The rise of the Marathas has been often described as a national awakening in which all classes participated, and which was preceded by and broad-based on a religious and literary renaissance giving a new outlook and impetus to popular aspirations. So far as the circumstances which made a Maratha kingdom possible are concerned, the above estimate may be accepted as true. There is no doubt that a new spirit had taken possession of the common people and was irresistibly surging forward to find suitable expression in patriotic activity. The rising generation of young men and women had imbibed the ideas of teachers and saints who preached a ‘revolt against the growing superstitions and injustices of the social and religious life, and the times were to a large extent ripe for the advent of a leader to focus the popular feelings and direct them to their successful fulfillment. It may also be conceded that in Shivaji the people believed that they had a worthy leader, and Shivaji himself was probably conscious of a mission, a great cause to live and die for.
But the Maratha kingdom which evolved out of a long struggle and the willing sacrifices of the whole population, cannot be said to have been national in its character, aims or functioning. On the -other hand, that state represented in their unhealthiest form the same anti-national forces that had caused the downfall of the ancient Hindu empires, and was by its own intrinsic unworthiness bound to be – short-lived. In short, we have in Maharashtra a repetition of the recurring- plienonlena of Indian history, of a popular, almost national Movement falling into the hands of Brahman imperialists, being subverted and exploited by them for. their political domination and inevitably ending in quick disruption, sweeping away in its precipitous fall- all traces of the ideals which gave it life and strength, and leaving behind nothing but additional fetters of inferiority and superstition. It is this contrast between the original aspirations of the people on the one hand and the character of the Brahmanical state which arose out of them on the other hand, which forms the most pathetic, and to us of the present day, the most significant feature of Maratha history.
The Muhammadan conquest of North India- had brought the Hindus into contact with religious and, social forces which were diametrically opposed to their own suicidal castes and rank idolatry. The shock of the inhuman -cruelties which marked the steps of the early invaders paralysed indigenous life for a time. But when the terrible dream of massacre and plunder had passed away and the people got accustomed to the darkness of subjection to the alien rulers, their eyes began to see new’ rays of hope and their minds contemplated new pictures of consolation. Behind the brutal hand of the military adventurers pious thinkers seemed to see a moral justification for the success of violence and the defeat of the Hindu. cause. The Vaishnavite leaders and reformers of North India were all greatly in-fluenced by the universal brotherhood of Islam which welcomed all humanity into its fold and enabled Hindu women, and even slaves, to become the proud queens of Mughal emperors and the mothers of future -rulers, whereas Hinduism was a barred prison-cell preventing outsiders from going in.-and, the inmates’ from Moving about. The pure mono-theism of Islam, devoid of rituals and priests, but fiery in its devotional appeal and powerful in its unifying grip touched the hearts of the spiritually minded, and they yearned to unite their own countrymen_ under a similar faith and worship of the One-Supreme Being, the God of all humanity. Thus there arose in North India teachers like Chaitanya,, Kabir, Nanak, Raman and, Tulsidas, Jayadev and others who kindled a fresh and purer religious fervor among the dying Hindu people and saved them from the slough of moral and spiritual despondency into which they had fallen.
A similar phenomenon was witnessed later on in Maharashtra. Here the association of the Hindus. and the Muhammadans was even more intimate than in the North and had the further advantage that it was rooted in a spirit of political equality as two strong and independent ruling communities of the country. By inter-marriages, conversions, forcible and voluntary, mutual obligations in war. and peace, and co-operation in daily administration, in business and also religious and social life, the Hindus and the Muhammadans had learnt to tolerate and respect each other’s culture. In the service of the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar and the Muhammadan kingdoms of Bijapur, Ahmednagar, etc. the. Marathas had grown in education, wealth and power all over the Deccan. The revenue administration of the Muhammadan states continued to be entirely in Brahman hands. “The nominal Muhammadan rulers of Golconda, Bijapur, Nagar and Bedar were virtually controlled both in the civil and military departments by Maratha statesmen and Maratha warriors, and the hill-forts near the Ghats and the country thereabout were in the hands of Maratha Jagirdars who were only nominally dependent upon these Muhammadan sovereigns.”*
*Page 36, Rise o the Maratha Power, by Ranade.
