Shivaji

by Ranjit Desai

  ‘I don’t want to hear of your troubles.’

  Raje smiled. He looked at the door and found Madari and Hiroji entering.

  ‘Madari! Hiroji!’ Raje exclaimed and got up to hug them. The queens started to leave when Raje said, ‘No one needs to leave. Had it not been for Madari and Hiroji, I would not have been here. They risked their own lives to save mine.’

  Raje sat back down on his chair. He looked at the bag Madari carried and asked, ‘Madari, it looks like you are carrying some loot from Agra!’

  ‘Yes, Maharaj. You will be happy to see what I am carrying.’

  ‘Show me,’ Raje said eagerly.

  Madari opened his bag and Raje’s excitement knew no bounds when he saw what was inside. It was Raje’s Shiva linga. He held it gingerly and put it on the desk. Everyone folded their hands in namaskar. Jijabai said, ‘Raje, isn’t this the one you pray to every day?’

  ‘Yes, it is! And I was just ruing the fact that I could not carry it back with me. Madari, how did you …?’

  ‘Maharaj, this is the only thing I could manage to carry back.’

  ‘This gives me the most happiness! Hiroji, tell me the latest news.’

  ‘It is not good news, Maharaj.’

  ‘Tell me,’ Raje said.

  ‘Raghunathpant and Trayambakpant were caught.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘They were caught by the search party the same day you escaped. I am told that Kavi Parmanand and Pandit Kalash too were caught.’

  ‘Oh God! I got my Shiva linga back but the tridev were caught. I wonder how they are being treated.’

  ‘And the other news is that Mirza Raja has left for Agra and that some other commander will take his place.’

  ‘Poor Mirza Raja! Maa saheb, we must find the right opportunity to honour these two brave men. What they have done is invaluable. Madari, Hiroji, please rest now. We shall talk later.’

  They both left, bending in mujra, and Raje continued his tales of Madari and Hiroji.

  #

  It was nearly a week since Pilajirao’s visit when Raje left Rajgad in a hurry. He was accompanied by Tanaji, Suryaji, Yesaji and Prataprao. But no one knew the reason behind his sudden departure. Two days later, the news arrived that he was at the base of the fort. Everyone waited eagerly for Raje to come up to the fort. They were overjoyed to see Sambhaji astride another horse next to Raje! A few palanquins accompanied the group. They all waited eagerly for the procession to reach the fort. No one could believe that they were seeing Sambhaji alive.

  Manohari was like a woman possessed hearing the news. Putlabai could not hold back her tears and Soyarabai was stunned to say anything. Only Jijabai remained calm. She prepared the tray to receive Bal Raje with all honour. She told Moropant, ‘Moropant! Please honour him by showering him with gold coins. Let his golden feet enter this palace!’

  They reached the first gate to the sound of bugles and trumpets. He was welcomed with traditional curd rice balls. The women washed his feet, and all the queens stood in line to perform an aarti for him. Moropant stepped forward and showered him with gold coins. Bal Raje stepped into the palace and acknowledged the mujras of everyone present.

  Jijabai stood at the door and the moment he came near her, she hugged him tightly. Her tears drenched his coat. Jijabai led Bal Raje by the hand and made him sit on her lap. Raje said, ‘He is no longer a small boy to sit on his grandmother’s lap.’

  ‘Everyone present burst out into laughter. Bal Raje moved away shyly when Jijabai said, encircling him with her arms, ‘Shut up, Raje! He is still a child to me.’

  Raje stepped forward and tried to remove his cap. Bal Raje resisted strongly.

  Jijabai asked, ‘Why, Sambhaji?’

  ‘Ask him.’

  Bal Raje removed his cap to expose his bald head. Everyone present laughed and he hid his face in Jijabai’s pallu out of shyness.

  Raje said, ‘Maa saheb, you cannot visualize how he was dressed. He had a dhoti wrapped around his waist, a small shirt and this bald head of a Brahmin boy!’

  ‘Keep quiet now, Raje! You too shaved your beard for the mendicant’s disguise. After all, both are the Lord’s guises, aren’t they—one of Shiva and the other of Vaman!’ Jijabai then kissed Sambhaji’s forehead lovingly.

