Books on Shivaji Maharaj: Born as Shivaji Bhosle, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a Maratha Ruler who is remembered, among other things, for setting up the first Maratha Empire in India. He was a true patriot and a modernizer, who had built a Naval Force, abolished Zamindari System and endeavoured to safeguard Women’s rights. Shivaji developed a strong and forward-thinking civil government with well-organized administrative institutions. He supported the use of Marathi and Sanskrit as the official languages of the court and government after replacing Persian and restoring old Hindu political customs and court customs.
During the Indian Struggle for Independence in the 20th Century, the importance of Shivaji Maharaj drastically increased as he was portrayed as a symbol of resistance against the oppressive Britishers and to assert the greatness and richness of Indian culture. He is still celebrated widely all over India as a patriot and nationalist. Books on Shivaji Maharaj, as a result, are in high demand. In this article, we tell you the top 7 books on Shivaji Maharaj that you must read to improve your understanding of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Top 7 Books on Shivaji Maharaj
1) Shivaji: The Grand Rebel
The book that has made it to the top spot in our list of Books on Shivaji Maharaj is Shivaji: The Grand Rebel. It is one of the most well-researched books on Shivaji Maharaj, making it significantly comprehensive. Shivaji would certainly impress anyone with his tremendous accomplishments. His level-headed and humble demeanour, incredible physical stamina, extremely cunning ruses, and unexpected chess-like manoeuvres would astonish everyone. Kincaid frequently compares Shivaji to his contemporaries in order to highlight the 17th century and persons engaged in comparable crusades around the globe.
This, on the one hand, implies that the reader should be knowledgeable about a significant portion of world history, but it also emphasises the enormous attributes that he possessed and the manner in which he used them. structures when they successfully captured a town. Throughout the entire length of the book, the writer’s admiration for Shivaji is conspicuous.
2) Challenging Destiny: A Biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji
The second book in our list of Books on Shivaji Maharaj is written by Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran. The book provides a different perspective on the life and campaigns of Shivaji Maharaj and presents him as a challenger of his own fate and destiny. The 17th century will undoubtedly be marked by bloody battles, constant persecution, and religiously motivated killings of both the physical and spiritual kind. A warrior who was decades ahead of his time, Shivaji stands up and declares a stirring vision: respect for all humans, economic equality between all, and empowerment of all.
His fate does not favour him, as he must contend with terrible difficulties like a defeated and fallen populace, the power of the Mughal Empire, and the naval strength of the Western countries. The fate of the oldest civilisation is at risk in this ideological confrontation, along with competing belief systems and drastically divergent perceptions of India. See the origins of the historic occurrences whose ripple effects can still be felt throughout the subcontinent centuries later.
3) Shivaji: His Life and Times
The third book in our list of Shivaji Maharaj Books is Shivaji: His Life and Times. Written by Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale, the book covers Shivaji’s life and times, along with the challenges faced by him. The book is highly well-researched and has accurate maps drawn with state-of-the-art methods, along with footnotes and a bibliography.
4) Shivaji and his Times
The fourth book in our list of books on Shivaji Maharaj is one of the oldest accounts of Shivaji Maharaj. Authored by Jadunath Sarkar in 1919, the book presents an early perspective on the interpretation of Shivaji and his legacy. Published during the height of the Indian Independence Movement and at a time when Mahatma Gandhi was launching a series of Satyagrahas, the book is a reflection of the thing of our freedom fighters. Also, the author offers a critical evaluation of Shivaji’s contributions, accomplishments, and status in history. The author paints a clear picture of the great Maratha king and nation using a variety of sources and historical records in many languages.
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5) Shivaji: The Great Maratha
The fifth book in our list of Books on Shivaji Maharaj is Shivaji: The Great Maratha. The book was originally written in Marathi by Ranjit Desai and translated into English by Vikrant Pande. From his birth till his passing, Shivaji’s life is detailed in the book. The narrative starts with Shivaji’s turbulent upbringing and follows his rise to become the greatest Maratha emperor in history. Jijabai, Sai, Shivaji’s sons, as well as his devoted courtiers and warriors, are some of the other significant characters in this novel.
6) Rise of the Maratha Power
The sixth book in our list of Books on Shivaji Maharaj is authored by Mahadev Govind Ranade and is titled ‘Rise of the Maratha Power’. The book is one of the oldest testaments of the Maratha Empire. Ranade’s broad scope and impressive understanding of the key events in Maratha history demonstrate a command that suggests he would have become a brilliant historian had he not chosen to work in other areas. No other work has so masterfully condensed the vivid sketch of the Maratha power ascent into such a limited compass. It serves as a model for students and historians. The book has had such a profound impact on subsequent research into Maratha history and on methodologies for comprehending Indian history in general that it is appropriately regarded as a classic.
7) Shivaji: India’s Great Warrior King
The last book in our list of Books on Shivaji Maharaj is Shivaji: India’s Great Warrior King which is authored by Vaibhav Purandare. The book is different from other biographies of Shivaji Maharaj because the author is not a historian but a journalist. The author breaks down Shivaji’s political and military legacy into three phases since Shivaji only lived for 50 years (1630-1680). Up to 1656 is the first phase. During this phase, he developed into a fierce rebel, with a thorough awareness of the Mughal tyranny’s landscape and oppression. Purandare gives an interesting account of the second phase, referring to it as a “dramatic decade” that runs from 1656 to 1666, which includes Shivaji’s capture and spectacular escape from Aurangzeb’s prison.
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