Management Strategies used by Shivaji Maharaj

Introduction to Shivaji Maharaj

1.1 Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Shivaji Maharaj’s genius is most evident in his military organization, which lasted till the demise of the Maratha Empire. He was one of the pioneers of commando actions.
He was an innovator and an able commander, he successfully used effective tactics including hit-and our, strategic expansion of territories and forts, formation of highly mobile light cavalry and infantry units , adaption of strategic battle plans and formation, whereby he succeeded in out- maneuvering , time and again , his vastly bigger and determined enemies.
Towards the end of his reign he had built up the Maratha forces to be over one hundred thousand strong. He was able to effectively keep the Mughal forces in check and on the defensive while expanding his kingdom southwards.
"Shivaji Maharaj’s kingdom served as a Hindu bulwark against Mughal powers within India. His brilliant strategic and tactical maneuvering on battlefields, acute management and administrative skills helped him to lay the found actions of the future Maratha Empire in India.
Nothing proves Shivaji Maharaj’s genius as a born statesman more dearly than his creation of navy and naval bases, without the command of the coastal waters his inland territories could not be protected, nor the economic prosperity of this subject assured. Ships of war cannot do their work unless they have well - a defended base does at hand for repairs, supply of stores and shelter during rough weather. Shivaji Maharaj proved his faultless leadership by providing a numbers of such naval forts on the west coast, moving together with the growth of his fighting ships and trading vessels.
Samarth Ramdas, who lived in the times of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, described this personality in a verse composed of only adjectives as follows:

Nishchayacha Mahameru, Bahutajanansi aadharu, Akhandasthiticha Nirdharu, Shrimant Yogi...
...Ya bhumandalache thai, Dharma rakshi eisa nahi Maharashtra dharma rahila kahi tumha karani.
(The pinnacle of determination, protector of people, resolute in intent, wealthy yet detached from his opulence......There is no other on this earth, who has protected any people; It is because of you that the culture of Maharashtra survived)
This poem, considered to be a literary masterpiece, brings out the different dimensions and the noble character of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, as an ideal, determined, brave, courageous and kind King, in words that are powerfully rich and deeply meaningful. It also describes the achievements of this revolutionary personality in laying the foundation of the Hindavi Swarajya, in which Samarth Ramdas himself played an important role.
Shivaji Maharaj’s forts whether, inland or marine were built in one pattern. The site chosen was usually a cliff or a spit of land more than half surrounded by the sea. The whole top of the hill or the end of promontory was surrounded by a wall which was relieved by numerous bastions. There was seldom more than one entrance to the forts. The walls would be immensely massive and lofty. Shivaji Maharaj was an immense fort lover. During his 35 years as a king. Built 110 forts and reconstructed are 49 forts in and around his territory. Even today 300 years down the line, Shivaji’s forts like Sindhudurg , Vijaydurg, Rajgad, Raigad, etc remain a testimony , depicting the his excellent infrastructure planning and management.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj always had a scientific bent of mind. During his rule he introduced various scientific based social reforms in his ‘Swaraj’, thus benefiting the common man. Shivaji Maharaj stressed on the fact that “Your deeds is our worship to the almighty”. This helped in the eradication of many blind faiths amongst the people.
Jijabai had taught Shivaji Maharaj to hold all women in great respect and he instructed his soldiers to honor all women and rigidly enforced it. Shivaji Maharaj and Jijabai worked together in removal of many evil practices regarding women.

Through his life, Shivaji Maharaj gave us an example that no one’s future is dependent merely on forecasts and sun signs. Your tomorrow solely depends on your deeds and your faith in yourself and at the same time your almighty. Irrespective of many warnings and evil predictions from religious saint and priest, Shivaji Maharaj built many of Maharashtra’s strongest sea forts.Thus Shivaji Maharaj was the beginner of the scientific cultural spread in Maharashtra, which is still continuing in the state.
Shivaji Maharaj was one of the biggest social reformers our country has ever had. Shivaji Maharaj is well known for his benevolent attitude towards his subjects. He believed that there was a dose bond between the states and the citizens. He encouraged all accomplished and competent individuals to participate in the outgoing political struggle. He is remembered as a justice and welfare - minded king.
He brought revolutionary changes in military organization, fort architecture, society and politics. Shivaji Maharaj successfully led and marshaled his forces to cope and overcome several major enemy invasions. He was inexorable in expanding the boundaries of his kingdom. His success was driven by his determination to establish a free and independent homeland, and in this goal he was supported by the high level of loyalty, respect and commitment he received from his soldiers, followers and citizens.
He brought social equality among his troops by grouping them under one name i.e. ‘Mavalas’. He believed that a status of a person depends upon his character and past and not on his caste or religion. Before his rise Maratha race was scattered like atoms through many Deccani kingdoms. He wedded them into a mighty nation. And he achieved this in the teeth of the opposition of four great powers like the Mughal Empire, Bijapur, Portuguese India, and the Abyssinians of Janjira. No other mediaeval Hindu has shown such capacity.


1.2 Early Life

Shivaji Maharaj was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the Junnar city in Pune district. When his mother Jijabai was pregnant she went to pray to Lord shiva for his blessings and Shivaji's name is kept after Lord Shiva. 1551 of Shaka calendar (Friday, 19 February 1630). Setu Madhavrao Pagdi mentions that this has been stated as Shivaji's birth date by his court poet Paramanand. Historians such as Dr. Bal Krishna as well as the Maharashtra state government accept this as the true birthdate of Shivaji. Shivaji Maharaj’s father Shahaji Bhosale served alongside Malik Ambar, who defended the Deccan region (first to be done by any Maratha in the Deccan region) against the Mughals. He always tried to free their kingdom from the Sultanate of Bijapur as well as wanted to throw out the mughal rule in India and Establish a Swaraj Empire. His mother Jijabai,a pious and far sighted lady was the daughter of Lakhujirao Jadhav of Sindkhed.She is regarded to be The master or the guru of Shivaji Maharaj’s bravery By their court poet, Paramanand. During the period of Shivaji's birth, the power in Deccan was shared by three Islamic sultanates – Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda. Shivaji Maharaj were extremely devoted to his mother Jijabai, who was deeply religious. This religious environment had a profound influence on Shivaji Maharaj, and he carefully studied the two great Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. The morality and spiritual messages of the epics made a great impression on him. Throughout his life he was deeply interested in religious teachings, and sought the company of Hindu and Sufi (an esoteric Muslim sect) saints throughout his life.
Shivaji Maharaj drew his earliest trusted comrades and a large number of his soldiers from the Maval region, including Yesaji Kank, Suryaji kakade,Baji Pasalkar, Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Tanaji Malusare. In the company of his Maval comrades, a young Shivaji Maharaj wandered over the hills and forests of the Sahyadri range, hardening himself and acquiring first-hand knowledge of the land. By 1639, he commanded a hardy and loyal band of officers and soldiers. At age of 14, he returned to Pune with a Rajmudra (sovereign seal) and council of minister.
 Shivaji worked hard as a child and during his youth to increase his physical strength and stamina.
 He brought together simple-minded Mavale and motivated them with an ideology and loyalty. He gave them purpose.
 He vowed to dedicate himself to founding the Hindavi Swarajya and neverfaltered.
 He brought important forts under his rule and built new ones.
 He attacked the enemy at the right time or compromised if necessary; using this principle shrewdly, he managed to defeat his enemies most of the time, at times even facing family disputes.
 He used guerrilla warfare techniques cleverly.
 He brought about order and administration to the lives of common people, farmers, soldiers and priests and places of worship.
 He promoted Marathi as the official language and gave patronage to many art forms and artists.
 He created an eight-minister cabinet to administer the Hindavi Swarajya. This was one of the most important decisions taken by him.
 At the same time, he instilled confidence among the poor, downtrodden masses. He gave them a sense of purpose in life.
 He managed to achieve all this within a short life span of fifty years.
 Today, Maharashtra continues to be inspired by the spirit of independence sowed in the seventeenth century by Maharaj. The pride and sense of achievement that every Maharashtrian feels even today can be duly attributed to the work of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

1.3 Battles

Battle of Purandar
An army led by Fattekhan was defeated by Shivaji in the battle of Purandar. Meanwhile Shivaji Maharaj had petitioned Emperor Shahjahan's son, Dara Shikoh, who was governor of Deccan, pledging his loyalty to the Mughals to seek his support in securing the release of his father. The Mughals recognised Shivaji as a Mughal sardar and pressured Adilshah to release Shahaji. By a treaty Shahaji was released, Shivaji Maharaj surrendered the fort of Kondhana and Sambhaji surrendered Bangalore city and a fort to Adilshah.

Battle of Pratapgad
A depiction of the Myth of Goddess Bhavani giving the sword to Shivaji, at Tuljapur.
Adilshah's attack and negotiations
Adilshah sent Afzal Khan, an experienced and veteran general to destroy Shivaji in an effort to put down what he saw as a regional revolt. Afzal Khan desecrated Hindu temples at Tuljapur and Pandharpur hoping to draw Shivaji to the plains to retaliate with his limited military resources and thus lead him and his budding military power to easy destruction by the numerically bigger, better-armed and more professional Bijapur army. Afzal Khan may have expected Shivaji to meet his army in the plains; however Shivaji, upon carefully weighing his options, decided to meet Afzal Khan on his home turf on pretext of diplomatic negotiations. Shivaji sent a letter to Afzal Khan stating that he was eager for a meeting. The meeting was arranged between Afzal Khan and Shivaji at the foothills of Fort on the day 10 November 1659 Pratapgad.
Afzal Khan and Shivaji conference
This event is one of the most important in Shivaji's life. Shivaji Maharaj got a pledge from ministers to never submit in case he fell. It is said that during this period, Shivaji Maharajhad a vision of Goddess Bhavani promising full protection on the confrontation and victory.
Shivaji Maharaj armed himself with a concealable weapons: bichhwa (dagger) and wagh nakh (tiger claws) and wore a chilkhat (chain-mail armour) under his clothing for the meeting. As they met, Shivaji attacked Afzal Khan with wagh nakh and bichwa which made Afzal Khan stumble on to his knees and then out the tent, collapsing into a waiting palanquin, where he was slain before he could raise the alarm. Meanwhile Krishna Bhaskar Kulkarni - Afzal Khan's legal representative and Sayyed Banda - a bodyguard, attacked Shivaji. He responded by killing Bhasker Kulkarni while Jiva Mahal (Shivaji's bodyguard) severed Banda's arm with a slash of his sword.
Battle of Pratapgad:
In the ensuing Battle of Pratapgad fought in the dense forest of Javli on 10 November 1659, Shivaji's armies attacked Vijapur's (Afzal Khan's) forces and engaged them in swift flanking maneuvers. Maratha troops under Kanhoji Jedhe attacked Afzal Khan's 1,500 strong musketeers and routed them at the foothills of the fort. Then in a rapid march, a section of Adilshahi forces commanded by Musekhan was attacked. Musekhan was wounded and subsequently fled, abandoning his soldiers who were then set upon and decimated by the Marathas.
Commander Moropant Pingale led the infantry in a lighting attack on to the left flank of the Adilshahi troops. Adilshah's artillery was rendered ineffective by the suddenness of this attack at close quarters. At the same time commander Ragho Atre swiftly attacked Adilshahi cavalry before it was fully prepared for battle and almost completely wiped it out. Shivaji's cavalry headed by Netaji Palkar rushed towards Wai in hot pursuit of retreating Adilshahi forces who were attempting to join reserve forces stationed there. The retreating forces of Afzal Khan were engaged in battle and were routed.

Fall of Bijapur Army

This unexpected and unlikely victory made Shivaji Maharaj a hero of Maratha folklore and a legendary figure among his people. The large quantities of captured weapons, horses, armor and other materials helped to strengthen the nascent and emerging Maratha army. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb now identified Shivaji as a major threat to the mighty Mughal Empire. Soon thereafter Shivaji, Shahaji Raje and Netoji Palkar (the chief of the Maratha cavalry) decided to attack and defeat the Adilshahi kingdom at Bijapur. But things did not go as planned as Shahaji's health deteriorated and they were forced to postpone the planned attack. However, Netoji Palkar undertook this mission mounting smaller scale attacks and military harassment of the Adilshahi kingdom.
Subsequently, the Sultan of Bijapur sent an army composed mainly of Afghan mercenaries to subdue and defeat Shivaji Maharaj before he could substantially expand his army. In the ensuing battle, Bijapur's army was defeated by the Maratha troops. This intense and bloody battle ended in the unconditional surrender of the Bijapuri forces to Shivaji Maharaj.

Battle of Kolhapur

To counter the loss at Pratapgad and to defeat the newly emerging Maratha power, another army, this time numbering over 10,000, was sent against Shivaji Mahraj, commanded by Bijapur's renowned Abyssinian general Rustamjaman. With a cavalry of 5,000 Marathas, Shivaji Maharaj attacked them near Kolhapur on 28 December 1659. In a swift movement, Shivaji Maharajled a full frontal attack at the center of the enemy forces while other two portions of his cavalry attacked the flanks. This battle lasted for several hours and at the end Bijapuri forces were soundly defeated and Rustamjaman ignominiously fled the battlefield. Adilshahi forces lost about 2,000 horses and 12 elephants to the Marathas. This victory alarmed the mighty Mughal empire who now derisively referred to Shivaji Maharaj as the "Mountain Rat". Aurangzeb the Mughal emperor was now actively preparing to bring the full might and resources of the Mughal Empire to bear down on the potential Maratha threat.
Reconquest and Battle of Salher
Siege of Panhala
Upon the request of Badi Begum of Bijapur, Aurangzeb sent his maternal uncle (brother of late Queen Mumtaz Mahal) Shaista Khan, with an army numbering over 100,000 along with a powerful artillery division in January 1660 to defeat Shivaji Maharaj. Khan was accompanied by eminent commanders like Turktaj, Hussain, Haider, Naamdar Khan, Kartalab Khan, Uzbek Khan, Fateh Jung and Rajputs namely Bhau Singh, Shyam Singh, Rai Singh Sisodiya, Pradyuman and many more. Khan was an experienced commander who had defeated Shahaji in the same region in 1636. He was ordered to attack the Maratha kingdom in conjunction with Bijapur's army led by Siddi Jauhar. Aurangzeb ordered Shaista Khan to capture the Maratha kingdom to add to the empire (he intended to deceive the Adilshah), after Shivaji's expected defeat by Jauhar. Shivaji Maharaj now prepared to face a combined attack of Mughals and Adilshahi forces.
Per the terms of the Mughal-Adilshahi plan, Adil Shah in 1660 sent Siddi Jauhar, an accomplished general to attack Shivaji on his southern borders, preceding the expected major Mughal attack from the north. He ordered his army of 40,000 north to Kolhapur to confront and defeat Shivaji Maharaj as a part of their grand alliance with the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. He secured the support of local chieftains such as Jasvantrao Dalvi of Palavani and Suryarao Surve of Sringarpur to defeat Shivaji Mahraj. At that time, Shivaji Maharaj was camped at the Panhala fort near present day Kolhapur with 8,000 Marathas.
Siddi Jauhar's army besieged Panhala on 2 March 1660, cutting off supply routes to the fort. Helping with siege were Baji Ghorpade and Siddi Masud from the west, Sadat khan and Bhai khan from the north, Rustam Zaman and Bade khan from the east, Siddi Jauhar and Fazal Khan from the south. Netaji Palkar, the Commander of the Maratha forces was on a mission away from Panhala harassing and attacking Adilshahi territory and was not able to come to the aid of Shivaji. At this point of time, Shaista Khan had moved from Baramati to Shirwal.

