The Main Currents of Maratha History

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THE MAIN CURRENTS of

Originally Patna University Readership Lectures 192(1,

now

greatly enlarged, rewritten, amt brought up to da to.

BY

00 VINT)

SAKT-I ARAM

Editor. Selections from

Author ok Marathi

the

SARDESAL

Biyasai

,

Handbook

to the

Records in the Alienation Office, dc.

Rs.

2]

b.a.

Peshcns' Daftar , Poona.

1933

i

r

rr

i

INDIA pr '

-

j

rr

n

t

m

works

INTIf-IC Nf ^ DIT ROAD

UOM0AY

IQ

It

(flit's

reserved

bij

the Authoi.

inittLfsMi

KESHA V BHIKAJI DlfAVM Gu gaunt, Bombay.

P

REF

A.

C

E

Since the years' ago,

a,

first edition of these lectures was printed seven great advance has taken place in the research history, particularly on account of- the ample

of Maratha selections from the Peshwas’ Daftar published by the Government of Bombay. While editing these selections 1 had to wade, with the help of stall, through the vast mass of old papers, both historical and administrative, and naturally obtained an insight into many useful topics, which I consider indeed to be more valuable than the papers actualI do not like to allow this experience to ly published.

my

with me and am ardently seeking means to put it on record. In the mean time -the demand for copies of niy Patna Lectures has long been pressing, and 1 am now trying to meet it immediately after obtaining relief from my underperish,

taking at the Peshwas’ Daftar.

While revising these lectures for a fresh edition, many new points have struck me for which I have now tried to make room without materially altering either the original plan or the size of the book. The main object of these lectures was to interpret Maratha history from purely Maratha standpoint, to those who cannot study the original materials at first hand owing to their ignorance of the language. This object I have scrupulously followed even now. But there were obvious gaps in the performance when it was first executed. No mention was made about the rise and career of Shivaji, or the grand successes of Peshwa Bajirao I. and his brother.

A sudden jump was taken from the death of Shahu to the Maratha War with the English, thus skipping entirely over the important event of Panipat or the brilliant career of Madhaorao I. These topics I have now put in and incidentally made a few alterations in my discussion of the character and achievements of Mahadji Sindia and Nana Eadtiis and of the causes of the Maratha downfall which form the subject of the last chapter.

My readers will hear in mind that I have by no means attempted to write heroin a full history of the Marathas. My purpose is to supply a running constructive criticism and a reasoned interpretation of the salient features involved in that vast subject, more or

Dominion in India,

Ms

less following the

work) The- British alihoitgh I do not Claim to possess his

lines of Sir Alfred Lyall, in

brilliant

powers or his sound judgment. Having purposely avoided entering into minute details and thereby making critical

the treatment cumbrous, I have tried to explain the aims aucl objects, the strong and weak points, the motives and general nature of the Maratha power, correcting and adding what appeared necessary from a personal study and experience, and removing the misconceptions and wrong views which 1 happened to notice during the course of my reading. Readers may judge how far I have succeeded in this rather ambitious design. All 1 can claim is that the views herein expressed are entirely my own. as any presentation of historical topics is bound to be. It would be ab-

surd in ail undertaking of this kind to try to please this or that school of thought. But I know I have tried to avoid partisanship and to give out an impartial reading of the old Maratha days. If history is to be of any practical use, an unbiassed and fearless criticism is, in my opinion, most essential, and, in this respect, I ieel I have tried to meet the educational needs of all students so far as the Maratha period of Indian history is concerned. I cordially repeat what I wrote in the first edition, viz. that, “the Patna University have laid me under deep obligations, by undertaking to have the lectures printed promptly T cannot personal supervision at Calcutta. and under also omit to thank my valued friend Prof. Sarkar for the kind and ready help he has rendered me in this task, shewing thereby what a keen interest he takes in Maratha His-

my

tory.”

Kamshct, Poona 1st Deo. 1933 Dist.

'i )-

J

Cr.

$.

SARDESAI

CONTENTS Lecture

I,

pages 28

MAHARASTRA PHARMA, —THE IDEAL OF THE MAHATMAS Pace 1.

Muslim south

2.

3.

influence .

The two

not penetrate

dirt

. .

.

.

.

.

-

into

.

.

.

.

the • .

•• •• 5 .. blended in Shiva ji .. Maharastra Dharma or the Maratha .spirit 7 actuated the Maratlias up to tire Last . ..II .. Meaning of Maharastra Dharma 13 Evil cffoatK of this Maratha ideal Visible marks of Maratha influence along the 14 . . . scared rivers Influence of this political ideal on Marathi litera21 ture and society Legitimate Maratha pride in past achievements .. -26

How

.

.

.

.

.

4. 5. 6.

8.

.

.

.

7.

1

Devagiri and Vijayanagar

traditions of

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Lecture

II,

•

.

.

.

.

-

•

.

.

.

pages 30

HISTORICAL EE SEARCH IN MAHARASTRA Extent, scope, and limitation of historical research Indian history has yet to he constructed by a

20

2,

3.

Fortunate

synthesis of materials from all sources lead given by two eminent scholars of two distinct types, Sarkar and Raj wade

4.

Eajwade

..

5.

Parasnis

.

6.

Khare

7.

B.I

.

8.

S. Mandal of Sardesai

9.

The

spirit

1.

.

..

.

.

,

.

.

.

31

.

.

35

..

..

..

.

.

,

. .

..38 -.41

..

..

..43

.

42 .

Poona

.

actuating a before the nation

.

.

.. .

.

.

.

national history, .

Lecture

.

.

.

,

.

.

.

—the .

.

.

.

47

task .

.

5L

III, pages 41

SHIVAJFS CONCEPTION OF A HINDU EMPIRE 1

,

2.

