09-04-2006, 02:01 AM
Shahu's (son of Shambhaji) letter to Sambhaji (son of Rajaram through his wife Rajasbai) who set up a rival court at Kolhapur making claims that he was the rightful emperor of the Marathas:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Shahu did his best all along to conciliate his royal cousin. When he openly revolted and sought the shelter of Nizam-ul-mulk in 1727 Shahu addressed the following letter to him, which deserves to be quoted in full as it sets forth the ideals which Shahu as the Maratha king was pursuing and the method he employed in dealing with his antagonists :
44 This kingdom is a gift from God. How can you hope to win success by seeking the protection of a Muslim ? If you wanted to have a separate kingdom of your own, you could have communicated your desire to us. We possess men of pre-eminent capacity some of whom would have accompanied you and procured for you a kingdom of your own ; or you should have acquired one by your own prowess. We are at present acquiring fresh territories to add to our kingdom out of those seized by the Mughals. You could have followed a similar course and made your own mark. But to ask a share out of what we have gained is not right. Your revered father the late Rajaram Maharaj went as far as Jinji and eventually obtained a kingdom through great personal effort. He then returned to his home in Maharashtra, plundered rich and renowned cities and made a name for himself. You must be well aware what a keen interest he took in our welfare, and what efforts he made to get us released from the imperial confinement. Knowing all this, your seeking the protection of a Muslim governor was not at all proper. You should at once quit the Mughals and come back to us. We will ourselves grant you whatever you need most willingly. But to claim a share in a kingdom has no religious sanction. You must give up this evil course. Chandrasen Jadhav's conduct in proving faithless to us and accepting service under a Mughal government, is most reprehensible ; coming as he does from the Jadhav family of Ramdev Rao of Devgiri, he openly acted against the Maharashtra Dharma, i.e., the sacred policy enjoined by our religion. It was the height of folly on your part to have acted upon the advice of such a renegade and served the Muslim ends."
new history of the marathas volume II the expansion of the maratha power 1707 1772, govind sakharam sardesai, Pg 134.
http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scrip...e=2020050057179<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Shahu did his best all along to conciliate his royal cousin. When he openly revolted and sought the shelter of Nizam-ul-mulk in 1727 Shahu addressed the following letter to him, which deserves to be quoted in full as it sets forth the ideals which Shahu as the Maratha king was pursuing and the method he employed in dealing with his antagonists :
44 This kingdom is a gift from God. How can you hope to win success by seeking the protection of a Muslim ? If you wanted to have a separate kingdom of your own, you could have communicated your desire to us. We possess men of pre-eminent capacity some of whom would have accompanied you and procured for you a kingdom of your own ; or you should have acquired one by your own prowess. We are at present acquiring fresh territories to add to our kingdom out of those seized by the Mughals. You could have followed a similar course and made your own mark. But to ask a share out of what we have gained is not right. Your revered father the late Rajaram Maharaj went as far as Jinji and eventually obtained a kingdom through great personal effort. He then returned to his home in Maharashtra, plundered rich and renowned cities and made a name for himself. You must be well aware what a keen interest he took in our welfare, and what efforts he made to get us released from the imperial confinement. Knowing all this, your seeking the protection of a Muslim governor was not at all proper. You should at once quit the Mughals and come back to us. We will ourselves grant you whatever you need most willingly. But to claim a share in a kingdom has no religious sanction. You must give up this evil course. Chandrasen Jadhav's conduct in proving faithless to us and accepting service under a Mughal government, is most reprehensible ; coming as he does from the Jadhav family of Ramdev Rao of Devgiri, he openly acted against the Maharashtra Dharma, i.e., the sacred policy enjoined by our religion. It was the height of folly on your part to have acted upon the advice of such a renegade and served the Muslim ends."
new history of the marathas volume II the expansion of the maratha power 1707 1772, govind sakharam sardesai, Pg 134.
http://dli.iiit.ac.in/cgi-bin/Browse/scrip...e=2020050057179<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->