Shivaji demolished masjid and myth that he has muslim senapati and he was hindu warrior

a lie is propagated that  Shivaji had large number of muslims in his civil administration and Army. Again an exaggeration and very improper claim. He had some muslims in army but numbers were very negligible. And there were almost next to none after Afzalkhan slaying. Most of those were shahaji Raje's men.

see the proof  Image courtesy and source:— Shivaji his life and times by Gajanan Bhaskar mehendale.

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The historians in Maharashtra have spread a lie through their books and articles that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built a mosque on Raigad (The Captial of Maratha Empire) for his Muslim followers and this claim is being used by some politicians to further their agenda of appeasement politics. This article debunks the myth about this imaginary mosque and reveals the hidden agenda of these historians.

      This statement does not have any contemporary historical references, yet many politicians, specifically from the Congress and the NCP use this to project the non-existent secular image of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, like his forefathers, was a staunch Hindu and can be proved using contemporary historical references. But here, let us deal only with the mosque-related issue. Shivaji Maharaj’s kingdom can be considered as the exact Idea of India that the so-called intellectuals claim is theirs.

There’s an inscription on the walls of Jagdishwar temple which reads, “By the order of Shivchhatrapati, I ( Hiroji Indulkar) have built wells, reservoirs, lakes, orchards, markets, pillars, stables and temples”. Nowhere in all this is the mosque mentioned. 

Till now, we have not found any reference which suggests that Shivaji Maharaj himself built a mosque on Raigad

Re-establishing Temples

Coming to the next point, whether Shivaji Maharaj built new mosques or not, so here’s one reference which says Shivaji Maharaj demolished a Mosque which was built over Shonchalpati Mandir and Samottir Perumal (Vishnu) temple. Shivaji Maharaj further gave funds to re-establish these Mandirs and reinstall the deities. 

The letter is mentioned by the Kavindra Parmanand, a contemporary of Shivaji Maharaj and one who wrote the biography of Shivaji Maharaj during his lifetime named “Shivbharat”. This biography is considered to be official, as it was signed by Shivaji Maharaj himself. 

Studying all the contemporary references, any historian has not been able to find a single piece of evidence that suggests that Shivaji Maharaj built a mosque in the capital of the Maratha Empire in his lifetime. There is a possibility that the mosque was built on this fort after the death of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj when it was captured by the Islamic forces. Mughals had possession of this fort for about a decade or so.

see a dutch letter

see another dutch letter

This is french letter from 1677. Describes Shivaji destroying mosques in Samettiperumal. Shivabharat also describes kalyan-bhiwandi episode

see below

another proof

The only authentic biography ever written about Chhatrapati Shivaji is Shri Shivbharat by Pandit Kavindra Parmanand Govind Newaskar of Paladpur. The book was written in Sanskrit officially commissioned by Chhatrapati Shivaji himself. Pandit Newaskar was the court poet of Shivaji.

In the book, he mentions a letter written by Afzal Khan to Shivaji.

English Translation:
“You captured Kalyan and Bhimpuri (Bhiwandi) and demolished the mosques of Yavavas. Of whom you’ve taken everything from and gave great suffering, those snakes in the form of Yavanas are still angry with you. You’ve jailed the Kazis and Mullas with your power and have thus restricted the spread of Islam.”

-Shri Shivabharat, Verse 52–54

shivaji was a true Hindu and had no pretensions of being secular. He wanted a Hindawi Swaraj and that is what he established. The historic letter he wrote to Mirza Raja Jai Singh I in 1665 makes this absolutely clear.

Some excerpts from the letter are shared below:

17. The greater sorrow is that my sword, which thirsts for the blood of the Mussalmans, should be drawn from the scabbard for some other purpose.
18. If the Turks had come to fight this battle, then indeed the prey would have come to the lion in its lair
19. For, they are Rakshasas in the guise of men devoid of justice and religion, and sinful.
[…]
51. It is a matter of supreme wonder that a handful of Mussalmans should establish supremacy over this vast country.
52. This supremacy is not due to any valour on their part. See, if thou hast eyes to see.
53. See, what policy of duplicity he plays with us, how differently he colours his face from time-to time.
54. He claps our own chains to our feet; & cuts our heads with our own swords.
55. The most strenuous efforts should be made at this time to protect Hindus, Hindusthan and the Hindu Religion.
56. I desire to make an effort and bring about stability and strive my utmost for the sake of the country.
[…]
83. So that I may rain the shower of swords from the thundering clouds of my army on the Mussalmans;
84. So that, from one end of the Deccan to the other, I may wipe out the name and very vestige of Mahomedanism;

-Source: The Deliverance or the Escape of Shivaji the Great from Agra by Rao Saheb G.K. alias Babasaheb Deshpande, Vijay Press, Poona, 1st Edition 1929, Page Appendix-

He was ardently proud of swadharma, swabhasha and swadesh. Let us consider a third person tale once again; at Tiruvannamalai temples of Shiva and Samottiperumal were destroyed during islamic invasions to construct mosques; later, Shivaji Maharaj had both the mosques demolished to rebuild those temples. The incident is documented in a tamil manuscript, published in Shiva-charitra-Sahitya vol. 8, column No. 49, which is further supported by the descriptions given in Raja-vyavahara-kosha written by Raghunathpant Hanmante, a minister in Shivaji Maharaj’s court (prolgue, shloka 80, refer Shiva-Charitra-Pradip, Page 143).

