by Ranjit Desai
The early morning chirping of the birds attracted Raje’s attention. Dawn was about to break.
But man lives by emotions, doesn’t he? What must Firangoji have thought when he saw Sambhaji Raje at the door? He could not have shot him! He had played with Shambhu when he was a child. What would I have done had I been in Firangoji’s place?
The eastern sky was becoming light now. A brass gun at the Takmak point, the place for executions, was visible to Raje from his window.
Is it not possible for the sun not to rise today? What am I afraid of? Duties cannot be carried out on the basis of emotions. But I cannot stop thinking about what Putla had asked—would I carry out the same punishment for Sambhaji if he returns?
Running barefoot towards Takmak point, much to the surprise of the guards, Raje screamed, ‘Stop! Stop!’
All eyes turned towards Raje. Firangoji, tied to the muzzle of a brass cannon stood quietly. The torch bearer was in his position. Raje took a dagger from the waistband of a soldier standing nearby and in one swoop, he cut off the ropes around Firangoji’s wrists. He looked at Raje, gasping for breath, his hair dishevelled, beads of sweat on his forehead. Did God look like this?
Firangoji said, trying to hold back his tears, ‘Maharaj, why did you rush? This dry leaf had to fall down one day. What difference does it make how I go? It would have been a blessing to have had a death ordered by you.’
Raje could not hold himself back anymore. As tears trickled down his cheeks, he hugged Firangoji tightly and said, ‘I don’t know what to do, Firangoji. I don’t know what to do!’
#
Raje’s anxiety was unending. While he was happy about Anandrao annexing Balapur, he was worried about Diler Khan’s march onto Bijapur. A dispatch from Shringarpur came in.
‘Yesubai wants to move with Bhawani to Panhala as the weather at Shringarpur is not suiting the child.’
‘That is very good news,’ a delighted Raje said. ‘The humid climate does not suit the baby,’ he added. He asked Annaji to immediately make the necessary arrangements. Annaji nodded but was not convinced that Raje’s explanation was as innocent as it appeared to be.
Raje had been trying to quash Siddi in Janjira for a long time but the Englishmen’s support was helping Siddi. He ordered Mainak Bhandari, stationed at Khanderi, and Daulat Khan, the admiral at Rajpuri, to keep an eye on the English. At that time, the news of Diler Khan knocking on the doors of Bijapur reached Raje. Siddi Masood, worried that he would lose to the Mughals, sent word to Raje to save the Adil Shahi kingdom at any cost.
Agreeing to help, Raje sent a ten-thousand-strong contingent to Bijapur as well as financial help. He sent a message that he would personally be there.
When Raje reached Panhala, Yesubai was already there. Raje asked, ‘Any news, Yesu?’
‘He has said if he gets assurance …’
‘Shambhu needs assurance? I am the one feeling insecure.’
Seeing Raje in his military attire, Yesu asked, ‘Are you going on a campaign? Your health …’
Raje smiled. ‘When it was time for me to enjoy my old age, Shambhu left me and joined the Mughals. Had he been here, I would have sent him on the campaign. But such is destiny! Look at the irony here. I am trying to save the Adil Shahi kingdom when my son is destroying it. Isn’t it then better to die?’
‘Aba saheb!’
‘Don’t worry, my dear. My health will improve only if I am out on a campaign.’
While leaving Panhala, Raje instructed everyone that they should receive Sambhaji Raje warmly if he were to arrive. With a contingent of twenty-five thousand men, Raje rushed towards Bijapur.
#
Raje was approaching Bijapur while the troops, sent in advance, were already engaging Diler Khan. Siddi Masood was happy to see that Raje was reaching out to help and had informed Sikander Adil Shah about the same. But he sent a message that Raje should not come to Bijapur with more than five hundred men.
Moropant said, ‘Raje, I feel we must tread carefully. Masood is our traditional enemy and may not hesitate to play foul. Let us be sure of his intentions before we move.’
Raje agreed and cancelled the meeting with Adil Shah and focused on the campaign. Raje was worried that Diler Khan may use his trump card, Sambhaji, and put him in the front, creating a problem for Raje and his men. He decided to move out of Bijapur to wreak havoc in Diler Khan’s territories while he was busy in Bijapur.
