Shivaji
Page 14
They all bent in mujra and waited for Jijabai to arrive. After Jijabai took her seat, Kanhoji said, ‘Raje, Chandrarao is becoming intolerable now.’
‘What happened?’
‘Earlier, he captured Shirmalkar Deshmukh’s territory. He has now encroached into our territory and is becoming more unmanageable with each passing day. To make matters worse, one of his sardars has unsavoury designs on innocent and helpless widows with his implicit support!’
‘I wonder, Kanhoji, why you don’t go ahead and attack him. I would not take offence.’
Kanhoji replied, licking his lips, ‘Raje, we may be your men in our hearts, but officially, we still serve Adil Shah.’
Shivaji smiled, ‘I am waiting for the right time. Kanhoji, keep me informed about Afzal Khan’s movements.’
‘Raje, rest assured, I don’t think Afzal Khan is planning to march on you in the near future.’
‘He is not doing us any favour,’ Shivaji said. ‘He is aware of the status Maharaj saheb has received as Farzand in the Bijapur durbar. He would not attack Maharaj saheb’s son so casually. He is too cunning for that, the sly fox. I have not been going to Purandar for the past two years for nothing. I have been watching Afzal Khan working on the Wai region after being appointed the Subedar. He has been trying to win the Marathas by being nice to them and More is a mere puppet in his hands. If I attack Jawali, Khan would not hesitate to come from Wai and repulse the attack. I will have to wait and watch.’
‘But how long will this go on?’ Jijabai asked.
‘Not for long. I am told that the Badshah is ill, and that Khan has been posted to Kanakagiri and may move away. The moment he leaves, I will plan my attack.’
Shivaji then decided to move base to Purandar on an auspicious day. The family was housed in a safe place. Within a few days of moving, he received a message saying that Afzal Khan had been called back to Bijapur and posted to Kanakagiri. Thus, Shivaji got the opportunity he had been waiting for. He immediately drafted a letter to More:
‘… you call yourself king but I am the only raja by the grace of Lord Shambhu. You are thus asked to not call yourself raja and work for my kingdom. You are also hereby asked to move out of Jawali and surrender to us. We assure you that there will be no bloodshed but we warn you that in case you try to capture our messenger, we shall not hesitate to kill you …’
More replied saying, ‘My name is Chandrarao and we have been kings for generations now. You have become a king only yesterday and we do not believe you deserve any title. If you wish, you may try your luck and come here.’
Tanaji and Yesaji were fuming and brushed their moustaches with their wrists, waiting for Shivaji’s response. Shivaji continued reading …
‘… if you attack us, we will not spare anyone. We have adequate ammunition to destroy your forces. You are most welcome here at your own risk.’
Everyone was fuming at the arrogance and audacity of More. Shivaji smiled, ‘More has cordially invited us to Jawali. How can we refuse his invitation?’
Their own smiles spreading, the sardars waited eagerly for the orders to start marching.
#
After finishing darshan at Mahabaleshwar, Shivaji sat with his sardars discussing the strategy. The forest in Jawali was a treacherous one. The gorge was full of thick, thorny bushes and it was so dense that an ordinary man would hesitate to enter it even during the day. It was in the same forest that the Ranes had vanquished the Khilji, Bahamni and Adil Shahi forces. The narrow paths were such that a single man in the gorge could hold a hundred men at bay.
Shivaji called Raghunath Ballal and said, ‘Chandrarao More will have to be killed. The one who controls Jawali will also control the Wai province. I want you to lead our men.’
Raghunath Ballal gladly accepted the challenge and entered the valley under the pretext of a meeting with Chandrarao More. Raghunath was accompanied by a select few horsemen and a hundred foot soldiers. He asked his men to wait at strategic points before entering the dense gorge.
Yeshwantrao More was happy to hear that Shivaji had sent a messenger—the same Shivaji who had earlier ordered him to surrender! He decided to meet Shivaji’s men the next evening.
The inner courtyard in Chandrarao’s mansion as brightly lit with oil lamps. A tall soldier stood on the right of Chandrarao sporting a tilak on his forehead. He looked at Raghunath as he entered the courtyard, along with Hanumantrao, Yeshwantrao’s manager, and a daredevil like Sambhaji Kavji.