Panhala was a formidable fort and Adilshahi army was repulsed repeatedly by effective cannon fire and heavy rock-pelting. Siddi Jauhar approached Henry Revington, the British chief at the Rajapur port to seek long-range and more powerful cannons. Henry decided to help him in return for future favors, and began pounding Panhala fort. In spite of this Marathas continued defending Panhala and persevered in keeping Siddi Jauhar at bay.
Marathas even raided the Adilshahi camp a few times but without much success. However, in one such raid, Tryambak Bhaskar and Kondaji Farzand presented themselves as allies of the British and Adlishahi forces. They came down to the Adilshahi camp and met Henry Revington and his associates. They managed to kill one British officer and injured Henry. Thereafter, they sabotaged the cannons and made them ineffective. Jauhar, livid at this, tightened the siege further.
Jauhar did not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the siege around Panhala was unyielding; he personally took utmost care that no one in his army was complacent. He even braved the tumultuous monsoon season and continued the siege even during heaviest downpours. On hearing about the ever tightening siege of Panhala, Netaji Palkar returned from Bijapur and attacked the Adilshahi forces surrounding Panhala. He tried to break the siege but his smaller forces were pushed back by a much larger Adilshahi army.
Thereafter, Shivaji Maharaj decided to escape to a nearby fort Vishalgad, where he could regroup his soldiers. He then sent misleading messages to Siddi Jauhar indicating that he was willing to negotiate and was looking for accommodation and mutual understanding. With this news, Adilshahi soldiers relaxed somewhat and Shivaji Maharaj escaped under the cover of a stormy night on 12 July 1660.
Meanwhile Jauhar's soldiers captured a small group of Marathas apparently including Shivaji Maharaj only to realize he was a look-alike named Shiva Kashid dressed like Shivaji Maharaj and sent out to create a diversion and facilitate the real Shivaji's escape. Siddi Johar's soldiers realized that the imposter was Shivaji's barber and that Shivaji Maharaj and his army was headed to Vishalgad, immediately thereafter a massive chase was undertaken to intercept Shivaji Maharaj and deal with him and his army, once and for all.

Marathas' Last Stand: The Battle of Pavan Khind

Observing that enemy cavalry was fast closing in on them, Shivaji Maharaj sought to avoid defeat and capture. Baji Prabhu Deshpande, a Maratha sardar of Bandal Deshmukh along with 300 soldiers, volunteered to fight to the death to hold back the enemy at Ghod Khind (a mountain pass in Gajapur which is 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Vishalgad) to give Shivaji and the rest of the army a chance to reach the safety of the Vishalgad fort.
In the ensuing Battle of Pavan Khind, Baji Prabhu Deshpande fought relentlessly. He was wounded but he held on and continued the fight until he heard the sound of cannon fire from Vishalgad, signalling Shivaji Maharaj had safely reached the fort. The result of this intense and heroic battle was the death of 300 Marathas and 3,000 of Adilshah's troops who were engaged in a fierce combat. The Marathas were heroically committed to this fatal fight to ensure Shivaji's reaching the fort and they held off a larger enemy force for 7 hours using 2 swords one in each hand allowing Shivaji to reach the safety of the fort on 13 July 1660.
Thereafter a truce was made between Shivaji Maharaj and Adilshah through Shahaji Raje. In addition, as the terms of this accord, Panhala Fort was awarded to Siddi Johar. Ghod Khind (khind meaning "a narrow mountain pass") was renamed Paavan Khind (Sacred Pass) in honor of Bajiprabhu Deshpande, Shibosingh Jadhav, Fuloji, people from Bandal community and all other soldiers who fought in Ghod Khind. People from the Bandal community were specially selected by Shivaji Maharaj while escaping from Panhala for their knowledge of the region, rock climbing skills, and martial qualities.

Clash with the Mughals Battle of Umberkhind

An Uzbek general, Kartalab Khan, was sent by Shaista Khan on a mission to attack and reduce the number of forts under Shivaji's control in the Konkan region on 3 February 1661. He left his camp near Pune with 30,000 troops. This time the Mughals did not march openly and took circuitous back country routes, as they sought to surprise Shivaji Maharaj. But instead Shivaji Maharaj surprised them at a pass known as Umber Khind (in a dense forest, near present-day Pen), and attacked them from all sides. Marathas hidden in the dense forest executed a well co-ordinated ambush attack on the Mughal army. Shivaji Maharaj himself took the forward position with an elite cavalry unit. The other three sides were flanked by Shivaji's light infantry.
In a well co-ordinate movement of light infantry and cavalry, Shivaji Maharaj prevailed over the attackers. A Maratha lady commander, Raibagan, who co-led the Mughal forces, analyzed the situation and realized that defeat was imminent and advised Kartalab Khan to accept defeat and initiate a compromise with Shivaji. Within four hours into the attack the enemy accepted defeat and surrendered all the supplies, arms and assets. The Mughal army suffered high casualties. The defeated army was allowed a safe passage. Kartalab Khan and Raibagan were released with honour in accordance with Shivaji's terms and his long standing policy towards women and unarmed civilians.

Attack on Shaista Khan

Shaista Khan was ordered by Aurangzeb to attack Shivaji Maharaj per the Mughal-Adilshahi accord. Shaista Khan, with his better equipped and provisioned army of 150,000 that was many times the size of the Maratha forces, seized Pune and the nearby fort of Chakan. At the time, Firangoji Narsala was the killedar (commander) of fort Chakan, which was defended by 300–350 Maratha soldiers. They were able to withstand the Mughal attack on the fort for one and a half month. Then, a burj (outer wall) was blown up with explosives. This created an opening to the fort allowing hordes of Mughals to breach the exterior portion of the fort. Firangoji, himself led the Maratha counter attack against a larger Mughal army. Eventually, the fort was lost with the capture of Firangoji, who then was brought before Shaista Khan, who, appreciating his bravery, offered him a jahagir (military commission) on the condition that he join the Mughal forces, which Firangoji declined. Admiring his loyalty, Shaista Khan pardoned Firangoji and set him free. Firangoji returned home and Shivaji Maharaj awarded him a fort named Bhupalgad.
Shaista Khan pressed his advantage of larger, better provisioned and heavily armed Mughal army and made inroads into some of the Maratha territory. Although he held Pune for almost a year, he had little further success. He had set up his residence at Lal Mahal, Shivaji's palace, in the city of Pune.
Shaista Khan kept a tight security in Pune. However, Shivaji Maharaj planned an attack on Shaista Khan amidst tight security. In April 1663, a wedding party had obtained special permission for a procession; Shivaji Maharaj planned an attack using the wedding party as cover. The Marathas disguised themselves as the bridegroom's procession and entered Pune. Shivaji Maharaj, having spent much of his youth in Pune, knew his way around the city and his own palace of Lal Mahal. Chimanaji Deshpande- one of the childhood friends of Shivaji Maharaj aided him in this attack offering his services as a personal bodyguard. According to Babasaheb Purandare, since Mughal army also consisted of Maratha soldiers, it was difficult for someone to distinguish between Shivaji's Maratha soldiers and the Maratha soldiers of the Mughal army. Thus, taking advantage of this situation, Shivaji Maharaj, along with a few of his trusted men, infiltrated the Mughal camp.
After overpowering and slaying of the palace guards, the Marathas broke into the mansion by breaching an outer wall. Chimnaji and Netaji Palkar entered first along with Babaji Deshpande, another of Shivaji's long time loyal associates; they approached Shaista Khan's quarters. Shivaji Maharaj then personally confronted Shaista Khan in a face to face attack. Meanwhile, perceiving danger, one of Shaista's wives turned off the lights. Shivaji Maharaj pursued Shaista Khan and severed three of his fingers with his sword (in the darkness) as he fled through an open window. Shaista Khan narrowly escaped death and lost his son and many of his guards and soldiers in the raid.
Within twenty-four hours of this attack, Shaista Khan left Pune and headed north towards Agra. An angered Aurangzeb transferred him to distant Bengal as a punishment for bringing embarrassment to the Mughals with his ignoble defeat in Pune.

Siege of Surat

In 1664 Shivaji Maharaj invaded Surat, an important and wealthy Mughal trading city, and looted it to replenish his now depleted treasury and also as a revenge for the capture and looting of Maratha territory by Shaista Khan. (Surat was again sacked by Shivaji in 1670.)

Treaty of Purandar

Aurangzeb was enraged and sent Mirza Raja Jai Singh I with an army numbering well over 150,000 to defeat Shivaji Maharaj. Jai Singh planned and executed his battle strategies so well with his vast army that the Mughal forces under him made significant gains and captured many Maratha forts. Shivaji Maharaj came to terms with Aurangzeb rather than lose more forts and men.
In the ensuing treaty of Purander, signed between Shivaji Maharaj and Jai Singh on 11 June 1665, Shivaji Maharaj agreed to give up 23 of his forts and pay compensation of 400,000 rupees to the Mughals. He also agreed to let his son Sambhaji become a Mughal Sardar, serve the Mughal court of Aurangzeb and fight with Mughals against Bijapur. He actually fought along side Raja Jai Singh's Mughal forces against Bijapur's forces for a few months. His commander, Netaji Palkar, joined Mughals, was rewarded very well for his bravery, converted to Islam, changed his name to Quli Mohammed Khan in 1666 and was sent to the Afghan frontier to fight the restive tribes. He returned to Shivaji's service after ten years in 1676 and was accepted back as a Hindu on Shivaji's advice.

Arrest in Agra and escape

In 1666, Aurangzeb invited Shivaji Maharaj to Agra, along with his nine-year-old son Sambhaji. Aurangzeb's plan was to send Shivaji to Kandahar, modern day Afghanistan to consolidate the Mughal Empire's north-western frontier. However, in the court, on 12 May 1666, Aurangzeb made Shivaji Maharaj stand behind mansabdārs (military commanders) of his court. Shivaji took offense at this seeming insult and stormed out of court and was promptly placed under house arrest, under the watch of Faulad Khan, Kotwal of Agra. From his spies, Shivaji Maharaj learned that Aurangzeb planned to move his residence to Raja Vitthaldas's Haveli and then to possibly kill him or send him to fight in the Afghan frontier. As a result Shivaji Maharaj planned his escape.
He feigned almost fatal sickness and requested to send most of his contingent back to the Deccan, thereby ensuring the safety of his army and deceiving Aurangzeb. Thereafter, on his request, he was allowed to send daily shipments of sweets and gifts to saints, fakirs, and temples in Agra as offerings for getting well. After several days and weeks of sending out boxes containing sweets, Shivaji Maharaj and his nine year old son Sambhaji hid themselves in two of the boxes and managed to escape. Shivaji Maharaj and his son fled to the Deccan disguised as sadhus (holy men). After the escape, rumours of Sambhaji's death were intentionally spread by Shivaji Maharaj himself in order to deceive the Mughals and to protect Sambhaji

Reconquest
Battle of Sinhgad

After this escape, both sides maintained calm and a treaty was concluded for some time. However it was broken at the end of the year 1670. Shivaji Maharaj launched a major offensive against Mughals. In a span of four months he recovered a major portion of the territories surrendered to Mughals. During this phase, the valiant Tanaji Malusare won the prestigious fort of Sinhgad in the battle of Sinhgad, although he lost his life.

Battle of Vani-dindori

Subsequently, Shivaji Maharaj sacked Surat for second time in 1670.When Shivaji Maharaj was returning from Surat, Mughals under Daud Khan tried to intercept him, but were defeated in the Battle of Vani-dindori near present-day Nashik.
Battle of Salher
Peshwa Moropant Pingale won a number of forts in this area. Senapati Prataprao Gujar defeated Mughals in various campaigns. In order to subdue this Maratha resurgence, Dilerkhan was sent along with Bahlol khan and other generals. During this phase, the combined forces of Moropant and Prataprao defeated the Mughals in the open battle of Salher.
This was the first major battle in which Mughals were defeated by any opponent. This greatly raised the status of Marathas and Shivaji Maharaj, in particular. Against this background of victories, Shivaji Maharaj decided to coronate himself, thereby giving sovereignty to the Maratha people. However a tragedy struck in that Shivaji Maharaj lost his trusted cavalry general Prataprao in the following battle of Nesari.

Battle of Nesari

In 1674, Prataprao Gujar, the then Commander-in chief of the Maratha forces, was sent to push back the invading force led by the Adil Shahi general, Bahlol Khan. Prataprao's forces defeated and captured the opposing general in the battle after cutting-off their water supply by encircling a strategically located lake, which prompted Bahlol khan to sue for peace. In spite of Shivaji's specific warnings against doing so Prataprao released Bahlol Khan who started preparing for a fresh invasion.
When Shivaji Maharaj sent a displeasure letter to Prataprao refusing him audience until Bahlol Khan was re-captured. In the ensuing days, he learnt of Bahlol Khan having camped with 15000 force at Nesari near Kolhapur.Given the uneven match Prataprao reasoned that there was no point in leading his 1,200 cavalrymen into a suicide charge alone. Other six sardars of distinction followed him to perish with their commander. The seven Maratha officers were Prataprao Gujar, Visaji Ballal, Dipoji Rautrao, Vithal Pilaji

Atre, Krishnaji Bhaskar, Siddi Hilal and Vithoji Shinde. The loss of Prataprao Gujar was a big loss to the Marathas. Anandrao Mohite managed to the withdraw army to safer areas.
Marathas then avenged the death of their general, by defeating Bahlol Khan and capturing his jagir (fiefdom) under the leadership of Anaji and Hambirao Mohite. Shivaji was deeply grieved on hearing of Prataprao's death. He arranged for the marriage of his second son, Rajaram, to the daughter of Prataprao Gujar. Anandrao Mohite became Hambirrao Mohite, the new sarnaubat (Commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces). Shivaji Maharaj started preparation for coronation. Fort Raigad was newly built by Hiroji Indulkar as a capital of rising Maratha kingdom.

