by Ranjit Desai
Aai, tula samarpit
Contents
Cast of Characters
Some Places Mentioned in the Book
Important Dates and Years
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four
Book Five
Book Six
Book Seven
Book Eight
Book Nine
Book Ten
Book Eleven
P.S. Insights Interview & More...
A Large-hearted Storyteller: The Works of Ranjit Desai
About the Book
About the Author
Copyright
Cast of Characters
Some Places Mentioned in the Book
Junnar It is near Pune and was earlier the capital of the Nizam Shah where Shahaji, Shivaji’s father, worked
Shivneri A fort near Junnar, where Shivaji was born
Torna A fort near Pune. The first fort captured by Shivaji
Lenyadri It represents a series of about thirty rock-cut Buddhist caves, located near Junnar in Pune district
Bijapur One of the Deccan sultanates, ruled by Adil Shah
Phaltan A town in Satara district. It was ruled by the Nimbalkars. Saibai, Shivaji’s first wife, was from the Nimbalkar family
Daulatabad It is a fort town a little north-west of Aurangabad
Burhanpur On the banks of River Tapi, in south-west Madhya Pradesh, it was an important Mughal post and an entry to the Deccan
Satara Shivaji captured the forts of Parli and Satara. It is a town in Maharashtra on the confluence of River Krishna and its tributary Venna
Rajapur A town in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra
Shikhar Shingnapur A shiva temple located at the top of Shingnapur hills near Satara
Kanakagiri A temple town in Koppal district of Karnataka
Rayari/Raigad Shivaji captured the fort of Rayari and renamed it Raigad. The village of Pachad is at the base of the fort. It was the capital of Shivaji’s empire
Tuljapur A town in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra is the home of the Tuljapur Bhawani temple
Shivthar A cave near Mahad where Samarth Ramdas stayed for nearly twenty-two years. He dictated the Dasbodh to his disciple Kalyan Swami there
Sajjangad A fort near Satara. It is the final resting place of Samarth Ramdas Swami
Bidar A town in the north-eastern part of Karnataka
Shringarpur A village in Ratnagiri district. During Shivaji’s time it was held by the Surves
Harihareshwar A town in Raigad district with a popular Shiva temple
Chandan–Vandan Twin forts built to protect the route leading to Satara
Godhkhind The narrow pass became famous when Baji Prabhu Deshpande defended it for many hours, allowing safe passage to Shivaji. It was later renamed Paavankhind
Panhala The fort is near Kolhapur and Shivaji escaped from there when surrounded and reached Vishalgad. He was helped by Baji Prabhu Deshpande
Rajgad A little south-west of Pune. The fort was earlier capital of Shivaji’s empire
Salher A fort in Nashik district
Karwar A town on the west coast, in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka
Nallamala ranges The Nallamalas are a section of the Eastern Ghats which stretch primarily over Kurnool, Nellore, Guntur, Prakasam, Kadapa and Chittoor districts
Srisailam The shrine of Mallikarjuna picturesquely sits on the flat top of Nallamala hills. It is near the River Krishna
Bengaluru Then an important town in Karnataka. Shahaji ruled the jagir of Bengaluru under Adil Shah of Bijapur
Goa The port of Goa ruled by the Portuguese
Tiruchirapalli Important city in Tamil Nadu
Thanjavur Temple town in Tamil Nadu ruled by Venkoji Raje, Shivaji’s half-brother
Important Dates and Years
19 February 1630 Shivaji’s birth at Shivneri Fort
1630-31 Famine in Maharashtra
1637 Shivaji arrives in Pune
14 May 1640 Marriage of Shivaji and Saibai
15 April 1645 Oath at Rohideshwar
1646 Shivaji captures Torna
March 1647 Death of Dadoji Konddev
October 1648 Shivaji defeats Fateh Khan
1650 Birth of Sakhubai
1651-52 Bajaji is taken back into Hindu fold
1655 Marriage of Sakhubai
15 January 1656 Capture of Jawali
27 August 1656 Sons of Chandrarao are killed
14 May 1657 Birth of Sambhaji
5 September 1659 Death of Saibai
10 November 1659 Shivaji kills Afzal Khan
9 May 1660 Shaista Khan comes to Pune
13 July 1660 Death of Baji Prabhu Deshpande