Yeshwantrao asked, ‘Who is it?’
‘It is Shivaji’s messenger, sir.’
They entered the courtyard and saluted.
Sipping from his wine glass, Yeshwantrao rudely asked, ‘Who the hell are you?’
Hanumantrao began, ‘Maharaj, he is …’
‘Shut up. Let him speak.’
Raghunath cleared his throat and said, ‘I am Raghunath Ballal Korde and I am Shivaji Raje’s secretary, lawyer and messenger. Raje said …’
‘Who are you calling Raje here?’ Yeshwantrao interrupted. ‘There is only one Raje here and that is me!’
‘That is your opinion but I don’t agree, sir. It is due to Shivaji Maharaj’s grace that you had the chance to sit on this throne and received the title of Chandrarao. I request you not to forget that.’
Yeshwantrao’s laughter echoed in the courtyard. ‘Oh, it seems I must thank Shivaji profusely. If he had such powers then why did he not choose to sit on the throne himself?’
Everyone joined in the laughter. Sambhaji Kavji’s hand gripped his sword hilt while Raghunathpant looked at him sharply. He did not want Sambhaji to react.
‘Let bygones be bygones. Shivaji Raje wishes that you mend fences with him.’
‘That might suit him but not me. Give him my message—if he dares step into the Jawali gorge, he will not return.’
Yeshwantrao got up to leave and to signal the end of the interview.
Raghunath was a little restless and said, ‘What about a marriage proposal?’
Laughing, Yeshwantrao sat down and said, ‘You want to propose an alliance with that Bhosale family?’ His voice took on an edge and he added, ‘Go and tell this to your Shivaji—the More family traces its lineage from the Chandragupta family and we have been kings for generations now.’ He laughed scornfully before continuing, ‘But we can find a way. I have a daughter whom we can consider for an alliance that may suit us.’
The assembly was silent and the screech of an owl was heard nearby. Yeshwantaro said, ‘Think about it. The owl too seems to be in agreement!’
Raghunath retorted, without losing his temper, ‘We consider the sound a bad omen, a harbinger of death in fact.’
‘It may be true. Who knows, it may have been predicting your death? Hanumantrao, capture him and chop off his head!’ he screamed.
‘Now, wait a moment!’ Raghunath shouted. Everyone was stunned.
He continued, ‘I have been tolerating your nonsense for a long time, Chandrarao. Listen to me carefully. You have just lost a golden opportunity. At this moment, as we speak, Raje and his troops have surrounded the Jawali jungle and the owl you heard was heralding your imminent death.’
Hanumant More unsheathed his sword and attacked Raghunath. Sambhaji Kavji was ready and repulsed his attack, felling him in one blow. Sambhaji and Raghunath rushed out of the palace at once. A blast was heard deep in the jungle as shouts of ‘Har Har Mahadev!’ rent the air. The battle had begun. The troops were able to take charge of the Jawali area but in the midst of all the commotion, Yeshwantrao managed to escape to Rayari along with his wife and son.
Shivaji soon took charge of the stables, jewellery and other precious royal items. A brave More soldier Murarbaji Deshpande had been captured and was presented to Raje tied up in ropes. Seeing the brave soldier defiantly fighting the ropes, Shivaji asked the soldiers to release the bonds. He said, ‘Murarbaji, I have seen the bravery with which you defended your king. We admire such brave men and would like you to join my army.’
A long-cherished dream had now been realized for Shivaji—he had finally got hold of the valley. Various forts like Chambhargad, Songad, Chandragad and Makrandgad guarded the valley. The gorge was further surrounded by dense jungles making it inaccessible to enemy attack. Mahabaleshwar also stood like a huge rock protecting it.
Shivaji summoned Moropant Pingle and pointing at the mountain on one side said, ‘Moropant, I am told that you are an expert at building forts. I would like to assign you the task of building a fort on this mountain that we all will be proud of. Will you take on the job?’
Moropant accepted the responsibility readily and said, ‘Without a doubt, Maharaj. I shall build this fort. But I must praise your foresight.’
‘Really? Why do you say that?’