Rule and Administration

Rule

Shivaji Maharajwas an able administrator who established a government that included modern concepts such as cabinet (Ashtapradhan mandal), foreign affairs (Dabir) and internal intelligence. Shivaji Maharaj established an effective civil and military administration. He also built a powerful navy. Maynak Bhandari was one of the first chiefs of the Maratha Navy under Shivaji, and helped in both building the Maratha Navy and safeguarding the coastline of the emerging Maratha Empire. He built new forts like Sindhudurg and strengthened old ones like Vijaydurg on the west coast. The Maratha navy held its own against the British, Portuguese and Dutch.
Shivaji is well known for his benevolent attitude towards his subjects. He believed that there was a close bond between the state and the citizens. He encouraged all accomplished and competent individuals to participate in the ongoing political/military struggle. He is remembered as a just and welfare-minded king. He brought revolutionary changes in military organisation, fort architecture, society and politics.
Shivaji was the first king of the medieval world to undertake the revolutionary idea of abolishing the Feudal System, 150 years before its worldwide recognition in the French revolution. For a span of about 50 years, there were no feudals in his kingdom. After the fall of Raigad in 1689, Raja Ram started giving land grants to maratha chieftans to fight against the mughals in the War of 27 years.
Administration
The organization of Shivaji's administration was composed of eight ministers of pradhaanas:
 Peshwa :Mukhya (main) Pradhan, next to the king, for supervising and governing under king's orders in his absence. The king's orders bore the Peshwa's seal
 Mazumdar: An auditor to take care of income and expenditure checks, keep the king informed of finances and sign districts-level accounts
 Navis or Waqia Mantri: to record daily activities of the royal family and to serve as master of ceremony
 Sur Navis or Sachiv: to oversee the king's correspondence to ensure letter and style adherence to wishes of the king and check accounts of palace and Parganas
 Sumant or Dabir: for foreign affairs and to receive ambassadors
 Senapati or Sir-nobut: To keep troops ready and the king fully informed
 Panditrao: to promote learning, spirituality and settle religious disputes
 Nyayadhish: the highest judicial authority.

Military

Shivaji demonstrated great skill in creating his military organisation, which lasted till the demise of the Maratha empire. He was one of the pioneers of commando actions, then known as ganimi kava. His Mavala army's war cry was Har Har Mahadev ("Hail Lord Our God", Har and Mahadev being common names of Shiva). Shivaji was responsible for many significant changes in military organization:
 A standing army belonging to the state, called paga
 All war horses belonged to the state; responsibility for their upkeep rested on the Sovereign
 Creation of part time soldiers from peasants who worked for eight months in their fields and supported four months in war for which they were paid
 Highly mobile and light infantry and cavalry excelling in commando tactics
 The introduction of a centralized intelligence department; Bahirjee Naik was the foremost spy who provided Shivaji with enemy information in all of Shivaji's campaigns
 A potent and effective navy
 Introduction of field craft, such as guerrilla warfare, commando actions, and swift flanking attacks
 Innovation of weapons and firepower, innovative use of traditional weapons like the tiger claw (vaghnakh) and vita
 Militarisation of large swathes of society, across all classes, with the entire peasant population of settlements and villages near forts actively involved in their defence.
Shivaji realized the importance of having a secure coastline and protecting the western Konkan coastline from the attacks of Siddi's fleet. His strategy was to build a strong navy to protect and bolster his kingdom. He was also concerned about the growing dominance of British Indian naval forces in regional waters and actively sought to resist it. For this reason he is also referred to as the "Father of Indian Navy".

Forts

Shivaji captured strategically important forts at Murumbdev (Rajgad), Torana, Kondana (Sinhagad) and Purandar and laid the foundation of swaraj - self rule. Toward the end of his career, he had a control of 360 forts to secure his growing kingdom. Shivaji himself constructed about 15-20 totally new forts (including key sea forts like Sindhudurg), but he also rebuilt or repaired many strategically placed forts to create a chain of 300 or more, stretched over a thousand kilometres across the rugged crest of the Western Ghats. Each were placed under three officers of equal status lest a single traitor be bribed or tempted to deliver it to the enemy. The officers (sabnis, havladar, sarnobhat) acted jointly and provided mutual checks and balance.

Navy

Shivaji Maharaj built a strong naval presence across long coast of Konkan and Goa to protect sea trade, to protect the lands from sack of prosperity of subjects from coastal raids, plunder and destruction by Arabs, Portuguese, British, Abyssinians and pirates. Shivaji Maharaj built ships in towns such as Kalyan, Bhivandi, and Goa for building fighting navy as well as trade. He also built a number of sea forts and bases for repair, storage and shelter. Shivaji Maharaj fought many lengthy battles with Siddis of Janjira on coastline. The fleet grew to reportedly 160 to 700 merchant, support and fighting vessels. He started trading with foreigners on his own after possession of 8 or 9 ports in the Deccan.

Chapter 2
Introduction to Management
2.1 Meaning and Definition of Management

Management is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term. All organizations - business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose.
“Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals”.
“Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done in the
best and cheapest way”.
Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the attainment of certain pre - determined goals. It is the process of working with and through others to effectively achieve the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the changing world.
Management involves creating an internal environment: - It is the management which puts into use the various factors of production. Therefore, it is the responsibility of management to create such conditions which are conducive to maximum efforts so that people are able to perform their task efficiently and effectively. It includes ensuring availability of raw materials, determination of wages and salaries, formulation of rules & regulations etc.
Management can be defined in detail in following categories :
1. Management as a Process
2. Management as an Activity
3. Management as a Discipline
4. Management as a Group
5. Management as a Science
6. Management as an Art
7. Management as a Profession

2.2 Importance of Management

 Management is a process
Management is process which involves planning, co-ordination, motivation, etc. The bravery of Shivaji Maharaj in making Swarajya or Swarajya itself is a process. Shivaji Maharaj did planning, co-ordination and motivated the army, etc and did management of all such activities.
 Management is a group activity
Management is a group activity, one cannot manage all the things alone at the same time. Management is a team work. Shivaji Maharaj got the support of others and won many wars, there was a team work which led to the success. As a king Shivaji Maharaj lead the sub-ordinate, communicated effectively,etc
 Result oriented
Another feature of management is management is result oriented. In management results are given more importance. What matters is not just activity but better results. Shivaji Maharaj always focused on the results of various activities. To achieve the results there should be optimum utilization of resources and higher efficiency.
 Management needs to follow well established principles
In the process of management there are certain rules, regulations and principles which need to be followed. Shivaji Maharaj used to call such principles ‘kanunjabta’it means the rules or principles to be followed by ministers, officers and people also, principle for everyone and everyone by the principle.
 Motivate the sub-ordinates
Management involves motivating the sub-ordinates and to increase their interest towards the work. Shivaji Maharaj motivated the sub-ordinates because of which the sub-ordinates were able to give the best results in every situation.

2.3 Principles of Management
A principle refers to a fundamental truth. It establishes cause and effect relationship between two or more variables under given situation. They serve as a guide to thought & actions. Therefore, management principles are the statements of fundamental truth based on logic which provides guidelines for managerial decision making and actions. These principles are derived: -
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a. On the basis of observation and analysis i.e. practical experience of managers.
b. By conducting experimental studies.
There are 14 Principles of Management described
1. Division of Labor
a. Shivaji Maharaj has stressed on the specialization of jobs.
b. The work of all kinds must be divided & subdivided and allotted to various persons according to their expertise in a particular area.
c. Subdivision of work makes it simpler and results in efficiency.
d. It also helps the individual in acquiring speed, accuracy in his performance.
e. Specialization leads to efficiency & economy in spheres of business.
Shivaji Maharaj divided the administration into various departments and different jobs were assigned to different people for achieving higher results.
2. Balance between Authority & Responsibility
a. Authority & responsibility are co-existing.
b. If authority is given to a person, he should also be made responsible.
c. In a same way, if anyone is made responsible for any job, he should also have concerned authority.
d. Authority refers to the right of superiors to get exactness from their sub-ordinates whereas responsibility means obligation for the performance of the job assigned.
e. There should be a balance between the two i.e. they must go hand in hand.
f. Authority without responsibility leads to irresponsible behavior whereas responsibility without authority makes the person ineffective.
Shivaji Maharaj always maintained a balance between the authority and responsibility, that’s why eight year old Shambhaji Raje was taken to
Agra. Sixteen years old Dhanaji Jadhav was assigned with Santaji Ghorpade and then there was training and responsibility.
3. Unity of Command
a. A sub-ordinate should receive orders and be accountable to one and only one boss at a time.
b. In other words, a sub-ordinate should not receive instructions from more than one person because -
- It undermines authority
- Weakens discipline
- Divides loyalty
- Creates confusion
- Delays and chaos
- Escaping responsibilities
- Duplication of work
- Overlapping of efforts
c. Therefore, dual sub-ordination should be avoided unless and until it is absolutely essential.
d. Unity of command provides the enterprise a disciplined, stable & orderly existence.
e. It creates harmonious relationship between superiors and sub-ordinates.
Too many cooks spoil the soup, that’s why in Swarajya all the orders were given by Shiavji Maharaj and the ministers were given authority to make orders in their area.

4. Unity of Direction
a. One head one plan which means that there should be one plan for a group of activities having similar objectives.
b. Related activities should be grouped together. There should be one plan of action for them and they should be under the charge of a particular manager.
c. According to this principle, efforts of all the members of the organization should be directed towards common goal.
d. Without unity of direction, unity of action cannot be achieved.
e. In fact, unity of command is not possible without unity of direction.
Therefore it is obvious that they are different from each other but they are dependent on each other i.e. unity of direction is a pre-requisite for unity of command. But it does not automatically comes from the unity of direction.

5. Equity
a. Equity means combination of fairness, kindness & justice.
b. The employees should be treated with kindness & equity if devotion is expected of them.
c. It implies that managers should be fair and impartial while dealing with the subordinates.
d. They should give similar treatment to people of similar position.
e. They should not discriminate with respect to age, caste, sex, religion, relation etc.
f. Equity is essential to create and maintain cordial relations between the managers and sub-ordinate.
g. But equity does not mean total absence of harshness.
“At times force and harshness might become necessary for the sake of equity”.
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Raje laid extraordinary ideas of justice and fairplay. Shivaji Maharaj had learnt the forms of justice right from childhood. Even as a child he would keenly observe Jijau, at the time of delivering justice to the common man.
Shivaji Maharaj himself was very just as a king and a believer in truth and fairplay. His strong belief in truth made the criminals fear even before they thought of committing a crime.

6. Order
a. This principle is concerned with proper & systematic arrangement of things and people.
b. Arrangement of things is called material order and placement of people is called social order.
c. Material order- There should be safe, appropriate and specific place for every article and every place to be effectively used for specific activity and commodity.
d. Social order- Selection and appointment of most suitable person on the suitable job. There should be a specific place for every one and everyone should have a specific place so that they can easily be contacted whenever need arises.
During the regime of Shivaji Maharaj there was a proper and systematic arrangement of things and people, which led to the success of Swarajya.

7. Discipline
a. According to Fayol, “Discipline means sincerity, obedience, respect of authority & observance of rules and regulations of the enterprise”.
b. This principle applies that subordinate should respect their superiors and obey their order.
c. It is an important requisite for smooth running of the enterprise.
d. Discipline is not only required on path of subordinates but also on the part of management.
e. Discipline can be enforced if -There are good superiors at all levels. - There are clear & fair agreements with workers. - Sanctions (punishments) are judiciously applied.
Shivaji Maharaj were the most disciplined, the king gave respect to all the sub-ordinates, there was a discipline in the actions of Shivaji maharaj,etc

8. Initiative
a. Workers should be encouraged to take initiative in the work assigned to them.
b. It means eagerness to initiate actions without being asked to do so.
c. Management should provide opportunity to its employees to suggest ideas, experiences& new method of work.
d. It helps in developing an atmosphere of trust and understanding.
e. People then enjoy working in the organization because it adds to their zeal and energy.
f. To suggest improvement in formulation & implementation of place.
g. They can be encouraged with the help of monetary & non-monetary incentives.
Shivaji Maharaj himself took the initiative during various situations, which also motivated the sub-ordinates to take initiative in the work assigned to them and give higher results.

9. Fair Remuneration
a. The quantum and method of remuneration to be paid to the workers should be fair, reasonable, satisfactory & rewarding of the efforts.
b. As far as possible it should accord satisfaction to both employer and the employees.
c. Wages should be determined on the basis of cost of living, work assigned, financial position of the business, wage rate prevailing etc.
d. Logical & appropriate wage rates and methods of their payment reduce tension & differences between workers & management creates harmonious relationship and pleasing atmosphere of work.
During the regime of Shivaji Maharaj all the sub-ordinates, arm forces, etc were paid fairly so that they can manage their livelihood and live a healthy life.

10. Stability of Tenure
a. Employees should not be moved frequently from one job position to another i.e. the period of service in a job should be fixed.
b. Therefore employees should be appointed after keeping in view principles of recruitment & selection but once they are appointed their services should be served.
c. “Time is required for an employee to get used to a new work & succeed to doing it well but if he is removed before that he will not be able to render worthwhile services”.
d. As a result, the time, effort and money spent on training the worker will go waste.
e. Stability of job creates team spirit and a sense of belongingness among workers which ultimately increase the quality as well as quantity of work.

11. Scalar Chain
a. “The chain of superiors ranging from the ultimate authority to the lowest”.
b. Every orders, instructions, messages, requests, explanation etc. has to pass through Scalar chain.
c. But, for the sake of convenience & urgency, this path can be cut shirt and this short cut is known as Gang Plank.
d. A Gang Plank is a temporary arrangement between two different points to facilitate quick & easy communication.
During the regime of Shivaji Maharaj there was adequate and proper flow of information and effective communication which helped the king in taking various major decisions.