this is another proof that shambhaji had given danpatra to brahman 

Thinking about the political aim of Shivaji Maharaj, notions of persons closely associated with him should be taken into consideration. His elder son Chhatrapati Sambhaji, in a letter pertaining to a grant issued to a Brahmin named Baakareshastri, represents his father as the Mlenchha-kshaya-dikshita (one who has vowed to reduce Mlenchhas) and to have uplifted the Hindu-dharma (jwala-jwwalantejas Sambhajiraja – Sadashiv Shivade, Page. 84). The contemporary poet Paramanand, is believed to have composed the Shivabharat, an epic describing life events of Shivaji Maharaj, as ordered by Shivaji Maharaj himself. The belief that we perceive in Shivabharat, is that Lord Vishnu incarnated himself as Shivaji to liberate mankind from mlenchhas, to re-establish Dharma, uproot the yavanas, bring succour to gods and cherish the cows and Brahmins (Shrishivabharat chapter 1, verses 24-27, 36-41). He also says in a preamble that Shivaji Maharaj had conqured Kalyan and Bhiwandi and demolished the mosques there. Similar convictions can also be seen in Sabhasad chronicle. Another contemporary poet from Uttar Pradesh, Kaviraj Bhushan in slightly different words summarises Shivaji Maharaj’s life achievement, “Kashi’s glamour could have lost, Mathura could have become ‘masjid’, if had not been Shivaji, everyone might have got circumcised (converted to be Muslim).” From all these convictions made by persons closely associated with Shivaji Maharaj it can be understood that they all have looked upon Shivaji Maharaj as the protector of Hindus and the doom of Muslim invaders.

Shivaji Maharaj’s enemies’ views are also seen the very same way. In a farman issued for Kanhoji Jedhe, a loyal general of Shivaji Maharaj, Ali Adilshah writes, “Shivaji out of thoughtlessness and evil propensities has started troubling Mohamedans (followers of Islam) …” (Shivaji Souvenir, Page. 142), also in a letter dispatched from English company of Rajapur, an Englishman named Henry Revington addresses Shivaji Maharaj as ‘General of the Hindu Forces’ (English records on Shivaji, vol. 1, letter 4)

shivaji letter to his brother is also very important see refrence

      MUSLIMS IN CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI’S ARMED FORCES –

The point is often put forth for debate that if Chhatrapati Shivaji had indeed vowed to establish Hindu kingdom, why he had employed Muslims in his armies. Let us discuss this topic in detail. In a letter to his stepbrother Ekoji, Shivaji Maharaj writes, “You should have thought (to yourself) that I am blessed by Shri Mahadeo and goddess Bhavani. I kill the wicked Turks (Muslims). How could I win when my army also has Turks?” (Shivakalin-patrasar_sangraha vol. 2, column 2332). For people who debate otherwise the letter itself is enough for the rebuttal.

Since 1656 Chhatrapati Shivaji practically declared war against the Adilshahi sultanate. Very few Muslim officers are seen in Chhatrapati Shivaji’s service thereafter. (enthusiasts can refer to list of nearly 200 officers given in Shivakalin-patrasar-sangraha vol. 3, page 211). At last enlisting some Muslim officers with brief details who had served Shivaji Maharaj -

• Noor Beg – in a Marathi document dated 21st March 1657, mentioned as the Sarnaubat of the infantry, probably the first officer to hold that post in Chhatrapati Shivaji’s army. He is not mentioned in any other source. He was most probably one of the officers appointed by Shahji. In any event, he was soon succeeded by a Maratha named Yesaji Kank.
• Shama Khan - Only Muslim officer found in the list of 29 cavalry commanders, but none in the 36 infantry commanders and 31 district Subadars given by Sabhasad.
• Ibrahim Khan – mentioned as ‘a great muslim warrior’ in Sabhasad chronicle. He was an officer of Hazari rank, who distinguished himself in the siege of Phonda in 1675.
• Siddi Ibrahim - Mentioned in the Shivabharat as one of Shivaji’s ten bodyguards when he went to meet Afzal Khan. Perhaps this Siddi Ibrahim might be the same officer who is called Ibrahim Khan in the Sabhasad Chronicle.
• Siddi Hilal - was a renowned Muslim officer of the Maratha army described in Shivabharat.
• Noor Khan - A contemporary Brahmin author who was in mughal service, Bhimsen Saxena tells us that while accompanying Daud Khan’s army marching, belatedly, to the relief of Salher in 1670, he lagged behind and came up against a party of Maratha horsemen under a Muslim officer named Noor Khan. Fortunately for Bhimsen, he knew this Noor Khan as he was previously employed in Mughal service; joblessness had driven him to defect to Shivaji. Noor Khan therefore escorted Bhimsen in safety to the Mughal camp.
• Qazi Haidar - was one of the Persian scribes in Shivaji’s service. Later fled to Mughals in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s reign.
• Madari Mehtar – The only document that mentions of Madari in undated and anonymous. The document is full of inaccuracies that it becomes unreliable.
• Rustam-i-Zaman – Adilshahi noblemen, Randaula Khan and also his son both were given a title ‘Rustam-i-Zaman, the former died in 1643, his son was present in Adilshahi army during Afzal Khan’s campaign. He also had attacked Swarajya several times even later, yet it is falsely claimed that he had sent ‘tiger-claws’ to Shivaji Maharaj before (and for) Afzal Khan's assassination.
• Daulat Khan and Daryasarang – admirals of Maratha navy, Daryasarang was later arrested by Shivaji Maharaj in 1678 and is never heard of again.

(Refer, Shivaji - his life and times, pages. 203 - 226,402 – 404, footnote 2057)

another proof by ramdas

So now, it is as clear as day that though Shivaji Maharaj was not a religious bigot, he favoured Hindu interests above all. The contemporary patriotic saint Ramdas was deeply charmed by the personality of Shivaji, praises Shivaji Maharaj as, "There is no protector of dharma like you (Shivaji maharaj) in this world, it is due to you that the Maharashtra-dharma has been saved."

shivaji letter to jaysingh

Following is the English translation of that letter, reproduced from the Shivaji Souvenir 3-5-1927. pages 172 to 178, written by Mr. G. S. Sardesai.

