History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c59.s5: § 5. Birth and childhood of Shivaji.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c59.s5
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§ 5. Birth and childhood of Shivaji.
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Shivaji, the second son of Shahji and Jija Bai, was born in the hill-fort of Shivner, which overlooks the town of Junnar, on 10th April 1627. Soon after his birth he and his mother were neglected by Shahji, who had taken a younger and more beautiful wife, Tuka Bai Mohite, on whom and whose son Vyankaji (the ancestor of the Tanjore Rajahs) he lavished all his affection and wealth. The roving and perilous life that he led during the nine and a half years following Shivaji's birth also made it impossible for him to take sufficient care of his senior wife and her sons, even if he were so inclined.
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After entering Bijapur service towards the end of 1636, he went away to the Tungabhadra region and the Mysore plateau, and later on to the Madras coast to conquer fresh territories for his new master and jagirs for himself. But here his favourite wife and her son accompanied him, while Jija Bai and Shivaji were sent to live at Puna, in charge of his land-steward Dadaji Kond-dev.
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Shivaji was, therefore, a stranger to his father for several years after his birth. Her husband's neglect drove the mind of Jija Bai inwards and deepened her natural religious spirit, which she imparted to her son. Shivaji grew up in solitude, a mateless child, without brother, sister or father. The isolation of their life drew mother and son very close together and intensified his love for her till it became almost an adoration for a deity. From a very early age, he was thrown on his own resources, and learnt to carry out his own ideas unaided and to take the initiative without referring to any higher authority. Such education as he received was eminently practical; he became skilled in fighting, riding and other manly accomplishments; but the weight of evidence is in favour of the view that he was unlettered, though he mastered the contents of the great Hindu epics by listening to recitations and story-tellings and thus learnt their political lessons and moral maxims. He loved to distraction religious readings and songs (kirtan) and sought the society of Hindu and Muslim saints wherever he went. The want of book-learning, therefore, did not leave his mind a dull and sterile soil, nor impair his efficiency as a man of action in a world that was mediæval.
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The Mavals or western belt of the Puna district, stretching along the rugged forest-clad side and foot of the Sahyadri range, were the homes of a sturdy, healthy, and brave race of peasants called Mavlés. From them Shivaji drew his earliest comrades, his most devoted followers, and his best soldiers. In the company of Mavlé chieftains of his own age, young Shivaji wandered over the hills and forests of the Sahyadri range, and along the mazes of the river valleys, thus hardening himself to a life of privation and strenuous exertion, as well as getting a first-hand knowledge of the country and its people. During his residence at Puna his plastic mind was profoundly influenced by the readings from the Hindu epics and sacred books given by his guardian and other Brahmans, and still more by the teaching of his mother. The deeply religious, almost ascetic, life that Jija Bai led amidst neglect and solitude imparted by its example, even more than by her precepts, a stoical earnestness mingled with religious fervour to the character of Shivaji. He began to love independence and loathe a life of servile luxury in the pay of some Muslim king. It is, however, extremely doubtful if at this time he conceived any general design of freeing his brother Hindus from the insults and outrages to which they were often subjected by the dominant Muslim population. An independent sovereignty for himself he certainly coveted; but he never posed as the liberator of the Hindus in general, at all events not long afterwards.
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On the question of his future career he came into conflict with his guardian. Dadaji Kond-dev was, no doubt, an able and honest land-steward, a man of methodical habits, leading a sober blameless and humdrum life, but quite incapable of lofty ideals, daring ambition or far off vision. Shivaji's love of adventure and independence appeared to his guardian as the sign of an untutored and wayward spirit, which would ruin his life's chances. He argued long with Shivaji, advised him to follow the footsteps of his ancestors and rise to wealth and position as an obedient vassal and captain of mercenaries under Adil Shah. The young lad's association with the hill brigands and his projects for robbery and the surprise of forts filled Dadaji with apprehension about his future. He complained to Shahji, but without succeeding in effecting a reform. Worn out by anxiety and age, Dadaji Kond-dev died about the middle of 1647, and Shivaji became his own master at the age of twenty.
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§ 6. Shivaji's early conquest of forts, 1646-1647.
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The death of Dadaji Kond-dev found Shivaji ready for his task. He had already been trained in martial exercises and civil administration; he had familiarized himself with the troops of his father's western jagir and the people he would have to govern. Initiative and power of command had been freely developed in him without check or interference from his guardian. Administrative orders had for some time before this been issued in his name, as his father's representative.
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The year 1646 marks a crisis in the history of Bijapur. The king fell seriously ill, and for some time his life was despaired of. Though he lingered on for ten years more, these years were by popular belief held to be a portion of the life of the saint Shah Hashim Uluvi, given away by that holy man to the king. During this time no serious business was attended to by Muhammad Adil Shah. The expansion of territory in the Karnatak went on under some of the nobles, but at the capital the king was inert, and the administration fell into the hands of the queen Bari Sahiba.
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This was Shivaji's opportunity. Even before the death of Dadaji, he had begun his annexations. In 1646 he had sent his captains Baji Pasalkar, Yesaji Kank and Tanaji Malusare with a force of Mavlé infantrymen and occupied Torna fort by tricking its Bijapuri commandant. Here he seized Government treasure amounting to 2 lakhs of hun. Five miles east of it, on the crest of the same spur of hills, he built a new fort named Rajgarh, with three walled redoubts (*machi*) on the successive terraces of the hill-side.
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After the death of Dadaji, Shivaji set himself to bring all parts of Shahji’s western jagir under his own control, so as to form one compact State ruled by one authority. But this was effected gradually and took years to complete.
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Chakan in the north and Baramati and Indapur, in the south-eastern corner of the Puna district, now passed into his hands from his father’s officers. And the occupation of Rajgarh, Kondana and Torna from Bijapuri agents gave him a chain of hill-forts in the south.