1661-62 Meeting of Shahaji and Shivaji
2 February 1661 Battle of Umbarkhindi
5 April 1663 Attack on Shaista Khan
6 to 10 January 1664 Looting of Surat
October 1664 Death of Baji Ghorpade
15 November 1664 Construction of Sindhudurg begins
11 June 1665 Treaty of Purandar
30 September 1665 Farman to Shivaji
22 January 1665 Death of Shah Jahan
5 March 1666 Shivaji leaves for Agra
12 May 1666 Durbar at Agra
16 August 1666 Escape from Agra
September 1666 Shivaji returns to Rajgad
28 August 1667 Mirza Raja Jai Singh dies
27 March 1667 Netaji Palkar converts to Islam
August-September 1669 Aurangzeb destroys Kashi Vishwanath Temple
4 October 1670 Second raid on Surat
13 January 1672 Diler Khan raids Pune
August 1672 Meeting with Samarth Ramdas
24 February 1674 Death of Prataprao Gujar
19 March 1674 Death of Kashibai
6 June 1674 Coronation of Shivaji
17 June 1674 Death of Jijabai
21 May 1675 Large part of Karwar annexed
19 June 1676 Netaji Palkar returns, and is reconverted to Hindu fold
4 March 1677 Meeting with Qutb Shah
13 May 1677 Capture of Jinji
5 July 1677 Sher Khan surrenders to Shivaji
27 July 1677 Ekoji Raje runs away
August-September 1677 Diler Khan replaces Bahadur Khan as chief of Mughals in the Deccan
June 1678 Shivaji captures Gadag
13 December 1678 Sambhaji joins Diler Khan
25 February 1679 Aurangzeb arrives in Aurangabad to wipe out the Marathas
13 January 1680 Meeting of Shivaji and Sambhaji
3 April 1680 Death of Shivaji
#
The village of Junnar, at the base of the Shivneri Fort, shone in the last rays of the setting sun. Shahaji and his younger son Sambhaji, along with a few horsemen, waited in a mango orchard a few kilometres away from Junnar. Not a single leaf stirred. As they stood observing the road, the coolness of the night had not enveloped the orchard yet. Not a soul was in sight, making Shahaji restless with every passing minute.
‘Aba saheb, Maa saheb has arrived!’ Sambhaji shouted, pointing across the road. They could see a few horsemen kicking up dust as they rode silhouetted against the slanting rays of the western sun. Soon, the horsemen stopped maintaining a respectable distance from Shahaji.
Jijabai, tired by the long ride, smiled weakly on seeing Sambhaji as she dismounted. A maid gave her a helping hand. Three months pregnant, Jijabai seemed visibly exhausted. Her face was flushed as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.
‘If I keep moving like this from one place to another, halting at various places, it won’t be long before your father traps us,’ Shahaji snapped.
‘I think you should carry on. I don’t think I can bear the exertion of travel any further.’
‘But leaving you in such a state and that too in a place like this …’
‘Your kinsman Vishwasrao lives close by. I can rest there—but you need to take care of yourself.’
Shahaji Raje erupted with anger. ‘This is all your father’s fault! What do you expect me to do? The enmity between the Jadhavs and the Bhosales have been going on for years; and you probably think I am only continuing the tradition.’
An unfortunate incident many years back, a skirmish in the court of the Nizam, had left family members dead on both sides but the Jadhavs held Shahaji responsible for the death of their son. The marriage of Jijabai with Shahaji had exacerbated the same and reached a point where they were ready to kill the other.
‘What do you want me to say?’ mumbled Jijabai.
‘All right, I shall do as you wish. If your father cares about you, he will spare you. Else, he may take you away. It is your future and your luck. I am not going to interfere—are we agreed?’
Jijabai nodded while keeping her tears in check as she moved towards the waiting horsemen.
The news of Jijabai’s arrival had reached Junnar. Vishwasrao personally came to receive Jijabai and Shahaji, who spoke as he stepped into the courtyard, ‘Vishwasrao, pardon me for troubling you. I had no other choice.’
‘Raje, it is my good fortune to serve you. I will take care of Rani saheb in the best possible manner I can.’