O Sardar of Sardars, King of Kings, Manager of the mango-trees of the garden of Bharat.

O piece of the heart and consciousness of Ramchandra, the Rajputs hold up their heads owing to thee.

The grandeur of the Empire of Babar’s dynasty is rendered all the more powerful owing to thee and it is its good fortune to receive thy help.

O Jay Shah, whose fortune is ever young and whose intellect ever old, be pleased to accept the salutations and blessings of Shiva.

May the Creator of the world protect thee. May He show thee the path of Religion which is Justice.

I have heard that thou hast come to make battle upon me and to subjugate the Deccan.

Thou desirest in this world to make thy face glow with blood drawn from the hearts and the eyes of the Hindus.

But thou knowest not that thy face is painted in black, because owing to it, this country and religion are in danger.

If thou considerest for a moment or givest thought to thy hands and thy strength,

Then thou whilst discover whose blood lends the glow and what will be the colour of the glow in this world and the next.

Further, if thou hadst come of thy own accord to conquer the Deccan, my eyes and my head could have been laid on earth for thee to tread upon.

I would have marched with my whole force at the stirrup of thy horse and would have yielded up to thee the country from one end to the other.

But thou hast in fact come to conquer at the instance of Aurangzeb and under the instigation of those who desire to destroy the Hindus.

I do not know how I shall deal with thee. If I join thee, there is no manliness in it.

For, brave men are not time servers. The lion pursues not the policy of the fox.

Or, if I lift up the sword and the axe, then the Hindus on both sides will suffer.

The greater sorrow is that my sword, which thirsts for the blood of the Mussalmans, should be drawn from the scabbard for some other purpose.

If the Turks had come to fight this battle, then indeed the prey would have come to the lion in its lair,

For, they are Rakshasas in the guise of men devoid of justice ang religion, and sinful.

When supremacy could not be secured hy Afzul Khan, and Shaista Khan proved no better,

Thou art engaged to fight me because he (Aurangzeb) himself is not fit to bear battle with me.

He desires that no strong persons should be left surviving among the Hindus in this world,

That lions may fight among themselves and disabled, so that the fox may rule the forest.

How is it that his secret policy is not transparent to thy brain? It is clear that thou art under the influence of his magic spell.

Thou hast seen much good and evil in this world; thou hast reaped both flowers and thorns in the garden of life.

Is it not meet that thou shouldest fight us-people and bring the heads of Hindus to death?

After having attained ripe wisdom in action, do not then exhibit (the folly of) youth, but remember the saying of Saadi:

“The horse cannot be ridden on all the roads; sometimes discretion is the better part of valour”. (Lit. sometimes it is more fitting to throw down the shield and fly).

Tigers attack the deer and other animals They do not indulge in a fratricidal war with lions.

Or, if thy cutting sword has true water, if thy prancing horse has true spirit,

Then do thou attack those who are the enemies of religion and abolish Islam root and branch.

Had Dara Shekoh been King of the country, he would have treated his people with kindness and favours.

But thou deceivedst Jaswant Singh; thou didst not first consider the high and the low in thy heart.

Thou art not satisfied with having played the fox and hast come to fight the battle with the lions.

What dost thou get from this running about and labouring under the Sun? Thy desires head thee to a mirage.

Thou art even as a mean creature who exerts his utmost and captures a beautiful damsel,

But, instead of tasting the fruit of that garden of beauty himself, delivers it into the hands of his rival.

How canst thou feel proud at the mercy of that mean man? Dost thou know how the services of Johar Singh were rewarded?

Dost thou know by what means he desired to bring calamities to Prince Chhatra Sal?

Dost thou know what calamities that sinful man has left inflicted on other Hindus also?

I believe that thou hast attached thyself to him and hast laid down for him the self-respect of thy family.

But what is the value of this net in which thou art caught for the sake of the Rakshasa? This bond that binds thee is not stronger than the cord of the paijama that you wear.

In order to attain his ends, he hesitates not to shed the blood of his brother, or to take the life of his father.

Or, if thou appealest to loyalty, remember thou also thy conduct in reference to Shah Jahan.

Fate has endowed thee with any intellect or if thou seekest to pride thyself on thy manhood or manliness,

Then do thou heat thy sword at the fire of distress of the land thou wast born in, and wipe off the tears of the unhappy ones who suffer from tyranny.

This is not the time for fighting between ourselves since a grave danger faces the Hindus.

Our children, our country, our wealth, our God, our temples and our holy worshippers,

Are all in danger of existence owing to his machinations and the utmost limit of suffering, that can be borne, has been reached.

If the work goes on like this for some time, there will not remain a vestige of ourselves on the earth.

It is a matter of supreme wonder that a handful of Mussalmans should establish supremacy over this vast country.

This supremacy is not due to any valour on their part. See, if thou hast eyes to see.

See, what policy of duplicity he plays with us, how differently he colours his face from time-to time.

He claps our own chains to our feet; & cuts our heads with our own swords.

The most strenuous efforts should be made at this time to protect Hindus, Hindusthan find the Hindu Religion.

I desire to make an effort and bring about stability and strive my utmost for the sake of the country.

Polish thy sword and thy intellect and prove thyself a Turk to the Turks.

If thou joinest hands with Jaswant Singh and divestest thy heart of the layers of trickery,

And if thou bringest about’ unity with the Raj Rana (of Mewar), then indeed there is hope for great things.

