Hero, Tyrant or just another king? Shivaji's rule in Karnataka
Research and author: Ameen Ahmed Tumakuru Summary A lot has been written about the origins, youth and military life of Shivaji, particularly his friendship as well as the intense conflicts with the Bijapur Sultans first and then the Moghuls. But not much is known on how the residents of other kingdoms particularly the non-Maratha Hindus received him or how they were treated by him. The Hindutva nationalist narrative tells us that he is a pan-India role model for Hindus. But contemporary sources, both of Shivaji's and the later Marathas'- both European and Indian, tell stories that are quite different, from what one reads and hears from not just India's right-wing but also its left leaning historians. Source: Jadunath Sarkar, 'Shivaji and His Times', 1920 The popular Shivaji I grew in southern India's Karnataka state occasionally coming across stories of Shivaji, a king who has a ' ji ' added to his name as a mark of respect. I was told...