The Life and Death of Sambhaji

The Life and Death of Sambhaji
Author: Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Total Pages: 455
Release: 2021-07-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9354920292

It begins to dawn on the nine-year-old Sambhaji that his father has fled from the clutches of the Mughal badshah Aurangzeb and left him behind. He must now find his way back home with the help of strangers . . . Under the shadow of an illustrious father, Sambhaji finds himself thrust into the Maratha-Mughal conflict from a tender age. His mistakes cost him dearly and when his father suddenly dies and he becomes the chhatrapati, it is as if he has inherited a crown of thorns. In the nine years that follow, he faces a constant battle-internally, as palace intrigues simmer to kill him, and externally, as Aurangzeb descends on the Deccan with full military force. Even Chhatrapati Shivaji had never faced a full-blown Mughal aggression. Will he be able to protect the Maratha nation and Swaraj that was his father's dream? Will he prove to be a worthy son to his father-in life as well as in death? History has been unfair to Sambhaji, but it can't deny that he inspired a generation of Maratha warriors, who eventually ensured the end of Aurangzeb's jihad.

Frontiers

Frontiers
Author: Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Total Pages: 520
Release: 2018-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9353051118

Massive armies of the Mughal empire and the allied kingdoms have been unleashed to crush the Maratha warrior who is about to set a dangerous precedent. What will happen when two of the biggest enemies in the history of Hindustan come face to face? Aurangzeb has ascended to the throne in the North, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. His aim is to conquer the kingdoms of the Deccan and expand the great Mughal empire to include hitherto uncharted, rebellious territories. Unforgiving and relentless, he unleashes his violent rage against anyone who tries to tame his ambition. Raja Shivaji, a jagirdar from the hills of western Deccan, dreams of Swaraj and has raised his sword against all those who stand between him and his goal. He wins and conquers, escapes death traps through masterful strategy, unrivalled courage and intelligence to become a force to reckon with-a thorn in Aurangzeb's flesh. Theirs is a battle of wit and might-one in which neither will give up. Frontiers, a historical saga, brings to life the complex and ever-shifting dynamics between these two arch nemeses.

Shivaji The Grand Rebel

Shivaji The Grand Rebel
Author: Dennis Kincaid,
Publisher: Sristhi Publishers & Distributors
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2018
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9387022242

“States fall, empires break up, dynasties become extinct, but the memory of a true “hero as King” like Shivaji remains an imperishable historical legacy…” – Jadunath Sarkar, House of Shivaji (1919) Shivaji Bhonsle was an Indian warrior king who went on to lay the foundation of the strong Maratha Empire. The first Chhatrapati, he is known to have outdone his predecessors as well as successors in giving an identity and status to Marathas. A tactful military commander and skilled administrator, he steadily built his army from a mere two thousand soldiers to almost five-fold, and also developed a naval force. He defeated Afzal Khan and Adil Shah, giving strong resistance to the Mughal forces. From forming guerilla forces to immensely contributing in the development of the civilization of Marathas, he carved a niche in all spheres of operation. Shivaji: The Great Rebel explores the lifespan of Shivaji as an Indian king who instigated a new fire in the hearts of people against the Mughal Empire and taught them to fight for their rights. It highlights Shivaji as one of the prominent rulers to inspire people to fight for Hindu pride and raise their voice against cruelty. He stood up to guard and preserve the nation's honour, and is a great source of inspiration till date.

Sambhaji

Sambhaji
Author: Vishwas Patil
Publisher: Eka
Total Pages: 631
Release:
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9395767316

About the Book A MASSIVE BESTSELLER THAT HAS SOLD OVER 1,00,000 COPIES IN MARATHI. Even as a child, Sambhaji has known he must stand alone. His mother died when he was barely two, and his father was always absent—chasing his own dream of ‘Swaraj’, fighting to keep the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at bay. As the eldest son, Sambhaji is the true heir to Shivaji. He is valorous, wise and has the makings of a capable statesman. But there are dark forces at play in the palace. Shivaji’s other queen, Soyrabai, is scheming to place her son Rajaram on the throne, and she has the support of several ministers whose misdemeanours Sambhaji is determined to expose. On 3 April 1680, Shivaji dies unexpectedly, and it is finally time for Sambhaji to rise to the challenge. He must now fight Aurangzeb, who has spent twenty years trying to smoke out the ‘mountain rat’, and whose presence in the Deccan poses an increasingly grave threat to the Maratha empire. And what could be better than the enemy’s own brother-in-law willing to hand him the rat on a platter. Cinematic and ambitious in its scope, this is a keenly researched and splendidly executed period drama about one man’s struggle to preserve his father’s legacy and of the price extracted by the throne and the homeland.

