Notes-Class 7-History-Chapter 5-The Foundation of the Swaraj-Maharashtra Board

Birth of Shivaji Maharaj :

• Shivaji Maharaj was born on the 19th of February 1630 in the Shivneri fort near Junnar in the Pune district.
• He founded Swaraj by opposing the unfair ruling powers in India.

Shahajiraje :

• Shahajiraje, Shivaji Maharaj's father, was a prominent Sardar in the Deccan.
• He attempted to save Nizamshahi by standing firm against the combined power of the Mughals and the Adilshah of Bijapur, but Nizamshahi was destroyed and ended in 1636 CE.
• He then became a Sardar of Adilshah, and the territory of Pune, Supe, Indapur, and Chakan parganas was given to Shahajiraje as jagir.
• Adilshah also handed to him the jagir of Bengaluru in Karnataka.
• Shahajiraje was valiant, bold, clever, and a brilliant political expert.
• He won many states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• While Shivaji and Jijabai were in Bengaluru, he gave Shivaji a good education so that he could become King.
• He aspired to establish Swaraj by ousting the powers of the foreign people. Therefore, he is known as Swaraj Visionary.
• He sent Shivaji and Jijabai to Pune with loyal and competent associates.

Veermata Jijabai

• Jijabai was the daughter of Sindkhedraja's great Sardar Lakhujiraje Jadhav.
• She had received military training as well as education from an early age.
• She was a capable visionary and politician. She was an inspiration to Shivaji in his goal to create Swaraj.
• She was particular about providing Shivaji with an excellent education and instilling qualities such as modesty, truthfulness, courage, and fearlessness.
• She saw that he was trained in the usage of weapons.

Shivaji’s Companions and Associates

• Shivaji Maharaj started the work of founding Swaraj in Maval region.
• Maval terrain is full of hills and valleys and not easily accessible.
• Shivaji Raje skillfully made use of these geographical features for the foundation of the Swaraj.

Royal seal (Rajmudra)

• The Royal Seal (Rajmudra) was in Sanskrit which stated the objective of establishing Swaraj by Shivaji Maharaj.
• It stated that ‘This seal will grow in splendour like the new moon. This seal of Shivaji, the son of Shahaji, receiving homage from the whole world denotes the welfare of the people’.
• Through his inscription, Shivaji Maharaj expressed his gratitude towards his father, Swaraj and commitment towards the welfare of his subjects.

Towards the establishment of Swaraj

• Adilshah had control of the forts of Shivaji Maharaj's jagir.
• Forts were very important in those days since a stronghold over a fort allowed you to control the surrounding area.
• He established the Swaraj by acquiring the forts of Torana, Murumbdev, Kondhana, and Purandar of Adilshah.
• He rebuilt Fort Murumbdev and renamed it Rajgad, Swaraj's first capital.
• The founding of Swaraj was opposed by the Mores of Javali the Ghorpades of Mudhol and Sawants of Sawantwadi and the other Sardars of Adilshah.
• It was necessary to bring them under control for founding the Swaraj.

The capture of Javali

• The establishment of Swaraj was resisted by Chandrarao More, a strong Sardar in Adilshahi.
• In 1656 CE, Shivaji Maharaj attacked and captured Javali.
• Following that, he conquered Raigad and constructed the Pratapgad fort in Javali valley.
• On the Konkan coast, he took Kalyan and Bhiwandi.
• He met the Siddis, the Portuguese, and the British while there.
• He recognised the need of having a robust naval force. So he focused on constructing a navy.

Defeat of Afzalkhan

• Shivaji Maharaj had started capturing forts in his Jagir and surrounding areas in territory of Adilshahi. He had crushed the opposition of Chandrarao More of Javali. The work of founding the Swaraj had gathered momentum in the Konkan coast.
• All these activities were regarded as a challenge to Adilshahi.
• As a result, Badi Sahiba, who was in charge of Adilshahi's administration, dispatched Afzalkhan to restrain Shivaji Maharaj.
• Afzalkhan arrived in Wai from Bijapur.
• On the 10th of November, 1659, Shivaji Maharaj and Afzalkhan met near the foothills of Pratapgad.
• Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzalkhan when he tried to betray him, and he routed Afzalkhan's army.

The expedition of Siddi Jauhar :

• Following the destruction of Afzalkhan, Shivaji Maharaj seized the Adilshah forts at Panhala, Vasantgad, and Khelna.
• In 1660 CE, Adilshah sent Siddi Jauhar to battle Shivaji Maharaj. He was accompanied by Fazalkhan, the son of Afzalkhan, Rustum-e-Jaman, and Baji Ghorpade.

• On learning about the escape, Siddi’s army pursued Shivaji Maharaj.
• Bajiprabhu Deshpande stopped Siddi’s army at Ghod pass where he died a hero’s death.
• This enabled Shivaji Maharaj to proceed to Vishalgad.
• He defeated Dalvi of Palwan and Surve of Shringarpur.
• Around the time, Shivaji Maharaj was trapped at Panhala, the Mughal Sardar Shaistakhan had invaded Pune Province.
• Shivaji Maharaj realized that it was not prudent to fight two enemies at the same time.
• He entered into a treaty with Adilshah and returned the fort of Panhala.