Shivaji takes his cue from his father Main incidents in Shivaji ’s career

.

,

'.

.

50 63

PAC4E Influence of Ramdas and other saints The coronation ceremony and its purpose Befriending Hindu princes .. All-India travel and experience Measures for Uniting Maratha elements

3.

4. 5.

.

6. 7. 8.

9.

.

.

.

13.

example inspired others .. Ghauthai, its origin and purpose Love of the Maratha Deshmukhs patrimony Origin of Uardeshmnkhi and tiaranjumi

14.

Perversion of the originaf object

11.

12.

.

.

.

.

. .

.

.

69 70

..

..74

.

.

Aurangxeb’s correct estimate of the danger .. The War of Independence ..

How

10-

Rhivaji’s

.

.

•

.

.

•

.

.

.

75

.

.

70

.

their

for .

78

.

..80

..

.

.

82

.

86 94

.. .

.

.

.

..77

.

-

.

64

.

.

.

.

Lecture IV, pages 36

SHAHU 1.

ANJ.)

THE MARATHA EXPANSION

—

Early life of Slialnl, situation at Attrangzeb’s 100 death Division of the Maratha Kingdom, why the 103 Peshwas looked to the north 105 Services of Balaji Vishvanatli The Rajput pact, ot non-co-operation with tho 108 Emperor, Shankaraji jVlalhar .. ..112 The brilliant career of Bajirao I. .. The process of Maratha expansion, interchange ..116 .. .. between north and south .. 121 Shahu’s personality and character Shahu’s last days, the question of succession and 127 how the Pcshwa handled the situation Change in Maratha Government, the Poshwa’s 130mistakes .

2.

3.

4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

9.

.

.

.

.

.

—

.

.

.

.

. .

Lecture V, pages

.

.

.

.

—

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

,

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

-

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

2]

DEVELOPMENT OF MU SLIM- MARATHA CONTEST

—antecedent causes

1.

The

2.

Abdali accepts the challenge

3.

4. 5. ,6. 7.

8,

battle of Panipat,

. .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

136 140

..141 .. .. .. Dattaji Sindia killed .. ..143 Sadasliivrao Bhau beaten 146 Results of the battle . 148 Muslim view of Maratha. conquests 15L Madhavrao, the greatest of the Peshwas 155 British jealousy at the increasing Maratha power .

A

•

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

4 2

wii

Lec-tcee VI, pages 33

MAHADJI SINDIA AND NANA FADNIS Paoe Three periods of Maratha history 137 Early careers of Mahadji and Naua. 159 . How the two leaders won the First, Maratha War 163 Physical and temperamental differences between the two ..165 . .. Drawbacks of Nana's policy .. .. 170 (a) WANT or A CONOUJATOffiY spieit ..170 (b) DID NOT P.EALIZE BRITISH PRESSURE is THE . .

.

.

.

.

.

. .

. ,

.

.

. .

.

.

.

NOBTH

1

affairs of

.

Lecture VII, pages 'HE

.

73

..176

.. Mahadji .. .. Limitations of Nana’s power . What could have been done for future safety

Confused

. .

.

180 184

38

DOWNFALL OF THE MARATHA STATE

The Peskwai hastening to its end Marquess of Hastings on Bajirao II.

. .

Bajirao’s last effort

.

.

.

.

Causes of the Maraiha downfall

... .

.

.

. .

.

.

.

190 192

..193

... ...

,

.

. .

195

A -TT RAO ANDDAULATKAU PRDIAHELY RESPONSIBLE 195 • Neglect of science 198 . . . II

Neglect of artillery

Lack of organization The Maraiha and

—a contrast

.

.

•

.

.

.

.

.

. .

-

•

. •

British

the .

,

.

...

.

.

.

.

.

...

Angering

DEX

memory before us

..

of the past

..

-

.

.

205 207 21

downfall ...

. . Prominent Maratha personalities ... Munro’s reflections on the Maratha strength

The task

200 202

personnel,

.

False notion of religion Superior .British polities How far is caste responsible for our . . Peculiar position of the British

T

.

...

?

. .

... . .

21

221 223

..224 ...

226

...

22 $

THE MAIN CURRENTS OF

MARATBA HISTORY

“ Alt Empires, all states, all organizations of human society are in the ultimate, things of understanding and will.”

—H. 0.

Wells

Short History oj the. World.

LECTURE 'THE

MAHARASTRA DHARMA IDEAL OF THE MARATHAS

Muslim

1.

1

influence did not penetrate into the south.

— v '

The one on which

subject oi great historical importance

many eminent

scholars in Maharastra have

concentrated their attention in their research, has reference to the prime aim of the Marathas, I mean,

conception of their Swaraj ya, their object in

"the

striving for

the main

it,

the principles for which they stood,

unifying force which heartened

them

in

times of trouble and adversity, and enabled them to

work

years.

for national uplift for

The subject

and ranges over a tion, '

and the

saints, teachers

is

some two hundred

obviously vast and intricate,

large extent of literature, tradi-

lines of

succession

and leaders

of the

of very

many

Maratha people. It

o

T.EOTURE

would

1)0

writings

very instructive

and

produced by

records,

many

examine

to

and from the mass

recent scholars,

and written on the

subject.

better than take

up

it

ning of ray task, by

Maratha history

l

from old

it

of literature

who have thought

I cannot, therefore,

do

for discussion, at the begin-

way

of clearing the

ground of

and present to you a few facts and views and some of the important results of study and research in Maharastra on this basic subject. It was that great scholar and thinker M.

