Shivaji and His Times c5.s5.1

c5.s5.1

On the subject of Shivaji's education, Sabhasad is silent. The *Tarikh-i-Shivaji* tells us that “Dadaji trained Shivaji and appointed an excellent teacher for him. In a short time Shiva became skilled in fighting, riding and other accomplishments.” (9a.) The weight of evidence is in favour of the view that Shivaji was unlettered, like three other heroes of mediæval India,—Akbar, Haidar Ali, and Ranjit Singh. The many Europeans who visited him never saw him write anything; when they presented any petition to him the Rajah always passed it on to his ministers to be read to him. No piece of writing in his own hand is known to exist.∗