12. Sub-Ordination of Individual Interest to General Interest
a. An organization is much bigger than the individual it constitutes therefore interest of the undertaking should prevail in all circumstances.
b. As far as possible, reconciliation should be achieved between individual and group interests.
c. But in case of conflict, individual must sacrifice for bigger interests.
d. In order to achieve this attitude, it is essential that -
- Employees should be honest & sincere. - Proper & regular supervision of work. - Reconciliation of mutual differences and clashes by mutual agreement.

13. Espirit De’ Corps (can be achieved through unity of command)
a. It refers to team spirit i.e. harmony in the work groups and mutual understanding among the members.
b. Spirit De’ Corps inspires workers to work harder.
c. Fayol cautioned the managers against dividing the employees into competing groups because it might damage the moral of the workers and interest of the undertaking in the long run.
d. To inculcate Espirit De’ Corps following steps should be undertaken -
o There should be proper co-ordination of work at all levels
o Subordinates should be encouraged to develop informal relations among themselves.
o Efforts should be made to create enthusiasm and keenness among subordinates so that they can work to the maximum ability.
o Efficient employees should be rewarded and those who are not up to the mark should be given a chance to improve their performance.
o Subordinates should be made conscious of that whatever they are doing is of great importance to the business & society.
e. He also cautioned against the more use of Britain communication to the subordinates i.e. face to face communication should be developed. The managers should infuse team spirit & belongingness. There should be no place for misunderstanding. People then enjoy working in the organization & offer their best towards the organization.

14. Centralization & De-Centralization
a. Centralization means concentration of authority at the top level. In other words, centralization is a situation in which top management retains most of the decision making authority.
b. Decentralization means disposal of decision making authority to all the levels of the organization. In other words, sharing authority downwards is decentralization.
c. “Degree of centralization or decentralization depends on no. of factors like size of business, experience of superiors, dependability & ability of subordinates etc.
d. Anything which increases the role of subordinate is decentralization & anything which decreases it is centralization.
e. Absolute centralization or decentralization is not feasible. An organization should strike to achieve a lot between the two.
f. Development of Science for each part of men’s job (replacement of rule of thumb)
a. This principle suggests that work assigned to any employee should be observed, analyzed with respect to each and every element and part and time involved in it.
b. This means replacement of odd rule of thumb by the use of method of enquiry, investigation, data collection, analysis and framing of rules.
c. Under scientific management, decisions are made on the basis of facts and by the application of scientific decisions.

g. Scientific Selection, Training & Development of Workers
a. There should be scientifically designed procedure for the selection of workers.
b. Physical, mental & other requirement should be specified for each and every job.
c. Workers should be selected & trained to make them fit for the job.
d. The management has to provide opportunities for development of workers having better capabilities.
e. Efforts should be made to develop each employee to his greatest level and efficiency & prosperity.
h. Co-operation between Management & workers or Harmony not discord
a. Shivaji Maharaj believed in co-operation and not individualism.
b. It is only through co-operation that the goals of the enterprise can be achieved efficiently.
c. There should be no conflict between managers & workers.
i. Division of Responsibility
a. This principle determines the concrete nature of roles to be played by different level of managers & workers.
b. The management should assume the responsibility of planning the work whereas workers should be concerned with execution of task.
c. Thus planning is to be separated from execution.
j. Mental Revolution
a. The workers and managers should have a complete change of outlook towards their mutual relation and work effort.
b. It requires that management should create suitable working condition and solve all problems scientifically.
c. Similarly workers should attend their jobs with utmost attention, devotion and carefulness. They should not waste the resources of enterprise.
d. Handsome remuneration should be provided to workers to boost up their moral.
e. It will create a sense of belongingness among worker.
f. They will be disciplined, loyal and sincere in fulfilling the task assigned to them.
g. There will be more production and economical growth at a faster rate.
k. Maximum Prosperity for Employer & Employees
a. The aim of scientific management is to see maximum prosperity for employer and employees.
b. It is important only when there is opportunity for each worker to attain his highest efficiency.
c. Maximum output & optimum utilization of resources will bring higher profits for the employer & better wages for the workers.
d. There should be maximum output in place of restricted output.
e. Both managers & workers should be paid handsomely.

2.4 Levels of Management

1. Top Level of Management

The top management is the ultimate source of authority and it manages goals and policies for an enterprise. It devotes more time on planning and coordinating functions.
The role of the top management can be summarized as follows -
a. Top management lays down the objectives and broad policies of the enterprise.
b. It issues necessary instructions for preparation of department budgets, procedures, schedules etc.
c. It prepares strategic plans & policies for the enterprise.
d. It appoints the executive for middle level i.e. departmental managers.
e. It controls & coordinates the activities of all the departments.
f. It is also responsible for maintaining a contact with the outside world.
g. It provides guidance and direction.
h. The top management is also responsible towards the shareholders for the performance of the enterprise.

2. Middle Level of Management

They are responsible to the top management for the functioning of their department. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. In small organization, there is only one layer of middle level of management but in big enterprises, there may be senior and junior middle level management. Their role can be emphasized as -
a. They execute the plans of the organization in accordance with the policies and directives of the top management.
b. They make plans for the sub-units of the organization.
c. They participate in employment & training of lower level management.
d. They interpret and explain policies from top level management to lower level.
e. They are responsible for coordinating the activities within the division or department.
f. It also sends important reports and other important data to top level management.
g. They evaluate performance of junior managers.
h. They are also responsible for inspiring lower level managers towards better performance.
3. Lower Level of Management
Lower level is also known as supervisory / operative level of management. It consists of supervisors, foreman, section officers, superintendent etc. According to R.C. Davis, “Supervisory management refers to those executives whose work has to be largely with personal oversight and direction of operative employees”. In other words, they are concerned with direction and controlling function of management. Their activities include -
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a. Assigning of jobs and tasks to various workers.
b. They guide and instruct workers for day to day activities.
c. They are responsible for the quality as well as quantity of production.
d. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining good relation in the organization.
e. They communicate workers problems, suggestions, and recommendatory appeals etc to the higher level and higher level goals and objectives to the workers.
f. They help to solve the grievances of the workers.
g. They supervise & guide the sub-ordinates.
h. They are responsible for providing training to the workers.
i. They arrange necessary materials, machines, tools etc for getting the things done.
j. They prepare periodical reports about the performance of the workers.
k. They ensure discipline in the enterprise.
l. They motivate workers.
m. They are the image builders of the enterprise because they are in direct contact with the workers.
The heads of departments during Shivaji’s regime:
1. Peshwa or prime minister re designated since Shivaji’s coronation as mukhyapradhan
Shivajis Maharaj’s first Peshwa was samara nilkanth ranzekar who according to sabhasad was sent with him by his father when he was given charge of the pune Jagir. He died in that office according to E.K Chronicle but chitins says that he was removed because of his failure against the Siddhi. On 3rd April 1662, moro trimal Pingale was appointed to that post. Moro trimal continued to serve as the Peshwa till Shivajis death. He also led many military expeditions and particularly distinguished himself in the battle of Salher in 1672 and conquest of the principalities of Jawhar and ramnagar in the same year.
2. Muzumdar or Finance Minister, re-designated as Amatya
Shivaji's first Muzumdar was Balkrishnapant Dikshit who, according to Sabhasade, accompanied him when he came from Bangalore to take charge of Pune jagir, i.e. around 1694. Vasudev Balkrishna is mentioned as the Muzumdar in a document dated 21st March 1657. It appears therefore that balkrishnapant died or retired before that date and was succeeded by his son. Moro Trimal Pingale was appointed as Muzumdar on 2nd January 1661. We do not know whether Vasudev Balkrishna was removed from office by Shivaji or by the hand of death. Moro Trimal was promoted as prime minister on 3rd April 1652 when Nilo Sondev took over as Muzumdar. The only notable military expedition which the latter led was the capture of Purandar by escalade in 1670. Nilo Sondev was alive atleast till 10th November 1670. He seems to have died between that date and Shivaji’s coronation on 6th June 1674 because Sabhasad mentions his son Naro Nilkanth as the Muzumdar in his account of thar ceremony. This is corroborated by an entry in a letter-book of a later date which records a letter dated 13th March 1675 sent jointly by Moropant , as Moro Trimal was generally known, and Naro Nilkanth. Their designations are not mentioned therein but Naro Nilkanth’s correspondence in conjunction with Moropant, the Prime Minister, suggests that he too must have held a senior position at that time.
We do not know whether Naro Nilkanth died in, or was dismissed from, this office but in September-October 1677 Raghunath Narayan Hanmante was appointed as Muzumdar. He was serving at that time as principal assistant to Santaji Bhosale , the governor of the newly conquered Karnataka , and therefore the office of Muzumdar was conducted by his younger brother Janardan as proxy.
3. Surnis or Minister for Land Revenue re-designated as Sachiv
We do not know when this post was created. In a document dated 21st March 1657, Mahadaji Samraj is mentioned as the Surnis, who, so far as we know, is thus the first man to occupy that post in Shivaji’s administration. Sabhasad tells us that Nilo Sondev was appointed as Surnis after the conquest of Jawali and Shringarpur. This statement is very vague because we know, though Sabhasad did not, that Jawali was conquered in 1656 and Shringarpur in 1661. It is possible however that Nilo Sondev might have held this office since the conquest of Shringarpur . On 3rd April 1662, Anaji
Datto, generally known as Anajipant, took over as Surnis. Anajipant retained that office till Shivaji’s death.
4. Vaknis , Minister for Internal and External Intelligence, re-Designated as Mantri
Under Mughal administration , special officers, designated as Waqai-nawis, were appointed in the provinces and field armies to submit periodical reports to the Emperor. They thus formed an independent network for internal intelligence. Oxenden, who attended the coronation ceremony at Raigad , refers to Dattaji, who then held this office, as “Vokanavice or Public Intelligencer”.
According to the Jedhe Chronology, Anajipant was appointed as the Vaknis on 21st August 1661 and as Surnis on 3rd April 1662. Sabhasad tells us that Gangaji Mangaji, who was appointed as Vaknis after the conquest of Jawali and Shringarpur, died after Shivaji’s escape from Agra and was succeeded by Dattaji Trimbak. So Gangaji Mangaji seems to have taken over this office after Anajipant.
This earliest extant document which mentions his successor, Dattaji Trimbak, as Vaknis is dated 17th November 1668. The Jedhe Chronology records that Dattajipant , the Vaknis, died on 28th December 1678. We do not know who succeeded to this office thereafter.
5. Dabir or Minister for External Affairs, re-designated as Sumant
Sabhasad says Sonopant accompanied Shivaji as Dabir when he took charge of the Pune jagir, i.e around 1642. He is mentioned as such in a document dated 21st March 1657. He was sent as an envoy to Aurangzeb first in April 1657 and again in August 1658, and to Shayista Khan in 1660. He died on 25th January 1665. He was succeeded in this office by his son Trimbakpant who had accompanied Shivaji to Agra, was thrown into prison after his escape and released on 3rd April 1667. He died on 18th April 1667. It appears that he had, sometime before his death, retired from active service and was succeeded in this office by his son Ram chandrapant whom Sabhasad mentions as Dabir in his narration of the corronation ceremony. He retained that office till Shivaji’s lifetime seems to be exception to the general rule, made no doubt on the basis of merit rather that inheritance.
6. Sarnaubhat, or Commander-in-Chief, re-designated as Senapati
According to Sabhasad , Tukoji Chor was appointed as Sarnaubat after the seizure of Supe, i.e. after 24th September 1656. We do not know whether he died or retired as Sarnaubat or or was dismissed from that office, but Sabhasad tells us that Mankoji Dahatonde was appointed as Sarnaubat after the raids on Junnar and Ahmednagar , i.e. after 4th June 1657. He is mentioned as such in an earlier document dated 21st March 1657. He died, according to Chitnis, in that office and was succeded by Netoji Palkar. We do not know the exact date of Mankoji’s death but as Sabhasad tells us that Netoji took over as Sarnaubat after the conquest of Jawali and Shringarpur, the event might be placed around 1662. It would be remembered that Netoji deserted from the Maratha army in 1665 and Kadatoji Gujar was appointed in his place with title of prataprao Gujar was killed in action on 24th February 1674and was succeeded by hansaji Mohite with the title Hambir-rao, who retained that post till Shivaji’s death.
7. Nyaydish or Chief Justice
There was no question of re-designating this office because Nyayadhish itself is a Sanskrit word. According to Sabhasad, Nirajji Raoji was appointed on various diplomatic missions as well. In 1668 he was sent to Aurangabad followed by the Maratha contingent under Prataprao Gujar which was to be stationed there in accordance with the Mughal-Maratha treaty. We do not know in what capcity Niraji had gone there but he was probably sent as the diplomatic representative of Shivaji. Then, in 1672, he was sent as an envoy yo Hyderabad to work out the Shivaji-Qutbshah pact. In 1675 he was sent o Bahpur khan, the Mughal viceroy of the Deccan, to spin out the negotioations for a Mughal-Maratha treaty while shivaji reduced Phonda, an important Bijapur fortress in South Konkan.
8. Panditrao or the Head of Religious Affairs
Panditrao is a Marathi derivation of the Sanskrit with a very slight change. Sabhasad tells us that this office was re-designated as Dandhyaksha, but in all contemporaneous documents that are extant, this office is always referred to as Panditrao and never as Danadhyaksha. The latter term first appears in documents during the reign of Shivaji’s son and successor, sambhaji. The panditrao had jurisdiction over all religious affairs, grants and scholarship.
Sabhasad tells us that Raghunathpant was honoured with the title of Panditrao ehen hwe was sent as an envoy to Jai Singh (in 1665). The last of Raghunathpant’s extant letters is dated 23rd June 1672. In a document dated 30th Augast 1673, Moreshwar is styled as Panditrao. Therefore, raghunathpant seems to have died or retired before that date. Sabhasad tells us that Raghunathpant’s son held his post at the time of the coronation, but does not gie isname. It appears then that Raghunathpanth was succeeded in this office by his son Moreshwar who continued to serve as Panditrao till Shivaji’s death.
Sabhasad tells us that as Shivaji’s domain expanded,he divided it into three provinces. The Northern province from Kalyan-Bhiwandi northward up to Salher was placed under Moropant, the Peshwa; the western province comprising ll territory further south in the konkan was entrusted to Anajipany, the Surnis; and the charge of Vaknis. It seems, therefore, that the arrangements was adopted soon after Shivaji’s coronation in June 1674.