(!.

of

the

of

in general,

Ranade who,

in his brilliant

Maratha Power,

first

in

nation-building

the

,

The

guiding principle.

the

process

Deccan, and set down

Maharastra Dharma the duty its

work The Rise

described

of Maharastra, to be

original and full

mean-

ing of this phrase requires a searching examination,

us the clue, by which we can

so as to furnish for

understand,

why

of

ail

the nationalities of India,

the Marathas alone found

it

possible to establish an

independent power for a pretty long time. India south of the Nerbudda was never com-

by

pletely subjugated

sense

in

the

Muhammadans,

which northern India was.

in

the

The Hindu

princes in the north, from the time of Jaipal and Prithviraj

to

that of liana Banga, had struggled

hard but in vain to

Muslim conquest. crushed; they

roll

back the onrushing

The Rajput

tide of

princes were entirely

became, servants of the Emperors,

contracted marriage alliances with them, and sub-

mitted to them in pline.

their

all

matters of religion and

The sacred places of the Hindus were temples

were

pulled

down,

their

diseir

violated, religious.

M AHA RASTRA PHARMA were interfered with

practices

in

;

z other

places,

wholesale populations were converted to the Muslim

One has only

faith.

to visit

any important city

in northern India, in order to realize the havoc caused to

Hindu

temples, images, palaces and to old Sanskrit

inscriptions, as, for instance, at

in fact, to

and

Dhax and Mandugad,

that every nation cherishes as sacred

all

An

inspiring.

old

hakim

of Mahikavati

(Mahim

near Bombay), finished in 1578 by one Bhagawan

Nanda Dutta, with many

portions written centuries

that time, has been discovered and printed.

lief ore

It contains the following description of the terribly

depressing condition of north Konkan, after

hands

into the

the

of the

Muhammadans

“All religion

author:

lost

all

;

Says

in 1348.

was destroyed;

friendship and relationship vanished

it fell

of

ties

the Kshatriyas

They

sense of duty towards the country.

gave up their arms and took up the plough instead*

Rome took np

the profession of mere clerks and the

rest were reduced to

slaves

the

humiliating

and Bhudras, while a

wiped out

of existence.

self-respect

destroyed.”

position

of

host of others were

Most of the people

lost their

and the Maharasfcra Dharma was totally But, while the Hindu mind in

north had helplessly submitted to violence and

the

force,,

the onward march of Muslim conquest received a strong check in the south, where the invasions of

Alauddin Khilji and Malik Kafur had hut made transitory impression.

mad

The

fierce

hand

Tughlak could not win the Deccan

and although the tablished

rebellious

of

Muham-

for Delhi,,

Hasan Bahmani

an independent dynasty

a.

es-

at Gulbaxga, that.

LECTURE

4 kingdom,

I

was a Hindu

for all practical purposes,

rule with only a nominal

mixture of the Muslim

.element.

-of

For two hundred years preceding the birth Shiv a i, forces were at work in the Deccan, facij

Hindu independence at different centres of Shivaji only less magnitude and influence.

litating

more

or

supplied the adhesive clement unifying the scattered units,

and shrewdly worked upon the

religious senti-

ment, which so strongly appealed to the popular Raj wade

imagination. •spirit

of

of Maharastra

by

India,

aptly

differentiates

this

from that of the other provinces former

the

calling

jayishiu or

conquering”, and the latter sahishnu or “passively

This genius or

suffering/’

spirit of

Maharastra runs

unmistakably through the utterances

and preachers, and through the .And diplomats. is

known

saints

actions of her warriors

The expression Maharastra Dharma

have been used

to

of her

for the first

time

by the

a popular Marathi work Guru-Gharitra

author

of

or 'the

life

of the great

Guru Dattatreya,’ composed

.somewhere about the middle of the 15th century, .although the Maratha saints had preached and spoken

of Maharastra Dharma long before.

The

late Prof.

Limaye, a great authority on history, says the saints

of

force that

Maharastra did was to create the moral

would exalt and ennoble the

ideal of the Marathas.

making up

“What

:

political

There were two main factors

this national

movement, the one

repre-

by the more, or Deshmukhs (of whom

senting the political power wielded less

1

independent Jagirdars or

am

going to speak in

a

later

discourse),

who'

MAHARASTBA DHAEMA opposed Shivaji in represented

tire

liis

moral

5

early career, and

force,

oilier

tlxe

which the people derived

from the preaching of Ramdas and other great

saints.

Shivaji stands forth for the synthesis of the two.

Himself the son of a great Maratlia nobleman and as such possessed of

power and

thoroughly imbued with the the saints.

of

by

Inspired

strove to realize

them

in his

he was

influence,

spirit of the teachings

their life

high ideals, he

and

doing

in

so.

he was prepared to risk both his power and position.

That is

is

and

the significance of Shivaji’s life-work,

that which entitles him

to

it

rank by the side of the

greatest of the world’s heroes ",

The two

2,

traditions

of Decay iri and

Vijayamgar blended

At

the outset

in Shivaji.

we must remember that

did not start his national work three predecessors in the

all of

all

His

a sudden.

family were

men, imbued with the national

Shivaji

spirit

clever

all

common

to

Marathas, in an increasing degree in succession.

They

all

seem

traditions

to

have been clearly inspired by

coming down to them in two

currents, the one starting giri of

from the Yadavas

tile

d'stinct of

Deva-

the 13th century on the northern border of

Maharastra, and the other from the Bays of Vijaya-

nagar

of the 16th

coming through

century on the southern Shivaji’s

mother

Jijabai.

;

the

first

who was

descended directly from the Yadavas, and the other

from

liis

father Shahji,

whose life-work was

in the historic regions of Yijayanagar. titles

assumed by the Yadava kings such

cast

The grand as

Pratap

:

LECTURE

6

1

Ohakravarti, Samasba-Bhuvanashraya, Bamrat, 8hriRrithvi-Vallabha, and their national banner bearing

the golden image of an eagle/ were vivid emblems fresh in tbe Maratlia

memory,

directly inspiring

tliem with, ancient glory, liberty and independence.

