In this show, we cover mythology, legends and folk tales, and History. Today’s episode is firmly in the History category.
I want to add a disclaimer here. As with previous history episodes, and in order not to sound like a boring Wikipedia article, I have taken creative liberties with the communication between the 17th-century characters, in order for it to be understood by a 21st-century audience. We storytellers have to do this all the time. Otherwise, no one will listen to us, and we’d be sad lonely folks.
I have had a listener specifically request a story of Shivaji Maharaj. And it’s absolutely fitting considering that the upcoming Friday is Shivaji’s Birthday So here we are!
We’ll cover a couple of incidents from Shivaji’s life. One when he was a teenager and making a mark for himself, and another when he shook up medieval Indian news networks by doing something completely unexpected and establishing a new power balance
Shivaji was the son of Shahji, a general in the Bijapur Sultanate. Not to be confused with the Mughal Empire or the Ahmednagar Sultanate.
A general’s life was not easy. It meant frequent travel. It might have also meant time away from family. Except Shahji solved that problem by keeping two families. One in Bangalore and the other in Shivneri. Well, his Shivneri wife had a child, and that child was named Shivaji. Not after Shiva the Destroyer. But after a local goddess Shivai.
Shivaji’s early education was highly influenced by his mom – Jijabai. Shivaji had a healthy dose of Indian mythology. It was a big part of his education – exactly the kind of stuff we cover on this podcast.
Much of what he did later in life was influenced by these learnings, so maybe I can claim some credit for inspiring some of his achievements!
Our story starts not in Shivneri and not in Bijapur, but in Torna. Torna is a large fort near Pune in Maharashtra. In the year 1646, it was being ruled by Inayat Khan, who administered the region for the very same Bijapur Sultanate that Shivaji’s father was general of.
The scene is the war council chambers of Inayat Khan. Any administrator needs a bunch of officers to administer for him. This was their equivalent of a daily morning meeting. Yup, office traditions are older than you think.
Inayat Khan’s personal secretary began “We have 11 items on the agenda today. First up is the Honorable undersecretary from the Torna Finance Divison”
A middle-aged bureaucrat spoke up. “Honorable General Inayat Khan sir, my dear colleagues, the adolescent progeny of one of your distinguished peers refuses to contribute to the enrichment of the Sultanate’s revenue streams thereby raising the possibility of a rejection of the government authority which could lead to a condition of organizational atrophy that will render difficult the effective discharge of the functions of his Majesty Adil Shah’s Sultanate of Bijapur”
Inayat Khan glanced at his secretary who then quickly provided a translation – “He means your colleague’s son isn’t paying his taxes”
“Who is this upstart?” asked Inayat Khan
“His name is Shivaji Sir. Son of Shahji” replied the personal secretary quickly interjecting before the Honorable Undersecretary could launch into chapter and verse.
“I’ve had enough of this Shivaji. A month ago, we had heard complaints about him raising an army. He claimed they were just friends from school. I’ll have to deal with him myself”
“Down with Shivaji,” said one yes-man
“Long live Inayat Khan,” said another.
“Next!” called out Inayat, ignoring them.
Next up was the honorable deputy secretary of defense planning, who was there to complain about the rusty locks on the gates of the unmanned entrances to the fort. He needed a bigger budget for posting extra guards there or at least reinforcing the doors, or maybe changing the locks.
Inayat Khan promised to look into it.
Before the next item could be brought up, however, the doors to the council chamber burst upon and a young man walked in.
The council was stunned into silence.
“Howdy boys,” said the boy closing the doors behind him. He then grabbed an empty chair and propped his feet up on the table.
The personal secretary finally found his voice. “Who are you? This is completely out of order! You can’t be here without paperwork in advance, and in triplicate. There is no room on the agenda for you”
“Actually you’ll find that there is. If you look closely at your agenda, you’ll see where it says 9:15 am – Negotiations with Shivaji Bhosale”
The personal secretary adjusted his glasses and said “it is 9:15 am right now, but no. I definitely don’t see that written in my notes… Oh… Oh, I see now. You meant that as a threat”
“You used the T-word, I didn’t. What do I know? I’m just in high school”
“So you’re Shivaji Bhosale. You’re here to give yourself up?” asked Inayat
Shivaji rolled his eyes. “I’m the one sitting here unceremoniously talking to you like I own this fort. And you think I’m about to give myself up? No, quite the opposite. I’m here to fight for your safety! Your well-being”
Inayat Khan took out his sword and placed it calmly on the table. You aren’t carrying a weapon We’re the ones with swords.
“True. I don’t have a weapon, and that’s because I mean no harm. On the contrary, I want to save you from my trigger happy army who are waiting outside”
“Hah!” said the personal secretary “so you admit you were raising an army! I knew it, they weren’t just friends. Now we’ll get you on perjury!”
Inayat Khan and Shivaji both looked at each other. Bureaucrats, what can I do? Inayat Khan seemed to say as he shrugged. Shivaji nodded sympathetically.
“My dear fellows. They’re all friends of mine. All ten thousand of them.”
