A Short Note On Shahu

Shahu Maharaj I was the Chhatrapati of the Maratha domain and the grandson of Shivaji. Shahu Bhosale was the path of Bhonsle skin, and he was the son of Sambhaji Maharaj and Shivaji’s Maharaj successor and the eldest son. In his early life, he was captured by the Mughal force led by Aurangzeb and was held captive by the Mughals till the death of Aurangzeb. Under the Shahu’s command or reign, the Maratha empire was very influenced and powerful. It was extended to all the corners of the subcontinents of India, which resulted in a very powerful and strong Maratha empire during his period. 

Primal life of Shahu Bhosle and his family 

In his early life stages, when he was just a 7-year-old boy, he was taken as a prisoner alongside his mother in the year 1689 by the Mughal forces after the conflict of Raigad.

Aurangzeb, who was the Mughal emperor at that time, fighting the Marathas, desired to use Shahu as an assistant in a struggle with the Marathas and therefore treated Shahu’s mother and Shahu very well, continuing them captive under his control. During the captivity process, Shahu was married to two daughters of Maratha sardars, who were in service of the Mughals. 

For his livelihood, the Mughal domain also yielded him revenue rights and lands around Khargone and Akkalkot. After the decease of Aurangzeb in the year 1707, one of the sons of Aurangzeb named Prince Azam Shah Middle released Shahu in the desire of starting an interesting conflict between the Marathas and expecting Sahu to be on the side of Mughals for the succession fight of the Mughal Rule.

At that time, Tarabai, who was the widow of Raja Ram, had control of the Maratha kingdom in the name of her son Shivaji.

Tarabai criticised Sahu as a pseudonym that was exchanged by the Mughals for the son of Sambhaji. To regain the throne of the Maratha Empire, he fought a short war with Tarabai in 1708.

Maratha Empire under Shahu Maharaj Control 

During the war between Shahu and Tarabai, Kanhoji Angre clutched that opportunity to free himself of the dominion of either. Alternatively, he occupied the major trading centre of Kalyan and all other adjacent forts of Lohagad and Rajmachi. Shahu sent a very large force under his Prime Minister of Peshwa, Bajirao Pingale.

In that battle, Bajirao Pingale was defeated and was captured by Kanhoji in Lohagad, and then he started to march towards Satara, which was the capital of Shahu.

After this, Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath to raise a secondary army to repress Kanhoji, but Balaji preferred to negotiate with the admiral after Kanhoji and Balaji met at Lonavala, and Kanhoji agreed to the terms because the Admiral as the control of the admiral with Konkan of Shahu was very firm.

Angry and Balaji jointly attacked the Muslim siddhis of Janjira.  The combined forces of Balaji and Angre mostly recaptured every cost in Konkan, including the birthplace of Balaji, Shrivardhan. 

After this incident, Chhatrapati Shahu appointed Balaji Viswanathan as Peshwa and dismissed Bahiroji on 16 November 1713.

The Mughal Emperors reckoned Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and his successor as rightful inheritors to the great Warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Mughals became a marionette government of the Marathas empire and gave their quarter of total revenue as Chauth and an additional 10% for their protection.

Personal Life of Shahu Maharaj 

In 1891 Shahu married his first wife, Lakshmibai nee Khanvilkar, Who was the daughter of a marathon nobleman residing in Baroda. Both of them have a total of four children together, namely,

 Raja Ram III followed his father as the Chhatrapati Maharaj of Kolhapur.

Akkasaheb or Radhabai Pawar was also known as the Maharani of Dewas and married Raja Tukojirao III of Dewas.

Shriman Maharaj Kumar Shivaji

Shrimati Rajkumari Dubai died very young.

Decease

In the last days of Shahu Maharaj, his Queens were fascinated with each other, and also his health began to deteriorate. Tarabai’s move to procure power and contention started between the important Maratha heads. These difficulties were going on in the absence of a successor To The Throne. Tarabai, who lived in labour at Satara, gave birth to a child who was to be known as the child of Shivaji II. Tarabai asked Shahu Maharaj to adopt her child. She gave him the name Ramanuja. During this procedure, the health of Shahu Maharaj was very poor, leading to their death in the year 1749. He left a showing of his preference for Ramaraja.

Conclusion

Chhatrapati Maharaj Shahu brought together the Maratha nobles, who were the main cause of expanding the Maratha empire.  Shahu Maharaj had an amazing intellectual and common sense of detecting the quality of people and employing them for the Maratha state.  Chhatrapati Maharaj was a son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and the grandson of the great warrior and founder of the Maratha Empire,  Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In his early life stages, he was imprisoned by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb when he was just seven years old, alongside his mother.  He was captive from the age of 7 to 25 under the Mughal dominance.