Home > Indian History > History of India > Birth of Shivaji
Birth of Shivaji
Birth of Shivaji took place in the fortress of Shivneri where his mother Jijabai was kept for safe-keeping by her husband Shahaji. Since his mother had prayed to the Goddess Shivai for a male child, she had vowed to name him after the Goddess and thus the child was named Shivaji.

Share this Article:

Birth of ShivajiWhilst discussing the birth of Shivaji one requires to delve a bit into the history of the Marathas. In this line in the year 1533, a pious man called Babaji was born to one of the Hindu families in the Konkan area which specialised in the art of war. By caste, being warriors, the early Marathas were Kshatriyas and claimed their origin from a Rajput warrior, Devraj Maharana, who brought his family from Rajputana into this area of hills and forests, the Konkan. In time the families grew and prominent in the fashionable Satara district there soon came the Naik Nimbalkars of Phaltan, the Deshmukhs and the Bhonsles. But fortunes changed from time to time; so did the power and the influence of the families which controlled these large tracts of land over which they ruled supreme. Muslim power at first did not consider this Konkan region important enough to annex and the ground was laid for small pockets of Hindu families who formed the nucleus of Maratha power. Devraj Maharana however found it difficult to stay in the slice of the Konkan. Mohammedan rule in the nearby areas of the Deccan made his position precarious. Constant clashes with the better equipped Muslim forces exhausted him till eventually he contented himself with the Patelship of Signnapur, which meant nothing more than that he was the head of the village. That was the line of Shivaji`s descent.

To Babaji were born two sons, Maloji in 1550 and Vithoji in 1553. These two boys went over to enlist themselves as infantry soldiers in the service of Lukhuji Jadhav, the Hindu Deshmukh of Sindkhed, an area within the Nizam Shah`s Dominion of Ahmednagar. Maloji was married to a sister of Nimbalkar, his former master. However for a long time after marriage he was issueless, whereas his brother Vithoji had been blessed with eight sons. Thus Maloji`s wife made endless vows to numerous deities in her prayers for a male child. But for a long time the gods did not hear her prayers. At last she made a vow at the shrine of a Muslim saint, Shah Shariff who was buried in Nagar. They were blessed with two sons and they named their first born Shahaji and their second Sharifji.

Birth of Shivaji Shahaji went on to marry the daughter of Jadhavrao, Jijabai. Subsequently, there ensued a fight between the Marathas to decide whether the Mughals from Delhi or the local Sultan should rule over them in the Deccan, and the circumstances were such that Jadhavrao was left fighting and pursuing his own son-in-law, Shahaji who had been defending the Sultanate of Ahmednagar. While this fight between the two went on and Jadhavrao chased his son-in-law out of fort after fort, Jijabai, his wife, chose to follow her husband rather than seek protection from her father. With her during this time was her elder son Sambhaji and she carried in her womb the child Shivaji who was yet to be born.

At Shivneri, the famous hill fort, Jijabai halted in her flight. The local Hindu chief Shrinivasrao offered asylum to Shahaji`s pregnant wife while Shahaji fled to take up a safer position. Shivneri was thus destined to become the birthplace of her second son, Shivaji. Shahaji deputed three officers of whose loyalty he was sure, to guard over his pregnant wife. Protection was also accorded to her by Lukhuji Jadhav who was concerned about his daughter`s safety.

As in the olden days when each village and certainly each fortress had its guardian angel in the shape of a Hindu divinity, Shivneri was believed to be guarded by the goddess Shivai. To her, Jijabai prayed for her protection and for the delivery of her second child. She is known to have made a vow to the Goddess Shivai that is she were blessed with a second son she would name him after the Goddess. Jijabai`s prayer was answered and she named her new born, Shivaji.

Shivaji is said to have born in the year 1630 on February 19. His birth in the fortress of Shivneri was celebrated with much joy. The local women of the time prophesised great things for this little boy, and they trekked the hilly road to Shivneri to offer their felicitations to the woman who, because of her stoic character was a source of inspiration to the surrounding villagers. They came to her with garlands, fruits and flowers; they brought her milk from their cows; they brought gaudy little garments they had made for the little boy. Those who could afford it brought Jijabai and her son ornaments of silver and gold. Thus was born the great Maratha leader Chatrapati Shivaji.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.