“How did you get so many soldiers in here so quickly?” asked the deputy secretary of Defense. “It the rusty locks on the unmanned entrances to the forts, wasn’t it?”
Despite the situation, he was actually proud. “I told you so” his tone screamed at the rest of the room.
Shivaji smiled. “You practically invited us all in. But don’t worry. Most of them don’t want to throw you off the fort walls.”
Some of the bureaucrats began to worry now.
“Most of them prefer to simply stuff you into cannons and see how far you land. But, me? I want you to go home safe and sound. And as long as I get what I need, you’ll get what you need”
Inayat Khan had begun to worry now. He gestured to his personal secretary and said “Go outside and check if he’s telling the truth”.
“Yes! Please. My friends have strict instructions. Anyone who attempts to leave is promptly killed. I really should have mentioned that as an alternative to the rope-less bungee jumping off the fort walls and the human cannonball. I think it’ll still be painful, but my friends will try and make it quick” he said.
The personal secretary hesitated now. He turned back to Inayat Khan. “I must decline your order, sir. You haven’t submitted a notarized order to my office. In triplicate”
Inayat Khan growled. But that was pretty much all he could do. He didn’t dare step out of the council chamber himself.
He knew he was beaten.
“Alright, what do you need?”
“Oh, nothing much. Just sign over your powers to me. And you can walk out of here. I’ll even give you a pension. Live your retirement out in luxury.”
Reluctantly Inayat Khan signed over the transfer of powers.
“Down with Inayat,” said a yes-man
“Long live Shivaji,” said another.
Inayat didn’t even object when Shivaji locked him in a broom closet.
The new ruler motioned the meeting to continue without him. He stepped out of the council chamber. He waved casually at Inayat Khan’s soldiers who had been waiting outside the whole time oblivious to the drama going on inside. They were taken aback when Shivaji informed them he was their new master, but the paperwork with Inayat’s signature was absolutely genuine. That’s all it took to switch their allegiance. Shivaji strolled to a nearby tea shop where his friends were waiting for him. Both of them. He showed them the papers. “The fort is ours, boys.”
Shivaji’s friends were shocked and wanted to know he’s done it.
“I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse” he replied.
And just like that in a completely bloodless coup, the 15-year-old Shivaji had become the administrator of a fort. But for this, this was just the beginning.
While other kids his age were busy collecting coins and shiny looking rocks, Shivaji was collecting forts.
In just three short years after capturing Torna, Shivaji had added three more forts to his collection.
Meanwhile Adil Shah the Bijapur Sultan was grumpy. “I’ve lost 4 forts to this guy in 4 years? How can I keep control of my empire if people hear that run rate? And this is just the opportunity that the Mughals need to take over my Sultanate. Is this Shivaji guy a Mughal agent?” He asked suddenly panicking.
“No sir, he hates them” replied his Vazir or adviser.
“That’s just what a secret agent would do, wouldn’t he? I’m sure that’s it. Who can tell me more about this Shivaji guy? And I don’t mean what we have in the files. I need deep personal background” asked Adil Shah
“That should not be a problem. Your general Shahji is the perfect source” said the Vazir.
“Shahji? He knows the boy?” asked Adil Shah
“He’s Shivaji’s father, your majesty” replied the Vazir.
Adil Shah dropped his coffee cup in shock. “Are you kidding me? My greatest enemy’s father is my employee and you think to tell me… now?!”
Shahji was promptly summoned. He had to get over the initial confusion given he had more than one son in more than one place. But Shahji wouldn’t rat out his son. “It’s not business it’s personal,” he said. But Adil Shah decided to make it personal. He had Shahji put in prison, thinking that that would pressure Shivaji. It worked. Briefly.
You see, Adil Shah had found what he thought was a better solution to the problem. So he released Shahji and unleashed his trump card. Adil Shah’s general Afzal Khan had just won him a bunch of victories down south. He’d attacked and defeated the remnants of the Vijayanagaram empire. Yes, the very same Vijayanagaram that Tenali Raman was from, but more than a century in the future.
Afzal Khan had accomplished a great military victory for Adil Shah. And what does a good Sultan do when his general accomplishes a huge victory on one front? Of course, he sends him to accomplish something similar in the other direction.
Well, as financial advisers often advise – Past performance is not an indicator of future results.
That’s what Adil Shah was about to find out.
Afzal was not the kind who would rush into things without first gathering any intelligence. He was a smart cookie. He’d done some research on Shivaji and found out how Shivaji had tricked his way into capturing some forts. Afzal even talked to the British East India Company and receive advice that he should try and trick Shivaji. Military strength alone would not work.
Nevertheless, Afzal tried military strength first. It didn’t work out so well.
For one thing, Afzal Khan didn’t have the right equipment to trouble Shivaji’s troops at Pratapgadh. And Shivaji’s troops despite the high ground were unable to overcome Afzal khan’s well-trained troops. They were stuck in a stalemate for a couple of months.
Neither side seemed to be giving in, but Shivaji’s advisors were convinced that they could not hold out indefinitely. They suggested peace with Afzal Khan.
