350th Anniversary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Coronation

 

1. In June 2024, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) jointly organized an exhibition featuring oil paintings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to commemorate the 350th anniversary of his coronation.
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned as the king of the Marathas on 6^th June 1674, at Raigad.

About Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

1. Founder of the Maratha Empire in western India.
2. Born on February 19, 1630, to Shahaji Bhosle and Jijabai in the fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in the Pune district.
3. Rise to Power: With his valor and great administrative skills, Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur, which eventually became the genesis of the Maratha Empire.
4. Naval Pioneer: Known as the Father of the Indian Navy, he was the first to realize the importance of having a naval force and established a navy and forts at the coastline to defend the Konkan side of Maharashtra.
5. A secular ruler accommodating all religions, he had numerous Muslim soldiers in his army.
6. Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honor; anyone under his rule caught violating women's rights was severely punished.
7. He had a council of ministers (Asht Pradhan) to advise him on state matters but was not bound by it.
8. Military Genius: Widely known for his guerrilla warfare tactics, he was called the 'Mountain Rat'.

Raigad Fort: The Capital of the Maratha Empire

1. Location: Hill fort situated in Raigad district, Maharashtra, in the Sahyadri mountain ranges or the western ghats.
2. Known as the ‘Gibraltar of the East’, one of the strongest-ever fortresses of the Deccan Plateau.
3. Seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1656 from Chandraraoji More, the King of Jawali.
4. Developed several structures and constructions in Raigad, making it his capital in 1674 after being crowned as the king of the entire Maratha Kingdom, and later the Maratha Empire.
5. The fort was the location for an armed campaign by the British East India Company in 1765 and was looted and destroyed by British forces on May 9, 1818.
6. Overlooks an artificial lake known as the ‘Ganga Sagar Lake’.

Who was Ashta Pradhan?

1. The Ashta Pradhan (also termed Asta Pradhan or the Council of 8) was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha empire.
2. Formed in 1674 by their king, Shivaji.
3. Discharged functions similar to a modern council of ministers, regarded as one of the first successful instances of ministerial delegation in India.

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