‘Maharaj, no one else would have thought of building a fort there when there are already strong ones like Chambhargad and Songad nearby. Why would one think of another fort?’
‘Why, tell me?’ Shivaji asked, wanting to hear his reply.
‘You have realized the inherent strength of this place and have thought of building a fort right in the middle while there are others surrounding it. It would be difficult to find another place as safe and secure as this.’
‘Well done! You were right in assessing my view. I find it inconvenient to make a visit to Tuljapur every time I wish to pray to Bhawani Mata. I would like us to build her temple here so that we can pray daily.’
#
Having set things in order, Shivaji started preparations to chastise More who was holed up in Rayari. Shivaji left Jawali and reached Rayari. During that fortnight, while Shivaji was taking formal possession of Jawali, Yeshwantrao had managed to escape to Rayari, along with the members of his family.
Rayari was a fort which seemed to kiss the skies. More had reached the fort without any prior intimation and the fort was not stocked well for food grains and other necessities. Shivaji’s soldiers surrounded the fort as soon as they reached. Yeshwantrao More tried to attack from the fort but it was evident that he was on a fool’s errand. The fort was strong and difficult to capture but the troops were inherently ill-trained and undisciplined. It had been three months since Shivaji’s soldiers had surrounded the fort and by the time the monsoon arrived, it had become impossible to stay inside the fort. Shivaji sent Yeshwantrao a message through More’s confidante.
More had been waiting for a signal and the moment he received the message, he came down with his wife and son. Shivaji welcomed Yeshwantrao and treated him with due respect. More, however, did not appreciate the value of Raje’s treatment and, in fact, thought that Shivaji was merely trying to pacify him. After seeing More’s reaction, Shivaji decided to take charge of the fort himself.
The Rayari Fort was a strategic location; it was on the main route from Ratnagiri to the Deccan and was also close to the sea. Control of Rayari meant that one would control the traffic through the many valleys and landscape around. The fort and its height ensured that it was near impossible to capture—it was many times taller than the fort at Daulatabad and Shivaji decided to rename it Raigad.
One day Kanhoji presented himself and said, ‘Maharaj, you had pardoned Yeshwantrao and his brother, Prataprao. They tried to escape today. We were able to catch Yeshwantrao but Prataprao got away.’
‘Bring Yeshwantrao here.’
Yeshwantrao was paraded, chained and handcuffed. Shivaji looked at him in contempt and asked, ‘Yeshwantrao, where were you planning to run away to?’
He smiled and said, deliberately forgetting protocol and using derogatory language, ‘I planned to go to a place where you are not present.’
‘Yeshwantrao, don’t forget that you are my prisoner.’
‘Huh! A lion does not eat grass just because he is defeated. I may have lost to you in battle but I will not beg for my life. Chandrarao is a title which generations before me have worn with pride. I am not here to beg for mercy.’
Shivaji’s face was hard. He said, ‘One does not become great just because one has great ancestors. You were drunk and hopeless on most days. You enjoyed the sadistic pleasures of killing innocent people and throwing them to the wolves. You have no right to call yourself a Chandrarao. I gave you a chance but you do not want to change your ways.’
Raje turned to Jedhe and said, ‘I don’t think he has the inclination to change himself. Take him away and behead him.’
The next day, Yeshwantrao was beheaded and his wife and children were sent to Pune.
#
Pune’s Lal Mahal Palace was bereft of royal presences ever since Shivaji had shifted base to the Purandar Fort. More’s captive children, Krishnaji and Baji, were now growing up with Chandrarao’s wife in Lal Mahal.
Shivaji reached Pune after getting an urgent message. ‘What happened,’ he asked Chitnis, the office manager, after reaching Pune.
‘Raje, I beg your pardon. Baji More has run away.’
Shivaji erupted with anger and asked, ‘How did this happen?’
Chitnis did not know how to respond. He replied in a tremulous voice, ‘Raje, we had taken the utmost precautions and as per your instructions, we were taking good care of these children. They left the palace under the pretext of a Ganapati darshan but they managed to bribe some of our soldiers and escaped. We did not realize that Baji was working on his plan with Mudholkar Ghorpade.’
‘And then? Tell me what happened!’ Raje’s anger was now evident.
