Many have attributed one blame to Shahu and the Peshwas that they broke the cardinal rule set in place by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj not to award land-parcels as benefices to anybody in lieu of the services rendered, and created many renowned and powerful Jagirdars. This point has also been discussed previously as per the situation. These Jagirdars were born in the times of utmost calamity for the Marathi kingdom. Shahu and the Peshwas simply utilised them and engaged them in the future cause of the kingdom. There was hardly any other way in those times. Until the time there was a master who would keep these Jagirdars under his influence and would get the kingdom’s objectives accomplished through them, this policy proved successful. It is clear that the kingdom was destroyed when such a master was lacking. In all this, Shahu recognised that the general Maratha nature was somewhat selfish and quarrelsome, but utilised this inherent nature in the cause of the national enterprise. It is not difficult to guess what Shahu said to these Sardars when they came to meet him. He used to say, “You don’t have money, we too are the same. The region belongs to you. Gather forces. Keep moving around wherever is convenient for you. Set up your outposts. Build permanent mansions. Settle new towns and colonies. Begin industries-trade-moneylending businesses. Build temples. Take good care of the deities and Brahmins. Do not oppress or hate anybody. This way, even God will grace you. Your poverty will be alleviated. The nation’s fortune will turn. If you don’t have money take loans. Grow your enterprise and repay them back.”
Thus, Shahu showed his people this self-sufficient business which they could run without much capital investment. During his lifetime he achieved much success in it. After that, if the business went bankrupt, it cannot be blamed on Shahu. East India Company was established in England and began working here. Wasn’t its enterprise of the same nature! The Company stood up capital, established factories. Shahu’s Sardars took loans, gathered colleagues and assistants who would lay down their lives, accepted the path of adventure and faced difficulties, at times even sacrificing their own lives. Someone settled Nagpur, someone else set themselves at Dhar; someone copied the Peshwa’s Pune mansion at Indore, built temples at various places, established marketplaces, took all eighteen major castes of Maharashtra along with them from the Deccan to the north, and established new permanent cantonments in the north. Due to this, the Maratha Confederacy expanded quickly and Maratha history took shape. The later Brihan-Maharashtra movement had germinated in Shahu’s above enterprise. For five hundred long years, this land of Bharat had become hopeless and there was no saviour left for the Hindus. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj began the work of fighting with this adversity first, which was completed by Shahu. Hindus again began an energising period in their history. The ponies from the Bheemthadi (banks of the Bheema River, an indigenous horse breed belonging to the Deccan) drank the waters of the Panchagangas (five sacred rivers), and even at Attock. The credit for this period of fifty to seventy-five years becoming famous in history, goes to Shahu. Even East India Company took more time than this to settle itself down. The difference between the two examples was, Shahu cultivated everybody’s love and respect without holding any animosity towards anybody. We have read the atrocities that were committed by Nadir Shah or Clive. Shahu never allowed that tendency to misuse funds to take root in his kingdom. A Firman ordering ban on cow-slaughter was issued in the whole of Hindustan, Hindu religious places of pilgrimage were freed from Islamic control, moneylending agencies were created everywhere, cultural exchange quickened between the north and south India, and the life in Maharashtra became healthy and prosperous. In all this, even though bad things also made their way along with the good ones, it is as per the nature of all creation.
Many of the Brahmin families like Purandare, Hingne, Patankar, Dani etc. came forth to give sound company to the Marathas and participated in the cause of the nation. Their stories and legends are so abundant, that they have imparted their own excellent radiance to Shahu’s administration and Maratha history. Only one example truly personifies the growing brilliance of the Marathas. One small Purohit officiating rituals at the religious place of Nasik, Mahadevbhat Hingne, went to Delhi along with Balaji Vishwanath, managed the affairs of maintaining relations with the Mughal Empire there, and in a face-to-face meeting with the Vazir, faced the adventure of challenging him and laid down his life for the same. Due to the abominable murder of Bhaskarram in Bengal, the Marathas were able to establish their control over that province. Shahu’s overall administration and the memory of the structure of Shahunagar which still exists in people’s minds, is so full of stories and juicy tidbits, that they seem to be flowing in Maharashtra’s veins as blood.
To be continued…
NDHistories 