by Ranjit Desai
Raje touched the Dasbodh to his forehead reverently. As tears flowed down his cheeks, he took leave of Samarth.
#
The next morning, Raje and his men left at the crack of dawn. Even after two days of travel, all Raje could think about was the time he had spent with Swami Samarth Ramdas. The summer heat was intense but they continued their journey. On reaching a riverbank, they stopped near a mango grove. Sensing that Raje was looking for a place to rest and eat, Prataprao Gujar said, ‘Give me a few minutes, and I will search for some palash leaves to make a plate for our meal.’
Raje smiled. ‘Prataprao, you seem to forget that we are Marathas who have often times eaten while riding. Just hand the bhakri over to me.’
Prataprao opened the bundle of food he was carrying. It was a simple meal of raw onions, green chillies and jowar bhakri. As they dismounted to drink from the river, Prataprao said, pointing in the direction of a village at the base of the hills, ‘Ramaji Pangera was from that village—Korjai.’
‘He lived so far away from the fort?’
‘Raje, your orders were clear—the fort-keeper should not be from a village near a fort. We found Ramaji here.’
As they reached the village, a small affair of about twenty-five huts, the villagers, worried at hearing the horse hooves, were tense as the cavalry arrived. They watched Raje with a mixture of awe and curiosity. Prataprao guided Raje to Ramaji’s house where his father, Maruti, rushed to receive them. He bent to touch Raje’s feet when Raje said, ‘Baba! You are supposed to bless us and not touch my feet.’
The old man was rendered speechless. Raje guided him to sit on a parapet on the verandah outside the house. Soon an old woman, apparently Ramaji’s mother, his widow and a small boy of about twelve years came out of the hut. They all touched Raje’s feet.
Raje could not believe the joy with which they all received him.
Maruti said, ‘Raje, we are truly blessed. You have come to this poor man’s today!’
‘Baba, don’t call it a poor man’s house. This is the house of Ramaji, who fought tooth and nail to chase Diler Khan away.’
Hearing Ramaji’s name, the old man’s eyes filled with tears.
Raje said, trying to hold back his own tears, ‘Baba, please don’t cry.’
‘I am not crying, Raje,’ Maruti said, wiping his tears. ‘It is only because of my son’s valour that we have had the good fortune of being visited by you.’
At that moment Ramaji’s younger brother Rupaji came in.
Raje smiled dejectedly and said, ‘Baba, we survive at the cost of men like Ramaji. What is the use of admiring men like me?’
Maruti said, ‘Raje, don’t say that. Boys like Ramaji have the courage to fight only because they know you are there to take care of everyone. The poor live because of you, Raje.’
‘What have I done for you, Baba?’
‘Ask me what you have not done! Earlier the Kulkarnis, Patils, Desais and Jagirdars used to take everything away from us. Now, your administration supports us and we get bullocks to till our land. As a rule, your men take only two parts of the produce. If you ask for three, we would readily part with it.’
‘Baba, I have everything I want. When men are willing to lay down their lives for me, what else can I ask for?’
As Raje got up to leave, Prataprao handed to Maruti a bag of coins.
‘If this is compensation for the death of my son, I don’t need it, Raje. I have my land and house and I have your support. What more do I need?’
‘Tell me, what can I do for you then?’
‘Let Ramaji’s younger brother, Rupaji, join you—that will be our reward.’
Raje’s eyes were filled with tears. He said, holding Maruti’s hand, ‘Let him stay and help you till the land. This too is required to strengthen the Swaraj.’
‘This old man still has a lot of strength left! Take him with you, I beseech you.’
Raje nodded and said, ‘Rupaji, you are now drafted into the army. Use the money for your household, and then meet me at Raigad soon. I shall inform you about your duties there.’
Rupaji, inducted as a Shiledar, a cavalryman, touched Raje’s feet in gratitude. The entire village accompanied Raje and his men till they reached the riverbank.
As they mounted their horses, Raje said contentedly, ‘Prataprao, today has been a golden day in my life.’
#
Shivaji returned to Pachad to find Annaji Datto there. Jijabai normally stayed at the foothills of the fort at Pachad as the humid weather atop the fort during monsoons did not suit her.
