Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj—a heroic personality of Indian history—was a great warrior and the founder of the Maratha Empire. He also founded an independent Hindu kingdom, 'Hindavi Swarajya'. Chatrapati Shivaji inspired people to fight against the tyranny of Mughal ruler, Aurangjeb. His original name was Shivaji Bhosle and was given the title of 'Chatrapati' (sovereign) by his people, for his great capability to protect them. Here is a brief description of Shivaji's life, which is a great source of inspiration.

'The epic text of Ranjit Desai's Shriman Yogi finds new voice in Vikrant Pande's nuanced translation, an immersive narrative of the foundations of the Maratha empire and the saga of its charismatic founder.' - Namita Gokhale. Young Shivaji reaches Pune, a dying fort city, with his mother Jijabai and lights the first lamp within its ruins. While his father Shahaji Bhosle is away on deputation by the Adil Shah sultanate after having failed in a revolt against it, Shivaji learns how an empire is built from the ground up. Thus begins the life of the Great Maratha. What awaits Shivaji is nothing short of the vast scroll of history, and it takes him from Surat to Thanjavur and all the way to Aurangzeb's durbar in Agra. He dreams of freeing his land from the clutches of Mughal rule, and though he suffers many defeats and personal losses along the way he never gives up his vision of Hindavi Swaraj. Amidst political intrigue and a chain of skirmishes, Shivaji becomes a leader, a warrior and a tactician par excellence, driven by immense pride and love for his motherland.

In the 16th century, invaders looked upon Hindustan with the dream of annexing it. They relentlessly attacked Hindustan’s small villages, torturing, looting, burning houses, and destroying temples. But in the 17th century, a young boy named Shivaji, stood up to fight those invaders and lit the lamp for Swarajya (Independence). He along with his comrades, rebelled and managed to recapture Maharashtra and some parts of Karnataka. His legacy was later continued by the Peshwas (Prime ministers) of the Maratha empire. By 1759, the Maratha empire reached its zenith, having recaptured Hindustan from Tamil Nadu to Peshawar (present-day Pakistan) and from Gujarat to Bengal! Maratha Samrajya is a short but detailed history of famous Maratha events, from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Madhavrao Ballal Peshwa. This book is an attempt to showcase their remarkable battles and immense sacrifice without which Hindustan would not have attained freedom from the invading armies.

“States fall, empires break up, dynasties become extinct, but the memory of a true “hero as King” like Shivaji remains an imperishable historical legacy…” – Jadunath Sarkar, House of Shivaji (1919) Shivaji Bhonsle was an Indian warrior king who went on to lay the foundation of the strong Maratha Empire. The first Chhatrapati, he is known to have outdone his predecessors as well as successors in giving an identity and status to Marathas. A tactful military commander and skilled administrator, he steadily built his army from a mere two thousand soldiers to almost five-fold, and also developed a naval force. He defeated Afzal Khan and Adil Shah, giving strong resistance to the Mughal forces. From forming guerilla forces to immensely contributing in the development of the civilization of Marathas, he carved a niche in all spheres of operation. Shivaji: The Great Rebel explores the lifespan of Shivaji as an Indian king who instigated a new fire in the hearts of people against the Mughal Empire and taught them to fight for their rights. It highlights Shivaji as one of the prominent rulers to inspire people to fight for Hindu pride and raise their voice against cruelty. He stood up to guard and preserve the nation's honour, and is a great source of inspiration till date.

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Excerpt from The Life of Shivaji Maharaj: Founder of the Maratha Empire At a time when the whole of the Indian Continent is entering upon a new phase of political life and bold schemes of social and political re-construction are being daily pressed for acceptance, no apology would seem to be necessary for the publication of a new life of Shivaji For among the glittering multitude of mighty kings whose names adorn the pages of Indian History, the name of Shivaji stands forth in bold relief as the author of a momentous national revival that changed the destinies of India. And this is a fact allowed by all historians, even though the editors of the "Rulers" of India Series have chosen to ignore him and denied him a place in their Series, while including many other Rulers who were more or less mediocrities, when compared with the great Shivaji. If ever in the pre-British period of Indian History, there was anything that might be compared with the great national movements of Western countries, it was the political movement which laid the foundations of the Maratha Swarajya. And that movement would have been utterly destitute of all its national glory and significance, were it not for the genius and originality of one master mind who presided over the whole event, built a nation out of chaos and breathed life and purpose into the dead clay and disjecta membra of Maharashtra society and institutions. Such a man was Shivaji. Of the empire which he built up, only a few fragments have escaped the ravages of time. The rest has crumbled down and gone the way that all great empires in the world have gone. But the spirit of it has remained behind. He has left no pyramids, no rock-cut temples, no architectural marvels to attest his greatness But the name of Shivaji still lives to kindle and inspire the growing manhood of Maharashtra. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.