It is easily understandable why Shahu’s nature turned out to be so soft. The scene of torturous slaughter of his father was right in front of his mind. His own life was under similar threat. He had only one weapon to fight with his situation, which he accepted. Through his sweet and polite nature, he won his friends as well as enemies over. Through his soft demeanour, he attracted the hearts of Aurangzeb’s Sardars, sons, daughter, servants etc. Even the Badshah used to say to him, “Your grandfather Shivaji was literally a demon. But you, his grandson, are not like that. You are Saav (Lord Shiva’s name, simple), true. I constantly think about doing good unto you.”
This was the way his name Saav or Shahu became famous. Thus, his difficult situation taught him the difficult skill of winning over the whole world with his magnanimity, generosity, altruistic nature, sweet tongue and affectionate behaviour. This was the only easy but invaluable way available to Shahu to create better days through the calamities facing him. He used the same equally in the Badshah’s captivity in the initial period of his life, as much as later in the period of authority on his throne. In a period of five months since his release from captivity, he acquired the post of the Chhatrapati. He subdued his powerful aunt (Tarabai). He transformed the Maratha people into a spiritual lot, turned them active, and got his people to work towards a unified cause. In his long reign of forty-two years, the huge cache of the grant-notifications he has left behind expresses in abundant detail his recompense of a past benefaction, encouragement, his sympathy towards all living organisms, and his generosity. His noble nature also influenced actual criminals. The weapons in the hands of his assassins fell down. Indroji Kadam’s arrogant behaviour died down. Sawai Jaisingh became his close friend. The Peshwa, a Brahmin himself, felt it to be fulfilment of his life to complete Shahu’s last rites as if he was his own father. One cannot but feel overwhelmed to read language like, “You are the Swami’s ancient servant. You have served loyally since the time of Raigad by toiling hard. You have helped the Swami during crisis. You have saved his life. It is necessary for the Swami to take care of your continuance.”
Satara still has a house belonging to Khateeb and a mosque. These Khateeb people were brought by Shahu from the imperial camp along with himself, and granted them the right of performing worship. This grant-notifaction has the following matter, “You are one of the topmost Sardars in our employ and adhere to the Muslim religion. Therefore, you are being granted the responsibility to maintain the throne at Satara, the authority of the fort of Satara, and the epithet of Sardeshmukh. Because you were like a son for Zeenat-unnisa Begum.”
Along with the Khateebs, Shahu also brought to Satara, the impressions of the Badshah’s hands as a memory of the Begum who had been his chief benefactor. Shahu devotedly worshipped these impressions and treated the Khateebs as his family members. Of course, the divide between Hindus and Muslims never arose during Shahu’s reign. Shahu brought so many religious preceptors like Brahmendra Swami, Kacheshwarbaba, Thakurdasbowa, Gosavis, Ramdasis etc. with due respect to his own city, and sought their auspicious blessings. “Sayyed Aataavaalaa Pirzaade Shakarkoti is a great noble saint busy in good deeds. Therefore, the Swami through his grace has granted the Loni village Inam to him.”
This grant notification issued in the name of a Muslim Pir shows the extent to which Shahu’s beliefs were equanimous towards all. He also extended an equal support to the adherents to Christian religion. After capturing Vasai, Shahu did not annihilate the Christian priests in Konkan who themselves used to commit religion driven atrocities on the subjects. Instead, he took good care of them. Equality of all humans flowed in his veins with blood. His belief that all men were equal, there were no high men or low men, would get expressed at every step.
This equanimity, which would be rarely found even in many ascetics, began taking root in Shahu’s heart since the time he was in the Badshah’s captivity. Since the initial seventeen years of his life had been spent in the company of a bigoted Badshah, instead of his own, he kept witnessing the behaviour adhering to the Islamic religion day and night. It is possible, that the Hindus did not have anybody else except for Shahu who understood the real germ of Islam so well. Zeenat-unnisa Begum brought him up almost like her own son, so Shahu always felt attached to her like his mother.
To be continued…
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