively poorer, possessing only a few villages in Patilship between Daulatabad and Poona. Tradition says that Māloji Bhosle took service under Lukhji Jadhav and used to stand guard at the gate of his palace. Once during the spring festival (holi) Jadhavrao invited Māloji and other subordinates for the usual ceremony of playing with red powder and dye. Māloji took with him his little son Shahji to the assemblage. Lukhji Jadhav had a daughter named Jija Bai, of nearly the same age as Shahji and seated her by his side. When during the ceremony the guests began to work the dye-syringes, the two children also amused themselves in the pastime. The comic sight impelled Jadhavrao to utter a casual remark, “How now, would not these two form a handsome pair?” Māloji heard the words, and at once in a loud voice called upon the assembly to bear witness that Jadhavrao had publicly betrothed his daughter to Shahji. Jadhavrao vehemently repudiated the construction put upon the words uttered in jest, and considered Maloji’s position too far below his own to warrant a family connection between master and servant. Thus a quarrel began between these two families, and Māloji quitted Jadhavrao’s service to seek his fortune elsewhere, so as to rise to a position in which he could demand Jadhavrao’s daughter in marriage for his son. He soon managed to amass some wealth and enhance his reputation, so as to figure prominently in higher circles. He repaired the old dilapidated temple of Ghrishneshwar at Verul and built a large tank at the shrine of Shambhu Mahadev near Satara and thus removed the scarcity of water at the place from which the large crowds of pilgrims had so severely suffered. Māloji was doubtless a man of resourceful and independent spirit.⁷ He succeeded in winning over the Nizam Shah probably through Malik Ambar. to sanction the match which Jadhavrao had spurned at. The Sultan of Ahmadnagar recognized the worth of Maloji's services in the struggle against the Mughal Emperor and bestowed on him a small jagir consisting of the districts of Poona and Supa, so that he became more of a peer to Jadhavrao. He then openly demanded the latter's daughter in marriage for his son and the ceremony took place at Sindkhed on 5th November 1605 (Margashirsha 5 of the bright half). Of this marriage was born Shivaji many years later.