Shivaji

Shivaji शिवाजी शहाजी भोसले
Shivaji's portrait (1680s) housed in the British Museum
1st Sovereign (Chhatrapati) of theMaratha Realm
Reign	1674–1680 CE
Coronation	6 June 1674
Successor	Sambhaji
Born	c. April 1627 / 19 February 1630[1] Shivneri Fort (presently inMaharashtra, India)
Died	3 April 1680 Raigad Fort, Raigad, Maratha Empire (presently in Maharashtra)
Consort	Saibai (Nimbalkar)
Wives	Soyarabai (Mohite) Putalabai(Palkar) Sakvarbai (Gaikwad) Kashibai (Jadhav)[2]
Issue	Sambhaji, son Rajaram, son Sakhubai Nimbalkar, daughter Ranubai Jadhav, daughter Ambikabai Mahadik, daughter Rajkumaribai Shirke, daughter
Father	Shahaji Bhonsle
Mother	Jijabai
Religion	Hinduism

Shivaji Bhonsle (Marathi [ʃiʋaˑɟiˑ bʱoˑs(ə)leˑ]; c. 1627/1630^[1] – 3 April 1680), also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian warrior king and a member of the BhonsleMaratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati (Monarch) of his realm atRaigad.

Shivaji established a competent and progressive civil rule with the help of a disciplined military and well-structured administrative organisations. He innovated military tactics, pioneering the guerrilla warfare methods (Shiva sutra or ganimi kava), which leveraged strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise and focused pinpoint attacks to defeat his larger and more powerful enemies. He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage ofMarathi and Sanskrit, rather thanPersian, in court and administration.

Shivaji's legacy was to vary by observer and time but began to take on increased importance with the emergence of theIndian independence movement, as many elevated him as a proto-nationalist and hero of the Hindus.^[3]Particularly in Maharashtra, debates over his history and role have engendered great passion and sometimes even violence as disparate groups have sought to characterise him and his legacy.^{[citation needed]}

^{Source: Wikipedia}