08-30-2006, 07:18 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->1. The Amatya's tribute. â We cannot see the full height
of a gigantic tree when we stand beneath it. So, too, a hero's
true greatness is perceived only when he is viewed from a dis-
tance in time. It is, therefore, a wonder how Shivaji's character,
policy and achievements were so correctly judged by one of his
own ministers, Ramchandra Nilakanth. This officer had filled
the post of Amatya (or Accountant General) under him for
ten years, and afterwards showed signal capacity by successfully
organising the national defence and ensuring concerted action
between scattered elements during Maharashtra's life-and-death
struggle with all the forces of the Mughal Empire, after
Sambhaji's tragic death and the flight of Rajarlam from the
homeland. He wrote a sort of political testament for the
guidance of the succeeding kings, which is known as the Ajna-
patra.a
I shall begin by giving here some extracts from this won-
derfully penetrative analysis of Shivaji's character and aims :
" The epoch-maker Chhatrapati was at first a Muslim's
dependent but he ;managed from the age of fifteen to free his
small jagir of Poona and based his future greatness on that
small beginning, entirely relying on his own effort and ini-
tiative.
" He judged the capacities of men and created his own
helpmates and servants by enabling them to do great things,
so that he could succeed in what appeared impossible at the
beginning. He welded the scattered elements of his people
into a united body and with their help accomplished his main
object. He was surrounded at first by three powerful states
the Adilshahi, the Kutbshahi and the Nizamshahi, besides the
Subhas of the Mughal Emperor, each maintaining a lac of
troops. There were besides these the Siddis, the French, the
English, the Dutch, with smaller chief ships like Ramnagar,
Sondha, Bidnur, Mysore, Trichinopoly and the various local
Palegars with clansmen like the Morays, the Shirkes, the
Savants, the Nimbalkars, the Ghatges, etc.
" All these he encompassed with the extraordinary power of
his own ingenuity. He overcame every enemy, some he openly
attacked, some he compelled to accept a fight, some he surpris-
ed by means of ingenious contrivance, others he weakened by
involving them in mutual dissensions, sometimes secretly
fomenting quarrels ; others he confounded by sudden raids up-
on their camps and habitations. Seme he boldly met in open
combat, some he won over through tempting offers, some he
boldly went to visit personally, some were scattered through
curious stratagem.
" He audaciously built his own forts and shelters in alien
jurisdictions; in the case of some who were already strongly en-
trenched in naval bases, he raised his own rival sea-forts. His
navy forcibly entered some inaccessible ports. In this way deal-
ing differently with different opponents he established an
independent kingdom of his own stretching from Salher and
Ahiwant in West Khandesh to Tanjore on the Kaveri, with un-
challenged supremacy, erecting for its defence hundreds of forts
and several sea-bases with extensive market places. He created
his own regiments of 40 thousand paid troops, in addition to
about 70 thousand shilledars or hired troopers, and an infantry
of some two lacs, a treasure which could be counted by crores,
choice jewelry and material provision of every indispensable
article. Thus he elevated his Maratha nation consisting of 96
clans to an unheard of dignity, crowning the whole achievement
by occupying an exalted throne and assuming the title of
Chhatrapati. All this he did for the defence of his religion,
for putting Gods and Brahmans in a position enabling them
to have their proper functions performed without molestation.
Under Shivaji's rule robberies and injustice became unknown,
and his commands came to be strictly obeyed by all. He plung-
ed the most powerful Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb into an ocean
of grief. Indeed this miracle is a special creation of God Al-
mighty through Shivaji's instrumentality/'
new history of the marathas volume I shivaji and his line 1600 1707, govind sakharam sardesai, Pg 272-274.
http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scrip...e=2020050057066<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
of a gigantic tree when we stand beneath it. So, too, a hero's
true greatness is perceived only when he is viewed from a dis-
tance in time. It is, therefore, a wonder how Shivaji's character,
policy and achievements were so correctly judged by one of his
own ministers, Ramchandra Nilakanth. This officer had filled
the post of Amatya (or Accountant General) under him for
ten years, and afterwards showed signal capacity by successfully
organising the national defence and ensuring concerted action
between scattered elements during Maharashtra's life-and-death
struggle with all the forces of the Mughal Empire, after
Sambhaji's tragic death and the flight of Rajarlam from the
homeland. He wrote a sort of political testament for the
guidance of the succeeding kings, which is known as the Ajna-
patra.a
I shall begin by giving here some extracts from this won-
derfully penetrative analysis of Shivaji's character and aims :
" The epoch-maker Chhatrapati was at first a Muslim's
dependent but he ;managed from the age of fifteen to free his
small jagir of Poona and based his future greatness on that
small beginning, entirely relying on his own effort and ini-
tiative.
" He judged the capacities of men and created his own
helpmates and servants by enabling them to do great things,
so that he could succeed in what appeared impossible at the
beginning. He welded the scattered elements of his people
into a united body and with their help accomplished his main
object. He was surrounded at first by three powerful states
the Adilshahi, the Kutbshahi and the Nizamshahi, besides the
Subhas of the Mughal Emperor, each maintaining a lac of
troops. There were besides these the Siddis, the French, the
English, the Dutch, with smaller chief ships like Ramnagar,
Sondha, Bidnur, Mysore, Trichinopoly and the various local
Palegars with clansmen like the Morays, the Shirkes, the
Savants, the Nimbalkars, the Ghatges, etc.
" All these he encompassed with the extraordinary power of
his own ingenuity. He overcame every enemy, some he openly
attacked, some he compelled to accept a fight, some he surpris-
ed by means of ingenious contrivance, others he weakened by
involving them in mutual dissensions, sometimes secretly
fomenting quarrels ; others he confounded by sudden raids up-
on their camps and habitations. Seme he boldly met in open
combat, some he won over through tempting offers, some he
boldly went to visit personally, some were scattered through
curious stratagem.
" He audaciously built his own forts and shelters in alien
jurisdictions; in the case of some who were already strongly en-
trenched in naval bases, he raised his own rival sea-forts. His
navy forcibly entered some inaccessible ports. In this way deal-
ing differently with different opponents he established an
independent kingdom of his own stretching from Salher and
Ahiwant in West Khandesh to Tanjore on the Kaveri, with un-
challenged supremacy, erecting for its defence hundreds of forts
and several sea-bases with extensive market places. He created
his own regiments of 40 thousand paid troops, in addition to
about 70 thousand shilledars or hired troopers, and an infantry
of some two lacs, a treasure which could be counted by crores,
choice jewelry and material provision of every indispensable
article. Thus he elevated his Maratha nation consisting of 96
clans to an unheard of dignity, crowning the whole achievement
by occupying an exalted throne and assuming the title of
Chhatrapati. All this he did for the defence of his religion,
for putting Gods and Brahmans in a position enabling them
to have their proper functions performed without molestation.
Under Shivaji's rule robberies and injustice became unknown,
and his commands came to be strictly obeyed by all. He plung-
ed the most powerful Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb into an ocean
of grief. Indeed this miracle is a special creation of God Al-
mighty through Shivaji's instrumentality/'
new history of the marathas volume I shivaji and his line 1600 1707, govind sakharam sardesai, Pg 272-274.
http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scrip...e=2020050057066<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->