Do you all rush and fight from all sides; tramp down that serpent under the rock;

So that he may for some time occupy himself with ruminating on the consequences of his own actions; and may not further entangle the Deccan in his meshes;

And I may in the meantime with the aid of these and other land bearing heroes make away with the other two Sultans (of Bijapur and Golkonda);

So that I may rain the shower of swords from the thundering clouds of my army on the Mussalmans;

So that, from one end of the Deccan to the other, I may wipe out the name and very vestige of Mahomedanism;

Thereafter, with the assistance of wise statesmen and the army, like the river swirling and foaming as it emerges from the mountains of the Deccan, I may come out into the plains;

And forthwith present myself for service with you, and then after that hear you render your accounts.

And then we – four – may again inaugurate a grim war and devote the battlefield to it;

And then the tide of our armies may be made to reach the crumbling walls of Delhi,

So that nothing may be left of the Aurang (throne) or the Zeb (lust), so that nothing may remain of the sword of his tyranny or the net of his policy of duplicity or dissimulation;

So that we may flow a river full of pure blood, and with that we may satisfy the souls of our ancestors; and

With the grace of God, the Just and the Giver of life, we shall entomb him (Aurangzeb) in the bowels of the earth.

If two hearts combine, they can burst a mountain, they can dispel and scatter the whole armies.

This is not a very difficult task, we only want good hearts, good eyes, and good hands. These are the really necessary things.

I have much to tell thee in regard to this matter which cannot in sooth be put on paper.

I am desirous of having a talk with thee so that no unnecessary pain or labour may be involved.

If such is thy desire, I shall come to thee and hear what thou hast to say.

Thy maiden of speech may open her mouth in privacy, and I may take guard against the words being divulged;

So that we put our hands to the plough of effort and practise some incantation on that mad Rakshasa.

I swear by my sword, by my horse, by my country, and by my religion, that no harm shall befall thee in this.

Or, we may find out some other way to attain our object and make our names in this world and the next.

Be not suspicious owing to the incident of Afzul Khan—the report spoke not truly.

He had secretly kept twelve hundred warlike Habsee cavalry to accomplish my death.

Had I not raised my arm against him first, who would have written this letter to you?

But I do not believe any such thing of you; there is no inherent enmity between us.

Or, if I receive the desired reply from thee, I shall present myself before thee alone at night,

And I will show thee the secret letters which I cleverly extracted from Shaista Khan,

So that I may remove all doubts from thy mind and rouse thee from thy sweet sleep;

I may show thee the true result of thy dreams and then receive any answer;

Or, if this letter does not appeal to thee, then indeed I am ready with my sword to deal with thy army.

Tomorrow, the moment the sun shall conceal his face behind the evening cloud, the crescent moon of my sword shall flash forth. That is all. God be with thee.

CategoriesHistory, Literature

foloowing  article is also very useful to read

Shivaji was NOT secular; he was a king fighting for Hindu Dharma

The narrative that Shivaji was secular king who was merely fighting for territorial  and political gains and not for the Hindu religion is being promoted by the left-leaning academia and media. I will debunk this narrative using a combination of historical facts and plain reasoning.

“Kashi would have lost its splendour, Mathura would have become a mosque; if it had not been for Shivaji, all would have been circumcised (converted).”

Kavi Kalash, a poet hailing from Kannauj composed the above verse to pay tribute to Shivaji whom he considered a defender of Hinduism.

The great poet-saint of Maharashtra Swami Samarth Ramdas too sang the praises of Shivaji and called him the greatest protector of the Hindu religion.

“He can be glorified as successful, famous, blessed, valorous, meritorious and an icon of morality. There has been none like him, a knower of Dharma, who has protected Hindu Dharma in Maharashtra.”

Samarth Ramdas and Kavi Kalash were contemporaries of Shivaji and viewed Shivaji as a Hindu king fighting Muhammadan tyrrany. This is in stark contrast to 21st century post-modernists and left-leaning intellectuals who promote the narrative that Shivaji was not motivated by Hinduism at all!

 

In a relatively recent article by Shoaib Daniyal, the writer subtly criticized the notion that Shivaji was a protector of Brahmins and cows and implied that it was a ‘Brahmanical’/’Hindutva’ narrative. Such a view has gained wide acceptance in and has been normalized due to the efforts of politically correct Hindus and far-left Marxists and radical caste based organisations like the Sambhaji Brigade. None other than the Nationalist Congress chief Sharad Pawar openly claimed that terming Shivaji a ‘Gaubrahmana Pratipalak’ was a falsification of history and implied that he was more pro-Muslim than pro-Brahmin. Attempts are made to portray Shivaji as a secular king and a Maratha king by trying to deny his obvious Hindu motives.  The large number of Muslims employed by him in his army along with the considerable number of Muslim commanders in his army are frequently highlighted to further the propaganda.

In Daniyal’s article, Shrimant Kokate, a historian who demands reservations for Marathas in jobs and education stated that he is fighting the Hindutva narrative that Shivaji was a protector of cows and Brahmins. In my article, I shall debunk the falsehoods and half-truths propagated by radicals with vested interests like Kokate who possess an expertise in masquerading as unbiased intellectuals.

In the said article, Kokate states, “The Sangh says Shivaji was against Muslims, but there is no evidence of this at all,” he said. “His fight was political not religious. Shivaji allied with Muslim sultans, he had Muslims in his army and navy. Even many of his bodyguards were Muslim.”

