š Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja š©
DharmapradyautitÄSheshavarnÄ DÄshÄratheriva |
RÄjÄrÄmasya Mudreyam vishvavandyÄ VirÄjate ||
"For the establishment of Dharma of Seshavarna, like Dasharath's Son (Rama) had come, Rajaram's Mudra also shines forth for the welfare of the Nation."
DharmapradyautitÄSheshavarnÄ DÄshÄratheriva |
RÄjÄrÄmasya Mudreyam vishvavandyÄ VirÄjate ||
"For the establishment of Dharma of Seshavarna, like Dasharath's Son (Rama) had come, Rajaram's Mudra also shines forth for the welfare of the Nation."
This was the Raja-Mudra of the great son of Shriman Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja, Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja.
If the Maratha Empire is credited with saving honour of the Hindu civilization, then this lion-hearted ruler must be credited with saving the Maratha Empire itself!
If the Maratha Empire is credited with saving honour of the Hindu civilization, then this lion-hearted ruler must be credited with saving the Maratha Empire itself!
He lost his legendary Father.
He lost his legendary Brother.
Time had come for him to live out his own legend now.
Aurangzeb's innumerable hordes swarmed the Deccan to spread their creed.
Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja galvanized the entire Maratha Mandal against the Mughals.
He lost his legendary Brother.
Time had come for him to live out his own legend now.
Aurangzeb's innumerable hordes swarmed the Deccan to spread their creed.
Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja galvanized the entire Maratha Mandal against the Mughals.
Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja came to power impromptu without a formal coronation after the martyrdom of Dharmavīr Chattrapati Shambhuji Maharaja.
He realized he had to take control of the hearts of all Hindus than just his army to smash the Mughals.
He issued the proclamation:
He realized he had to take control of the hearts of all Hindus than just his army to smash the Mughals.
He issued the proclamation:
By 1799, Maratha successes had been on the rise though with extremely severe losses borne by Deccan terrain and the Marathas personally.
After escaping from Jinji Fort he personally led the grand Maratha armies against the Mughals. A letter to Vithoji Babar shows his ferocity:
After escaping from Jinji Fort he personally led the grand Maratha armies against the Mughals. A letter to Vithoji Babar shows his ferocity:
Despite the many losses, he boldly declared the unbroken Maratha Spirit in his speech to his army of over 50,000 Marathas before he mounted a night assault on Aurangzeb's encampment to rescue the child Chattrapati Shahu Maharaja.
His far-sighted aim to not just restrict Maratha campaigns to the Deccan but to take the Maratha Offensive to Mughal lands and completely splinter the Mughal Empire with various rebellious Hindu Rajput fighters of the North was recorded by Amatya Ramachandrapant in the Adnapatra:
In time through his hot-blooded eloquent rousing speeches and political tact and compromise in decentralizing the Maratha Empire, he managed to make each and every single Maratha Kshatriya genuinely feel responsible for fighting for his motherland and cultivated Hindu Nationalism
To be considered fit to be a Hindu Swaraj Sardar, Marathas had to fulfill 5 conditions:
1) They have not joined the Mughals
2) They have maintained cultivation
3) They pay revenue to Maratha Sarkar
4) They employ large forces to defend the land
5) They fight for the Chattrapati.
1) They have not joined the Mughals
2) They have maintained cultivation
3) They pay revenue to Maratha Sarkar
4) They employ large forces to defend the land
5) They fight for the Chattrapati.
Description of Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja's achievements by Peshwa Bajirao Ballal himself. This occupied the most sizable chunk of his famous speech.
That same very famous Satara Darbar speech given to Chattrapati Shahu Maharaja that led to him being appointed as the Peshwa.
That same very famous Satara Darbar speech given to Chattrapati Shahu Maharaja that led to him being appointed as the Peshwa.
Description of Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja by Hindupati Padshah Chattrapati Shahu Maharaja in his letter to his cousin (Chattrapati Rajaram Maharaja's) son Sambhaji of Kolhapur Darbar where he attempted to rouse Sambhaji out of his alliance with the shrewd Nizam.
All in all Chattrapati Rajaram achieved largest galvanisation of Dakshinapatha Kshatriyas in Hindu History, on an even greater scale than his own ancestor Maharaja Harpaladeva Chalukya had waged against the Khaljis.
Image: Chattrapati Rajaram's sculpture next to Rani Chennama.
Image: Chattrapati Rajaram's sculpture next to Rani Chennama.
Sources:
1) Shivaji the Great Vol. IV
2) Chattrapatis of Kolhapur
3) Main Currents in Maratha History
4) Bajirao I - The Great Peshwa
5) Keshav Pandit's Shri Rajaramcharitra editted by V. S. Bendrey
1) Shivaji the Great Vol. IV
2) Chattrapatis of Kolhapur
3) Main Currents in Maratha History
4) Bajirao I - The Great Peshwa
5) Keshav Pandit's Shri Rajaramcharitra editted by V. S. Bendrey
Correction: By *1699 CE not 1799.
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