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Shivaji II
Shivaji I of Kolhapur
4th Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire
Reign1700–1707
PredecessorRajaram I
SuccessorShahu I
RegentTarabai
Peshwa
1st Raja of Kolhapur
Reign1710–2 Aug 1714
PredecessorNewly established
SuccessorSambhaji I
Born6 June 1696
Gingee Fort, Maratha Empire (present-day Tamil Nadu, India)
Died14 March 1726 (aged 29)
Panhala Fort, Maratha Empire (present-day Maharashtra, India)
SpouseBhavani Bai[1]
IssueRajaram II of Satara (disputed)
HouseBhonsle
FatherRajaram I
MotherTarabai
ReligionHinduism
Personal details
Residence(s)Raigad Fort
Gingee Fort
Sinhagad Fort
Panhala Fort

Shivaji Bhonsle II of the Maratha Empire, later Shivaji Bhonsle I of Kolhapur (9 June 1696 – 14 March 1726) was the son of the Maratha Chhatrapati, Rajaram I, and his wife Tarabai.

Samadhi of Shivaji I of Kolhapur, Panhala Fort
Samadhi of Shivaji I of Kolhapur, Panhala Fort

Biography

He was born in Bhonsle family. Upon the death of his father, the infant Shivaji was installed as the Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire with his mother Tarabai serving as the regent in 1700. His cousin, Shahu I upon his release from the Mughals in 1707 successfully challenged Tarabai to become the next Chhatrapati.[2] Tarabai then set up a rival court in Kolhapur. Shivaji II served as Raja of Kolhapur from 1710 to 1714. At that time, he was once again deposed by his step-mother Rajasbai who installed her own son, Sambhaji II on the Kolhapur throne. Shivaji died of smallpox on 14 March 1726.[3]

Alleged Posthumous son

When Shahu, without a male heir to succeed to his throne, wanted to adopt a son, Tarabai disclosed in late 1740s that Shivaji II posthumously became father of a son called Rajaram II who was brought up by Nimbalkars of Phaltan, for his own protection. Shahu adopted Rajaram II who succeeded Shahu as the Chhatrapati following Shahu's death. Due to political strife between Peshwa and Tarabai, in order to delegitimise Peshwa's authority which drew from Satara Chhatrapati's own legitimacy in 1752, Tarabai made a show of oath that Rajaram II was an imposter and not her grandson.[4] However this oath was withdrawn and Ramaraja's caste purity was asserted in public by openly dining with other Maratha lords.[5] Ramaraja was later arrested by Tarabai and kept under house arrest until her death in 1761.

References

  1. ^ "The Forgotten Story of Rani Tarabai, the Indomitable Warrior Queen of the Marathas". 5 December 2017.
  2. ^ Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. pp. 201–202. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
  3. ^ Kolhapur State
  4. ^ Biswamoy Pati, ed. (2000). Issues in Modern Indian History. Popular. p. 30. ISBN 9788171546589.
  5. ^ Later Medieval India: A History of the Mughals By Awadh Bihari Pandey 1963, pg 323 [1]
Preceded byChhattrapati Rajaram (nominal) Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire 1700–1707 Succeeded byChhattrapati Shahu
Preceded byNewly established Raja of Kolhapur 1710–1714 Succeeded bySambhaji I of Kolhapur
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