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Dear reader, Very few historical characters in India are as prone to politicisation as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. At various moments in India's modern past, the 17th-century ruler of the Maratha kingdom has become the voice of multiple social concerns. During the Independence movement, he was hailed as an icon of nationalist aspirations. Later, he became the voice of the non-Brahmin movement in India. He is also the face of a valiant Hindu past, as well as the face of social reform in the country. As we observe the Maratha monarch's death anniversary this week, take a look at this corpus of stories from our archives on Shivaji Maharaj and his historical remembrance over the years. This piece from 2017 explains the political favouritism enjoyed by Shivaji Maharaj and why he became the voice of multiple social causes. Shivaji Maharaj's popularisation began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at a time when the nationalist uprising against British authority had started consolidating. Establishing the Maratha empire in opposition to Mughal rule was seen as the perfect historical moment to be upheld in front of the British as a representative of a valiant Indian past. The political currency Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj enjoys is also because he is the face of the Maratha community that has been dominating Maharashtra politics for decades. Since Maharashtra was formed in 1960, 12 of its 20 chief ministers, including the incumbent Eknath Shinde, have been Marathas. One of our articles from last year unravels why the Marathas have dominated Maharashtra politics. Interestingly, the Marathas have historically consisted of diverse groups of people with very little in common except the consciousness of Shivaji Maharaj. This article dwells upon the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji in binding the Marathas together as a caste and community. Yet another article from our archives looks at how the pride in Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Maratha identity that he had cemented was carried all the way to Mauritius by a group of Marathi-speaking indentured labourers in the early 20th century. The island nation today boasts of a bustling Marathi-speaking community, who brought to the country their language, festivals, and the iconography of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Wishing you a pleasant weekend ahead. Sincerely,
Adrija Roychowdhury | | | |
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