‘If I were not sure of that, we would not be here!’ Turning to Sambhaji, Shahaji said, ‘Shall we? Or do you want to stay?’
Sambhaji Raje, avoiding his mother’s gaze, meekly nodded his head.
‘Good!’ exclaimed a visibly relieved Shahaji.
‘Would it be not advisable for the young one to stay back and join you after the danger abates a little?’ Jijabai asked.
‘Vishwasrao, did you hear that? It seems the young one is in danger and not me!’
‘I did not mean that!’ Jijabai retorted.
‘I am going to take Shambhu with me. He has a lot to do. I am leaving behind Balakrishna Hanumante, Sankraji Nilkanth, Sonojipant Korde and a few others to look after you; and a few horsemen too. Once things are normal, we will bring you back. Until then, take care of your health.’
Jijabai hugged Shambhu when he tried to touch his mother’s feet. He somehow managed to wriggle himself out of her embrace and moved away. Jijabai was unable to speak, trying to capture the sight of her son in her eyes but her tears blinded her. By the time she wiped them away, Sambhaji had left the haveli with Shahaji Raje. They did not turn back to look even once.
The clattering of the horse hooves reverberated in Jijabai’s mind for a long time.
#
It was nightfall and oil lamps burned in a few households in Junnar. The mashaal near the temple flickered in the wind and a deep slumber seemed to envelop the village. Suddenly, the entire village woke to the clipping sound of horse hooves coming from all directions.
Vishwasrao had just finished eating and was relaxing on a swing in the courtyard. The weapons, hung on a wall, were shining in the golden light of the oil lamps. He stood up hearing the sounds of the hooves and turned to look at the open door when his guard came running in.
‘We have been ambushed! Lakhujirao Jadhav has surrounded the village and is coming this way.’
‘What a time for him to arrive!’ remarked Vishwasrao as he unsheathed his sword and reached the door in four large steps to find Lakhujirao Jadhav standing there with a sword glistening in his right hand. Lakhujirao’s face shone with anger.
‘Where is that Bhosale?’ Lakhujirao growled.
‘First sheath your sword and come inside,’ Vishwasrao replied calmly.
‘Get out of my way!’ Lakhujirao shouted again.
‘Gentlemen do not enter others’ homes with naked swords in their hands,’ Vishwasrao said, maintaining his composure.
Lakhujirao stood his ground, his white sideburns glistening with sweat. He repeated, ‘Where is that Bhosale?’
‘He is not here.’
‘Must be hiding here, I suppose.’
‘The Bhosales have not produced any offspring who hide.’
‘Then maybe they have produced those who run away,’ Lakhujirao retorted scathingly.
‘Enough of this, Jadhavrao! This is a Bhosale household and I will not tolerate such insults.’
‘Huh! I am not requesting his whereabouts. I have my sword in my hands—move away!’ he said, trying to move forward.
Vishwasrao raised his sword as a warning.
‘What daring!’ exclaimed Lakhujirao.
‘Aba!’
Hearing a familiar voice, Lakhujirao lowered his sword to see Jijabai standing in the courtyard. Vishwasrao made way for him to enter but Lakhujirao was rooted on the spot as he stared at his daughter.
Jiu! How many memories were attached to that name! She was Lakhujirao’s darling daughter, the Lakshmi of the Jadhav household. The day she married into the Bhosale family had been a dark and unfortunate one.
Lakhujirao’s sword fell from his hand as he moved ahead in a trance, his lips muttering softly.
‘Jiu …’
‘Aba!’ Jijabai repeated, as she rushed to hug her father.
Vishwasrao, touching Lakhujirao’s feet, said, ‘Mamaji, please forgive me.’
‘Vishwasrao, there is nothing to forgive. In fact, I was quite impressed to see your courage. That Bhosale may not be a courageous one, but one of his relatives does seem to be a tiger. I am happy to see that!’
He laughed loudly but realizing that he was the only one laughing, he stopped suddenly, embarrassed by his own joke. He hugged Jijabai again and asked, ‘My dear, are you well?’