2.6 Management as an art

Management is both an art and a science. The above mentioned points clearly reveal that management combines features of both science as well as art. It is considered as a science because it has an organized body of knowledge which contains certain universal truth. It is called an art because managing requires certain skills which are personal possessions of managers. Science provides the knowledge & art deals with the application of knowledge and skills.
A manager to be successful in his profession must acquire the knowledge of science & the art of applying it. Therefore management is a judicious blend of science as well as an art because it proves the principles and the way these principles are applied is a matter of art. Science teaches to ’know’ and art teaches to ’do’. E.g. a person cannot become a good singer unless he has knowledge about various ragas & he also applies his personal skill in the art of singing. Same way it is not sufficient for manager to first know the principles but he must also apply them in solving various managerial problems that is why, science and art are not mutually exclusive but they are complementary to each other
The old saying that “Manager are Born” has been rejected in favor of “Managers are Made”. It has been aptly remarked that management is the oldest of art and youngest of science. To conclude, we can say that science is the root and art is the fruit. Shivaji Maharaj’s management was an art as well as science.

Chapter 3 Shivaji Maharaj as a Management Guru

1. Human Resource Management:
Maharaj was a very good judge of character. He had the born leader's personal magnetism and threw a spell over all he knew him, drawing the best elements of the country to his side and winning the most devoted service from his officers, while his dazzling victories and ever Shivaji Maharaj ready smile made him the idol of his soldiery. His royal gift of judging character was one of the main causes of his success, as his selection of generals and governors, diplomatists and secretaries was never at fault, and his administration was a great improvement on the past.
Shivaji Maharaj worked on the lines of the famous saying 'Cleanness before Godliness', while building his forts he kept a very efficient cleaning system. Around 300 years back Shivaji Maharaj had introduced the idea of segregation of dry and wet garbage.
2. Religious Broadmindedness:
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Shivaji Maharaj was a follower of morals, rather than strict religious practices. It's wrong to specifically term Shivaji undear the category of strict Hinduism follower. Even Baba Yakub Khan is considered as his Guru. During his long military career and various campaigns his strong religious and warrior code of ethics, exemplary character and uncompromising spiritual values directed him to offer protection to houses and worship, non combatants, women and children. He always showed respect, defended and protected places of worship of all denominations and religious.
3. Ideal Justice Management (Jurisdiction):
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Raje laid extraordinary ideas of justice and fairplay. Shivaji Maharaj had learnt the forms of justice right from childhood. Even as a child he would keenly observe Jijau, at the time of delivering justice to the common man. Shivaji Maharaj himself was very just as a king and a believer in truth and fairplay. His strong belief in truth made the criminals fear even before they thought of committing a crime.
4. Strategic Planning:
Shivaji's success can be explained only by an analysis of his political genius. First and foremost he passed that unfailing sense of reality in politics that recognition of the exact possibilities of his times (tact do chases possibilities) which Cavour defined as the essence of statesmanship. His daring was tempered and guided by an instinctive perception of law for his actual resources could carry him, how long a certain line of action or policy was to be followed and where he must stop.
His splendid success fired the imagination of his contemporaries, and his name becomes a spell calling the Maratha race a new life. The imperishable achievement of his life was the raising of the Marathas into an independent self reliant people, conscious of their oneness and high destinity.
The word 'Democracy’ - Government of people is an inspiration that our constitution has taken from this valiant Maratha Hero.
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5. Corruption Free Management:
Shivaji Maharaj's administration was 100% corruption free. He maintained a transparency in all the financial as well as official dealings in his territories. He himself appointed his son Yuvraj Sambhaji Raje as the head of the anti-corruption campaign in his state. He introduced many efficient systems in order to avoid corruption practices among his officers regular transfers of affairs was one of the most efficient techniques adopted by him. All officers and workmen were paid regular wages or payments according to their type of work. All the men and especially solders who showed great efficiency during battles were given cash prize along with a certificate of merit. To avoid his troops from plundering villages, Shivaji Maharaj himself took the responsibility of the welfare and overall development of their families.
6. Maintenance Free Construction
There was maintenance free construction. Those techniques were used by which the stones may erode but the materials used for construction will last forever. The employees were skilled and there was a special R & D department. The cement used was not of 100 grades but of 1000 grades, the cement was a mixture of stone powder, methi powder, udid powder, jiggery, neem and chuna. The construction have a capacity of going through worst circumstances like heavy rains, storms, sun. And even today various forts like Pratapgad, Sindhudurg, Rajgad, Vijaydurg, etc are still in a good condition.
At the time of construction of forts there was also construction of lakes, wells and dams. To secure the transportation bridges were built at many places. For example, a bridge was built on Koyna river at paragon at the base of Pratapgad fort. The height of the bridge is 15 meters, width is 8 meters and the length is 52 meters with only 4 pillars at the base, so that there can be maximum flow of water. Special mixture was used in cement so that the trees could not grow and thus there was a no need for maintenance after the construction.
7. ECONOMIC POLICY OF SHIVAJI MAHARAJ
A Modern State has a countless number of source of income such as taxation, fees, prices, special assessments, public loans, fine, penalties & grants etc. In fact as the economies continue to grow their needs also grow. Hence need for making
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financial resources available is also felt .In this respect the modern states are fortunate because they can tap a number of resources and meet their requirements without much difficulty.
But this was not the situation in the 17th century when Shivaji Maharaj , the great ruled.In those days the stats had to depend upon their own sources of income howsoever they were limited. Therefore they had to face a number of difficulties & hurdles. Shivaji Maharaj state was no exception to it. It was newly born small state with limited resources. Shivaji Maharaj had to toil & use his skill as an administrator to utilize these available scare resources for the upliftment of his subjects. He always faces this problem ,the problem of resources ,He had many ideas in his mind but he could not embody them due to Paucity of funds & revenue.
The whole Shivaji life was spent in battles wars & fights earlier to extend the kingdom or to earn money meet expenses of administration or raising & expanding army. He preferred to invade the surrounding areas of his kingdom belonging to the Mughals or the Adilshah of Bijapur to raise necessary funds but he never imposed heavy taxes on his Subjects.Whenever ,he can short of funds he ransacked the territory bu never exploited his people.He wanted to reduce the financial burden of his people therefore he never imposed heavy taxes on them.The major source of income for his state was the booty & tributes which he got from a number of battles he fought.He will deal with the boty & tributes that he received from other & his enemies.
8. The Booty & Tributes
The main source of income to state of Shivaji Maharaj was booty & tribute, which he got from the battles and wars he fought. The Victory over Afzalkhan brought great wealth to Shivaji defeat of Afzalkhan , made him available 65 elephants ,4000 best Arabic Horses ,1200 camels & jwellery of Rs.3 lakhs .He also got 2000 bals of rich clothes of rupees seven lakhs in cash. In addition he got cannons, guns & weapons of all types including thousands of tents. It was greatful wealth to Swaraj. Shivaji Maharaj always need of funds for building his nation. His state emerged out of nothing. Therefore need for funds was always there. Until 1674 he was not a crowded king & therefore he could not impose taxes on people to raise funds to meet ever increasing expenditure of the state. Building army and strengthening of defenses needed funds therefore he plundered enemy territories to raise funds.
This was reason behind plundering the rich city Surat besides, he wanted to give fitting reply to the Mughals who were not only Plundering in his kingdom but also did atrocities on the rytos. The Mughals never spared anyone from their onslaught ,But Shivaji Maharaj never harassed common People or the poor ,children & women. He demanded amount of ransom or tribute from the rich & merchants. If they refused lTo pay him the only he used force & looted their establishments.The attack on Surat was enormous .IT valued at one core.The
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second attack on Surat valued at rupees 75 lakhs along with gold silver .The Maratha army also found rich furniture in city of Surat. The second attack on Surat proved to be death blow to the rich city ,The Mughals failed to protect it.In addition with this ,the marchants raided Bahadurkhan’s camp at Pedgaon & collected a Booty of Rupees on crore in cash and 200 Horses. Marchants got ¼ of the collection revenue from the Portuguese.
9. Land Revenue
Land revenue was the major source of public oncome after the booty & tribute.It was referd as Rajbhag i.e share of the king.The share of the state as land Revenue in agriculture produce was fixed at 2/5 of produce or one third 1/3 part of the value of the produce at market prices.
Under the rule of Shivaji Maharaj the system surveying of land was charged. One of his Peshwa name Annaji Datto was appointed to survey land in the state & decide upon the land revenue. In case of dry land rate of land revenue was not fixed per bigha but on the value of the produce. This was the benefit the cultivator because if, the rate of the land revenue was fixed as per bigha the cultivator was required to pay land revenue. It would mean exploitation of cultivator. To fix the rate of land revenue an average of 3 years income was considered & then rate was fixed. In beginning the rate of land revenue was fixe 33 percents of total income but later on it was 40 percents. The agriculture tax was collected regularly. The Hawaldar of the village & Patil was responsible person to collect total revenue of the village. The account book collection will be submitted to Deshmukh.
10. Taxation
The third source of the income to the Maratha state was king imposed various taxes from time to time.
Government Dues
Deduction from income of various hereditary officials Pargana was also a tax income .This tax was named as Inampatti ,Miraspatti ,Deshmukhpatti & Sardeshmukhpatti.
Professional Tax
Tel Patti, Sarafpatti, Vethbegari & HejibPatti.
Indirect Taxes
Among all the indirect taxes custom duties occupied the prome place.It was like exports & imports,caul,Dhabol ,Vengurla,Rajpur & Rtanagiri were the chief ports of Shivaji Maharaj which were bussy with import & export goals.Along woth export duties a transit duty was imposed on foreign goods traveling through Shivaji Maharaj’s state.The custom duty i.e Jacket was the main & important item of state revenue. Shivaji Maharaj received a number of valuable gifts & presents from his subordinates,kings & envoys. It also formed the income of the state. Another important source of income was judical fees & fines imposed on the
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criminals & law breakers. A small income was earned from mints & coins, a license was issued & the license had to pay a certain percentage of coin minted.
11. Vision and Planning
The biggest asset of any leader is his vision and the plan that is used to achieve the vision. An appropriate vision is what people want and the leader should be ready with both the vision and the plan to achieve the vision. The vision is, in principle, a goal and promise for the people. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj founder of Swaraj empire, in a Mughal dominated India. Born in1642, Shivaji Maharaj was a benevolent leader. He started one of the most able administration systems of his time. He was not just a king, but was a philosopher, economist, politician and a just ruler. Shivaji achieved what most leaders may never able to achieve, he created a kingdom where people experienced happiness.
12. Communication
Great communication skill is one of the most important leadership qualities and this trait alone can separate the good from the great. Communication helps leaders to reach out to people and convey to them their vision and plans. A great merit of having great communication skill is that it helps the leaders to gain the support and trust of people. The problem is that many leaders do not execute what they communicate. It is an age-old problem of many developing nations. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is probably the best example of a leader who was skilled at communication.
13. Build Trust
Winning the trust of people for a promise and vision of righteousness is the greatest virtue of a leader. The modern leaders, especially political ones rely on their honesty to gain the trust of people. A very good policy that has been implemented in many nations across the world is transparency and public accountability. Apart from transparency, leaders also should have a strong constitution and leadership principles that help him or her to gain righteous trust of the people. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is probably the best amongst all example of a great leader who managed to gain the trust of people, by skillfully handling the Maratha Kingdom with effective leadership.
14. Determined Decision-Making
Decision-making is a heavy responsibility of any leader. Fast, mature and successful decisions make leaders successful. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was a fearless leader
15. Commanding Respect
Commanding a certain respect is an absolutely necessity for all leaders. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj serves the best example for this purpose. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had a natural ability to command people and their respect both at the same time. His study of the fighting armies and the deliberation with which the war should turn was one of his greatest achievements. His ability to handle soldiers, armed forces officials and public with sufficient practicality, humanity and perfect understanding made him gentlemen worthy of sincere respect.
16. Public Cleanliness Programs
The wet garbage or decomposable waste would be turned back into the soil within the fort premises itself. Special people were appointed to keep the surrounding sound the fort clean and eco-friendly.
Chapter 4 Qualities and Strategies of Shivaji Maharaj 4.1 Shivaji as a Strategist
The following dictums from the art of war by sun tezu, now a well known Chinese general and a military thinker,at the best commentart at the Shivaji Maharaj.
“To triumph in the battle an universally acclaimed ‘expert’ is not the acme of skill.”
“For he wins his victory without erring – ‘without erring’ means that whatever he do ensures his victory he conquers an enemy already defeated.
“Thus a victorious army wins its victories before seeking battle.”
“For, to win 100 victories in one hundred battles is not the acme r skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.”
“Thus what is of supreme importance is to attack the enemies strategy.”
“Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemies without battles.”
Strategy, as defined by the British Military thinker sir Basil H. Liddell Hart, is “the art of distributing and applying the military means to fulfill the ends of policy.” It “forms the plan of war” and “maps out the proposed course of different campaigns which compose the war.” The fact that is not always possible or necessary to destroy the enemies’ armed forces in battle gives rise two forms of strategies- the strategy of annihilation and the strategy of exhaustion or attrition. The aim of the former is to annihilate the enemy; that of the latter, exhaust and thus impose once will upon him. The choice between this two forms of strategy depends upon the goal set by policy and the availability of means. And whichever form of strategy is resorted to, its aim is to diminish the possibility of its resistance and to bring about the battle, when and where necessary, under the most advantageous circumstances. Shivaji was fully aware that the destruction of the enemies’ army in battle is only one of the means to the end of strategy and not an end in itself. And, as he lacked sufficient means to do so, he avoided pitched battle and resorted to the Fabian grand strategy of gradually draining the enemy’s endurance. His strategy was thus one of the attrition, not of annihilation. Its aim was not to destroy the enemy but to exhaust him. The means he employed to carry out his strategy were mobility and the strong resisting power then possessed by fortresses.

Strategically, his career could be divided into an alternation series of offensive and defensive phases.

In the offensive phase he aimed at capturing as many fortresses as he could before the enemy field army could arrive to their relief. The offensive was opened when the enemies’ attention was drawn elsewhere and in an area which lacked a field army capable of intervening. It comprised:
1. Surprise attacks, often by night, held by a calculated choice of objectives, on fortresses which lacked adequate garrisons and supplies.
2. Roving detachments to isolate these fortresses.
3. Deep raids to enemy territories to distract the enemies’ attention and also to gain the much needed finance to sustain his own army.

In the defensive phase, he resorted to an elastic defensive and offensive based on a combination of hill fortresses and highly mobile cavalry detachments.