So the proof of Shivaji being pro-Muslim is the fact that he had Muslim soldiers and allied with Muslim Sultans occasionally. This is one of the most common themes used to take away Shivaji’s Hinduness and portray him as sympathetic to the Muhammadans. Ironically, Indian liberals use the same method to paint Aurangzeb as secular and pro-Hindu by highlighting the large number of Rajput generals in his army. Such reasoning however is a sheer betrayal of logic as it fails to acknowledge both political considerations as well as necessary compromises. If this logic is applied undiscriminating rather than selectively then even Adolf Hitler, the man responsible for the biggest genocide of Jews should also be considered pro-Jew because of the fact that there were Jews who fought in his army!

In a letter to Aurangzeb wherein Shivaji protested the re-imposition of the much hated jizya tax on non-Muslims, Shivaji acknowledged Islam as an equally valid method of spirituality.

Verily, Islam and Hinduism are terms of contrast. They are used by the true Divine Painter for blending the colours and filling in the outlines. If it is a mosque, the call to prayer is chanted in remembrance of Him. If it is a temple, the bells are rung in yearning for Him alone

It is a historical fact that Shivaji treated his Muslim subjects respectfully and occasionally even worshipped at Sufi shrines such as the tomb of Yakut Baba. Thus, it would not be wrong to state that Shivaji respected Islam as a spiritual system and Muslims as a set of human beings.

However, this raises the question- What was Shivaji’s position on some of the more political aspects of Islam such as subjugation of infidels, sexual slavery, cow slaughter etc? Let us analyse this by delving into old texts and accounts of contemporaries.

The Sabhasad Bakhar is considered an extremely reliable and authentic source inorder to study the life of Shivaji. The text was written by Krishnaji Anant Sabhasad, an official in the court of Shivaji and is considered the earliest biography of Shivaji. Let me begin by posting an excerpt from this Bakhar wherein Shivaji addresses his faithful.

It is not good to live upon the bread of the Muhammadans and to witness cow slaughter. Death is far more desirable. I shall no longer tolerate any slight upon religion, or any act of Muhammadan injustice. If my father abandons me on that account, I shall not mind, but it is not good to stay at such a place.

In the said verse that is attributed to Shivaji, the Maratha leader clearly states even death is preferable to tolerance of cow slaughter. He goes on and says that he would no longer tolerate any slights upon ‘religion’ (Hindu Dharma) or any act of Muhammadan (Muslim) injustice. This totally contradicts the version of a Shivaji who was apathetic to the wider Hindu cause that is promoted by the left-leaning historians.

The text also states that Shivaji sent a letter age to a Raja prior to a meeting wherein Shivaji directly accused Yavanas (Muslims) of committing evil deeds such as cow slaughter and expressed anguish at the same.

We are Hindus and they Yavanas. They are very low in fact there is none lower, I feel a loathing to salute them. They commit evil deeds like cow slaughter. It is wrong to witness any slight on religion and the Brahmans. Cows are slaughtered as we pass by the roads. It pains me and I feel inclined to cut off the head of the offender. In my mind I feel disposed to decapitate the oppressor of the cows but I am helpless as I do not know what my father will think of it.

In the same letter, Shivaji stated that a Hindu should ‘change his clothes even if he merely touches a Yavana’.

But I think it wrong to associate ourselves with the Muhammadans and to visit the houses of the amirs and the wazirs. If perchance we touch them we should change our clothes.

Shivaji further stated that he would not be content if cow butchers went unpunished.

I will not live on the bread of the Yavanas and salute them by touching earth with my hands. And if cow slaughter takes place in the city, or I hear of its occurence, I will not remain content without punishing it, whatever may be the conse- quence thereof.

Another excerpt from the Bakhar states that Shivaji had a cow butcher arrested and caned by his men. Such an act is comparable to the actions of modern-day Gaurakshaks!

One day, when Shivaji Maharaj was going in the train of the Raja (his father), he heard the lowing of a cow that was being slaughtered in a butcher’s house. Shivaji had the butcher arrested and caned by his men. The cow was released and its price was put into the butcher’s hand. The case was reported to the authorities but they took no notice of it because of the influence of the Raja.

In another incident from the text, Shivaji threatened butchers to abstain from cow slaughter after which Muslims assembled and expressed fear that Muhammadan sovereignty was being threatened by an infidel (kufr).

On another occasion also a second quarrel with a butcher took place, and the matter was similarly reported to the Government. But Shivaji Maharaj had strictly warned the butchers not to use their knives except to kill goats, and it became known to all. The Muhammadans assembled everywhere and began to complain in the following manner, — ” Has Muhammadan sovereignty come to an end now ?

When the Turkic general of Bijapur Afzal Khan set out to kill Shivaji on the orders of Badi Begum, mother of Adil Shah of Bijapur, Afzal Khan began demolishing and desecrating the temples of Pandharpur and Tuljapur knowing that the said acts would outrage Shivaji. Khan also felt that such acts could provoke Shivaji into making a rash decision such as coming out in the open to confront him thus falling into Afzal Khan’s trap.

The Bakhar contains details of a letter sent to Shivaji by the priest of Tuljapur Bhavani temple appealing to him to save the Brahmins from the tyranny of the Yavanas. The letter is testimony to the fact that Shivaji was regarded as a ray of light for the revival of the Hindu fortunes by the Hindus of Maharashtra as early as 1659, even before the historic battle of Pratapgad.

It is your fond ambition to establish the Hindu faith ; but the king of the Yavanas has sent a general to punish you. He has oppressed in various manners the Hindus, Brahmanas and cows of Tuljapur and Pandharpur. If you can protect us from his tyranny, then alone will Hinduism prosper. Otherwise you will save your useless life, and like stale flowers, be a source of harm to the people. What shall we do in that case but commit suicide and throw upon you the sin thereof ? But if this message fires you with rightful wrath, and you exert your valour and punish the Yavanas, a quarter of what virtue we have acquired in the past and may win in future by our religious performances will be yours ; but for our sin we alone shall suffer.

