Shivaji was not merely a military conqueror but also was an enlightened ruler. Discuss.

Answer:

Shivaji (1630-80) is remembered above all as a brilliant soldier who carved a kingdom out of Mughal and Adilshahi territory. Yet his enduring importance rests equally on his qualities as a ruler, for he built an efficient administration, a sound revenue system and a state marked by tolerance and welfare.

The military conqueror

• He perfected guerrilla warfare (ganimi kava), using the Sahyadri terrain to offset superior numbers.
• He captured and fortified a network of hill forts, the backbone of Maratha power.
• He created a disciplined standing army paid in cash, and a navy to guard the Konkan coast.
• His daring exploits, from Afzal Khan to the escape from Agra, became legendary.

The administrator

• He governed with the ashta pradhan, a council of eight ministers headed by the peshwa, holding offices non-hereditary.
• Revenue was assessed on measured land, following Malik Ambar's method, at a moderate share of produce.
• He curtailed the hereditary power of the deshmukhs and collected revenue directly.
• Chauth and sardeshmukhi were levied on neighbouring territory as recognised claims.
• Forts were placed under three officers of equal rank to prevent treachery.

The enlightened ruler

• He was strictly tolerant, protecting mosques, respecting the Quran and employing Muslims in his service.
• Women and non-combatants were protected, and their maltreatment punished.
• He encouraged Marathi and Sanskrit learning and commissioned the Rajyavyavahara Kosha to replace Persian terms.
• His coronation in 1674 asserted an independent, legitimate Hindu sovereignty.
• Peasants received remissions in bad seasons and protection from oppression.

Shivaji was therefore far more than a conqueror. As Jadunath Sarkar acknowledged even while criticising him, he combined military genius with constructive statesmanship, founding a state whose administrative institutions and spirit of independence sustained Maratha power long after his death.