  Raje stepped out followed by Moropant, Krishnajipant, Keso Trimod and the others. Krishnajipant’s wife Parvatibai and Kashipant’s wife Lakshmibai too were present. Raje introduced all of them to Jijabai saying, ‘Maa saheb, we can never redeem their favours in our lifetime. This is Moropant’s brother-in-law, Krishnajipant. They stay in Mathura. And this is his brother Kashipant. They took care of Sambhaji there. Krishnajipant accompanied us till Varanasi and Keso Trimod got Bal Raje here. But Kavi Kalash, who managed to get Bal Raje to Mathura, is now in Aurangzeb’s custody.’

  ‘How was he caught?’ Moropant asked.

  ‘As per the plan, he left Bal Raje in Mathura and returned to Agra to avoid any suspicion. Unfortunately, the Badshah arrested him.’

  Raje asked Moropant to see the men off after giving them lavish gifts. Raje said, ‘Moropant, Raghunathpant and Trayambakpant are still in the custody of the Badshah. Tell their families that we will try to get them back safely. I know they must be worried.’

  The arrival of Bal Raje had created an atmosphere of enthusiasm and excitement. Jijabai’s weakness disappeared. Sambhaji was being pampered to death with the love and affection of seven mothers and a doting grandmother.

  Raje was back to work, engrossed in getting his army back into shape. Yesaji, Tanaji, Prataprao, Moropant, Annaji, Suryaji and Firangoji were working with renewed vigour. Arms, ammunition and horses were being purchased. There was a constant buzz of activity in the fort.

  One day, Moropant came in to say, ‘Maharaj, Krishnarao Naik wishes to meet you.’

  ‘Who is that?’

  ‘He is Netaji’s Naik. He had defected along with Netaji. When Mirza Raja left, Naik was arrested.’

  Raje erupted in anger and said, ‘Moropant, tell him that we are not interested in adding such people to our army. We will take only loyal men into our fold.’

  #

  A week after Sambhaji’s return, Raje summoned Moropant and Balaji. Annaji too came along.

  ‘Annaji, it’s good that you have come as well. I have decided to write an important letter today.’

  ‘To whom, Maharaj?’

  ‘Moropant, Annaji, what would be Aurangzeb thinking about since the time I escaped?’

  ‘He’d be wondering when you would revolt against him.’

  ‘Exactly!’ Raje said, slapping his thigh. ‘Our territory has been drastically reduced since the signing of the Treaty of Purandar. There are still a few Mughals left here but Mirza Raja has left for Agra. If we revolt now, it would not take long for Aurangzeb to attack us. We cannot afford to make enemies with the Mughals, Adil Shah and Qutb Shah at the same time. Our kingdom is still new. We have suffered losses in the last few campaigns, and we should find a way to turn our enemy into an ally. We may derive some borrowed strength from such an alliance.’

  ‘But how is that possible?’ said Annaji, expressing doubt.

  ‘I am going to send a letter to Aurangzeb, reinforcing my loyalty to him.’

  ‘But do you think Aurangzeb will accept it?’

  ‘Of course! He has spent a lot of money in Mirza Raja’s campaign without any results in his favour. He will not be keen to try his hand in the Deccan again so soon. He will agree to our proposal.’

  ‘But does that not mean being under the Mughals again?’ Moropant asked.

  ‘Doing nothing does not mean we are not capable of action. We only need to buy time.’

  Raje dictated the letter and said, ‘Balaji, arrange to dispatch the letter today itself.’

  #

  The next morning, Raje came to Maa saheb’s room after his daily rituals. He was smiling when he touched her feet.

  Jijabai asked, ‘Raje, there seems to be a lot of activity in the
fort today.’

  ‘I have called everyone for a meeting and I want you to come along.’

  The men were waiting for Raje but no one knew the reason why they were there. They all bent low in mujra seeing Raje and Jijabai enter.

  The moment they took their seats, Moropant said, ‘Raje, Mirza Raja is active again. He has met the sardars at Pune, Supe, Indapur and other areas. He has warned them that those who oppose the Mughals will be strictly punished. We cannot afford to ignore such threats.’

  ‘Moropant, I am sure Mirza Raja cannot stay in the south for long.’

  ‘Maharaj,’ Prataprao said, ‘this is an opportune moment. We are waiting for your orders—we cannot sit here twiddling our thumbs.’