Crossing the Bhima River, Raje moved to Jalna, near Aurangabad and pillaged the same. Muazzam was stationed at Aurangabad and soon he sent an urgent plea to Diler Khan to return and help. Diler Khan was forced to lift the siege of Bijapur and march back towards Aurangabad.
Raje was returning with a lot of booty from Jalna but was informed that three Mughal sardars were planning to intercept him, with an army of nearly eight thousand men. But one of the spies, Bahirji, found a way to avoid, with a detour of more than three days, the enemy. They reached Pattagad near Nashik, safely covering a distance of nearly three hundred kilometres. Raje renamed Pattagad as Vishramgad after staying a fortnight there.
In the meanwhile, Moropant continued his attacks and managed to loot Dharangaon and even went up to Surat. And there was good news awaiting Raje when he reached Raigad. Sambhaji Raje had abandoned the Mughals and was coming back to Panhala!
#
The news spread cheer all over. But Raje was worried, lost in thoughts for two days. On the third day, he called for a special meeting with Annaji, Moropant, Balaji, Yesaji, Firangoji and Hambirrao. He asked the guards to not allow anyone else in. He said, as soon as the men came in, ‘I have been thinking how to handle Sambhaji Raje’s return. I have called you to take a decision about it.’
The ministers looked at each other, not knowing how to react. Raje said, ‘My worry is Yuvraj cannot be trusted. He may take a thoughtless decision anytime again.’
Hambirrao said, moving forward, ‘Raje, he is your son.’
‘I wish you would be clearer about your loyalties.’
Hambirrao was taken aback. He said, ‘Raje, have I said anything wrong?’
‘Certainly! You are seeing Yuvraj as my son, and that makes you forget the kingdom. Firangoji made the same mistake and as a result, hundreds of our men lost their lives for no fault of theirs.’
‘We must give him a chance to improve. I believe he might,’ Hambirrao persisted.
‘There is no guarantee when you say “might”. How can I risk the future of my kingdom?’
‘Isn’t the kingdom his birthright as well? How can we challenge it?’
‘You are making the same mistake again,’ Raje said, his voice full of anguish. ‘You are the commander and not me. The state belongs to the Lord. I was crowned Chhatrapati to take care of the Swaraj. But it must go on even when I am no more.’
‘Why should we think about that now?’ Annaji asked.
‘We have to, Annaji. Thousands have sacrificed their lives and many saints have blessed us so that we can achieve what we have. Life is transitory. How can we be sure of tomorrow? We need to decide, before I leave for Panhala, who will be in charge if I were to die.’
‘You must decide that, Maharaj. We cannot,’ Moropant insisted.
‘Why do you say that? You are the prime minister, the Peshwa. Have I not taken every decision collectively ever since I was crowned?’
‘We will still leave the decision to you, Maharaj,’ Moropant said. ‘I agree that Yuvraj may not look after the kingdom with the same sense of responsibility as you did.’
‘I am happy to hear that you think the same way. I think Sambhaji Raje should be given the Gingee region and Rajaram the Maharashtra region under your supervision.’ Everyone seemed happy with the decision. Raje said, his voice tinged with regret, ‘I created such a large kingdom out of nothing. And we are going to divide it now! It is like putting a dagger through my own heart. But anyway, I have to do it. I think Sambhaji Raje would agree. I will convince him and then decide the next steps.’
#
Winter had set in. It had been a month since the looting of Jalna when Raje marched along with his troops towards Panhala. The advance party, led by Hambirrao, had already reached. On reaching the fort, Shivaji asked Hambirrao, who had come to receive him, ‘Where is Yuvraj? Has he said anything?’
‘He is in his quarters, Maharaj. He has a lot of regret about his mistake. He is young, after all.’
As Raje reached Sambhaji’s quarters, he saw him standing outside. Sambhaji stepped forward and saluted thrice, much to Raje’s surprise and dismay as he expected Sambhaji to fall at his feet. He only said, ‘Come,’ and he moved towards the office.
The sun had set and the cold winter fog was rapidly coming in. Raje said, as they entered the office, ‘Sambhaji Raje, I am delighted to see you here. You turned your back to me and went to Mahuli on the day of Sankranti. Tomorrow is Diwali and I’m glad you’re here.’