‘You must be supervising Maa saheb’s arrangements here, I suppose,’ he asked Annaji.
Annaji’s answer surprised him as he said, ‘Yes, and I was on my way to Mahad to summon the physician Diwakar Vaidya to the fort.’
‘Why, what happened?’ Raje asked, suddenly alert.
‘Yuvraj was wounded on a hunt.’
Raje’s heart skipped a beat. He asked, ‘When? How is he now?’
‘This was yesterday. Yuvraj was told about a tiger creating havoc in a village nearby. When he confronted the tiger, he charged ahead and killed him with his sword. But in the process, he was wounded but not badly hurt. Our physician called for Diwakar Vaidya.’
‘And you left Yuvraj to manage the fort in the meanwhile?’ Raje said, stunned.
‘Ibrahim, Yesaji, Rupaji Bhosale—they are all there and …’
‘I am not interested in names,’ Raje shouted, raising his hand to cut off Annaji mid-sentence.
Raje mounted his horse and raced up the mountain to reach the fort. The trumpets at the main door announced his arrival but he had no time for the salutes and mujras and he galloped towards Sambhaji’s quarters. He jumped down the horse and rushed indoors. Sambhaji was lying on a bed while the physician, Jijabai and the others stood nearby.
Raje asked the physician, ‘How is Yuvraj?’
‘There is nothing to worry about. Except for a deep gash on the shoulder, which will take a week to heal, he has only a few minor scratches.’
Raje wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at Sambhaji, who smiled, further enraging him. He said, ‘Whose permission did you take before going out on a shikar? And what experience do you have to charge at a tiger directly?’
Turning to Yesaji, he asked, ‘Yesaji, you were present. And so was Ibrahim Khan. How could you allow him to take such a risk?’
Seeing Sambhaji silent, he shouted, ‘Sambhaji Raje, answer me!’
Sambhaji’s face was flushed. He looked at Maa saheb who said, ‘Raje, please go to your quarters.’
Raje looked at Maa saheb at the unexpected command. He said, ‘But Maa saheb …’
‘Please do not say a word. Just go!’ Jijabai interrupted.
Raje was taken aback and left the room. He entered his quarters and stood with his hands behind his back, looking out of the window. He could see Soyarabai playing with Rajaram, splashing water near the water tank. But he was in no mood to greet them. At that moment, he heard footsteps and turned to see Maa saheb enter.
She asked, ‘Are you still angry?’
‘No, Maa saheb.’
‘Raje, Shambhu is wounded. Should you berate him at such a time?’
‘Do you think it gives me any pleasure to do so? But there are times when I fail to understand you.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘You remember when I used the elder Maharaj’s gun and shot a tiger sitting on the ground? You scolded me to no end. In my huff, I had refused dinner but you did not care. You were so strict with me but it seems you are allowing Shambhu to get away with anything. It is not good to pamper him so much, Maa saheb. I am worried that he may not be able to handle his responsibilities well.’
Jijabai was agonized to hear Raje’s words. She said, ‘Shivba, you don’t realize—I would have questioned Sai had she been alive. Remember, you are lucky to have a mother. Shambhu isn’t.’
#
Over the next week, Sambha
ji recovered well. Raje would peep into his room once a while but he did not say much. Towards the end of the week, Raje was in his quarters chatting with Soyarabai and playing with the young Rajaram. Putlabai too was there when Raje asked, ‘Where is Maa saheb?’
‘She is in her puja room.’
‘I escaped from Agra but it seems Maa saheb has not given up her fasts and puja. Each time I ask, she is either fasting or busy with something else.’
At that moment, Sambhaji stepped in. Raje said, looking at him, ‘And Maa saheb now has found this new god to worship!’
Sambhaji, unable to understand, looked at Raje suspiciously. He stepped closer and sat on his knees to touch Raje’s feet. Raje patted his back and head lovingly. Feeling his wet hair, he smiled and said, ‘Oh, it seems the physician has allowed you to have a bath.’
Sambhaji stood up. He was a young, tall and handsome lad of fifteen with a broad chest. Raje felt proud seeing the young Yuvraj.