Similarly as regards ihe Rays of Vijavanagar, the

Deva-Ray concentrated

famous

improving horsemanship as

broken country

and

Bhivaji

the

principal

the Deccan,

of

arm

of

suited to the hilly

particularly

warfare,

guerilla

attention on

liis

which

later

his successors so cleverly developed

on

and

so successfully utilized in attaining their life’s purpose.

An

old paper records a dialogue between

Rama Ray.

the victim of Talikot, and his mother, when, on the

eve of the famous battle (January 1565 ), he went to ask her blessings lor his success.

Ray

our

“This

our

of

resort

gods,

and conspired

to

forces

on me.”

attitude

of

the

spirit of religion

Muhammadan

a favourite

religion,

and

kings have combined

In order to prevent

it.

me, mother, go with

Do you

and conquer them.

blessings

Bliivaji,

let

been

Brahmins,

destroy

such a catastrophe,

my

has

Muhammadan

Rive

charities.

country

Rama

Bays

all

confer your

This conversation describes the

Hindu mind and shows how the had inspired

it

to

rise

against

oppression in the south long before

who simply took up

the cue later with

the same object, as the bakhars and other records

go to the

prove. saints

The

and

influence

particularly

of

the

teachings

of Ramtlas,

I

of will

MAHAIiA STRA DHAKUA

have occasion

to explain later,

and need not repeat

here.

it

The famous verse adopted by

by

since continued o

7

i

another strong

evidence of

It runs thus — “Evor-gi owing

spirit.

the crescent

and ever

i

an inscription

his successors as

their state seal, is

the same

Shiva;

like

:

the

of

first

moon, and commanding;

obedience from the world, this seal of Khivaji, the

soil

of Shahji, shines forth for the good of the world.’ * 1

The late Mr, Bliavc, a penetrating scholar, maintained that this verse was formerly used by the Moreys of Javli on their seal

;

Shiva ji borrowed

from them

it

with a few suitable modifications of his owu. 3.

How Maharashn Dhanm actuated the Marathas

This sustained trials

vein

the

of

or the

up

Maharastra

nation

through

Maratha

spirit

to the last.

Dhaima

not

most

their

only

terrible

during their long struggle with Autvuigzeb,

but was

faithfully

kept up through the subsequent

transformations and later expansion of the Maratha empire.

The

first

evidence of their

four Peshwas have

left

having ever kept this

Maharastra Dharma before their eyes.

In

ample

ideal all

of

their

undertakings in the north, and their dealings with the Bajputs and other races, they steadily strove,

not so

much

for

empire or power, as

for tire release

of the famous holy places of the Hindus from the

Muhammadan hands, viz.,

Prayag, Benares, Mathura,

4 i

LECTURE

I

Hard war, luimlcshetra, Puahkar, Gadamukteshvai and others in the end they succeeded in taking ;

possession of nearly

all,

except Prayag and Benaies.

which never came hack into Hindu possession. a memorable (

which Kbahu addressed

letter

onsin Kambhaji. when

his

to

leagued with the

“This kingdom belongs to gods

Nizam, Khaim says and Brahmins

lattei

tlie

Tn

the blessings of Clod Khankara and

•

goddess Bhavani.

ancestor Shiva ji to rescue

Muhammadans.

our great and revei eel

enabled it

from the bands of the

"What a pity

it

is,

then, that

you

should have given up our Maliarastia Dliarma and

sought shelter with the enemies

of

it.

Our family

boasts of descent from Baradevrao Yadava

behove you

not therefore

to

;

it

does

go contrary to our

Khaim's greatest Peshwa Balaji Bajirao wa

grain.’’

so fully

imbued with

tor the

Hindus, that, in a letter

this spirit

6-

of religious liberty ol

1752 he asks his

agent residing at the court of the Nizam to remind

him

Nizam) that,

(the

"We

Maratha gcinims are the

disciples of the great Khivaji Maharaj*’, thei

conveying

ebv a hint as to how they were actuated by

religious motives in their dealings with the various

potentates of India,

and bow they were trying

to

complete what Khivaji bad undertaken.

Even century,

as late as the early nineties of the 18th

the famous Maratha diplomat Govindrao

Hale, who long resided at the court of Hyderabad, thus writes to

Nana

Faclnis,

Government on the

and congratulates the Maratha

signal achievements of Mahadji

Smd ia in regulating the affairs of the Emperor and

fulfilling

the

at Delhi,

objects of Maratha policy.

The

;;

MAHAEASTEA DHAEMA and despatches

letters

S-

of litis Clovindrao Kale have*

been prin ted in several volumes, and show him to have been a man of high principles and great capacity,

fully

bieathing the Maratha atmosphere of those days. will

quote the letter in

correct idea of

and talked I

have

:

felt,

full, in

1

order to give you

what the Maratha,s

of those

days

felt

“If I were to adequately express all that

upon reading your most

inspiring letter,

giving an account of the crowning glories achieved

Mahadji at Delhi, still

myself so bold as

my

enthusiasm,

to transgress

and

item

gives

make

I

the ordinary limit, and

write some of the uppermost thoughts of single

by

should have to write volumes

1

I cannot repress

Each

l.

occasion

my mind.

a

for

separate

India extends from the Indus to the

congratulation.

southern ocean beyond the Indus comes Turlristau ;

Hindu control since the days of the Mahabharata. But some of the later Hindu kings lost tlieir old vigour, and yieldthese limits of India have been under

ed to the Havanas who thereafter became powerful. Delhi was captured

by

the

(

'hagtais

;

the culminating

came in the reign of the great Emperor Alamgir. Every sacred thread received an imposipoint

tion of Ks.’ 3 /8 for

payment

cooked food was offered for

were compelled

on a

reaction.

to

buy

.it.

of

Jam

sale in shops,

:

fucca or

and people

This oppression brought

The epoch-making Shiva ji

a small corner to protect the

Hindu

religion,

rose in

There-

upon came such luminaries as Peshwa Balajirao and Bhau Saheb, who gave the whole of India.