‘The day before yesterday when they went for their usual darshan, the children vanished. We managed to catch Krishnaji but Baji managed to escape. We have not been able to find him.’
Krishnaji More was produced before Shivaji. He was a young boy, sixteen or seventeen years old. He looked at Raje with pride and arrogance and was not scared of him. In fact, he had a slight smile on his lips. Shivaji asked, ‘Where is Baji?’
Krishnaji laughed and said, ‘He has escaped. He is not going to be found now.’
‘Wah! What allegiance and loyalty you have displayed for the courtesies extended to you.’
‘You too have benefited from our courtesies, don’t forget that. Don’t you know that the benefits you enjoy at Jawali are because of us?’
‘Silence! I was treating you like a child thus far but you seem to be showing your true colours. You seem to have forgotten your father’s fate.’
‘Of course I remember! I am not scared of treading the same path—I will not forgive our enemies.’
‘Take this arrogant brat away and behead him. After all, even if you feed him milk, a snake can only beget a snake.’
‘Raje!’ Chitnis exclaimed, hearing the harsh punishment.
Raje turned in anger and said, ‘These are my orders and I expect you to obey them. The people who helped them should also be arrested and put behind bars.’
Krishnaji was taken away and beheaded as per Shivaji’s orders and in the afternoon, Shivaji woke up to wailing sounds coming from one part of the palace.
Shivaji felt uneasy once the beheading had taken place and everyone was scared of meeting him because he would get angry at the slightest of reasons.
Two days later, a messenger came in with the news of Jijabai’s arrival.
‘Maa saheb?’ He asked surprised, ‘Where is she?’
‘She will arrive at the gates any moment.’
Shivaji got up hurriedly. Jijabai stepped out of the palanquin but when Shivaji bent to touch her feet, she did not smile. She entered her quarters silently and Shivaji followed her.
Jijabai took some time to wash
her hands and feet. Shivaji sat there, wondering why she had returned in such hurry. He was eager to know and asked her the moment she stepped into the room, ‘I am dying of curiosity—why have you come without letting me know? Is everything all right?’
‘Raje, I have been worried for the past two days—after hearing about More’s son.’
‘Maa saheb, you heard about the beheading but do you not want to know why?’
‘That is the reason I have come here—tell me.’
‘Maa saheb, I had the boys settled here and treated them with love and care. And yet, they were plotting to escape and even managed to get Ghorpade to help them. In fact, Baji escaped as well!’
‘Is that all?’
‘No! Krishnaji was not at all ashamed of his actions. On the contrary, he was arrogant and answered back when I questioned him. Anyone in that position would have begged forgiveness at my feet.’
Maa saheb laughed sarcastically and said, ‘Raje, I would not have done what you did. I would have let the lad go.’
‘Maa saheb!’ exclaimed Raje.
‘Raje, you were consumed with anger. You wanted him to fall at your feet and beg for forgiveness. Why? Just because you captured Jawali? Raje, it is easy to accept defeat but much more difficult to live with victory. I am disappointed that you were prey to the arrogance which follows success.’
Maa saheb’s words carried a deep sense of regret and discomposure and she seemed deeply affected by the incident. Shivaji’s throat went dry and he was unable to say anything—he did not have the courage to meet her gaze.
Sighing deeply, Jijabai said, ‘Raje, I know that More was not willing to come to you despite your request for a friendly alliance. It was imperative for you to capture Jawali before More turned to Khan for help. I know why you beheaded him—he had acted in a manner which deserved such a punishment. But his children? What had they done to deserve such a punishment? You could have turned them into allies.’
‘Maa saheb, that was impossible. They would have grown up to become poisonous snakes. They would have bitten us one day.’
‘You can call a defeated man by any name, a snake or a dog. But if you call him a lion’s cub, then the same emotions would be termed as pride or bravery. Raje, do you remember? When you went hunting, you brought back two tiger cubs? You knew that they would become ferocious lions one day, and yet you gave them milk and treated them with love and care. If you can treat an animal with such respect, why can’t you treat humans the same way? If power is going to corrupt your wisdom, then such power is useless. You are then just like the sultans. Raje, I did not expect such behaviour from you.’