Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born in the hill fort of Shivneri, close to the town of Junnar, which is currently in the Pune district. The Maharashtra government has designated February 19 as a holiday to commemorate Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth known as Shivaji Jayanti.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was given the name ‘Shivaji’ after the goddess Shivai, a local deity. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s father, Maratha general Shahaji Bhonsle, served the Deccan Sultanates. His mother was Jijabai, the child of Lakhuji Jadhavrao of Sindhkhed, who descended from the Devagiri Yadav royal family. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj belonged to the Maratha Bhonsle clan. Maloji (1552 – 1597), his grandfather, was a powerful general in the Ahmadnagar Sultanate who was given the title “Raja”.
For military expenditures, he was granted the Deshmukhi rights of Pune, Supe, Chakan, and Indapur. He was also provided Fort Shivneri as a residence for his family (circa 1590). At the moment of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth, three Islamic sultanates held power in the Deccan: Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golkonda. Shahaji frequently switched allegiances between the Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar, the Adilshah of Bijapur, and the Mughals, but he maintained his jagir (fiefdom) in Pune and his small army.
Jay Bhavani Jay Shivaji
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