Mahadji Sindia

so

fresh light

and hope

to-

This spirit later on possessed

much, that he was able to

fulfil

LECTURE

10

ancestral purpose.

tile

If

T

we had

tmoariJck-wnlGTs

Muhammadans, they would have written volumes on Mahadji’s victories, for they know how to magnify small things up to the skies. We Hindus the

like

We

arc of a reverse temperament.

out even about signal doings.

indeed

been

Impossibilit ins have

The Patil-bova (Mahadji)

achieved.

broke the heads of those

him

do not speak

who

tried to raise them.

ill

luck, hut he did accomplish his

object dauntlessly.

This victory will surely bear the

All wished

desired fruit on the model of the great Shivaji.

no

evil

eye

Let

Not only have

soil this glorious result.

and kingdoms been acquired by this hut the protection of the Vedas and the

territories

victory,

Shastras, the foundation of religion and unmolested

and cows

worship, the preservation of Brahmins in fact, this

this

fame and

:

suzerain regal power of the Marathas, glory, all

have now been achieved and

proclaimed in the loudest accents to the world.

To

preserve this grandeur will be the glory of Patil-bova

and yourself. All

You must not

be remiss

in this task;

doubts about our supremacy over India have

been set

now be

at

rest.

Grand

Maratha

annies

must

stationed on the plains of Lahore, for there

exist countless evil-doers,

who rejoice

and try to compass our downfall.” did not conceive of a

through the sea

at our reverses

Poor Govindrao

new danger from

the

west

!

I have purposely quoted this long letter which is

dated 2nd Jnly 1792, that

is,

exactly ten years

before the transfer of the sovereign power from the

Maratha hands

into the British.

Many

lettprs of

MAHARASTRA DIIARMA

Nana Fadnis

11

are extant addressed to Mahadji Sindia

urging him (o obtain from the Emperor a transfer

Hindu holy places from Muhammadan

of the

control

and an explicit circular order prohibiting the slaughter

Such

cows throughout India.

u>'

obtained and paraded with great I

need not

not only

were constantly surging

how

order

pomp

in Poona,

the great ideals

Maratha minds

in

was

having made

stress this point further,

sufficiently clear,

It

an

right,

up to the last, but how high their spirits were, even when their fall was imminent, as we know it now, 4.

I

am

Mecmi'H'/ of Maharastni DJutnna.

not here discussing

Maharastra Dharma was

how

right,

far this ideal of

or whether

harmful, and whether in the long run or evil to India as a whole. to

discuss

later.

once more, how Inns

it

it

was

did good

This point I shall have

I only wish

to

emphasize- here

the main point of Maratha history

been missed by very

their inability to grasp

many

and trace

writers, this

Maratha

through the character and actions of well as their literature

and history,

Hellenic culture, which

is

owing to

like

ideal

the race as

the ancient

said to have actuated the

Greeks in their national expansion.

The best minds

in Maharastra have devoted their energies to the

discussion of this topic ever since, the day of Eanade,

and have, time and again, proved by fresh evidence the existence of this grand purpose, of which I have

not been able to present here more than a bare outline.

Materials discovered in Maharastra have been,

read and discussed so frequently and so exhaustively*

.

.

12

LECTURE

that in

I

could not very well omit this pervading topic

3

my

talks on

Maratka

V llasa Champ a,

Radha - Madhava-

history.

Mahilavati-Balchar, Shiva-Bharal,

-

Par nala - Parvata - Grahan - A khyan the Shahavalis, the JRajaniti of

and

and papers

letters

and the utterances inscriptions

and

of

,

TaliJcot

-

Ram chandra

Bahha/r >

Amatya,

Shahji and his ancestors,

of older bards

and

and documents about

.Brahmins during Maratha

saints, as also

gilts to

and

temples

pre-Maratka

times, all these are growing in volume and import-

ance every day, and testify to the existence religious spirit of of

the

of this

Makarastra Pharma in the minds

people for a

long time.

Shaliy was the

patron of poets and literature; two of his proteges,

Jayram and Paramanand, wrote several works,, which have recently been discovered and printed and deserve careful study. Bays Raj wade ‘‘Those bom in Makarastra are :

called Mahariistras==Marasti'a, corrupted into Maratha.

The country inhabited by the Maliarastrikas came be called Maharastra.

Brahmins

to

All the

Hindu

to

castes from the

the Ant yagas residing in that country,

obtained the comprehensive

name Marashra

or

Mara-

Marathas came to ho

tha.

The

called

by a comprehensive title Makarastra Pharma.

religion of all these

It

includes four elements viz„( 1) practices towards gods

and injunctions (2) (

local,

the Sliastras Dem-Shastrachara ), (.

practices (Deshac/tara)

Kuladiara ) and

The

of.

(4)

inhabitants of

follow all these.

caste

(3)

family practices

practices

(Jatyacltara ).

Maharastra were

bound

to-

Says Justice Rauade: “The onlyr

motive power which

is

strong enough to

move

the,-

MAHARASTRA DHAEMA masses in this country

had been

of India

an appeal

is

During the

gious faith.

visibly

with the

Muhammadan

had been

action

last.

militant

and reaction

the

new

contact

and there

creed,

marked kind,

of a very

cannot enter into the

I

problem here,

of this

to their reli-

300 years the whole

moved by

particularly in Maharastra.” full details

13

which requires

patient and original study, and which

difficult

is

to

grasp merely from translations.