The famed historian Jadunath Sarkar attested to this fact in his book ‘Shivaji and his Times’.

The higher minds of Maharashtra, too, had begun to look up to Shivaji as the champion of Hinduism, and wished to see the Hindu race elevated to the full stature of political growth by the formal assertion of his position as an independent king. They longed for the Hindu Swarajya, and that implied a Hindu Chhatrapati.

In another instance, before heading out to defeat the army of Shaista Khan, Shivaji proclaimed to his followers that he had become a ‘fakir for the sake of Hinduism’.

I have become a Fakir for the sake of Hinduism.

In a letter to a sardar called Raghunath Narayan. Shivaji wrote that those who cause distress to the Hindus must not be allowed to live in the Maratha empire.

The wicked, thieves, haters of Hindus, drunkards, etc. should not be allowed to remain within the dominion.

When Aurangzeb sent his general Mirza Raje Jai Singh, ertswhile ruler of Jaipur to defeat Shivaji in 1665, Shivaji sent Jai Singh a letter wherein he exhorted him to join him using deep religious undertones. Shivaji even went on to state that he would have gifted his entire kingdom to Jai Singh had he not come on the instigation of those who sought to destroy the Hindu race.

 If thou hadst come of thy own accord to conquer the Deccan, my eyes and my head could have been laid on earth for thee to tread upon. I would have marched with my whole force at the stirrup of thy horse and would have yielded up to thee the country from one end to the other. But thou hast in fact come to conquer at the instance of Aurangzeb and under the instigation of those who desire to destroy the Hindus.

In the said letter, Shivaji even claimed that his sword ‘thirsted for the blood of the Mussalmans’.

The greater sorrow is that my sword, which thirsts for the blood of the Mussalmans, should be drawn from the scabbard for some other purpose.

Shivaji appealed to Jai Singh for unity stating that the Hindu religion was on the brink of annihilation due to the atrocities committed by the Muhammadans.

This is not the time for fighting between ourselves since a grave danger faces the Hindus. Our children, our country, our wealth, our God, our temples and our holy worshippers, Are all in danger of existence owing to his evil deeds and the utmost limit of suffering, that can be borne, has been reached.

Inspite of Shivaji’s general tolerance of Muslims and their places of worship; this rule waas broken occasionally The Italian traveller Niccolao Manucci, a contemporary of Shivaji, wrote in ‘Storia do mogor’ about how Shivaji ordered his soldiers to desecrate mosques by cutting the throats of pigs (haraam) as a form of retaliation for Muslim desecration of Hindu temples by way of cow slaughter.

Shivaji had ordered to cut the throats of pigs and throw them into mosques in retaliation to the act of cutting cows in temples done by the Muslims.

Let us move on to another allegation of historians like Kokate. Kokate says “Ramdas and Dadoji Konddev were not Shivaji’s gurus. But this false history was propagated by Brahmin historians with the aim to show that Shivaji took their advice, he did not do things on his own. To show that the Brahmin is greater than the bahujan [lower caste].”. Really? Let us examine the Bakhar for evidence.

The first outburst of Sivaji’s patriotic ambition and the consequent capture of Torna and other forts were explained by Sahajl in the Bijapur court in the following manner. Some political intrigue on the part of some outsiders in the fort was discovered and so necessary arrangements were made in Torna. The adjoining place was found excellent for the purpose and fortified, commanding places adjoining to my Jagir should naturally be in my charge. At the same time he wrote to Sivaji and Dadaji that it was not a good thing and he wondered how Dadaji allowed such acts, when he was on the spot.

This excerpt from the Bakhar clearly shows that Dadoji Konddeo was entrusted by Shahaji to look after Shivaji. It was Konddeo who trained Shivaji in various aspects of his education such as political science and warfare.

When Sambhaji, son of Shivaji, rebelled against his father and deserted him to join the Mughals, a distraught Shivaji stated that he should live with Samarth Ramdas instead of fighting for his kingdom.

You wish to remain with the Yavanas and restore the kingdom to their house, but whose will be the loss ? Under these circumstances I have no duty to perform. I should live in some holy place or remain with Ramdas Swami.

Therefore, the charge by Kokate and other historians that Samarth Ramdas and Dadoji Konddeo were not Shivaji’s teachers can be debunked. Several other historical sources too attest the close relationships that Shivaji shared with these personalities. After Shivaji passed away, Samarth Ramdas even wrote a letter to his son Sambhaji to provide him guidance.

Seek out your Mohammedan enemies and remove them from your path. Create fear in other not by your cruelty but by your valor. Otherwise, your State will be in danger. Deal with each difficulty as it arises. Keep your anger under control or at least do not betray it in the presence of others. Make your subjects your friends. Let them love rather than fear you. Make the people one; fill their minds with the single thought of resisting the Mleccha enemy. Guard what you already have, add to it by your own exertions and so extended the Maharatta kingdom. Be dignified and wear the sword of ambition. That way lies the path to success. Bear Shivaji Raje in mind.

Shivaji is often depicted as a sub-altern, proto-Marxist king fighting against Brahmanical hegemony. Such a view was even shared by the reformer Jyotiba Phule who considered Shivaji a Kunbi and a Shudra king. However, Shivaji himself identified as a Sisodia Rajput. It is widely accepted that Rajput nobles in the court of Aurangzeb even recognized this claim of Shivaji. An excerpt from the Bakhar exists where Jai Singh wrote to Shivaji acknowledging this claim.

You are a Sisodia Rajput. You and I are one and the same. Come for an interview. I shall secure your welfare in every way.

