Chhatrapathi Shivaji

[Bharatvarsh2]

[quote name='G.Subramaniam' date='05 November 2010 - 09:55 PM' timestamp='1289011651' post='109115']

I remember reading that Shivaji beheaded some xtian missionaries, anyone find a URL to confirm

[/quote]

I was looking into that last night but didn't see your post till now.



The original source of this seems to be the English factory records.

The English factories in India, 1665-1667: Volume 12

Sir William Foster - 1925 - 354 pages - Snippet view



The Dutch forces on that coast numbered 920 men.

A letter from Goa of 30 November said that the Viceroy, being 'Jesuite-ridden', had prohibited on pain of banishment, the exercise of any religion but the Roman Catholic.

Sevagee, deeply resenting the rigour, invaded the precincts...

not farre distant from Goa, and there cutt off the heads of four padres that refused to turne



[url="http://books.google.ca/books?id=IkzI9_XHaAQC&q=not+farre+distant+from+Goa,+and+there+cutt+off+the+heads+of+four+padres&dq=not+farre+distant+from+Goa,+and+there+cutt+off+the+heads+of+four+padres&hl=en&ei=mXfZTPX-JY2bnwft66nQCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA"]My link[/url]

Google books only allows a snippet view so I checked on archive.org website.



Unfortunately they only uploaded upto Volume 11.



But here is what Bal Krishna says in his Shivaji The Great Volume 4, pgs. 178-179:

In 1667 " he cut off the heads of four padres ! that refused to turn Marathas of his

own persuasion, they having counselled the destruction of all that

were opinionated as themselves; which so terrified the Viceroy that

he was forced to revoke his fierce and severe edict. Shivaji burnt and

destroyed all the country, and carried away 150 lack of pagodas/ 9

Thus he was not only ready to take back apostates, but even persons

of other religions were welcome into Hinduism. (4) Shivaji issued

a proclamation to the Hindus of Goa in 1668. An extract from it

will reveal the intensity of his religious and patriotic sentiments

and the means adopted by him to prevent conversion. Here is a

small extract from the long document. " Slaughter of the most

revered cows by Yavanas and Mlechhas, destruction of our Hindu

temples, disrespect of our all-honoured and all-pervading religion

shown by these low people, violation of the most sacred chastity of

our sisters and mothers brought about by these villains such

horrible things happen constantly. . Does it become us who call

ourselves Kshatriyas to silently see these acts like cowards, and to

turn a deaf ear to them ? Alas ! Alas ! It is a most shameful

thing that instead of striving restlessly till death for the uplift of our

country which should be dear to us like our parents, we should be

whiling away our time foolishly, tactlessly and indifferently even in

the critical times like the present. What more deplorable thing can

there be than the fact that we, with our own hands, should destroy

our houses, our gods, our religion and culture by adopting a

fawning attitude towards the Mlechhas, only for the sake of a little

livelihood ? " *



(5) Here is some English evidence on the religious policy of

Shivaji towards the Portuguese. Both the parties used to " daily

quarrel, the cheifest cause of his hatred to them being for forcing

orphans of his caste to turn Roman Catholics." (6) The Captain

of Bassien turned against the Jesuits for bringing troubles on the

state by their proselytizing zeal, and even went to the length of

burning their houses. Thus it is clear that a very great pressure

was brought by Shivaji on the Portuguese government for stopping

conversion.*



http://www.archive.org/details/shivajithegreat035466mbp

It seems that Dr. Bal Krishna translated into modern English the English factory letter from 1667.



Another book that refers to this incident is:

The Portuguese also ( though alone of all Western peoples who had come to India ) often resorted to religious oppression through fanaticism, like Aurangjeb, and we find from a Goa letter1, dated 30th November 1667, that the then Governor of Goa had ordered the expulsion of inhabitants who did not belong to the Roman Catholic faith and that four Padres had even advised that the Hindus should be massacred. Shivaji in his invasion of Bardesh caught hold of these Padres and on their refusing to become Hindus executed them. The Governor of Goa2 thereupon found it necessary to cancel his order.



Shivaji The Founder Of Maratha Swaraj, C V Vaidya, Pg 208.



http://www.archive.org/details/shivajith...e035304mbp

For the original source you have to check "The English factories in India, 1665-1667: Volume 12" by Sir William Foster, pg. 286.



Hope that helps.