But

to understand

Maratha

the

sources

must

in

their

he read proper

properly,

history in

the

original

Evil

effects

all

and

considered

light.

5.

me

Let

of this Maratha

say frankly that

ideal.

however useful this

Dhanna might have been

ideal of Maharastra

securing national interests hi the beginning, to it

appears as not an altogether healthy one.

main drawback was entirely inert progress,

that

it

made

the Maratha

is

changes to suit the changing

provision for

making

This spiritual

practice,

amounting

Shahu acted on

this principle for

“we must

to

not change the old, must not take up

it

mind

thcMarathas was often impracticable, giving a rule in

rise to

Its

requirements of suc-

ceeding times, no power can last long. ideal of

mo

Dominion means

and unprogressive.

and unless there

in

the new.”

40 years and made

the condition of his transfer of power into the

hands

of the

now we mind

Peshwas

at the time of his death.

painfully realize

how tenaciously

the Indian

sticks to old impracticable Shastras

injunctions,

as

in

the

case

of

the

Even

and

their

removal of

LECTURE

14

I

untouchability, even though they had been

unsuitable to our present situation.

In

matters of the Hindus, every item of

on

We

religion.

and out

all

roved

])

practical

life is

based

are proud of quoting, in season

and the Bhastras what we may happen to be doing. This conservative turn of mind prevented the of season, the Smritis

in support of

Maratlias from

travelling to

from

ideas,

new education and new

acquiring

training their

own men

in

western

western

western warfare, so as to introduce

or

countries,

and

science

new methods and

work into their constitution. How this affected the Maratha power I shall relate later on. For the present it is enough for mo to point out, how the failure to detect this underlying and unifyprocesses of

ing principle of Maliarastra Dharma, has led

many

a writer to describe Maratha rule as mere outbursts

an inborn tendency for ravaging,

of

troying, doing good to nobpdy.

pillaging, des-

This wrong notion

has much vitiated the character of Maratha history

and requires

correction.

Visible

6.

marks of Maratha influence along

the

‘

sacred rivers. It is interesting to trace the results of

rule to

ideal

this

of

Maliarastra

examine them from the general people.

Minar

We

We

Maratha

Dharma and

character of the

cannot look for a Taj Mahal or a Kutb-

in the

works

left

behind by the Marathas.

know, of course, they never had the

leisure,

the

peace and the money that are necessary for such constructions.

But even

if

they had these, they

MA H Alt A

?!

Tit

A DIIAEMA

never in

my

nation.

The Maratlva race, as

opinion possessed

tlio

15 requisite

their soil

incli-

and history

have made them, are a rugged, strong and sturdy people,

having

wards

and

practical,

mental cast the urge of

utility to-

intelligent,

in their

life

and

self-assertive

action, patient, industrious

trating in learning

and study, hardy,

and pene-

frugal

and

cal-

culating in their temperament, but not emotional or

showy

idealists.

practical interests all

that

They always had an eye for and the conveniences of life, in

they planned and accomplished.

What-

ever one could expect from such a character and

from to,

their religious turn of

mind already alluded

has doubtless been profusely in evidence in the

Deccan and elsewhere, wherever Maiatha influence

They built temples, bathing ghats on tanks and wells, walls and forts, residential

penetrated. rivers,

palaces contrived for protection

and convenience,

and hill-passes. The temples and their vicinities wore usually the places for schools where serais

the Vedas and the Shastras were taught, their cost

being defrayed from assignments of land or cash, styled anm-chhatras.

The Maratha edifices are by no means pretentious. They are ingenious in conception and exquisite in execution,

when minutely examined. Big black stones

were specially brought to the Deccan from the river Dandaki for working them into images, some of which are indeed remarkable for their skill and art.

Most of

these temples and images are to be found in out-of-the-

way

places,

away from the railway, and have hardly

attracted the notice of the present day advertising:

i

LECTURE

6

travellers.

I

About 30 years ago the

Bane, a touring Maratlia

official

late

Kao Bahadur

in the Educational

had occasion to visit nearly every the Poona and the Ivolaba Districts

Service, in

Bombay

village

the

o£

Presidency, and being fond of observation,

kept a record in the form of a diary, in which he wrote

down every

met

peculiar point that

his eye.

Extracts from these diaries, which have recently been

most valuable and interesting account of the relics of old Maratlia rule and conclusively prove that, after all, that rule was not so

published,* yield a

generally supposed.

Water-

works, temples, tanks, images, palaces and

forts, are

barren of results as

is

to be found nearly everywhere built

by the various

and Jagirdars who served in distant parts but who had a sort of a home capital in

-Sirdars

of India,

the Deccan.

Jambgaum

and C'handwad of

of

the Holkars, Davdi and

the Gaikwads, are only a few

existing

Wafgauni

of the Sindias,

among

Mibb gaum

the plentiful

types of the past Maratlia constructions.

The old Peshwas’ palace

at Nasilc,

the District Judicial Courts,

is

now

indeed a

worth being recorded as a work of at the shrine of Jejuri

and

beautiful,

Kao

II.

occupied by

on the top

monument

art.

of a hill

having been constructed

The paths

The tank is

large

by

Baji

and the temples there, are all very well executed and exhibit care and skill of construction. The temple of Bhuleswar in the

Katraj

same

vicinity

tank, which

of the ghats

is

also a fine

then

supplied

building.

The

water to the

* V imdha-Dnana- Vislar, Feb. 1915 to August 1920.