Furthermore, the Bakhar makes constant references to Shivaji’s Sisodia lineage. So even the portrayal of Shivaji as a king hailing from the lower-caste cannot be solely accepted due to one highly controversial and frequently discussed supposed incident wherein Brahmins refused to coronate Shivaji and a Brahmin from Kashi by the name of Gaga Bhat had to be brought in to conduct the coronation ceremony.

Let us view further evidence that unmistakenly shows Shivaji as a champion of the Hindu religion.

In 1667, Shivaji invaded Bardez province in Goa to punish the rebellious Desai rulers. It came to light that four Christian missionaries were carrying out forcible conversions of Hindus and were taking away and converting orphans by force. Shivaji captured the missionaries and ordered them to convert to Hinduism. Upon refusal, Shivaji beheaded the padres. This incident was noted by a contemporary in a letter dated 30th November 1667.

Sevagee, deeply resenting this rigour, invaded the precincts of Bardese, not farre distant from Goa, and there cut off the heads of four Padres that refused to turne Moretto’s [Marathas-Hindus] of his owne pereuasion, they having councelled the destruction of all that were not opinionated as themselves; which so terrifyed the Vice Rey that he was forced to revoke his fierce and severe edict. He [Shivaji] burnt and destroyed all the country, and carried away 150 lack of pagodaes.

After his coronation, Shivaji abolished the usage of Persian in his court and replaced it with Marathi and Sanskrit. He also ordered the process of expunging Persian words from Marathi vocabulary and adopted Sanskrit titles.

Sanskrit titles were ordered to be used in future to designate their offices, and the Persian titles hitherto current were abolished.

Jadunath Sarkar, in his book ‘Shivaji and his Times’ summed up the life of Shivaji, stating that Shivaji helped inspire the Hindu nation and awaken it after centuries of domination by the invaders.

“Shivaji proved, by his example, that the Hindu race could build a nation, found a State, defeat its enemies; they could conduct their own defence; they could protect and promote literature and art, commerce and industry; they could maintain navies and ocean going fleets of their own, and conduct naval battles on equal terms with foreigners. He taught the modern Hindus to rise to the full stature of their growth. He demonstrated that the tree of Hinduism was not dead, and that it could put forth new leaves and branches and once again rise up its head to the skies.”

photo of letter to jaysingh

see these points of letter

shambaha ji letter

The Context

Sambhaji had chosen Ram Singh for a reason that was imbued with statesmanship, Dharma, and most importantly, filial love.

Aurangzeb had deputed Ram Singh’s only son, Krishna Singh (or Kishan Singh) to faraway Maharashtra as the head of one of his army’s units to keep a watch on the hated Maratha infidels. However, Aurangzeb’s own son, Muhammad Akbar who had revolted against his father had fled to and sought refuge with Sambhaji. Krishna Singh readily gave him assistance, a fatal invitation. Sure enough, Aurangzeb put him to death on 10 April 1682 at the historic fort of Paranda, about an hour’s drive from Solapur. Krishna Singh was a mere boy aged 19 when he was beheaded. The next time you visit the Paranda fort, don’t forget to shed a tear of gratitude for Krishna Singh.

The Letter

Sambhaji himself was quite learned in Sanskrit and had a highly trusted Sanskrit scholar as one of his close ministers, the renowned Kavi-Kalasha or Kalusha. Kavi-Kalasha was also an accomplished traditional Pandit and Purohita and had vast and deep learning in Sanskrit literature. It is said that Sambhaji personally dictated these letters and Kavi-Kalasha wrote them down. Another account says that Sambhaji wrote it in his own hand and a fair copy was made by a scribe.

Translated Excerpts of Sambhaji's Letter

SHAMBHUJI RAJA TO RAJA RAM SINGH OF AMBER

Shri Shambhu Raja craves your friendship and after enquiring about your welfare communicates to Your Highness his own words in this letter.

We have received your communication and understand your object to mean that no opposition should be offered to the Emperor of Delhi…

Thereafter you came to know how your son Krishna Singh met his ruin for having intrigued with Sultan Akbar ; and after full consideration of the political situation you again wrote to us in laudable terms that we acted rightly in offering shelter in our dominion to Sultan Akbar, that you approved the course we followed and that as we are Hindus, you signified your readiness to execute whatever was considered expedient in the circumstances.

If such indeed is your real intention, then you yourself ought to take take lead in this affair. The present wicked Emperor believes that we Hindus have all become effeminate and tint we have lost all regard for our religion. Such an attitude on the part of the Emperor we cannot any longer endure. We cannot put up with anything derogatory to our character as soldiers (Kshatriyas). The Vedas and the codes enjoin certain injunctions of religion…which we cannot allow to be trampled underfoot, nor can we neglect our own duty as kings to our subjects. We are prepared to sacrifice everything, our treasure, our land, our forts, in waging war against this satanic Emperor. We have killed many a brave captain of the Emperor, imprisoned several, released some after exacting ransom, and some out of compassion; several effected their escape by offering bribes. In this way the imperial commanders have proved themselves utterly incompetent. The moment has now arrived when the Emperor himself can be captured and made prisoner with the result that we can rebuild our temples and restore our religious practices. We strongly assure you that we have resolved to execute all this in the near future.

But we are in comparison with you young and inexperienced. We have seen and heard so much about your valour and your zeal for religion. You at present fully possess the seven arms of kingship, so that if you muster courage and co-operate with us in the task of annihilating the power of this Emperor, we can accomplish anything! When we ponder on this situation, we feel extremely surprised to find that you keep yourself so quiet and so unmindful of your religion.

