Notes-Class 7-History-Chapter 4-Maharashtra Before The Times of Shivaji Maharaj-Maharashtra Board

Foreign rulers in the Maharashtra before the times of Shivaji Maharaj :

• At the beginning of the seventeenth century CE, most of the territory in Maharashtra was under the control of Nizamshah of Ahmadnagar and Adilshah of Bijapur.
• The Mughals had entered Khandesh with an objective to expand their power in the South.

• The Portugues and the Siddis controlled the coastal belt of the Konkan.
• The Portugues had established their rule in Goa & Vasai. The British, the French and the Dutch were engaged in competition and conflict due to trade rivalry.
• The constant conflicts between these European powers resulted in political instability and insecurity for the people.
• They were known as ‘Topkar’ due to their headgear.

System of settlements :

• The feudal system in the form of Watandari existed in Maharashtra in that period.
• The officers that formed a link between the rulers and their subjects, and also the markets and the craftsmen was called Watandars.
• Watandars collected revenue on behalf of the rulers, maintained law and order and performed judicial duties.

It is necessary to get acquainted with the village (mauja), Kasba and pargana to understand the nature of settlements in that period.

• Pargana was made up of many villages.
• The headquarters of a pargana was called ‘Kasba’.
• A village smaller than a Kasba was called ‘Mauja’.

The calamity of a famine :

Agriculture depended on rain and its failure led to the calamity of famine. The

People were forced to leave the village in search of livelihood.

The work of Varkari movements :

• People had become fatalist and inert due to the prevalance of blind faith, religious beliefs and rituals. Their condition was miserable.
• The endeavour of the sants of \/arkari movement in Maharashtra was to inspire the masses and thereby revive society as a whole.
• Starting with Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Namdeo, the Sants from the different sections of society carried forward the Varkari tradition.
• Sant Chokhamela. Sant Goroba. Sant Sena, Sant Sawata. Sant Narhari, Sant Shaikh Muhammad were the notable among the Varkari Sants.
• The woman Sants also joined in the good work.
• Pandharpur was the centre of the Varkari movement and Vitthal was their deity.
• The Varkaris (pilgrims) rejoiced in devotion (bhakti) on the banks of river
• Chandrabhaga at Pandharpur.
• The equality was propagated through bhajans, leeertans and unity meals (kala).

Work of Sants :

Sant Namdeo :

• Sant Namdeo, a great Sant, laid the foundation of the Varkari movement.
• He was a versatile kirtankar and skilled organiser.
• He composed many abhangas, devotional verses.
• He travelled from village to village in Maharashtra to spread the message of Bhagwat Dharma and equality.
• He travelled to Punjab and his Hindi devotional verses were included in ‘Guru. Granth Sahib’.
• He built a memorial of Sant Chokhamela at Pandharpur.

Sant Tukaram :

• Sant Tukaram composed Tukaram Gatha which is a precious treasure of Marathi language. The Abhang compositions were very pleasing and lucid, reaching the greatest poetic height.
• He preached that the way to reach God was by loving the unhappy and the tormented ones. Sant Tukaram was a devotee of god Vitthala or Vithoba, a form of Krishna
• Saint Tukarm accepted Sant Namdev as his Guru. One of his abhanga is proof for this.[नामदेवे केले स्वप्नामाजी जागे....सवे पांडुरंगे येवूनिया.]
• He put this idea into practice by drowning the papers in river Indrayani related to loans given to the people.
• He criticized hypocracy and blind faith and tried to link bhakti—devotion with morality.
• He faced the wrath of the orthodox who were opposed to his efforts to create awakening among the people and threw his abhangas in river Indrayani.
• He belonged to Dehu near Pune, but had devotees and followers from different castes and creeds who prescribed the treasure of his abhangs.

Ramdas Swami :

• He was from Jamb in Marathwada.
• He explained the importance of physical fitness to the people,
• He emphasized the importance of unity and organization by preaching Maharashtra Dharma.
• He founded Samarth Sampradaya at Chapal and his devotees spread his message all over Maharashtra.
• He composed Dasbodh, Manache Shlok and Karunashtaka to preach his teachings.
• He propagated worship of Ram and Hanuman.

Inspiration for independence during foreign rule :

In Maharashtra before the times of Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra was under the control of Adilshahi and other powers. It was not independent. In that difficult period some personalities and streams of thought were dreaming of freedom. Shahaji Maharaj was among them, who is considered to be a visionary of Swaraj was on the forefront.