‘Aba saheb!’
‘Why did you do this, Sambhaji?’
‘I am really ashamed.’
‘Don’t say that! I don’t want to listen to your excuses. I founded the Hindavi Swaraj to drive out the foreigners who have occupied our land. And you, my own son, defected to the Mughals? You thought you can conquer the Sahyadris? If you had only asked me for what you wanted, I would have readily given it to you.’
‘Imprisonment?’ Sambhaji asked, his tone taunting.
Raje glared at Sambhaji but he did not lower his gaze.
‘Yes, imprisonment! You know the reason why as well. Do you think I like it?’
‘I didn’t like defecting to the Mughals, either,’ Sambhaji said.
‘Why do you speak in this convoluted manner, Shambhu? I built this kingdom in the last forty years, while many calamities befell me. But I never wavered. I had to deal with people like Afzal Khan and Shaista Khan. I escaped with you from Agra. But everything was brought to nought when you joined the Mughals. I am so devastated. But by Bhawani’s grace, you have come back. I feel good now.’
‘I came back for your sake, Aba saheb, and not for the sake of the kingdom. I have lost my status as prince and my subedari now. I have not become a sanyasi, thankfully.’
Raje had tears in his eyes. He said, embracing Sambhaji tightly, ‘My boy! Don’t speak like this. I have suffered enough already. I wish you would understand what I am trying to say.’
The sudden neighing of a horse startled Raje and he loosened his embrace. A white horse was standing outside in the cold night. Raje said, wiping his tears, as he pointed at the horse, ‘You know Moti, my horse? He may be mute but knows the loving touch of my hand on his back. When he sensed that I am here, he broke his tethering rope and came here. But why is it that I fail to deal with you? I thought I fulfilled all your needs. Yet, I suppose I failed somewhere.’
Sambhaji looked at Raje and said, his voice calm, ‘Aba saheb, men are not satisfied as easily as animals.’
Raje was startled at Sambhaji’s words. He said, in an agonized voice, ‘It would have been better had they been.’
The next moment, his agony turned to anger and he erupted with anger and said, ‘How dare you speak like this? It seems the Mughal mansabdari has intoxicated you. You lost your mother just two years after your birth but you have Maa saheb’s ample love. You have a lovely wife. I initiated you into politics and was happy when you handled that European emissary well. Did you feel that I would not honour the decisions taken by you?’
Raje’s words were hot molten lead being poured into Sambhaji’s ears. Raje continued, ‘After Maa saheb’s death, your youth took over your discretion. I too was a young man when the daughter-in-law of the Subedar of Kalyan stood before me. I was to decide the future of that stunningly beautiful woman. I could have easily sent her to a harem or given her to any of my soldiers. But my mind did not allow my heart to rule. Maa saheb was proud of the way I had treated a woman prisoner. But you lusted after a Brahmin girl who had come visiting her parents’ home!’
‘Aba saheb, I was …’
‘Don’t say another word! Self-pity is more dangerous than addiction. You need to look into yourself. The offences you have committed can never be forgiven. And yet, I let you go as I loved you and believed you would improve yourself. But your reckless behaviour continued.’
Raje paused for a breath and continued, ‘You did not befriend Annaji and Moropant. Moropant conquered Salher–Mulher and built and renovated Pratapgad. Annaji has dedicated his entire life for the cause of Swaraj. Yet, you called them cunning and insulted them accusing them of deceit. But little did you realize that you are insulting me in the process as these men are equal to me in prestige and position. But they tried to protect you all the time, ignoring your immaturity.
‘Look at the men you surrounded yourself with! Men who instigated you to crown yourself. I was intoxicated with bravery while you were getting drunk on a potion of hemp and your harem. Even God cannot satisfy you! You may be my son but I have had to entrust the administration to the council of ministers. You know what agonies I have had to suffer?’
Sambhaji was stunned. He looked blankly at Raje as he continued, ‘I wanted to see if you can manage on your own, having been given a Subha. I was away for a year and half and what did I find when I returned? I had returned victorious but was a miserable failure as far as you were concerned.’
‘I made a mistake,’ Sambhaji said, gathering his voice.