We are planning to dispatch [Muhammad] Akbar…into Gujarat, so that you on your side must courageously execute whatever is possible. Shah Abbas of Persia has signified his willingness to support the cause of Akbar; but it does not…behove us to accept Muslim help in this cause and enable Abbas to gain the credit. Was it not your own revered father Jai Singh who gained the honour of helping Aurangzeb to capture the throne of Delhi? You can now follow the same example and obtain the same credit by helping Akbar (to the throne). If he becomes the Emperor of Delhi with the help of the Muslims of Persia, they will gain predominance. It is necessary to prevent such a contingency. If you and we join our forces and place Akbar on the throne, we shall get the opportunity of protecting our religion and on your part, you will shed lustre on the house of Jai Singh.

My ministers Kavi-kalash and Janardan Pandit are writing to you separately at length…

Postscript

I suppose further commentary is unnecessary. We wonder if such inspirational, real-life episodes have been included in our school textbooks. At least in Marathi books to begin with

Shivaji Maharaj a Hindu King-

Maratha Kingdom of Shivaji Maharaj was undoubtly ‘Hindvi Swarajya” (Hindu Kingdom ), here is the contemporary sources -

*Shivaji’s letter to Narasprabhu Deshpande , look at the last line

• “काशी की कला जाती, मथुरा की मसजीद बनती, अगर शिवाजी ना होते तो सुन्नत होत सबकी.”
  Meaning: Kashi would have lost its splendor, Mathura would have become a mosque; if it had not been for Shivaji, all would have been circumcised (converted). written by Shivaji’s Poet - Kavi Bhushan. [Ref : Shivbhushan - Ninad Bedekar]
• Now lets talk about Extreme activities by Shivaji Maharaj, In 1657 Shivaji Maharaj Destroyed Masjid’s in Kalyan-Bhiwandi area in Mumbai [Ref - Shivbharat ,Adhyay 13 ], Shivaji Maharaj Killed 4 Christian Padaris & arrested 100 women in Goa in 1667 to stop Viceroy's spade against Hindu peoples. [Ref : Maratha- Portuguese relations - Pisurleka

shivaji maharaj  converson  to hindu  who were muslims

a great officer named Netoji Palkar from the court of Shivaji Maharaj ,met Mughals later & changed his religion to Islam. After few year’s when he returned to Shivaji Maharaj and apologize for his deeds. Shivaji Maharaj Converted him back to Hindu religion

The story happens to be like:

After Shivaji maharaj escaped from Agra, Aurangzeb, as a revenge, ordered Jai Singh to arrest Netaji Palkar. He was under arrest at Dharur fort for a few days, which is situated in Beed district now. Also it is told that on the same fort Jija mata(Mother of Shivaji Maharaj) sent some money to Jaisingh when demanded by Shivaji to distribute sweets in Agra.
Netaji Palkar was then converted to Islam. His wives were thereafter brought to Delhi and also converted for him to remarry them in the Islamic way. Taking up the name of Muhammed Kuli Khan, Netaji Palkar was appointed as garrison commander of the Kandahar fort in Afghanistan. He tried to escape but was traced and trapped at Lahore. Thereafter on the battlefields of Kandhar and Kabul, he fought for the Mughals against rebel Pathans. Thus he gained the good faith of Aurangzeb and was sent to the Deccan along with Commander Diler Khan to conquer the territory.

However, after entering Maharashtra, Netaji joined Shivaji's troops and went to Raigad. Thus, after a decade in Mughal captivity, Netaji turned up at the court of Shivaji, asking to be taken back into the Hindu fold.

It is pertinent to note that Netaji Palkar and Bajajirao Nimbalkar were originally Hindu who were FORCED to convert. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj helped them to REVERT back to their original faith i.e. Hindu Dharm.

conversion of putgese to  hindu.

1. Chhatrapati Shivaji and his 20 Muslim bodyguards But in Shivbharat ---

SEE BELOW BUT I DNT KNOW ITS TRANSLATION

4.myth Chhatrapati Shivaji coronation was not in the name of any religion

The start of the "Masjid on Raigad" rumour. Chhatrapati Shivaji never built any Mosque on Raigad. This 1818 document is earliest instance of Jagdishwar temple mistaken for Mosque. BELOW IS ENGLISH LETTER WHICH IS MISTAKEN AS MASJID

Coronation was opposed by Marathi Brahmins. A Hindi Brahmin named Gagabhatt had to be called. Turns out, Gagabhatt was Marathi ! From Paithan.

cow incidence at bijapur

Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a child visited Bijapur, under control of Adilshahi

And Shahji Maharaj was a sardar under the same adilshahi

Chatrapati was going on a road when he saw that a butcher was about to kill a cow, which was crying for help. He went and offered to pay for the cow but the butcher mocked and hurled abuses at young Maharaj.

Chatrapati who was 10 at that time warned the butcher who still raised his machete to kill the cow. Maharaj pulled his sword and in a swift blow, cut off the hand of the butcher and freed the cow.The butcher ran to Adil shah who summoned amd threatened Maharaj, with Shahji raje present. Adil shah asked Maharaj to apologize and pay fine bit he stood with his eyes locked at the jihadi in his own court. Adilshah wanted to kill Maharaj but his minister informed that hindu soldiers and commoners are aware about what Maharaj did and if Maharaj was touched, Bijapur will be burnt to ground by hindu forces of Shahji Maharaj and others.

Maharaj went back and adilshah could only grit his teeth.

This is how secular chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was. If you have any doubts then remember he founded Hindavi Swarajya, the self-rule of Hindus and gave new life to Sanskrit, marathi hindi and other languages trampled by foreign tongues

SEE BELOW STORY OF KILLING OF COW BUTCHER

letter by him to his brother not to employ muslims

source shivaji and his life by by gb mahandale