A band of inspired saints, teachers and literary men such as Tukaram, Ramdas, Eknath and a host of others flourished in Maharashtra and had prepared the way for a great reformation when Shivaji started his career. “The religious revival was not Brahmanical in its orthodoxy; it was heterodox in. its .spirit of protest against forms and ceremonies. and class distinctions based on birth, and ethical in its preference of .a pure heart and of the law of love,. to all other acquired merits and works. This religious revival was the work also of the people, of the masses, and not of the classes. At its head were saints and prophets, poets and philosophers, who sprang chiefly from the lower orders of society—tailors, carpenters, potters, gardeners, shopkeepers,. barbers, and even Mahars more often than Brahmans.”*
A noble effort to bridge the gulf between Hinduism and Islam, to recognize the One God in Rama and Allah, and common human brotherhood’ in the Hindu and Muslim was another notable sign of the tremendous change that had taken place in the mentality of these earnest souls. “Preachers,. both Brahmans and non-Brahmans, were calling on people to identify Rama with Rahim, and ensure their freedom from the bonds of formal ritualism and caste distinctions and unite in common love of man, and faith in one God.” No less important a feature’ and result of the reform movement was the unique revival of the popular language Marathi as a protest against the unreasonable exclusiveness of Sanskrit. Were not exactly these the quite natural yearnings: of the national life inaugurated by the Buddha many centuries ago? The nation has struggled age after age to extricate itself from the deadening clutches– of Brahmanism and assert its right to live as a self-
.*Page 10, Rise of Maratha Power, by Ranade.
Pages 50, 51, Rise of Maratha Power, by Ranade.
respecting people. First, to free herself from the degradation of caste distinctions; second, to shake off the servile superstitions of priestcraft in its manifold forms; third, to assert the dignity of the mother-tongue of the common people—these have ever been the rudimentary national aspirations of India until her children lost all feelings of self-respect and their spiritual intuitions by long subjection to alien rule and the daily insult of Brahmanism.
If anything more was required to rouse the patriotic enthusiasm of the Marathas to unite for the protection of their country and religion, that inducement was supplied by the ever present danger of Mughal invasion and the terrors of Aurangzeb’s fanaticism. A truly selfless and enlightened leader ,could have erected a glorious structure of enduring nationality on these foundations, but alas! as in the past, nay more, as again and again in succeeding decades, the leadership of this sacred movement fell -into the hands of Brahman imperialists. Their ability gave it short-lived shape and strength and success in the beginning, but their selfishness and ‘greed and utter disregard of the nation’s welfare foredoomed it to premature extinction.
Shivaji was from his very childhood under the influence of Brahmans. His father had practically ,deserted him and his guardian was the Brahman manager of his estate. The boy grew up with a strong bias for the orthodox religion of the Puranas and temples. It was given out that Shivaji used to ‘get possessed by the goddess Bhavani and in that state obtain instructions from her, regarding his ‘conduct in difficult situations. This was probably one of the stories promulgated by priests to get Shivaji recognized as an inspired leader. Shivaji was great in his own way. He had many brilliant qualities of head and heart which eminently fitted him to play the unique role of nation-builder.
An intrepid warrior, a resourceful general, a brilliant organizer and administrator, the victor of many a battle and the creator of a kingdom, Shivaji Maharaj was never able to rise above the Brahmanical influence of his childhood and willingly surrendered himself and his kingdom to the yoke of the priests. The dedication or gift of the country to the Brahman or the temple, the acceptance-of Kshatriyahood which meant submission to the caste hierarchy, and the recognition of the right of the Brahman to be the Dewans and advisers have been well-known stages of subjection to Brahmanism from the Puranic days of Bali and Vamana down to the recent history of Travancore.
Shivaji’s Guru was.a Brahman—Rarndas Swami.. Shivaji made a gift of his kingdom to his Guru and received it back as a trust to be managed of course-for the preservation of Sanatana Dharma. In Travancore the country was dedicated to the temple and the Raja became a Dasa or agent of the deity.. By this submission, Shivaji placed himself under a moral obligation to treat the country as Brahma-swam or Brahman-raj.
In his administration, military as well as civil; Brahmans predominated. There was a council of eight ministers immediately under the Raja. The Prime Minister, who held the highest authority both over civil and military administration was the Brahman Peshwa. His office became hereditary and after Shivaji, the Peshwas became the virtual rulers,. At the time of Shivaji’s coronation all the ministers-, except the Commander-in-Chief were Brahmans.
Scattered throughout the western fringe, Shivaji had about 280 forts with villages attached to. each. The civil and revenue authority in each fort was in the hands of a Brahman Subedar and the military command in a Maratha Havaldar. A