He said, ‘Sambhaji, I don’t derive any pleasure from scolding you. But I want you to know your responsibilities. You need to be careful. I have so many plans lined up and someone like you needs to take them forward. I am not forbidding you to hunt but next time you want to go, ask me. I shall come along!’
‘Aba saheb!’
Raje hugged Sambhaji and caressed his back. He said, not realizing that Putlabai and Soyarabai were in the room, ‘I am bound by the promise I made to Sai, Shambhu! If I cannot fulfil it, I have no right to live.’
Realizing that his other queens were around, he quickly wiped his tears and said, ‘Sambhaji, check if Annaji is in the office. Tell him I will join him soon. We have to make arrangements for Maa saheb to go to Pachad.’
Sambhaji Raje nodded and left with Rajaram holding his hand. Raje, looking at them as they exited, said, ‘These two are like Ram and Lakshmana. I am sure they will fulfil my dreams.’
#
With his increasing power, Shivaji wanted to ensure that his forts were kept secure. This required lakhs of rupees to be spent. He directed that a part of the revenue collected from various districts be credited to the state treasury.
In the meanwhile, Prataprao Gujar sent a letter to Surat on behalf of Raje. The letter read:
‘You are hereby asked to pay four lakh rupees to us. Your emperor attacked our lands and we were forced to maintain a huge army. This money would be used to meet such expenses.’
The letter was a veiled threat that if they did not pay up, the Marathas would attack Surat once again. Ever since Mahabat Khan and Shahzada Muazzam had been recalled to Delhi, the Deccan was being managed by Diler Khan and Bahadur Khan. However, since their defeat at Salher, Aurangzeb had been annoyed with them. In order to pacify Shivaji, they sent a Brahmin emissary. Raje welcomed him and, in turn, sent his trusted clerk Kazi Haider to meet Bahadur Khan. Raje was not in the mood to attack Surat and preferred to negotiate a treaty.
Aurangzeb, already enraged at his commanders, sent them a letter: ‘You should work with all of Shivaji’s enemies like Adil Shah, Qutb Shah, the Portuguese and the Abyssinians. How long can he hide in his fort? Soon, we will defeat him.’
Bahadur Khan replied, ‘This will not work as Shivaji has many forts where he can hide. Secondly, he uses the inaccessible land between the mountainous regions to grow hundreds of maunds of corn, which can feed them for a hundred years. Thus, we have sent our emissary to negotiate with him. He too has sent a Muslim emissary in return. Please allow us to sign a treaty.’
Aurangzeb was further enraged by their letter and replied in a scathing manner. Bahadur Khan and Diler Khan were bewildered, not knowing what to do next. To pacify Aurangzeb, they made a show of nominally arresting Shivaji’s emissary.
Raje smiled when he heard about this. He said, ‘Poor Alamgir! He cannot expect such sardars to defeat me. They are mere labourers working like bullocks fed on oil cakes.’
Shivaji needed the treaty for some respite from his relentless activities. He was sure that Bahadur Khan or Diler Khan would not create trouble. He was also aware that the Mughals were losing their hold on the Deccan. He directed his soldiers to attack and loot Mughal territories with more vigour.
At that time Shivaji received the news of the death of the Golconda Sultan, Abdullah Qutb Shah. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, Abul Hassan Tana Shah. Shivaji immediately asked Nirajipant to meet the new Sultan at Golconda to ensure that the earlier treaty was honoured. As expected, Tana Shah agreed and Nirajipant returned with sixty-six thousand hons against the annual pact of one lakh.
The news of another death reached Shivaji. Ali Adil Shah was succeeded by his five-year-old son, Sikandar Jahan. The Abyssinian chief, Khavas Khan, was named regent. Shivaji knew that Khavas Khan did not favour Marathas and sooner or later, he would attack. Preparing himself for a surprise attack, he recalled his emissary Punde from the Adil Shahi court and issued orders to Prataprao and Anandrao to return home. The plan to attack Adil Shahi power was finalized. The target was the Panhala Fort.