The most significant feature of his career as a soldier is that he fought so few battle so long a series of campaigns. And whenever he fought one, he did so only when he had obtained some decisive physical or moral advantage prior to battle. In many of his battles, his strategy not only prepared the way for a victory but actually produced it. In the battles of Jawali and Umbarkhind he lured his enemies into ambuscades where there cavalry could be of little or no use. In 1661 he first marched past Shringarpur and thus lulled Suryarao Surve into a false sense of security. Then he doubled back with such speed that the decision was produced without battle. In his 1664 campaign against the Adilshahi army he took advantage of enemies’ lack of concentration and defeated them in detail. The speed with which he acted caught Baji Ghorpade’s division completely of balance and easily scattered it. Then he doubled back and fell upon khawas khan.

We shall now reverse the course of our enquiry and examined his military career in light what called the principles of war.

1.Selection and Maintenance of Aim

As war is only a part of political intercourse, it follows that the strategic aim should be subordinated to political aim. On the other hand, if war is to an effective instrument of policy, the political aim should be modified in accordance to the means available at hand. An objective may be desirable politically, but that which is politically desirable must be militarily possible.
The first point to Shivaji’s career is that he had realistic grasp of the limitations of his means and the wisdom to adjust his ends accordingly. Thus he modified his ultimate aim of the liberation of India to the more immediate aim of establishment of his authority in the konkan, the narrow strip of land between the natural rampart of the sahyadris and the sea. The establishment of his authority in this easily defensible area, additionally strengthened by extensive fortifications, would then provide him a first base for further expansion.
The plains east of shayadris were easy to conquer but difficult to hold, particularly in view of his weakness in heavy cavalry and artillery. There were times, such as after the destruction of Afzal Khan’s army, when he could have overrun these plains, but he showed remarkable restraint in not venturing in such a premature expansion in an area where his forces would have been at a advantage. The liberation of the Konkan was his immediate goal and he kept to it unswervingly. Never did he waver from his purpose. Never did he bite off than he could chew.
The position he held east of the sahyadris was no more than outposts or forward defended localities in the main strategic line of defense. In defensive, they threatened his enemy’s communication and thus acted as a brake on any would be invader. In offensive, they formed springboards for his mobile striking forces. The objects of his frequent cavalry raids in the pains was not conquest but attrition of the enemy’s forces and attainment of the much needed finance to sustain his army.
Up to 1675,he continued his expansion by pushing his frontier northwards and southwards in the coastal strip and along the sahaydri range.only after this base was firmly established did he attention to the Karnatka.

2. Mobility
The strength of the Mughal army lay in their heavy cavalry and artillery. However their artillery was cumbersome and hampered strategic mobility .Shivaji, himself was handicapped by lack of artillery, turned this very drawback to his advantage by the skillful employment of his light cavalry.
The Maratha army was lightly equipped and was free from the encumbrance of an elaborate supply system. It lived off the court and could subsist on the scantiest of food. It was their greater hardihood and superior discipline which had endowed Shivaji’s army with such remarkable mobility.
An English letter dated 26thjune 1664 says about him,
“Shivaji is so famously infamous for his notorious theft that report has made him an airy body, and added wings or else it were impossible he could be at so many places as he said to be at, all at one time.
“Sometimes he certainly believe to be in one, and in a day or two in another place, and so in half dozen remote one from another, and their burns plunders all without control, so that they ascribe to him to perform more than a herculean labor that is become the talk of all conditions of people.”
And again, “… It is none of his business to lay siege to any place that is fortified against him, for it will not turn him to account. He is endeavor was for a running banquet and to plunder and burn those towns that have neither defense nor guard.”
To add the effectiveness of his cavalry arm, he repaired and built a wonderful network of fortresses which served as a supply deports and places of refuge for his army.
With his superior mobility, he could always decline battle or force it on his own terms. His mobility disarmed all resistance because it enabled him to seek out weak spots and strike with decisive effect. By his speed, he outstripped rumor and often arrived before his enemy was aware that he was near. His enemy was thus bewildered by his swift and unpredictable movement. As a result, their armies became exhausted in fruitless pursuit exposing thereby some other weak points their line of defense. His cavalry raids deep inside enemy territory conclusively proved how the Mughal army was helpless and their territory defenseless before Maratha striking forces.
Shivaji Maharaj was also aware of the mobility that sea-power conferred upon him, as his evident from his raid on Basrur in 1665.

3.Surprise
The purpose of strategy is to diminish the possibility of resistance by upsetting the enemies physical and mental balance .this purpose is fulfilled by exploiting the elements of mobility and surprise. Mobility produces surprise which in turn enhances mobility by diminishing the possibility of resistance. Shivaji’s career as a soldier abounded in surprises. In the 1648 campaign against Fath Khan’s army, he surprised the enemy by attacking him at an unexpected place. In the Jawali campaign, he fixed the Chandra Rao’s attention towards the Radtondi pass and then fell upon his rear unexpectedly by skillful turning movements. 1n 1659, he surpised Afzal Khan’s army in the forest of jawali. In 1661 he threw Surya Rao of Shringapur off guard by a ruse. He crossed the forest south of Surat by unfrequented tracks and surprised and sacked it twice. In 1664,the speed with which he acted surprised and paralyzed his enemies. He first, swooped down on Baji Ghorpade’s camp unexpectedly than turned back and fell upon Khawas Khan’s division. Since the reduction of Mughal fortresses in Baglan in 1672, the number of alternative objectives which he threatened kept his enemies guessing as to the point of danger and enabled him to pounds upon unguarded objectives. He was a master of stratagems and made free use of them. The new technique which he developed for the capture of hill fortresses was also base on surprise.

4. Concentration
The essence of the principles of concentration is distraction. If we merely concentrate our forces the enemy will also do the same and we shall not gain advantage over him only out of our concentration what is important is to induce the enemy to disperse his forces so as to achieve a decisive concentration at a selected time and place. This required distraction of enemy forces by series of threats. The principle of concentration means concentration of strength against weakness. This is the essence of Sun Tzus sayings quoted below.
“To be certain to take what you attack is to attack a place the enemy does not protect.”
“Therefore, against those skilled in attack an enemy does not know where to defend.”
“He whose advance is irresistible plunges into his enemy’s weak positions.”
“If I am able to determine the enemy’s disposition while at the same time I conceal my own then I can concentrate and he must divide. And if I concentrate while he divides, I can use my entire strength to attack a fraction of his. Thus I will be numerically superior. Then if I m able to use many to strike a few of a selected points, those I deal with in dire straits.”
“The enemy must not know where I intend to give battle. For if he does not know where I intend to give battle he must prepare in a great many places. And when he prepares in a great many places, those I have to fight in any one place will be few.”
“And when he prepares everywhere he will be weak everywhere.”
“Now an army may liken to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the low lands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness.”
As Shivaji’s strategically aim was not to bring the enemy to battle but to wear him out by military pinpricks, his army generally operated in small but highly mobile light cavalry detachments. However, he has fully grasped the true meaning of concentration- not near quantitative concentration, but concentration of strength against weakness, which is achieved by distracting enemy forces so as to obtain a superiority of force at the decisive place and time .The distraction –both physical and psychological – of enemy forces caused by his plundering raids paved the way for his almost unopposed expansion along the coastal strip. By threatening several points at once he hypotinized them into inaction and thuds deprived them of their freedom of action. Cosme de Guarda writes:
“ Shivaji after sent expedition to different places at the same time and in all of them he was convoked and he was in command. The question is still unsolved whether he substituted others for himself or (whether) he was a magician or a devil acted in his place. Much has been said about it in India and there is much diversions of opinion as usual if I had to give my opinion, I would say that as he sent expeditions two, three and four places and at the same time and as with every regiment went a Captain whom all obeyed and call Shivaji Raja (name that he had assumed after his rebellion), this mistake was caused by such people who came everyday (fresh recruits) and did not know him well as yet. Hence arose believe that he used to be in different places met and all affirmed that Shivaji in person sacked these places on such a day or such a night at such an hour. And as among Indians much less suffices to confirm much more, there grew the form belief that Shivaji was everywhere.”
The northward expansion of the Maratha state increased the scope for raiding by increasing the width of the front. On the other hand, the increased raiding activities kept the Mughal force tied down in defending their territory and consequently increased the scope for an unopposed northward expansion.
Under cover of these cavalry raids, his infantry overran the coastal strip and in turn acquired new bases for further raids. Maratha raids in the first half of 1670 pinned down Mughal forces east of the Sahyadris and enabled him to obtain a decisive superiority of force in Konkan. The distraction caused to Daud Khan’s army by his Karanja raid in November 1670 Moropant to reduce the fortresses in Baglan without interference.
And though the destruction of the enemy’s army was not his Strategic aim, Shivaji Maharaj was quick to seize the chance afforded by his enemy’s dispersion and stuck lika a thunderbolt, as he did at Shirwal(1648) and Salher(1672).

5. Security

Shivaji’s protective system was based in a formidable network of fortresses. The artillery in those days could not compete with strength of fortifications. The best means of taking a fort were still mining, starvation and treachery. Shivaji was a great fort-builder. The intensive fortification of his kingdom tended to slow down invaders, hampered their movements, absorbed their manpower and created opportunities for a counterstroke. For his own army, these fortress pivots formed protected supply depots and places of refuge, enabling it in maneuver feely. He was quickly in consolidating his new conquests by fortifying strategic points.
The security of his field forces was ensured by a combination of secrecy, surprise, mobility and last, intelligence. It is remarkable that throughout his life he was never once surprised by an enemy force.

6. Offensive Action

Shivaji Maharaj well understood the principle that attack is the best defense. He avoided pitched battles and made the utmost use of fortresses to wear down the enemy strength in besieging them. But his defense was by no means static for he usually took the tactical offensive using fortresses as pivots of maneuver and exploiting the superior mobility of his light cavalry. Now and again we see him attacking weak points in the enemy’s disposition. He thus developed his own plans and dislocated those of the enemy by compelling them to dance on his tune; these offensive strokes must have boosted the morale of his troops even when he was strategically on the defensive side.