Afzal Khan could have waited out Shivaji, but I guess he was in a hurry. The conquest of Vijayanagaram had been easy, and now he had a personal record to beat!
Afzal sent someone to negotiate peace on his behalf. He sent a hand-delivered letter to Shivaji. It went something like this “Hello, Shivaji! You probably don’t remember me but I’m a friend of your father’s from work. I remember you from the last bring-your-son-to-work day. You were such a little boy, it’s great to see you grown up conquering forts and all. But honestly, I worry as well. I don’t want anything to happen to my favorite co-worker’s favorite son. Let’s catch up over coffee sometime. I have quite the sway with Adil Shah. I can get him to treat you favorably. You may get to keep all your kingdom, we’ll make you a general in Adil Shah’s empire. I bet your dad will be proud. Come meet me at my camp. I promise we’ll have a nice quiet chat.
P.S. I’ve enclosed 5 rupees that I owed your father from the last time we had an office pizza party”
Well, that gesture was not fooling Shivaji. He was absolutely certain that Afzal Khan was up to no good.
Shivaji dispatched a letter, similarly glowing “Dear Uncle Afzal, of course, I remember you! I would love to meet you for coffee catchup. But I’m afraid given the present state of things, and the teeny tiny fact that we’ve been at war for the last two months, I very much prefer that we meet at a neutral place. Like maybe the base of Pratapgarh. P.S. thanks for the 5 Rupees, but I’ve enclosed it here again. It’s best if you give it to him yourself. You’re more likely to see him than I am”
Somehow, Afzal Khan agreed to the meeting at the base of Pratapgarh. I guess he thought he had nothing to fear. Even in a one-on-one situation, Afzal Khan had the seemingly upper hand.
Shivaji was an average-sized man. But Afzal Khan was a giant of a man. 7 feet tall some say, although that is a bit of an exaggeration. He was definitely not more than six feet eleven inches.
It’s not that I measured his height, I just have knowledge of everything, remember? I could also tell you when he lost his first baby tooth, or what flavor cake he had on his birthday, and what his investment portfolio consisted of, but all that is irrelevant. It’s hard being me and ignoring all the mountains of information I have access to.
Anyway, enough about me. Back to the story.
On the appointed date, Shivaji showed up on time but Afzal Khan was early, he was already inside the tent waiting for Shivaji.
They each had a bodyguard of course. Even when they said “come alone” bodyguards were never excluded. But the bodyguards kept their distance. They were certainly not allowed into the tent.
Shivaji went inside. The moment Afzal Khan saw him enter, he stood up and held out his arms
“Come give your favorite Uncle a hug, he said. And I’ll give you a candy bar”
“Well I suppose we could greet each other politely,” said Shivaji and stepped forward.
Afzal Khan towered over him and gave him a bear hug, suddenly pulling out a dagger from his sleeve and brought it down hard onto Shivaji’s back. Except it didn’t work.
“What?” asked Afzal Khan “that’s not how daggers are supposed to work”
But Shivaji wasn’t going to patiently explain that he’d put on metal armor under his clothes. A simpler explanation might work.
“Afzal Khan, I am Superman! The man of steel. And Let me show you my Wolverine claws”
With that, he pushed his sharp claws into Afzal Khan. Not his natural claws. He had had custom made claws that were cleverly disguised to resemble rings. But quite effective in a retaliatory attack against Uncles who try to stab you in the back while pretending to embrace you.
Well, that was the end of Afzal Khan, but there’s more to what Shivaji did. He had taken the time to hide his troops in strategic pockets all around Afzal Khan’s camp.
The moment Afzal Khan was no more, Shivaji gave a signal, which was to someone who fired a cannon in response. Not at Shivaji. The firing of the cannon was a signal to the troops who then took Afzal Khan’s army by surprise.
It did end on a good note for the soldiers in Afzal Khan’s army. They were completely in Shivaji’s power, true. And this was centuries before the Geneva convention.
But despite that, Shivaji let the soldiers and officers go, as a sign of goodwill.
That worked. Temporarily. There were no more confrontations between Shivaji’s empire and the Bijapur Sultanate. That’s not the only reason though. A big problem for Adil Shah and his successors was the Mughal empire which was encroaching on their territory.
That’s all for now
Some notes on the show
Some pictures of the forts mentioned in this episode, Torna and Pratapgarh.
The remains of Torna fort
More views of Torna and another
The way up to Torna
Pratapgarh now
Another view of Pratapgarh
.jpg){kind=link}
Some others don’t feature in today’s episodes but are spectacular sea forts. This is to be expected as Shivaji also created a large coastal navy.
Sindhudurg is an example. This photo shows what it looks like from the mainland.
This one was taken inside the fort
Some sources for historically accurate accounts:
Jadunath Sarkar’s book: “Shivaji and his Times”. Available here
This article by A.R. Kulkarni
Stewart Gordon’s book on The Marathas
That’s all for now.
Next Time
In the next episode, we’ll cover a less known folk tale from the Northern Territory of Ladakh.
Like most folk tales it includes magic, and in this case, it means a box that can protect you from anything and fairies that cry and shed gems instead of tears