Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was known for his bravery on the battlefield and compassion towards his ryots. He was a true king who felt for the needy and poor and established a great rule in his region.
Although he was benign and compassionate, on the battlefield, he was the fiercest warrior who had the ability to send shivers down the spine of even the most powerful rulers. His amazing tactics, excellent leadership qualities, and adherence to moral values made him a ruler like no other.
Shiv Jayanti is celebrated on 19th February in Maharashtra to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great Maratha warrior Shivaji Maharaj. The state will celebrate the 392nd birth anniversary of the leader tomorrow.
Shivaji Maharaj was born in the year 1627, in Shivneri near the city of Junnar in Pune district. The name ‘Shivaji’ was kept by his parents Shahaji Bhonsle and Jijabai Bhonsle in the remembrance of goddess Shivai.
Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha Empire and his military and civil administration was of greatest importance in the Konkan region.
His father Shahaji Bhonsle served the Bijapur Kingdom. At the age of 17, he attacked and captured on Torna fort of Bijapur. At 1647- 1654 he took control of Raigad Fort and the Konkan region.
Under Shivaji Maharaj's leadership, the Marathas pushed back Mughals and the Kingdom from his homeland. His famous battle against Afzal Khan was in the year 1659 – at Pratapgarh which turned him as the hero of Marathas.
In 1674, Shivaji Maharaj was crowned as a ‘Chhatrapati’ at Raigad Fort and he came to be known as “Chhatrapati Shivaji”. He died in the year 1680.