#
Shivaji knew he needed a foolproof plan. He had lost a thousand men the last time he had attacked Panhala and he could ill afford to make such a mistake again. Sheer bravado would not work and he got busy thinking about an ingenious plan. It had been more than six months since meeting Samarth Ramdas. One evening, while returning from his evening darshan, walking along with Annaji Datto, Ganaji and Prataprao, Raje said, ‘I have been thinking—Khavas Khan is no friend of ours and he will attack sooner or later. We need to pre-empt him.’
‘Raje, just command me and I will burn the country down,’ Prataprao said, his hand on his sword.
‘Patience, Prataprao!’ Raje said, smiling. ‘We need to do something which will make them think twice before attacking us again.’
‘You mean Panhala!’ Annaji Datto muttered.
‘You read my mind!’ Raje exclaimed.
‘Please command us,’ Prataprao and Ganaji said, stepping forward.
‘Prataprao, mere recklessness will not get us the fort. We have lost a thousand men earlier, and we need to plan well this time.’
Raje returned to his quarters a little later and was surprised to find Annaji waiting there. He asked, ‘What is it, Annaji?’
‘Raje, I am sure we can easily take Panhala with a planned attack. I would like to lead the charge.’
Raje thought about a moment and said, ‘Let me think over it.’
The next morning, as the sun rose in the eastern sky and all the sardars had assembled as per Raje’s orders, and after receiving the symbolic betel leaf, Annaji took leave of Raje, who said, ‘Annaji, I am entrusting the campaign to you; Prataprao will support you. Take your time, but come back successful.’
The others were a little disappointed. Annaji, his joy knowing no bounds, left the fort soon after.
#
Annaji Datto camped at Rajapur. The news from the spies visiting Panhala was not encouraging. It was guarded by nearly two and half thousand soldiers. The fort was tall and magnificent, with strong doors and an alert fort-keeper. Annaji knew he could ill afford to be reckless. It was nearly a month since he had set up camp but he had not found a way to attack the fort.
Raje too was worried that Annaji had not been able to make any progress. As he stood on the ramparts of Raigad, looking at the silhouette of the mountains in the distance, he noticed the striking Konkan Diva Fort which stood out sharply in the fading light. That night he hardly slept and the next morning he called Kondaji Farzand and said, ‘It has been more than a month since Annaji went to Rajapur. We need to find a way to take Panhala.’
‘Please tell me how I can be of use,’ Kondaji pleaded.
‘I want you to go to Rajapur.’
The next morning, Raje received Kondaji formally as he entered the office and bent in mujra. Raje slipped a gold bracelet on to Kondaji’s arm, who was overwhelmed and touched Raje’s feet.
‘Maharaj!’
‘Don’t say a word, Kondaji. You are now the rightful owner
of this bracelet and will ride in a palanquin.’
Seeing Yesaji smile, Raje asked, ‘Why are you smiling, Yesaji?’
‘Raje, I have seen people being felicitated after they have won something. Today, we have witnessed a felicitation before anything has been achieved.’
Yesaji had spoken what others felt too. Raje, quiet for a while, put his hand on Yesaji’s shoulder and said, ‘Giving Kondaji a job is tantamount to his achieving it. But I always wonder if I will see these men again, the ones who are willing to lay down their lives for me. If we wish to felicitate Tanaji today, is he here for us to do so?’
Raje’s words stunned everyone into silence. Raje continued, looking at Kondaji, ‘Capture Panhala, but come back safe. We have lots of other plans for you and we cannot afford to lose you!’
Kondaji marched out, increasing Raje’s worries further. Moropant had sent a huge amount of loot from the Nashik region but Raje’s mind was elsewhere. He could not think of anything other than Panhala. Fifteen days had now gone by since Kondaji’s departure.
A few days later, Raje was pleasantly surprised to receive a messenger from Panhala who handed a bag to him. Reading the letter inside the bag, Raje was overjoyed and tears flowed down his cheeks. He said, ‘Give this messenger a hundred gold hons. We have captured Panhala!’
Looking at the messenger, he asked, ‘What is your name?’
‘Mankoji.’
‘Mankoji, were you with Kondaji when he conquered Panhala?’
‘Yes, I was.’
‘Then narrate the account of his courageous fight. I want to hear how he did it.’
‘Maharaj, Kondaji had made a detailed plan. Kondaji and sixty of us stormed the fort in the night.’