4.2 Shivaji as a Tactician
“In the tumult and uproar the seams chaotic, but there is no disorder; the troops appear to be milling about in circles but cannot be defeated.”
“Apparent confusion is product of good order; apparent cowardice of courage; apparent weakness of strength.”
“Thus those skilled at making the enemy move to do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something to certain to take ,and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength .”
“Offer the enemy a bait to lure him; feign disorder strike him.” – Sun Tzu
Tactics is the art of disposition, maneuver, and employment of forces in actual combat. As stated, earlier Shivaji strategic aim was not to strike at the enemies’ army but wear it out by military pin-pricks. Shaped in accordance with the strategy, his grand tactics were
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to be base his forces on fortresses and carry out defensive – offensive campaign. Thus he avoided battle with the main enemy army, harassed them on the march while keeping himself out of reach, cut of their supplies with hovering bsnds of light cavalry, drew them into ambuscades, by feigned retreats and attacked isoltated parties with superior forces.
Elphinstone description of Maratha tactics, though particularly meant for Rajaram’s period, may with equal propriety by applied to that of Shivaji.
“ an assemblage of such troops never stood the heavy charge of the body of Moguls, but dispersed at once and scampered of singli to the nearest hills or broken ground. If the enemy left their ranks to perceive them, they cut-off single horseman, or rapidly assemble behind a ravine, or in some other situation where it was not safe for small parties to attack them; and when the dishearten pursuers turned back with their horses exhausted, the Marathas were upon them in a moment, charged in on them, if there was an opening or confusion, but generally, hung loosely on their flanks and rear, sometimes dashing up singli to fire their match locks into the mass or even to dispatch his straggler with their long spears. Their chief excellence, as well as their delight was in the plunder of a convoy. The favor of the country people gave them full information, while it kept the Moguls in darkness ill they were suddenly assailed on the line of march and saw the camels and cattle, carrying the grain and stores they were escorting, swept off in a moment. they would then form a compact body to protect those each were carrying treasure; the part was generally obliged to take post; the Marathas cut-off the communication, and perhaps even the water, and at the end of a day or two, the Moguls were obliged to surrender, the man were stripped of their horses and their valuables, and the chiefs detained for a ransom.”
“ A defeat to the Marathas was lika a blow given to to water, which offers no resistance to the stroke and retains no impression of his defect; there army dispersed at a moment to unit again on a same day or next.”
Little is known of Shivaji’s battle field tactics. Contemporaneous accounts of his battle are obscured. The only battle of note from which, some imagination, we can form a general notion of his tactics is that of Vani-Dindori. And in it, the tactics employed seems to have been as follows;
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The offensive strength of Mughal army lay in their heavy cavalry to avoid having to withstand its shock and also to disorganize enemy ranks, the Maratha’s harassed and exhausted enemies by means of clouds in circling, elusive horsemen, but made no attempt to close. Adopting lose formation they kept at a distance from enemies and hovered him around him like mosquitoes which could be bitten off only momentarily. When any of these bands became particularly irritating, the Mughals detached a body of their disorganized in pursuit, other bands of Maratha bands fixed the attention of the main body. Thus again and again the Mughal heavy cavalry was galled into blind charges which soon disjointed their formation. The conflicts thus took to form of a mobile battle, like that of modern armored forces, constituting several independent actions being fought over a wide area, instead of a set-piece battle with the Mughals wanted to fight.
The Shivadigvijay chronicle describes these tactics as follows:
“in wolf-tactics the army should be divided in four or four divisions. (they) should march in concert without letting the enemy know (their movements). The enemy’s army vigorously attacks this apparently inferior force (of one of the divisions). It should take to flight and the pursuers, who would (think) that it is defeated, should then be surrounded from all sides by other divisions. In this way the large enemy army does not know (our) strength and in defeated by a small army. That is why wolf-tactics are endowed with victory. This is the way of attaining success by a small army against a large army.”
The Indian Approach
All of Shivaji’s actions- strategically and tactical- could be explained as examples of what Sir Basil Lidell Hart calls the Indirect Approach. Briefly, Lidell Hart’s theme is that a direct approach to one’s object t end to stiffen resistance and that the dislocation of opposition, by an indirect approach, should precede the attempt to overcome it.
Shivaji’s policy of tolerance and his call ‘South for Southerners’ are example of the indirect approach to hi goal. The former prevented a consolidation of his enemy’s resistance and the latter actually loosened it. The aim of his strategy of elastic defense against Shaista Khan’s army was not merely to avoid battle or gain time but to wear out its morale by convincing it that it could not force a decision. It was thus aimed not directly at the enemy’s army but indirectly at its moral. His approach to Shringarpur in
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1661 was also indirect. By marching away from its lulled Suryarao Surve into a false sense of security and then suddenly doubled back to catch him off balance. His strategy of threatening alternative objectives was an indirect approach to his real target because it compelled the opposing army either to divide itself in trying to cover divergent points, or else abandon them in order to keep itself in concentration. His plundering raids in Varhad were an indirect approach to the enemy’s economy and moral rear. Instead of a direct approach to Bijapur he attacked it indirectly by severing the economic roots of its military power in the Karnataka. In another sense, the conquest of Karnataka was an indirect approach also against the Mughal army. It laid the foundation of the plan which Shivaji envisaged against the impending and inevitable Mughal invasion with the full power of the Empire and which successors carried out.
Shivaji has often being compared by his European contemporaries with other Great Captains of the past. The Portuguese viceroy in India wrote in a letter to the king of Portugal on 20th September 1667: “in cunningness, velour, activity and military prudence he could be compared with Caesar and Alexander.” “in his courage, the rapidity of his conquests and his great qualities he does not still resemble that great king of Sweden, Gustavas Adolphus.” Another English letter dated 14th February 1678 remarks, “But it is too well known that Shivaji is a second Sertorius and comes not short of Hannibal for stratagems.”
Shivaji did not fight a single battle comparable in magnitude to those fought by these great captains. But has not Sun Tzu wisely said, “to triumph in battle and be universally acclaimed ‘expert’ is not the acme of skill.”?The form of strategy which he had adopted had no place for such a battle. This no doubt makes it difficult for a superficial observer to fathom his great qualities as a general, but patient reflection would show that his military career could be used to illustrate practically every known principle of war. And be it remembered as well that while most of the great captains of the world had the power and prestige of an organized state behind them, Shivaji enjoyed no such advantage. He is among those great men of the world who conceived, carried out and consolidated a revolution.
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4.3 Was Shivaji a Guerrilla Leader?
Guerrilla warfare is the form employed by a nation inferior in arms and military equipment against established rules or aggressors. Evidently the strategy to which guerrillas resort in the early phases is one of exhaustion. They wage a “war of detachment”, interrupt the enemy’s lines of communication, ambush enemy detachment and attack enemy outposts. Gradually the enemy, impelled to detach large bodies of troops to protect his lines of communication, evacuates certain areas, which the guerrillas then declare as “liberated” areas. In course of time, guerrilla bands grow into larger units expand liberated areas and acquire the characteristics of a regular army
The main strength of guerrilla warfare lies in its very lack of military formality. Regular armies in the field are supplied in two ways; in the first phase from magazines fed from the home base, or by purchase of local products on cash payments, or by requisition; secondly, by pillage. Guerrilla forces cannot rely on any of these methods. The first would enable their enemy to starve them out by cutting off supplies. Nor can they resort to the second method, namely, pillage, which would dissociate them from the people and expose them to their enemy. Guerrillas are supported by a sizeable section of the population from whom they directly obtain their supplies and recruits. The Guerrilla lives and operates amongst the people ‘like a fish lives in a pond’. Ability to fight a war without a rear area is a fundamental characteristic of Guerrilla forces. This does not mean that Guerrilla can exist and function over a long period of time without the development of base areas. But such base areas are flexible and do not resemble the rear installations of regular army
Generally, the government forms a link between the army and the support provided by the people. This support is mainly in the forms of taxes which are used to procure provisions and war material required to sustain the army. These materials and provisions are stored in supply depots and are forwarded to the army along lines of communication. The supply depots and are forwarded to the army along lines of communication. The supply depots may be likened to huge water reservoirs and the lines of communication to canals or pipelines. If the supply depots are captured or the lines of communication cut by the enemy, the army dependent upon these would be paralyzed. A threat to either of these would therefore compel it to accept battle. Guerrilla forces
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operate in small bodies and receive the necessary support directly from the people without any intermediate agency like the government. Therefore there are no huge supply depots or lines of communication by threatening which the Guerrilla could be compelled to fight. The supply system of Guerrilla is highly decentralized.
The key problem in anti- v warfare is therefore not how to destroy Guerrilla but how to seek them out and maintain contact with them. As they operate in small elusive bands, they do not provide suitable targets. Nor is it possible to pin them down by attacking an objective which is of such importance that they must protect it, because no such objectives exist. They have no lines of communication which could be cut and no magazines which could be captured or destroyed.
It is not the strategy and tactics which distinguish the Guerrilla forces from the regular ones. The term “Guerrilla tactics” is misleading. There is no such separate set of Guerrilla tactics. The tactics they employ are an important but not a distinguishing characteristic of Guerrilla warfare. Basically they are a part of normal infantry tactics. Guerrillas are distinguished from regular forces by the method of recruitment and supplies or, in other words, by the nature of people’s participation. A Guerrilla force can operate successfully only in an area in which the civilian population who will give them active and willing assistance, directly and not through any intermediate agencies like the government. We could call this short-circuit supply. There are no big reservoirs and pipelines. Instead there are innumerable capillaries.
The forms of welfare to which Shivaji resorted did not have any of these distinguishing characteristics. From the very beginning of his military career he relied on a regular system of government and taxation and a regular army which in his kingdom was fed from regular magazines established in hill fortresses. In enemy-held territory, his army lived off the land as was usual in those days. His strength lay in the superior mobility of his light cavalry and the network of fortresses on which they could not take without a long siege which exposed them to sally from neighboring fortresses. It was not the absence of targets, but their neighboring fortresses. It was not the absence of targets, but their inability to take them which baffled the Mughal army.
Similarities (with Guerrilla warfare) which have given rise to the myth that Shivaji used Guerrilla warfare are it seems as follows-
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 Strategy of exhaustion
 His grand tactics of operating in small cavalry detachments.
 The terrain in which he operated.
None of these however are exclusive characteristics of Guerrilla warfare.
The only period of his career in which his method of waging war resembled Guerrilla warfare from 1661 to 1663-during his campaigns against the Mughals. And even then it was not Guerrilla warfare but Guerrilla-type warfare which is not one and the same thing. 4.4 Shivaji as a Statesman
Shivaji as a statesman
War being an instrument of policy, statesmanship and generalship are closely related. The former draws the premises in which the latter has to work. In modern times, these two functions are divided between the government and the general staffs of its armed forces but, in the seventeenth century, they were unified. So Shivaji combined in his person complete political and military authority, and his statesmanship enabled his generalship to accomplish what it post.
His policy of religious tolerance
Shivaji’s political aim was the liberation of India from Muslim rule*and the establishment of a Hindu kingdom. Yet to him this did not mean the persecution of other religions. Hindus by nature and indoctrination are a tolerant people and do not regard their religion as the only way of salvation, nor indeed that of others as a threat to their own. Shivaji was no exception, a fact which has led some historians to confound this innate tolerance with modern notions of “secularism”. Even if we choose to ignore for a moment the plethora of evidence saying Shivaji aspired to establish a Hindu kingdom, it is highly improbable, considering the times in which he lived, that his political aim could have been the creation of secular state, and if at all we are to believe such a contention, it must be attested by positive evidence, which it is not. In conformity with his times, his was a “non-secular” state and the mere fact it was refreshingly free from religious bigotry would not make it secular by any stretch of the imagination. By this logic, religious persecution would be a binding condition for every theoretic state. Also, that he employed Muslims in his army and navy does not make his state secular, and it should,
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all Muslim kingdoms in India, including the Mughal Empire, would rank higher than his as secular states.
Though Shivaji’s motives were thus both political and religious, the ostentation of the latter would have provoked a strong Muslim reaction providing his enemies with a common grievance which, were they only willing to lay aside their traditional enmity could be developed into a common cause. The proclamation of jihad him being the last thing he desired, he based the war on a nationalist motive-by substituting the idea of a war of national liberation for that of religious one. His religious tolerance, actuated either by benevolence or deliberate policy, or both, deprived his Muslim enemies of their most potent weapon, namely a cause with a halo of a religious war.
It may be asked if we, after three hundred years, could discern his real intension how is it be believed that his enemies failed to do so. Well they did not. What shivaji did was to avoid exiting their religious fanaticism to an extent which would force them into each other’s arms. His principal enemies, namely the Mughal Empire and the Adilshahi Sultanate, were natural foes of one another as the aim of the former was to annex the latter. However once the Adilshahi Sultanate realized the futility of its efforts to subdue Shivaji, it began to look upon him as it bulwark against the expansionist policies of the empire. This equilibrium would have been broken had Shivaji, too, been a religious fanatic; then, its inherent hatred of Hindus would have dominated the Sultanates policy and driven it into Aurangzeb’s arms. Shivaji by his tolerance kept the temperature sufficiently low as to prevent such an eventuality.
Undermining of the enemy’s inner front and consolidation of his own
Shivaji appreciated that in war, military force is but one of the instruments of grand strategy. And he at once set force aside should consider that his political aim could be better and more cheaply attained in other ways. As Carre remarked, “ If Shivaji possessed military qualities to such a high degree he has no less a capable man knowing more than one way of reaching his goals.”
The contribution of this means to his success cannot be overestimated because without them it would have been impossible for him, with the slender resources at his disposal, to overcome the military might of his enemies.
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Just there is an outsider (or military) front in what (or border in peace) there is an inner front in both war and peace. * The inner front is the province of the statesman, the outer from that of the general. Should this inner front collapse the outer one will also be imperiled. Shivaji exploited his enemies’ weakness on the inner front and him from within. Very often, their exist some inherent cracks in this inner front in shape of religious, racial and linguistic differences, corruption and lack of motivation. Though some of this can never be completely filled up, a judicious administration would do much to mitigate their evil effects. A wise statement, by his judicious administration, would deny the enemy an opportunity to drive a wedge in such a crack. On the other hand, he would do his at most to convert the cracks within the enemy state into widening chasms and thus destroy it from within. His success in doing so would depend upon the political posture he adopted. An incorrect posture would drive the divergent groups in the enemy state towards each other and would consolidate instead of loosening the enemy’s resistance. On the other hand, correct posture would loosen the enemy’s resistance by exploiting the existing cracks. This is applicable to cracks resistance by exploiting the existing cracks. This is applicable to crack existing between two or more enemy state as well as to those within an enemy state.
Shivaji took advantage of the self seeking, ambitions and the factional discords among his enemies, fomented dissentions among them and enticed rebellions in their rear. This he impaired his enemies’ capacity for war by causing a distraction to or atleast a subtraction from their powers. In 1670-71 he enticed Chhatrasal to rebel against the Mughal Emperor. In 1671 he stimulated Rustam-I Zaman’s rebellion against the sultanate of Bijapur.
In comparison with the Mughal Empire, Shivaji’s military power lacked the readability necessary to back up his policy of seducing discontented element in the enemy’s camp. The elements would not have lent themselves to his sedition unless they felt confident of the success of such treason with his support. Shivaji at third stage lacked the power necessary to attract them. Therefore he resorted to the simpler method of seduction by money instead the subtler and for more effective method of seduction by any idea. This choice was imposed upon his by force of circumstances.
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The means he adapted to achieve his purpose, till about 1672, appear somewhat direct, blunt and dived of subtlety. Seduction by an idea is cheaper, and far more extensive and effective than that by money. The former, once injected, is self-generating and raises a large section of the population, tied together by the bond of a common idea, against the government. The latter is obviously limited in its extent. Till 1672, Shivaji mainly resorted to the latter method. the cause would appear to be that he was till then considered a petty rebel and lacked enough military power to support his diplomacy this also explains why he was not too successful in exploiting the inner front in the Mughal empire.
As his power and prestige increased, he employed more subtle and indirect means. The antagonism of the vast majority of ‘deccani’ Muslims to the Pathans had created an immense inner front in the sultanate. Shivaji took advantage of this factional discord, entered into alliance with the Deccani Muslims, detached them from their government and thud undermined the foundation of his enemy’s military power. The native Muslims thus became his willing but unwitting agents. It should be noted that had he been a religious fanatic, he would have enabled the Muslims to sink their internal grievances and achieve political consolidation.
A direct attack at this stage might have rallied the contending factions of Bijapur against him. His abstention from attack enabled the factious poison to spread throughout he sultanate. The civil war in the sultanate of Bijapur, which he had thus accentuated, presented him with a propitious opportunity to further his political aim-conquest of the Karnataka. Its attainment depended on the solution of two problems: how to protect his own kingdom and how to move the Adilshahi army out his way. He solved both thse problems, indirectly, to invade the sultanates. Thus the Adilshahi army was pinned at no expense of manpower to him. Having locked both his adversaries in a bloody struggle, he then marched at the head of a formidable army to Karnataka. Its conquest was a mere formality- the culmination of his statesmanship.
It may be asked, could Shivaji not have exploited the inner front by instigating the Hindus to rise against their tyrannical rulers? The answer is ‘NO’; because, in the first place, the Hindus, even though they professed a common religion, were not blended into the nation. Secondly, centuries of foreign rule had extinguished every sentiment of
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patriotism in their breasts. They had accepted their fate with a tame and shameless resignation. It was conglomeration of slaves who, acquiescent in their state of bondage, were always prepared to commend the clemency of their masters whose fanatic zeal had not proceeded, in their opinion, to the last extreme of injustice and oppression. Thirdly, the Hindus felt an abundance of awe for established power and would not have stirred against it until they felt completely confident about the successful outcome of a revolt.
While he thus undermined the enemies’ inner front, he was careful to consolidate his own. The means he used to secure his base were political as well as military. In the first place he was one of those great men who give aspirations to a race. He gave the Marathas a sense of moral unity such as they had never yet known. Secondly, the administrative reforms which he introduced went far to curtail rebellion. He reorganized the administration of the country on very lines from the ones that were hitherto adopted in India. He realized the inherent disadvantage of the Jagirdari and Watandari systems. He abolished the first and replaced it by a regular service. He curtailed the other by reducing the powers and privileges of the Watandars, depriving them of control over finance, taxation and military command, and also forbade them to build fortifications. He appreciated that it was unsafe to entrust the civil and military authority to the care of one man and separated military command from central government. He knew that good government and goodwill of the civil population are the moral foundation of military power. As soon as district was occupied, an organized administration was set up, peaceful conditions were resorted, and agriculture and trade were encouraged. Thus he won and retained the loyalty of his subjects and secured his kingdom against internal revolt.
Cosme da Guarda says of him:
“Moreover, such was the good treatment he accorded to people and such was the honesty with which he observed the capitulation that none looked upon him without a feeling of love and confidence. By his people he was exceedingly loved, both in matters of reward and punishment he was so impartial that while he lived he made no exception for any person; no merit was left unrewarded, no offence went unpunished; and thid he did with so much care and attention that he specially charged his governors to inform him in writing of the conduct of his soldiers, mentioning in particular those who had distinguished themselves, and he would at once order their promotion either in rank or in
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pay, according to their merit. He was naturally loved by all men of valour and good conduct.”
“I n a short time he reached such a state that it was then regarded as a great wonder. It was reasonably regarded as a marvel that more soldiers entered than left his services while he was alive, for besides being so numerous and of such diverse castes, they were the subjects of other kings and were not themselves naturally very firm ( in the adherence). But what surprises one most is that so many mortal virtues should shine in a Genito (Hindu) and a reputed robber. He used to invigilate the soldiers’ barracks at night, and learn, from what he overheard, the proceedings of his ministers whom he gave high salaries that they might have no excesses. But they knew that he kept himself informed in every manner.”
“He gave frequent audiences even to the most wretched of his subjects and to all he administered equal and impartial justice. He ardently wished that there should be peace and orders among his people and he did his best to ensure that they might all love in abundance. He did not enact many laws but his orders were strictly obeyed, and if anybody violated any of his orders the offenders lived only so long as he did not learn of it, for he was not less prompt in (inflicting) punishment than in awarding rewards. He never permitted any feud and strife, and least of all robbery and for any (of these offences) (the culprit) paid with his life…. If in any of his stations and provinces any native wanted to molest a traveler and if the latter invoked (the name) of Shivaji all (his troubles) came to end, such was the respect he enjoyed and such was the fear his subjects had for him. At last such a condition was reached that all avoided, like a pest to give the least displeasure to their masters, for he was equally feared and loved.”
Carre writes:
“He advanced into kingdom of Bijapur and took possession of many big undefended places which were in the heart of kingdom. He posted there, and disposed of everything according to his liking with such clemency and generosity in the newly conquered country that the very men. Whom he had to conquer by force of arms, willingly submitted to him.”
Opportunism
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Shivaji was an astute opportunist who preserved a distinct and unbroken view of a scene which was incessantly shifting, and never missed a chance to take advantage of his enemy’s weakness to further his political aim. In 1657-58 he took advantage of the factional discord within the Adilshaahi Sultanate and overran North Konkan. In 1661-62 he extended his power over South Konkan when the Adilshahi army was distracted by Siddi Jauhar’s rebellion. He opened his offensive against the Mughals in 1670 where Aurangzeb’s policy of religious persecution led to unrest and occupied the resources of the Empire. From 1672 onwards he exploited internecine discords within the Sultanate to further his political aim.
Foresight
Shivaji realized that sooner or later a trial of strength with the full power of the Mughal Empire would have to be made. As his strategy was essentially one of exhaustion, he decided to extend his conquests southwards, i.e. away from the Mughal Empire to make as sure as he could of a long war. This was essential in order to obtain depth of defense so as to be able to barter space for time and, by forcing the enemy to over extend his strength, create opportunities for counter attack. His strategy of exhaustion was thus woven on space, hill fortresses and superior mobility of his light cavalry. This policy led to the conquest of the Karnataka. His wisdom was proved 27 years later when the Mughal army’s, with their overstress communication and harassed by the Marathas light cavalry, miserably failed in the conquest of South, which ultimately led to their utter ruin.
Appreciation of the value of Sea-Power
The wide genius of Shivaji’s well shown in his appreciation of the value of Sea-power and the efforts, hampered by many difficulties, he made to establish a fleet. He was the’ Father of Maratha Navy’ and the first, nay, the only Indian ruler of his times to realize the importance of Sea power. And what is still remarkable is that he laid the keel of his first ship when he was barely twenty nine.
Relations with Europeans
Europeans provided Shivaji with a window on the outside world. The revenue accruing from the trade is in his territory was the welcome addition to the meager resources of his state and it was from them that he tried to obtain artillery supplies as well
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as engineering and naval expertise. As such, he was eager to cultivate friendship with them as long as the maintained a reciprocal friendly, or attleast peaceful, attitude towards him.
The Portuguese
The Portuguese attitude toward Shivaji was dictated by their polices of rendering assistance against the strongest power in the south India which in future might threaten their existence. In accordance with this policy, their relation with Shivaji could be divided into two phases
i. Till the end of 1664 the maintained cordial relations and even rendered him some covert against the Mughals.
ii. Shivaji’s victory over Khawas khan in November 1664, which extended his territory as far South as Goa, made a Portuguese apprehensive of his growing strength and they tried to impede his progress as far as it was in their power to do so. This gave rise to intermittent clashes, both on land and sea between the two. The main issues involved were as follow:
1. The sanctuary afforded in Portuguese territory to Lakham Sawant of Wadi.
2. The covert and overt assistance renderd to the Siddhi of Danda Rajpuri.
3. The prtuguese refusal to pay the Chauth to shivaji, which formerly they were paying to the Raja of Ramnagar whose territory Shivaji has annexed.
Though the Portuguese assistance to the Siddhi caused considerable nuisance to Shivaji, none of this issues were vital importance for the existence of Shivaji kingdom. So he remarkable and wise restraint in dealing with them. The measures he took to counter this Portuguese extent were as follows:
1. Impeding the trade between the Portuguese territories and the Desh uplands.
2. Ravaging Portuguese territory, only once on a serious scale.
3. Threat of an alliance with the Iman of Muscat against the Portuguese.
By skillful application of this means he soon managed to induce the Portuguese to desist from any act of hostility against him. By the treaty of December 1667, the Portuguese undertook to warn Lakham Sawant and Others to desist from any act of hostility against Shivaji and expel them from Portuguese territory in the event of failure to abide by the warning. By another treaty, concluded in 1670, the Portuguese undertook that they would
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not assist the Siddi. By the time of his death only one last issue, namely, the payment of chauth remained unresolved and even that was well on the way of settlement.
It would have been natural had Shivaji resented the religious persecution of the Hindus by the Portuguese. On 26th November 1675, the council wrote to the company: “ Shivaji and they ( the Portuguese) daily quarrel the chiefest cause of his hatred to them being forcing orphans of his caste (religion) to turn Roman Catholic.” Despite this, Shivaji did not make it a major issue in his relations with the Portuguese, evidently because he did not want them to perceive such intervention as a threat to their presumed doctrinal ‘ right’ to proselytize, and thus induce them to seek alliance with Muslim powers against him.
The English
The first conflict between Shivaji and the English arose out of Resignations wanton act of rendering active assistance to the Adilshahi army at the siege of Panhala and the subsequent plunder of their trading station of Rajapur. The English president and his council at Surat were aware that the fault lay with Remington but to uphold their national prestige they persistent effort to obtain compensation for their loses at rajapur.Shivaji tried to use this incident, and the consequent negotiations, as a lever to obtain their assistance to reduce Danda Rajapuri.The English were not willing to provide it, presumably for the following reasons:(a) Their desire to obtain Danda Rajapuri for themselves.(b) Their trade in the territories of the Siddis masters-first the Adilshahi and the later, the Mughal Emperor.(c)Their fear of Shivajis growing power which in future might threaten their island base of Mumbai. As a result, the English secured little compensation for their losses at Rajapur.
In exasperations, they even contemplated for some time of attacking Shivaji’s maritime trade. Since 1672, the English were compelled, because of their trade in the Mughal Empire, to allow the Mughal fleet to use Mumbai as its naval base.Shivajis attempt to bring pressure upon them by fortifying Khanderi led to a clash with them.
The French
Till 1676, the French had no possessions bordering on Shivaji’s territory and therefore there was no cause of friction between the two. The French opened a trading station at Rajapur in 1664 and Shivaji obtained considerable artillery supplies from them.
The Dutch
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Shivaji’s attitude towards the Dutch was one of amicable neutrality. The Dutch offer of an alliance against the English and the siddi has already been dealt with in a previous chapter .Shivaji did not accept it, possibly because he did not then wish to antagonize the English.
Relations with the Imam of Muscat
That Shivaji had some relations with the Imam is certain but details regarding their nature and extent are as yet not available .The use Shivaji made of these relations bring pressure upon the Portuguese is already mentioned. 4.5 Revolution in Communication
Since the advent of Muslim Rule, Persian had been the official language in the higher echelons of government. Even in the Marathi language that was used in the lower echelons’ literally thousands of Persian words had displaced Marathi ones and the Syntax and Style had been Pesianised. This influence was not restricted to official correspondence; it had even extended to literature as well as the language of everyday use. This influence of an alien tongue, it needs to be understood, was not the result of peaceful intercourse or syncretism. It was the consequences of alien rule established by force. Shivaji desired to shake off ehat he perhaps perceived as enforced affectation. His desire to do so becomes apparent since as early as 1646. The earliest of his letters which have survived is dated 28th January 1646 and it bears his seal in Sanskrit for which there was no precedent for several centuries before him. Later, he ordered the compilation of a lexicon to remove the influence of the “language of Muslims” by replacing Persian words that had crept into the indigenous lexicon by ones in Sanskrit. At his best. Raghunathpant Hanmante had DhundirajLakshman Vyas executed this work. This lexicon, called the Raja-vyavahara-kosha, seems had already been compiled in 1667. Even before that, since his coronation, Shivaji had already begun using his deeds of grants Sanskrit words in place of Persian ones. He had renamed several designations in his government to that time of his coronation. The result was thus summarized by V.K,Rajwade, the doyen of Maratha historians.
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4.6 Was Shivaji a mere Plunderer?
Shivaji has often been wrongfully, but naturally as he was fighting against established governments, called a mere plunderer by his contemporaries. He had to maintain a large army to defend his tiny kingdom against such mighty foes is the Mughal Empire and the Adilshahi sultanate. His supreme difficulty throughout his career was always the payment of his army. The resources of his state were too meager to sustain a large army and the only alternative that remained was plunder.
And though he was ruthless in attaining his object he never indulged in wanton cruelty. It seems from two or three instances, that when he arrived before a town he generally called upon the wealthy and leading merchants to make a reasonable contribution and only when such willing compliance was refused, did he resort to force.
His plundering raids had some objects, namely,
 To acquire the means to sustain his army
 To destroy the economic foundations of the enemy’s might
 To compel the enemy to go on the defensive
The first two objects were economic hence grand strategic,*the last two were strategic.
The allies, in the Second World War, resorted to strategic bombing as a means of destroying the enemy’s views of war. What Shivaji did was not only destroy them but also appropriate them. And while doing so, he was far more careful than the allies in the Second World War to avoid unnecessary and wanton collateral destruction.