  ‘Before we make any moves, we need to strengthen ourselves. While I was returning from Agra as mendicants, we were having dinner at a village. The old lady who fed us served us some dal along with rice. Before I could manage to stop it, the dal flowed all over the leaf plate. The old lady laughed and said, “You seem to be just like Shivaji.” I asked her why she said that, and she replied, “Shivaji too is like you. He has not bothered to fortify his territories from all sides and he is trying to expand his kingdom. You need to create a protected boundary even for eating rice and dal.”’

  Raje continued, ‘That reminds me, Moropant! We stayed at a Patil’s home one night on the way to Rajgad, and the Mughals had looted his property. Nirajipant knows his address. Please ensure that he is taken care of.’

  ‘Yes, Maharaj,’ Moropant nodded.

  Raje described his vision for the new kingdom. He explained the need for the right combination of cavalry, foot soldiers and armoured cannons. Everyone listened intently.

  Maa saheb said, ‘We should have thought of this much earlier. We would not have been in this situation if we had done so.’

  ‘I agree. A fort with a strong fortification remains protected against cannonballs. Similarly, a well-protected kingdom is immune to outside attacks. I now understand why Mirza Raja had appointed someone like Manucci to look after the ammunition. He is the best man for artillery.’

  The conference was over and everyone dispersed to do their respective jobs so that the plan could be implemented. Shivaji had laid down the rules: ‘The troops will move soon after Dussehra. They will spend eight months raiding other territories and return during the monsoon. No soldier is allowed to marry or have a relationship with a woman during this time. Those who disobey this order will be beheaded. Those who hide loot from the campaign will be dealt with severely.’

  Raje’s dream was now taking shape. His strength increased every day. He was constantly updated on the news from the Delhi durbar. Mirza Raja had been routed in the south while the Afghans in the north were a cause for concern for Aurangzeb. Shivaji was amused at Aurangzeb’s plight and was confident that he would agree to his proposal.

  He had just finished his evening rounds when a messenger came running in, announcing the arrival of Raghunathpant and Trayambakpant. The slanting rays of the setting sun illuminated his smiling face as he waited for them to arrive eagerly. They seemed to have changed so much! Tears welled up in his eyes. He could see the torture they had suffered so courageously. Shivaji battled to hold back his tears. They both came in and bent in mujra. Raje could not speak as he was overwhelmed with emotions. His tears were now flowing freely.

  Addressing Moropant, Raje said, ‘Pant! I am fortunate to have regained two of my gems that I had lost some time back. The Lord has now relieved me of my oath. Raghunathpant! You must be tired. We have a lot to talk but that can wait.’

  ‘Maharaj!’ Raghunathpant said. ‘I have some good news—Aurangzeb has agreed to your proposal.’

  ‘I realized that he had the moment I saw you. I am happy that things are working out the way I hoped. Get some rest now.’ Raje said, wiping the corner of his eyes.

  That night Raje sat with Jijabai and others. Raghunathpant and Trayambakpant recounted their story, and those listening could not hold back their tears. They were angry listening to the tricks Aurangzeb played to convert them to Islam, but they were willing to sacrifice their lives rather than convert. The pride on the listeners was evident.

  Raghunathpant said, ‘Maharaj, I handed over the jewellery we had carried along with us to Mulchand, hoping that it would be kept safe and returned later.’

  ‘What happened then?’ Maa saheb asked.

  ‘Maa saheb, Raje handed over the jewels to Mulchand who, in turn, gave them to his munim. But when the munim heard of Raje’s escape, he gave them back to Mulchand, who was mortally scared and gave them to Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb sold the jewels as he did not want to touch a Kaffir’s wealth and distributed the money he received among the poor.’

  ‘Pant,’ Raje said, ‘Aurangzeb has sent my two most precious jewels back to me. What more do I want? I am not sad that I lost the treasure. And, in any case, we will take them back soon!’

  For a long time there was silence. Everyone looked at Raje expectantly.

  Moropant said, breaking the silence, ‘Raghunathpant, is it true that Netaji has been arrested?’

  Everyone turned to look at Moropant, and Raje’s eyes held disgust.

  Raghunathpant looked at Raje for a brief moment and then, lowering his head, said, ‘Netaji has converted to Islam.’

  It was a rude shock to everyone present. Raghunathpant continued, ‘Netaji could not tolerate the torture. He had to resort to conversion to save his life.’

