Shivaji and His Times c20.s1: Character of Shivaji records
Shivaji and His Times c20.s1
- Language
- English
Character of Shivaji records
c20.s1.1
The royal period (1660-1700) of Maratha history differs fundamentally from the Peshwa period (18th century) not only in the extent but also in the nature of its historical records. Not only is there a striking contrast between the wealth of contemporary documents in Persian and English that illuminate the history of the Peshwas and the comparative poverty of the same for Shivaji's reign and those of his two sons. But even when we come to Marathi sources, we find that not a single State-paper or official despatch of Shivaji's time in this language has been unearthed after a devoted search for half a century. But thousands of private legal documents, deeds of grant, decisions of lawsuits, orders on petitions and similar papers have been collected, and for the sufficient reason that they did not belong to the State archives (which perished long ago with their contents), but were the property of private families by whom they have been carefully preserved as title-deeds.
c20.s1.2
The Marathas in the 17th century were a poor and rude people, dispersed through many States, and with no literature of their own except folk-songs and religious poetry. Shivaji for the first time gave them peace wealth and an independent national Court, without which it is not possible to produce literature or store official records. But this happy state of things lasted barely 18 years, from his last rupture with the Mughals in 1670 to the death of Shambhuji in 1689. Thereafter every Maratha fort and city was occupied by the Mughals and the Maratha State records were burnt or dispersed. Even during these 18 years of their power and prosperity, the Marathas were more busy with the sword than with the pen; no literature proper, no long history or biography was produced then.
c20.s1.3
Hence, the Maratha kingdom before the Peshwa period utterly lacks the State-papers, detailed official histories, personal memoirs, and letter-books of which Mughal history is so full.