‘What do you mean well, father?’ Jijabai asked, her voice taking on an edge. Jijabai looked at her father with anguish in her eyes and sadness erupted in her as she continued, ‘A daughter is like haldi. Anyone can take a pinch and smear it on another person’s forehead. You sealed your daughter’s fate on the day of Holi. The dust of that haldi is still floating in the air.’
‘Why floating in the air? Since when did Lakhuji’s daughter become so weak? If that Bhosale cannot manage his wife, I am capable of taking care of my daughter.’
‘If you care for your daughter so much, then why are you raiding in the middle of the night? Had something happened and your daughter been widowed tonight, would you have been happy? Aba, you have Jiu’s promise …’
Covering her mouth with his hand, Lakhujirao stopped her mid-sentence and hugged her tightly.
‘Don’t trap me with your promises, Jiu. Your blood is mine but my allegiance is to the Jadhav family and vengeance is my destiny—I can only die for it! Daughter, you have my blessings. May you always remain happily married! Don’t worry about your father. If I die, don’t cry for me.’
Jijabai could not stop her tears as she listened to her father.
Lakhujirao said, ‘Listen to me—just look around you. The whole province is suffering from famine. There is chaos everywhere and nobody cares about what happens to someone else. In such a situation, how can you stay alone? Come with me. Once things are stable, you may go wherever you wish.’
Jijabai shook her head in disagreement.
‘No, Aba. I may be a Jadhav daughter but I am a Bhosale daughter-in-law now. I cannot stay in my father’s house. If I come with you, I will insult the Bhosale household.’
Lakhujirao said exasperatedly, ‘How can I leave my own daughter to her fate? Your husband has abandoned you and this father of yours should do nothing but watch silently?’
‘Don’t say that, Aba. There is much that you can do.’
‘Tell me, my dear. What can I do?’
‘Aba, take me to Shivneri. I will be fine there.’
‘I agree. I will make arrangements for a carriage tomorrow. Instead of suffering this humid weather here, it is better that Jiu stays in the fort,’ Lakhujirao said.
‘I intended to do precisely that. I have but one request,’ Vish
wasrao said.
‘I am yours to command. After all, my daughter is now part of your household.’
‘This may sound impudent, and I know you probably hate your own destiny, but I believe that this Jadhav–Bhosale enmity is gift from God.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Lakhujirao.
‘If it were not for this enmity, you would not have stepped into our home!’
‘Wah! Vishwasrao, you have a way with words!’
‘I’d still like to make a request.’
‘Yes?’
‘We would be honoured if you and your soldiers dined here.’
‘The soldiers have already eaten as we were not sure how long we would be riding. At my age, I eat only once a day. Well, you may take care of the horses …’
‘I have already taken care of them. But this is a rare occasion for us and a privilege. Rani saheb, please persuade your father.’
Jijabai hesitated. ‘Aba …’
‘All right, Vishwasrao. It is quite late and I will not trouble you. Let us have a little bit of rice and milk.’
The kitchen burnt brightly with the light of silver lamps. A silver- carved wooden seat was set for Lakhujirao to sit on. As Lakhuji settled himself, Vishwasrao asked Jijabai to serve her father.
‘Well played, Vishwasrao! You know I cannot refuse my dear Jiu anything.’
The pulao plates were bought forward as Jijabai lovingly served her father.
Lakhujirao could not hold his tears back and said, ‘Serve me well, my dear. In this climate of hectic haste and the rush of politics, I am not sure when I will have the pleasure of a meal being served with such loving care again.’
The entire kitchen glowed with happiness while everyone enjoyed their meal.
#
In the morning, Jadhavrao’s horsemen and Bhosale’s men were ready and sardars like Balkrishna Hanumante, Nilkanth, Raghunath Ballal and Korde were waiting at the entrance. Vishwasrao’s family presented Jiu with a piece of cloth for a blouse and a coconut as a parting gift. She got into the palanquin after touching both Vishwasrao's and Lakhujirao’s feet and the group started ascending the slope, towards the fort, at a rapid pace.
Vishwasrao looked back after a while to see the village of Junnar spread in a wide arc. The climb ahead of Peer Darwaza was steep and Lakhujirao asked the bearers to be careful at each step as the palanquin creaked. They stopped at the door of the Shivai Devi temple and the curtains were moved.
