Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

About Chhatrapati Shivaji:

• The founder of the Maratha Kingdom, Shivaji was born to be a natural leader and fighter on 19th February, 1630 in the prestigious Shivneri Fort.
• He was known as the Father of Indian Navy, Shivaji was the first to realise the importance of having a naval force, and therefore he strategically established a navy and forts at the coastline to defend the Konkan side of Maharashtra.
• The secular ruler was very accommodating of all religions. He had numerous Muslim soldiers in his army.
• Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honour. Anyone under his rule caught violating woman’s rights was severely punished.
• He had a council of ministers (Asht Pradhan) to advise him on the matters of the state but he was not bound by it.
• He was called as the ‘Mountain Rat’ and was widely known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. He was called so because of his awareness in geography of his land, and guerrilla tactics like raiding, ambushing and surprise attacks on his enemies

Q1) What is Guerrilla  warfare?

The main strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare tend to involve the use of a small attacking, mobile force against a large, unwieldy force. The guerrilla force is largely or entirely organized in small units that are dependent on the support of the local population.

Source: PM pays homage to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on his Jayanti

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