Shivaji Maharaj Part I(Ancestors and Background)

Background of Shivaji Maharaj

Battle of Talikota, 1565

Source:- Pinterest

After the Battle of Talikota (1565), the situation of Vijayanagara empire was worse than before, after this for the next 80 years, Vijayanagara survived only in a small portion of South India. All the local ministars and leaders left the empire and gone to their respective territories.

Deccan Sultanate's after their joint campiagn against the Vijayanagara empire, broke apart and their unity was dissolved. Nizamshahi captured the Imad Shahi. 

Malik Ambar Portrait

Source:- Wikipedia

During this time, the Mughal emperor Akbar started his deccan campaign. Mughals first targeted the kingdom of Ahmednagar, Nizamshahi and during this time the story of Chand Bibi and Malik Ambar is popularised, which is still very famous in the present day state of Maharashtra.

Mughals first captured the kingdom of Khandesh and Burhanpur, by that the path to deccan was opened to the Mughals. During this time, the Nizamshahi army consist of a large number of Marathas, from here the rivalry of Marathas and Mughals started. The lineage of Shivaji starts with the Father side lineage known as the Bhosale and Mother side lineage known as the Jadhav's. 

Maloji Bhosale portrait

Source:- Discover Maharashtra

Around this time, Bhosale became the Patil of modern day of Ellore. Babaji Bhosale was the Patil of Ellore, he had two sons named as Maloji Bhosale and Vithoji Bhosale. Maloji Bhosale was the commandor in the Nizamshahi, his son was Shahji Raje Bhosale, who later became the father of Shivaji Maharaj.

Portrait of Shahji Raje Bhosale

Source:- Pinterest

Shahji Raje Bhosale was born in 1594 AD. Shahji was born in 1594 AD. Shahji raje even had a brother named as Sharifji Bhosale. Now lets shift our focus to the mother side of Shivaji Maharaj, the Jadhav's were very powerful in the Bahmani Kingdom, so the Nizamshahi took them under their services. The Raja of Sindkheda known as Lakhuji Jadhav, whose daughter was Jijabai who later became the mother of Shivaji maharaj.

Maloji Bhosale with his unmatched skills and bravery in the battlefield drew the attention of Malik Ambar who became the Factotum of Nizamshahi. For his bravery and courage, Maloji was awarded with the Jagir's of Pune and Supa. It also caught the eye of Lakhuji Rao Jadhav and he decided to marry his daughter to Maloji's son Shahji bhosale, Shahji and Jijabai married in 1605.

Portrait of Jahangir

Source:- Wikipedia

In 1605, Akbar died in Agra and Jahangir became the next emperor of the Mughal empire. In 1616, Jahangir send an expedition to the South lead by hus son Parviz Mirza, in the following year, Khurran (Shah Jahan) was also sent in the Deccan.

In 1617, the following year Berar and Ahmednagar were captured by Mughals. After this, Khurram appointed Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan as the head of the Deccan part of Empire. Malik Ambar with the help of Lakhuji rao Jadhav and Shahji raje Bhosale made attacks in the territories of Mughals which made the situation worse for Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, they stretched their attacks till Narmada. 

In 1619, Jijabai gave birth to a boy named as Sambhaji who were the elder brother of Shivaji maharaj. During this time Adil Shahi swallowed Barid Shahi. In the following year, Maloji Bhosale died in 1620, but according to some historians he died in 1622. So the Jagir's of Pune and Supa was passed on to Shahji Raje Bhosale. 

During this time, Shahji raje bhosale became a brilliant commandor of Malik Ambar, but Malim Ambar seeing his success became jealous of him which made Shahji uncomfortable. Due to this, Shahji joined the Adil Shahi and gave them his servives for almost 3 years. In 1626, Malik Ambar died and his capable but greedy son, Fateh Khan was imprisoned by Burhan Nizam Shah II.

Portrait of Shah Jahan

Source:- Wikipedia

After the death of Jahangir, Khurram (Shah Jahan) after defeating Nur Jahan, he crowned himself in Agra in 1628 and became the new mughal emperor. During this time, Khan Jahan Lodi, governor of Malwa revolt against the Mughals in the areas of Malwa and deccan. He contacted Nizam Shah for a strong front against Mughals, Nizam Shah recalles Shahji raje bhosale back to his services.

In 1630, Shah Jahan reached Burhanpur for a fresh front in the Deccan seeing the failure of Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan. He used his brillant diplomatic and Political power and promised Adil Shahi half of the province of Nizam Shahi, if he joined hands with him. So, Adil Shahi joined hands with Mughals to fight against Nizamshahi and doubled the trouble for Shahji raje and Khan Jahan Lodi, due to which they got defeated in the battle.

Khan Jahan Lodi portrait 

Source:- pinterest

Khan Jahan Lodi fled in the North leaving Shahji raje alone in the Nizamshahi to fight against the Mughals. Lakhuji rao jadhav had already joined the Mughals. Burhan Nizam Shah II invited Lakhuji Jadhav for a meeting in the fort of Devgiri or Daulatabad with his family and killed most of his family there brutally in 1629.

After listening to the news of Killing of his Father-in-law, Shahji raje was furious of it and left the Nizamshahi and joined the Mughals and became a Mansadbar there, you can only imagine what kind of pain Jijabai was going through, one of the most trusted friends just killed his family brutally. In the next episode, I will cover the birth of Shivaji Maharaj, so stay tuned....