  Bal Raje, sitting next to Maa saheb, said, ‘It would have been better to accept death.’

  Everyone turned to look at Bal Raje.

  Raje said, sighing deeply, ‘This is what happens when you are not true to yourself. He left us for a meagre mansab under Adil Shah and then left him when Mirza Raja offered a panch-hazari mansab. Now to save his life, he has deserted his religion. This clearly is his fate!’

  However, Raje was deeply hurt by Netaji’s actions. The next day, Raje went to Jijabai’s quarters but stopped at the doorstep. Sagunabai sat next to Jijabai while Jijabai caressed her back. She was sobbing with her head in between her knees.

  Jijabai said, seeing Raje,

  ‘Come in, Raje!’

  Sagunabai got up wiping her eyes. Raje touched Jijabai’s feet and said, looking at Sagunabai, ‘What happened?’

  ‘The poor girl!’ Jijabai said, ‘She is unable to stop crying since she heard about Netaji’s conversion.’

  ‘Netaji has become a Muslim. How is this her fault?’ Raje asked.

  ‘That is what I am telling her! But Netaji Kaka’s actions have hurt her deeply.’

  ‘There is nothing we can do about it. Let it go, Saguna.’

  Sagunabai left, and Raje was about to leave as well when Jijabai called out, ‘Raje!’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘It is not enough to look after the kingdom alone. You need to look into household matters too.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  Jijabai smiled. ‘Saguna would have been very happy had you personally told her about Netaji. They are always waiting for word from you. See how happy Soyara is since the time you have asked her to take charge of the office affairs!’

  ‘They are being groomed under your supervision. Why should I interfere?’

  ‘Don’t change the topic. Thanks to your encouragement, Soyara has taken charge. Saguna, Putla and Kashi look after the household. But you need to encourage them.’

  Shivaji said, in an embarrassed tone, ‘It is my fault. I shall look into it.’

  Raje did not wait to see Jijabai’s broad smile.

  #

  The treaty with Aurangzeb was a big relief for Shivaji. He decided to organize affairs in the undisciplined Konkan region. The money received from Shambhu Raje’s mansab was enough to manage the daily expenses but there were other expenses due to the frequent raids on Adil Shah’s territory. Shivaji demanded an additional lakh of revenue. Aurangzeb agreed and allowed Shivaji to get back his Deshmukhi, and thus allowing him to co
llect taxes.

  When Shivaji was about to make plans for Konkan, he received news of an attack on the Rangana Fort by Adil Shahi troops. Shivaji had captured Rangana just a year ago and had posted Subedar Ravji Pandit as the fort-keeper. Adil Shah took advantage of the fact that Shivaji was still operating under the treaty with Aurangzeb and sent his troops to capture the fort. Shivaji was furious and he ordered his men to return the attack.

  The orders were executed immediately and Prataprao, Tanaji, Yesaji, Suryaji, Firangoji and Telangrao reached the fort. They were worried after hearing the news from Rangana. They all waited in the afternoon for Shivaji to arrive.

  Prataprao said, ‘If we lose Rangana, the Bijapurkars will be emboldened.’

  ‘But who is talking about losing Rangana?’ asked Shivaji.

  Telangrao said, ‘Such a strong enemy is not …’

  ‘Shut up!’ Raje interrupted.

  Everyone was surprised at Raje’s injection—he had never used such language before.

  ‘Haven’t we learnt anything from our treaty at Purandar? We must hold on to our forts. Our earlier strategy of giving up forts and then recapturing them won’t work anymore. It is only when we repulse an attack that the enemy knows our strength. We need to make a show of it. Only then the enemy would not dare attack again. We were taught this difficult lesson by Aurangzeb!’

  ‘Are you planning to march to Rangana?’ Jijabai asked.

  ‘There is no other option. But there is something which worries me. The troops laying siege to Rangana are led by Adil Shah’s Bahlol Khan and my cousin, Ekoji Raje.’

  ‘Since when have you put family before your Swaraj, Raje?’ Jijabai asked.

  ‘Maa saheb, I have your permission now, and we will prepare to march.’

  Shivaji moved towards Rangana as per plan. His troops joined him en route. Bahlol Khan and Ekoji Raje’s troops were in great numbers but Ravji Pandit was holding his own, and he waited for Raje to join.