Raising his hands in the air, Raje said, ‘It was a huge mistake. The moment I left, you started discussions with our arch-enemy Diler Khan and, to my shock, you joined the Mughals and became a Mansabdar! But if that gives you happiness, I don’t know what else to do other than curse my luck.’
Tears flowed down Sambhaji’s face. Raje’s outburst continued, ‘You weep now? What for? You marched onto Bhupalgad and made Firangoji surrender to you. I had ordered his execution.’
‘Aba saheb!’
‘The order was not carried out. I just could not do it! The mistake was yours and not Firangoji’s. He opened the gates and Diler Khan’s men cut off the hands of seven hundred of our men, while you were a mute and possibly a willing spectator. They looted everything and destroyed the fort. You are the one to blame—not Firangoji!’
Raje seemed to be speaking to himself rather than address Sambhaji. He said, ‘Thousands of women have become widows in our quest to build the Swaraj. Yet, none have cursed us. In fact, I got their blessings wherever I went. But you? At the age of thirty, you have made young mothers and sisters jump into a well, along with their children, to save their honour from Diler Khan. I am told you were also willing to sell the residents of the town as slaves!’
Sambhaji’s tears were now unstoppable. He said, ‘That is the reason I came back.’
‘What a pity that you are still lying. You came back when you heard that Aurangzeb had issued orders to arrest you. Join whoever you want but not Aurangzeb. He will torture you in a manner you cannot even imagine.’
Raje said, putting his hand on Sambhaji’s shoulder, ‘Shambhu, do you realize that the very idea of your death tears my heart to pieces?’
Raje was exhausted and his hand slipped off Sambhaji’s back. Sambhaji fell at Raje’s feet and said, as he tried to wipe his tears, ‘I don’t want you to forgive me, Aba saheb. Please punish me by throwing me off the precipice or shoot me or have me trampled under the legs of an elephant. I am ready for any death.’
‘All these punishments are common, Shambhu. For you, there is only one punishment.’
‘Tell me, Aba saheb. Tell me what I must undergo.’
Raje looked at Sambhaji for a moment and said, ‘You will have to bear my death.’
#
That evening, as Raje stood on the terrace watching the valley, Hambirrao came in to announce Sambhaji.
As Sambhaji stepped in and touched Raje’s feet, Raje s
aid, ‘Sambhaji, wipe your tears now. It does not become you to shed tears all the time. I have given the matter a lot of consideration.’
Raje was silent for a moment, trying to construct his thoughts. Sambhaji waited patiently. ‘Today, our kingdom is spread from the Tungabhadra to the Narmada and it is not possible to rule over such a vast kingdom easily. Aurangzeb has imposed the jizya tax now and Hindus are being oppressed under his rule. He is likely to descend on the Deccan soon. I had hoped to capture Delhi and re-install the idol of Lord Vishwanath. Now, you need to complete the task.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes, Sambhaji Raje, you have to do it. I don’t know how long I will last now.’
‘Aba saheb!’
‘A horse can gallop as long it has strong legs, and a wounded horse is a liability. I am the founder of the Hindavi Swaraj and I feel that the best way forward is to bifurcate the kingdom.’
‘Bifurcate?’
‘Yes. I united thousands of Mavals and ryots to work for the cause but I was not able to unite my family members. The ministers too are divided. The elder Rani saheb is a different matter altogether. This is what I have decided: The region between the Tungabhadra and the Kaveri is the kingdom of Gingee which has rich forts like Gingee and Vellore. It is safe from the Mughals as well. And in case they do invade, the Qutb Shahi kingdom comes first. I want you to manage that.’
Sambhaji was astounded. Raje continued, before Sambhaji could speak, ‘And the second half, between the Tungabhadra and the Godavari will be run by a council of ministers till Rajaram becomes a major.’
Sambhaji pleaded, ‘Aba saheb, I beg of you not to divide the kingdom. You may entrust it to whoever you want. I will not give you any trouble and shall be satisfied with simple food at home. I want to be in service at your feet. No one else trusts me.’
‘I know you mean it. But you should have said this a long time ago. I want to lead a life away from all this now. It is best for all of us.’
‘Aba saheb, will you never forgive me?’ Sambhaji asked.
