“Shivaji died in 1680 AD and Ramdas in 1681. They had achieved much, but much more had yet to be achieved. They two died, but even their death would not kill the movement they had brought into being. It was not based on the narrow and shifting foundation of an individual life. It had struck its roots deep into the life of the nation”.
— V D Savarkar, Hindu-Pad-Patshahi Or A Critical Review Of The Hindu Empire Of Maharashtra, B G Paul & Co, Madras, 1925. P. 11
From June 2 onwards, the nation will celebrate the 350th anniversary of an epoch-making moment – the Coronation of Shivaji Maharaj as Chhatrapati. June 6, 1674, or Jyeshtha Shukla 3, 1596, Yugabda 4775, as per the Hindu calendar, was a momentous occasion in the history of Bharat for many reasons. Usually, amidst the tradition of commemorating birth and death anniversaries of great personalities, why Shivaji’s coronation as Chhatrapati holds a special significance needs in-depth analysis.
The history of our Rashtra has been that of continuous struggle to protect Dharma and the ideas based on diversity of faiths and universal brotherhood. In the process, many kings and queens took the reins, defeated the invaders and established righteous rules. In recent history, when the entire nation was in a defeatist mindset, especially after the fall of Vijayanagara, and society was meekly grappling with the rules of Islamic invasion characterised by the discrimination, forced and incentivised conversions and complete absence of the rule of law, Shivaji the ruler instilled new confidence and esteem among the masses.
In the 17th century, Raja Shiva Chhatrapati dared to crown himself as an independent ruler fighting against the Mughals, Adilshah of Bijapur and Siddhis of Janjira, breaking their spell of superiority regarding arms and administration. Despite meagre resources and daunting challenges, he inspired the people to unite to fight against injustice and establish self-rule. While doing so, he challenged the social inertia and evils and inspired the common masses, cutting across the region, caste, sect and language, to stand up for the cause of Dharma. That is precisely why Shivaji Maharaj’s mantra of Hindavi Swarajya continued to inspire the populace even after he died for centuries together.
For him, the coronation was not a symbol of individual victory but national pride. It was the British and communist historians who reduced his legacy to the ‘Maratha Empire’. For Shivaji Maharaj, it was always the Hindavi Swarajya, destined to emerge as per divine will.
The coronation was a political statement for the masses and the adversaries. It was a new administrative rein based on Dharma Rajya – the rule of law. The administration started in a local and people-friendly manner with the appropriate translation mechanism to overcome the language barrier. Equality before the law was not just sloganeering but in practice. The dignity and security of women were restored, in contrast to the Mughul rule. The coronation also brought in a new era of strategic vision. With the help of a well-regulated and disciplined military, Shivaji Maharaj evolved his own doctrine of military engagement. The combination of guerrilla tactics, strategic alliances, and building a maritime strength allowed him to leverage strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise. Liberating the symbols of slavery and mixing the strategy of guerrilla warfare with the multiplication of power through alliances remained critical strategies of the expeditions from Attock to Cuttack. Hence, Shivaji and his ideals of Swaraj, based on the civilisational values of Swadharma (Selfhood), steered our freedom struggle against British rule and still holds great significance.
Reigniting the idea of nationhood and evolving the security strategy for protecting the same is still our national need.
From Swaraj and Suraj’s point of view, it was a departure from the prevailing situation. The principles emanating from the Hindu Samarajya Divas – such as personalised and righteous rule, the importance of strategic vision based on civilisational wisdom and inspiring the ordinary people for extraordinary national objectives – are still critical guiding forces.
Not surprisingly, like the manufactured controversy around the inauguration of the new Parliament of Bharat, Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation also faced opposition, mockery and boycott. He went ahead with the coronation and crossed all the barriers with people’s support. For present-day politics also, Shivaji Maharaj and his politics hold great significance. While celebrating the 350 years of his coronation, we must revisit the ideas and ideals behind the historical moment and recontextualise them for the present-day Bharat.
