Shivaji and His Times
20 Chapters · Four Parts
Jadunath Sarkar's definitive account of the life, wars, and administrative genius of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
From a Konkan hill-kingdom to most of the subcontinent
Shivaji's coronation at Raigad in 1674 founded a sovereign Maratha state in the heart of Aurangzeb's Deccan. Within a century the Confederacy reached Delhi, Lahore, Bengal, and the Tamil country.
In saffron, the empire at its greatest extent — 1674 to 1818 — set against the Indian subcontinent, with Raigad, the coronation capital, marked.
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The Life of Chhatrapati Shivaji
The Land and the Rise
Uday3 chaptersThe Land and the People
The physical geography of Maharashtra and the social forces that made the Maratha uprising possible.
The House of Bhonsla
The ancestry of Shivaji, the Bhonsla clan, and the service of his father Shahaji.
Shivaji's Youth and Earliest Conquests
How his mother Jijabai and tutor Dadoji Konddeo shaped his mind and his first fortresses.
Wars and Conquests
Vijay8 chapters
The Death of Afzal Khan
The electrifying ambush at Pratapgad and the killing of the Bijapur general Afzal Khan.
The First Sack of Surat
The audacious raid on the wealthiest Mughal port to fund the Maratha cause.
The Siege of Panhala and Baji Prabhu's Sacrifice
The narrow escape from Panhala and the heroic last stand at the pass.
The Agra Trap and the Great Escape
The humiliation at the Mughal court and the legendary escape in fruit baskets.
Restoration and Resurgence
Reclaiming the kingdom and the recovery of forts lost at Purandar.
The Second Sack of Surat and the Mughal Wars
A second devastating raid on Surat and the lightning campaigns against Mughal power.
The Coronation: Chhatrapati
The magnificent coronation at Raigad as a sovereign Hindu king.
The Southern Expedition
Shivaji's final great campaign deep into the south of India.
The Maratha State
Rajya5 chapters
The Organisation of the Maratha State
The Ashtapradhan council, the fort system, and merit-based administration.
The Maratha Army and Navy
Light cavalry tactics and the birth of an indigenous Indian naval power.
Revenue, Finance, and Administration
Abolishing the jagirdari system and building a fiscally stable state.
Shivaji's Character and Religion
The private man behind the legend: austerity, devotion, and morality.
What Foreigners Said of Shivaji
European accounts of the military genius and administrative pioneer.
Legacy and Succession
Virasat4 chapters
The Last Years
Consolidating the empire and facing challenges of succession.
The Death of Shivaji
The sudden death at Raigad and the legacy left behind.
The Maratha Succession and Sambhaji
The reign of Sambhaji and the state's survival against the Mughal colossus.
Shivaji's Place in History
Jadunath Sarkar's final assessment of the great Maratha builder.