The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c14.s8.t5: The Cultural Nationalism of Śivāji

The Positive Background of Hindu Sociology c14.s8.t5

Language: English

The Cultural Nationalism of Śivāji

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Śivāji was fully conscious of his mission as a restorer of Hindu political dignity to its ancient or rather pre-Moslem conditions. Accordingly he wanted to go back to the fountain of Hindu culture in the smallest details of his life. The very words and phrases of daily existence especially in public, civic, administrative or political life, had become Persianized in his time on account of longstanding Moslem influence. His first and foremost ambition in this regard consisted in Sanskritizing these terms. He desired the old Hindu atmosphere to be reborn even in the common-place conversations of the day. A veritable *renaissance* (rebirth) of the ancient conditions has thus to be ascribed to the conscious patriotism of this Hindu *avatāra* of the seventeenth century. As a specimen of the linguistic remaking of his fatherland may be presented the *Rāja-vyavahārakoṣa*¹³ (Dictionary of Royal Conduct) in Sanskrit prepared under his orders by Raghunātha Paṇḍit more or less in the form of *Amarakoṣa*.

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¹³ Apte and Divekar: *Śiva-Charita Pradīpa* (Poona, 1925), pp. 144-175.

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It is a work complete in 386 verses and comprises the following *vargas* or groups:

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1. *Rājavarga* (relating to the king).
2. *Kāryasthānavarga* (relating to the office).
3. *Bhogyavarga* (relating to food and drink).
4. *Śastravarga* (relating to arms and accoutrements).
5. *Chaturangavarga* (relating to four parts of the army).
6. *Sāmantavarga* (relating to officers of the army).
7. *Durgavarga* (relating to forts).
8. *Lekhanavarga* (relating to writers).
9. *Janapadavarga* (relating to territory).
10. *Paṇyavarga* (relating to goods).

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The classification into *vargas* does not indicate any special respect for logic, however. There are some 1500 words in this Lexicon.

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Some of the words in the *Rājavarga* are given below :·

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The second chapter describes some of the offices and things relating to them as follows :

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In the third group, that on food and drink, we have the following synonyms :

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The section of forts commences in the following manner:

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*Durgam ḳilleti vijneyam*
*giridurgo gaḍah smritah*
*Prākārah koṭo ityukto*
*Janjīrā dvīpa uchyate.*

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We get the following synonyms:

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| *Sanskrit* | | *Persian* |
| Durga | = | Killā |
| Giridurga | = | Gaḍ |
| Prākāra | = | Koṭ |
| Dvīpa | = | Janjīrā |

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It is as an expression of Śivāji’s cultural nationalism that we have to watch his sedulous re-christening of old hill forts in Sanskrit.¹⁴ The names of such forts as Sinhagaḍ, Viśālgaḍ, Rājgaḍ, Suvarṇadurg, Vijaydurg, Bhīmagaḍ, Pāṇḍavagaḍ, Sundargaḍ, Prachaṇḍagaḍ bespeak his interest in the age-long tradition of the Hindu states.

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¹⁴ Bal Krishna: *Shivaji the Great* (Bombay 1932) Vol. I. Part II. p. 11.

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Students of modern nationalism or of the “nationality question” are aware of the rôle that has been played by language in the military history and “geopolitics” of nineteenth century Europe and is still being played in the “minorities” problems of post-war Europe. Evidently Śivāji was no mere dare-devil soldier, victorious general and successful statesman. He was a political and social philosopher too and a champion of culture. In his life’s work are to be detected the influences of linguistic patriotism. As a nationalist, more precisely as an exponent of national language in politics Śivāji can claim recognition as one of the first among the modern makers of history as a precursor of Herder (1744-1803) and Fichte¹⁵ (1762-1814). No estimate of Śivāji's achievements in political action and thought can be adequate which ignores his great solicitude for emancipating his countrymen from the thraldom of a foreign tongue.

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¹⁵ R. E. Ergang: *Herder and the Foundations of German Nationalism* (New York 1931); B. K. Sarkar: *From Herder to Hitler* (Calcutta 1933).

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It is to be observed that his linguistic patriotism is not restricted to Sanskrit. His mother-tongue Marathi also he rescued from Persianization and rendered more popular among the masses and the classes.

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As a result of the linguistic nationalism initiated under Śivāji the Marathi language became Sanskritized. In the sixteenth century the great Marathi writer Eknāth had used Persian words to the extent of 75 per cent. But in the eighteenth century the amount of Persian words to be found in Moropant's Marathi is not more than 5 per cent.¹⁶ The success of the nationalist movement pioneered by Śivāji the Great was thus colossal.

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¹⁶ Sardesai, p. 23.

Linked texts (4)

Tibetan translation ('Chi med mdzod) — Classical Tibetan
Vishalgad
Vijaydurg
Rājakośanighaṇṭu — Raghunātha Paṇḍita 1639, Sanskrit