M A HA R A« f HA city of Pooiifi

,

V K KMA

1?

was executed by IVslnva lUji

temples and

Tiio

I)

min,^

at

client

speeimeus o£ the works which

executed.

images

and proportion

skill

TIi o

on the Bhimaat Pimpalner,

tomb

indeed extin*

tlie

1

.stone

The

gluts

small but beautiiul

Bomcswur

of Mastani at Pabal. tlie temple of

at Clias,

Peshwas

of tin

indeed beggar description.

will

Theur,

Pmidlurpur.

Chinch wad, Ahmdi and traugapur au* i

Liao II.

temple and tank at Kuianjgnum and

tlie

Veiul, the temple o! Lakshmi-Nrisinha at Narsuig-

pur

by

limit

veliers’

Uran,

Vitlial

houses' at

Khivdev, the temple and Ca-

Moigamn, the Vishnu Mandn at by the

constructed

various others ot this type,

and

Ihvalkar.s.- -those will,

if

jnopeily In ought

to public notice, certainly prove that the Mautthus

were not entirely devoid of beauty;

as

many

in

of artistic skill, or a sense,

nor was their rule so barren of Jesuits

iguoram

e

have supposed.

But mere grandeur, waste and lavislmess. were not

in their grain

;

com euieuces

temples, rivers,

water and residence, hill-paths and

and convenient

dwellings, designed

of

ghats, spacious

more

for use

and

protection than show, have received every attention

from the Maratha

rulers,

charged with the neglect utility.

also

who cannot of

of real public

This tendency of Maratha constructions

amply

visible in

and study.

is

northern India, wherever the

Maratha influence penetrated. tion

works

therefore be

The fact

is,

It requires

examina-

that under the general

impression that the Marathas were merely vandals

and

freebooters, few

have cared to investigate and

bring to light those unpretentious, but impressive

LECTURE

IS

l

and often exquisite relics executed during Maratha times. The cursory exploration of only two districts mentioned

be extended to the

ought to

above,

other districts and distant corners

and

papers,

available

all

students and scholars.

of

light for the use of

can say from personal

I

that heaps of papers and material of

experience,

great utility are

to be found in

still

Maratha

centres of

activity,

and sympathetic handling

who

well-to-do publishers,

The Eastes

past.

and traces

objects

brought to

historical interest

Maharastra,

of

of

all

awaiting

important the search

of earnest workers and

care for our

historical

Wai, the Patwardhans of Miraj

and Sangli, the Pratinidhis of Aundh and Karad* the S urves of Shringarpur, the Shirkes, the Jadhavs*

the Moreys, the Jedhes, the Nimbalkars and Ghor-

pades have

all

had

their centres of

work and

influ-

ence, small capitals, so to say, of these historical families, tion,

wherein they concentrated

money and the

numerous

their atten-

labours for over 200 years.

The grand and rivers,

all

rich valley,? of the two sacred

Godavari and the Krishna, with their

tributaries offer a

most

fruit-fid field,

not

only for search and collection, but for the publication of useful illustrated guides or albums, based

tional historical conception

.

on a na-

The Godavari starts from

Trimbak, a place in mountain fastnesses to which the Peshwas and the leading families paid frequent vistis of pilgrimage

places hallowed

female

;

by the

a few miles below are

two

residence of the two historical

figures, Anandvalli, the residence of

Bai, wife of the famous Raghoba,

Anandi-

and Gangapur

MAHARASTRA DHARMA

19

the residence of Gropika-Bai, wife ofPeskwa Balajirao

and mother

of three brilliant

of historical

fame

life

at Panipat, his

but unfortunate sons

Viswas llao the eldest

:

younger brother Madhav Bao died

a premature death from consumption 28 after a splendid rule of ,

achievements

;

J

1

at the

Their mother Gopika-Bai

left

grand

and the third and youngest, Bar ay an

been so overcome by that she

age of

full of

years,

Bao, was murdered at the instigation of

Baghoba.

Ms

lost

said to

is

grief at this last

his uncle-

have

bereavement^

her palatial residence at Gangapur in

and lived in a hut at Panclravati opposite

agony,

Nasik, living on the alms which she begged from

door to door.

Down

the river stand Nasilc and Pan-

known to need special Kopergaum and Kacheswar, still

chavati, already too well

mention.

Sangvi,

lower down, are

all

places abounding in relics of the

day Peshwas. Puntambe, Nawase, Kaygaum. and Tonke, Slievgaum, Paithan, Rakshasbhuvam Shah gad, Pathri, Banded, Brahmeshvar and verylatter

many I

am

other

places

down

sure,

repay

a

this

which

is

river

will,

inspection

and

historical relics.

As.

thorough

publication of illustrated old

a race wc lack that

great

spirit of travel

and observation,

to he found in the west, and which has-

yielded there such abundant results and topics of

national interest.

The river Krishna, rising at Mahabaleswar, offers a still

more fruitful field for research and

Dhom,

active interests

Menavali, 'Wai, Mahuli, Karad, Sangli, Miraj,.

Kurundwad, Wadi and other deserve to be investigated

places lower down, all

by means

of

an active

20

LrCTUIlE

campaign.

I

I

have not the time here to

refer to smaller

streams like the Bhima, the Nira and others, nor to the larger and more extensive valleys of the Tapti, the Ner-

budda and the Cliambal. The genius of the Maratha race has worked along river streams and among mountain fastnesses, which deserve to be thoroughly ransacked,

if

we wish

on authentic data.

to build

up our

historical past

A similar research is also required

outside Maharastra in no 'diem and southern India, part cularly where the Maratha influence penetrated.

Dhar, Devas, Indore, Ujjain, Jhansi, Saugor, Gwalior,

Banda, Mathura, Bithur, Benares and various

other places, not to mention the south,

all

many

similar ones in

bear plentiful signs of the influence

and culture imparted by the Marathas, which repay the labours of a special study.

on

this point, specially to

I

will

have dilated

draw the attention of

students to the various directions in which research

can and has to be carried on.* In Maharastra such a campaign of research was started first by Raj wade and continued by a band of poor but devoted workers, whose tours and experiences have been printed in the annals of the B. I. S.