Shivaji

Shivaji
Author: Ranjit Desai
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2017-12-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 935277440X

'The epic text of Ranjit Desai's Shriman Yogi finds new voice in Vikrant Pande's nuanced translation, an immersive narrative of the foundations of the Maratha empire and the saga of its charismatic founder.' - Namita Gokhale. Young Shivaji reaches Pune, a dying fort city, with his mother Jijabai and lights the first lamp within its ruins. While his father Shahaji Bhosle is away on deputation by the Adil Shah sultanate after having failed in a revolt against it, Shivaji learns how an empire is built from the ground up. Thus begins the life of the Great Maratha. What awaits Shivaji is nothing short of the vast scroll of history, and it takes him from Surat to Thanjavur and all the way to Aurangzeb's durbar in Agra. He dreams of freeing his land from the clutches of Mughal rule, and though he suffers many defeats and personal losses along the way he never gives up his vision of Hindavi Swaraj. Amidst political intrigue and a chain of skirmishes, Shivaji becomes a leader, a warrior and a tactician par excellence, driven by immense pride and love for his motherland.

Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813

Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813
Author: Jaswant Lal Mehta
Publisher: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd
Total Pages: 772
Release: 2005-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781932705546

An analytical and critical account of the political history of early modern India from 1707 to 1813. The narrative shatters the contention of contemporary European writers that it was 'the dark age' of Indian history, characterised by 'political anarchy and misgovernment', until the British brought it under their sway. The main thesis of the author is that the period was marked by two distinct phases; the first phase, which lasted from 1707 to 1760, saw the rapid disintegration of the Mughal power and its replacement by the Maratha hegemony. Meanwhile, the English traders turned colonialists, after consolidating their hold along the Indian seacoasts and conquest of 'Carnatic' and Bengal, challenged the Maratha hegemony. The second phase of developments was thus marked by the struggle for supremacy between these two powers. The author makes use of contemporary English and Marathi sources and the intensive researches of modern historians to portray a compact picture of their findings in the form of a text book for the benefit of the degree students. Historical facts are reinterpreted through illuminating expositions, refreshing characterisation of historic personalities, and objective assessment of events and movements. Together with maps, a select bibliography, glossary and an elaborate index, the volume makes a rich contribution to the advancement of modern historical literature.

Renaissance State

Renaissance State
Author: Girish Kuber
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2021-05-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 9390327407

Maharashtra. Among the country's largest, wealthiest, most significant constituents. A great state in name and in deed that has been the cradle of individuals and events that have shaped India. Girish Kuber - seasoned journalist and one of Maharashtra's foremost opinion makers - tells its story in Renaissance State. Taking in his vast sweep the region's politics, society and history from the time of the Satavahanas down to the present day, he chronicles a number of lesser-known tales: the empire that brought the mighty Mughals to their knees, the woman who took the issue of consent in marital sex right up to Queen Victoria, the social reformers who were far ahead of their time, the evolution of movements of the right and left as well as for Dalit identity, and the long tradition of this great land of always standing up to Delhi. This is the account of the making of Maharashtra that its proud people deserved but had remained unwritten.

Lord of Royal Umbrella - Shivaji Trilogy Book II

Lord of Royal Umbrella - Shivaji Trilogy Book II
Author: Gautam Pradhan
Publisher: One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 523
Release: 2019-12-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9388942779

LAND OF THE MARATHAS, 1661 – 1674 Epic Story of Shivaji Maharaj, India’s Greatest Warrior-King, And Birth of the Maratha Empire Shivaji Bhosale’s struggle against imperial powers continues as massive Mughal armies repeatedly descend upon his tiny fiefdom. Emperor Aurangzeb recognizes the dangerous threat of the Mountain Rat and resolves to finish him off, once and for all. He sends Shaista Khan, his maternal uncle, with a large army, but Shivaji, in a daring night raid, attacks the much decorated Mughal General, cutting off his fingers. Turning his attention once again to Sultan Adilshah, Shivji systematically expands his holdings in the Konkan. Along the coast, the British, Portuguese and Abyssinian also find him a serious obstacle to their coastal interests. Infuriated, the Mughal Emperor sends Jai Singh and Diler Khan to the Deccan with another large army. Jai Singh proves to be the toughest challenge Shivaji has faced. After winning almost every battle for two decades, Shivaji is finally subdued by Jai Singh and faces the humiliation of receiving Aurangzeb’s firmaan to surrender a large part of his fiefdom and serve in the Mughal army. In a final insult, Shivaji is compelled to visit Agra and bow before Aurangzeb at court. By royal order, he and his son are detained in Agra, under heavy guard. The ingenious Maratha, however, foiling all attempts to assassinate them, escapes, leaving the Emperor seething in impotent fury. Safely home again, Shivaji embarks on the re-conquest of his lost forts and territories. Finally, in 1674, in defiance of imperial rule, he crowns himself King of the Marathas. After more than three and a half centuries of enslavement, the Marathi people have their own King. Shivaji Raje Bhosale thus becomes Chhatrapati, Lord of the Royal Umbrella…