Chapter 6 Conclusion of Project and Recommendation

WE REQUIRE STRATEGIES OF SHIVAJI MAHARAJ EVEN TODAY.

The strategies used by Shivaji Maharaj can be implemented in today’s corporate world.
There has been no change in the world just the various environmental factors have changed. The word “war” is now known as “competition”. Various strategies of Shivaji Maharaj can be implemented like Guerrilla technique which means minimum time, minimum people and maximum work.
I would like to conclude the project by various examples. Some people blame Marathas for treachery in the slaying of Afzal Khan at Pratapgad in Maharashtra in the past. Shivaji Maharaj was a great strategist and was very clear what he had to do. He had great forethought and vision unlike our present pseudo leaders and self styled statesmen. Who are leading the nation to inevitable disaster. Shivaji Maharaj Shivaji planned everything very meticulously with utmost precision for his actions against Afzal Khan. He did not fall into a trap laid by Afzal Khan who tried to escalate passions by committing arson and crime in Maharashtra in Shivaji maharajas domains. He even destroyed Tulzapur temple and the idol. Afzal Khan committed great crimes destroying temples, looting the habitations , abducting women and children that was a standard practice for invading Muslim armies in the past. Situations have not changed even today as events in Bangladesh prove. Shivaji knew the weakness and strengths of his enemy. He also knew his own weakness and strengths. He preferred conflict in mountainous area where his soldiers were experts in guerilla war fare .He avoided all type engagements in plains giving out wide front to the enemy. He lured Afzal Khan in to his chosen killing ground. This is the basic tactics in an army operation even today. Literally Afzal khan was lured in to an ambush but not with an intention to kill. But Maharaj made all precautions in case of emergency like any strategist will do.
Shivaji maharaj can not be blamed for the death of Khan. There was no treachery on his part. Maximum writings and narrations indicate that Shivaji was attacked first by the powerful khan who held Maharaj under his grip and stabbed him without success. Shivaji Maharj wore hidden armour under his garment and had steel cap under his turban as a precaution. He with his secret weapon wagh nakh ( Tiger steel claws) tore open the bowels of Khan and stabbed him with his Bichwa. Any guy would this. In war and love all is fair. If Shivaji did not kill Khan, he would have surely killed the maharaj. Afzal Khan deserved death at all costs because he was no divine man and deserved no mercy and had to be killed .In fact Afzal Khan was responsible for the death of Shivajis elder brother Shambhooji.It is also said that he was also responsible for the death of Shahaji, father of Shivaji Maharaj in an accident. Shivaji Maharj also had divine blessings from Mata Bhavani.. Those were not the days for doing Gandhi Bhajan. Gandhi Bhajan did not work even at the time of partition when populations were exchanged. Ramdhun the popular Gandhi Bhajan would not have worked surely in Shivajis times. Shivaji lived by sword. Shivaji did the same and no tears are required to roll for the cruel and wicked Khan. The aspect of treachery has been negated by all. Afzal khan was very treacherous and cruel and he is credited to have killed his 22 wives (some could be concubines and mistresses) before he embarked on his campaign against Shivaji Maharaj. It is said that his sixth sense warned him of the disaster that was waiting for him. Can you call such a person a human being? He has to be devil and devils are to be destroyed at all costs. Even today, the graves of 22 women can be seen at Afzal pura near Bijapur. Many state that all these poor women were killed by strangulating while some state that they were thrown into a well. How could he do that to the women with whom he slept? How any sane person can accept him to be human? Afzal Khan needs all condemnation and degradation by all .Shivaji maharaj stands out rightly far above the wretched soul. Those were the days of valor and not todays of indecision and pseudo secularism where dangerous men like Afzal Guru and Kasab are kept in jail and fed and protected spending crores of Rupees that is the hard earned money of tax payers. Our pseudo statesmen are squandering away public money by various scams and ill governing by puppets and with the indecisive policies are leading the nation to ultimate chaos and destruction.
What we need to day are the strategies of great Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and not Gandhi Bhajans and boot licking.
Long live Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.