Mandal

of

Poona, containing detailed descriptions

of historical places, old monuments, folklore, village songs, obscure

other

relics of

poems of old bygone days.

writers

and bards, and

In the midst of our

*An

c Sort in this direction is being made during recent by various organizations whose object is to foster the fellow-feeling of the Maratha communities residing in

years

outlying places styled Greater Maharastra, and thereby to increase the output of useful information bearing on various topics of our literature and history.

MAHARASTRA DHARMA every day busy

life,

21

command

our students hardly

the leisure and the patience which, such a careful

study

Signs,

requires.

however,

hopeful for historical research,

moment

present

the

several

India

distant parts of

busily

are

decidedly

when one

notices at

earnest workers in

engaged

in

.sifting

available sources and constructing a true story out of them. 7

Influence of this 2)olitiml ideal on Marathi

.

literature

and

Bo far at any rate as in Maharastra

society.

present research goes

Marathas can rightly boast of

the.

possessing in a printed form, Bakhars or chronicles,

personal and public letters, accounts, Government

documents, sanads and decisions, gies,

diaries

no other people tion or of the in nature

Of

all

and various material, which probably

and chronological

other forms of historical

treaties, genealo-

entries,

of India lias, in the

same

variety.

They

same propor-

are also different

from those of the other parts

these papers, the letters are

by

of India _

far the

most

important in a historical sense, since, plentiful as they are,

we can prepare with their help a connected account

of all

important events occurring in Maratlia history

and, nearly always, from different points of view. Since language actual

life

is

and

only the outward expression of the

occupation

of

a people,

Marathi

literature increased with the spread of their activities,,

from the time when Shivaji raised

it to

the status

of the language of the court, in the place of Persian.

Important

affairs of

the army, navy, forts, justice*

22

LECTURE

revenue accounts and

I

oilier subjects,

came

all

to

be 'written in Maratlii since Shivaji’s clays and this

change

in

a short time enriched that language to an

With

enormous extent.

many the way

the increase of work

individuals and families coming from out of

and encouragement.

places, received fresh inspiration

There was hardly any prose worth the name in

Marathi before the

days of

the best literature used

when

Shivaji,

all

and that

to be in poetry

too of a devotional and religious character.

But when Shivaji and his father started their new work, battles, campaign,s, treaties, engagements and orders became the order of the day, and these The adventures

required to be committed to writing.

and achievements victory over Afzal

and

of Shivaji

Khan,

his followers, his

for instance, or

his visit

to the court of Aurangzeb, or the thrilling capture

by Tanaji Malusre, soon

of Sinhagad

the .

peoplets

imagination,

captivated

and Shivaj i’s

Jijabai herself took the lead in getting

mother

them im-

mortalized in bardic poetry for popular recitation all

over the country.

Samples

of

such

songs, or

jpowadas as they are popularly known, have been translated into English verse give to non-Marathi readers vities

of

those

days.

pandits to coin an

by Acwortk, and some idea

Shivaji

official

will

of the acti-

employed

learned

vocabulary by translating

technical terms from Persian into Sanskrit and pre-

pared what

is

called the

•dictionary of technical

court.

Raj-Vyavahar-Kosh,

names

for the use

The Persian element soon began

jplace to Sanskrit,

i.e.,

a

of the to

give

which came to be drawn upon

MAHAB ASTRA DHARMA lor

kinds of high-flown writing,

all

hundred

23 so

that in

a

time the character of the language

year,-s'

was entirely changed.

While Ekuath, the greatest

75%

Marathi writer of the Kith century, uses nearly

Persian words and expressions in his works, Moropant’s Marathi of

the 18th century

Sanskrit with hardly a

There prose

is

5%

mixture

is

nearly

of

Persian.

all

a prevalent notion that modern Indian

a creation of the 19th centuiy of the post-

is

British days, started in imitation of the great probe

So far as Marathi

writers of the west.

notion

kind

of prose writing of a

is

Language,

150 years of

like

concerns, needs

national

official

as

we can

it

see for ourselves

shone

other

patronage

for its

Marathi received the brighter,

all

from the published papers.

It is necessary for all of us to realize, in

how many

ways Swaraj ya improves the status

different

and why

nation,

Maratlia

and

industries

growth and prosperity, and when the required patronage,

particular

very high order did come

into existence during the activity.

concerned

is

A

not quite accurate.

this

a nation’s soul

all

is

the world

is

striving for

reflected in its literature,

of

it.

a If

we can

clearly read it in the prose chronicles of the Marathas,

some

which

of

will

take a high rank

writings.

Sabhasad’s

Bakhar

Bhau

of

account

of the Peshwas, are all

positions of a high class of the

their joys

comings.

the

Shivaji,

Sahel), the KaijiyaLol the Ilolkars,

and the two Balkars doings

of

among prose

and correctly

com-

reflect

the

Marathas, their hopes and aspirations,

and sorrows, their capacities and short-

But

it is

the letters which would appeal

LECTURE

24

They

I

are written

by

with the particular object of impressing

tyhe

to tlio loader most.

men

views upon

in power,

the executive government. print ei l

volumes of such

who were

export,-**,

writer’s

charge of

in

More than a hundred

letters

exist

at present*

which show how the writoi a (Chilnitse.s) and translators (/Viru.sn/.v'.s), fame to be in great demand all oven flu-


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dm

luuamiath

objects in Ht.tr and emphatic

authentk

presume

it.y

it ers

es

ins

has

to -hiysinh

He-,

m

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