The Maratha War of Independence

[Nair saab]

I am a ethnic maratha, and proud to be indian.

It always amazing to read how 10 to 15 thousand ragtag army led by daughter in law of Shivaji Maharaj fought the great mughal empire with lakhs of army and crores of money at disposable. Marathas fought the mughals for 27-28 yrs with this ragtag army remained fiercly independent.

Within decade or two decades of death of Aurangzeb, Marathas were most dominant force of subcontinent and freed almost whole of India from Mughals.

If IMAO, due to aggressive and independence lovers rajputs, sikhs and marathas, India remain Hindu majority region otherwise it would have converted into muslim region just like middle east, Iran and afghanistan.

Dont Forget about Our Great Hindu King Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja... who Fought Two front war against Both British & Tipu sultan for 30 years without a Kingdom with just Handful of Peasant turned soldiers but was Finally killed by Treachery ... & Similarly our Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma...

Also the Brave Nair Army which Kept every Power out of Kerala... they never allowed any Foreign Power to Settle Peacefully in Kerala... So much So that British called kerala wildest Part of India ...The first Place for Muslims , Dutch , English to Land in India was Kerala But no one Could Conquer Kerala...the Marathas reached every part of south India Karnataka , Andra , Tamil nadu ... But Not Kerala

We never invaded others land but neither allow others to invade ours...But Sad after the India became a SICKcularist Country Kerala lost all of its Glory ... Now less then 50% Hindus r left in Kerala ... Our Kings ruled Kerala so righteously that even after 65 years of independence we still find Gold worth Billions from Hindu temples ( Eg padmanabhaswamy temple)

I am very Fortunate that i was Born & Brought in the Land of Marathas ... Brave Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will always be an Ideal for every Hindu on Earth...

 

[kumarkumar1867]

Most important thing i feel about the Maratha empire was lack of caste discrimination and religious/ethnic harmony values, though seems like a continuation of Akbar's values, they lay a foundation to modern day India.

Akbar's contribution?? Not Exactly ,Maharaja Shivaji's Swaraj struggle started after some revolutionary works & social awakening by Maharashtrian Saints like Sant Tukaram, Sant Dynaneshwar, Sant Eknath & Varkari Sampradaay. Discussing that will be off topic, but roots of Maratha struggle are partially based on such social & spiritual awakenings.

 

[Zeeshan360]

Marathas were the only one who didn't lick British boots

All hail Shivaji !!!

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Marathas were the only one who didn't lick British boots

All hail Shivaji !!!

There were many who didnt do that to that honest...

 

[Android]

One of the main hero of hinduism and this war ( and also my most favorite one ) is Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj son of Shivaji under extreme barbaric torture he refused to give up his religion a covert to islam
He was captured by Mughal troops on 1 Feb, 1689. He and his advisor, Kavi Kalash were taken to Bahadurgad. Aurangzeb humiliated them by parading them wearing clown's clothes. Later, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were tied upside down to camels with Mughal soldiers throwing stones, mud, and cow dung at them.
When they were brought face to face with Aurangzeb, the latter offered to let Sambhaji live if he surrendered all the Maratha forts, turned over all his hidden treasures and disclosed the names of all the Mughal officers who had helped him. Sambhaji refused, and instead sang the praises of Mahadev (Lord Shiva). Aurangzeb ordered him and Kavi Kalash to be tortured to death. Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were brutally tortured for over a fortnight. The torture involved plucking out their eyes and tongue and pulling out their nails. The later part involved removing their skin. On March 11, 1689, Sambhaji was finally killed, reportedly by tearing him apart from the front and back with 'Wagh Nakhe’ (‘Tiger claws’, a kind of weapon), and was beheaded with an axe. This grievous death was given to him at Vadhu on the banks of the Bhima river, near Pune.
After every torture, Aurangzeb would askhim if he had had enough and wanted to convert – but the courageous king kept refusing. By doing so he earned the title of Dharmaveer (Protector of Dharma) by which he is known to this day

 

[notsuperstitious]

There were many who didnt do that to that honest...

Yes. Also Marathas had their share of trators who collaborated with the british, the famous Raghobadada who went all the way to Attok, being one of them.

The greatest contribution of marathas to modern india was their religious harmony, good governance, anti caste discrimination policies, continuation of good work of saints (this was further continued after the fall of marathas by many reformers, most of them brahmins).

However people suffered where marathas did not hold land and adopted the policies of raiding mughal territories.

The most inspirational was their great fight against Aurangzeb, for over quarter of a century the maratha fought one of the greatest military powers of the time in maharashtra. I wish indian history books tell our children more about this great war.

 

[Android]

I wish indian history books tell our children more about this great war.

sadly our childrens are thaught by our history books written by sickularists which glorifies those barbaric muslim invaders and rarely mention about our great hindu warriors who protected hinduism during extremely difficult times and these same sickularists are hell bent on destroying our ancient religion

 

[manofwar]

sadly our childrens are thaught by our history books written by sickularists b******* which glorifies those barbaric muslim invaders and rarely mention about our great hindu warriors who protected hinduism during extremely difficult times and these same sickularists b******* are hell bent on destroying our ancient religion

Actually if India wouldn't have been secular , it would have fallen apart long time ago; as it is it was divided due to one man's suscpicion that it is not gonna be secularist, imagine what would have happened if it was a declred hindu state........
We would never would have had the Tatas, wipro, The bollywood khans, the Sam maneckshaw and some many others......
Teaching students about Maratha wars is alright but this no secularism view is crap in my opinion.

 

[Nair saab]

Actually if India wouldn't have been secular , it would have fallen apart long time ago; as it is it was divided due to one man's suscpicion that it is not gonna be secularist, imagine what would have happened if it was a declred hindu state........
We would never would have had the Tatas, wipro, The bollywood khans, the Sam maneckshaw and some many others......
Teaching students about Maratha wars is alright but this no secularism view is crap in my opinion.

Listen Dude What British India , Congress & Gandhi Did to Hindus was Brutal ... When 30% of India (Pakistan & Bangladesh ) was Given to Muslims what did Hindus get ... there is No Homeland for them ... Till date Hindus r treated a Secondary Citizen in India...

When ever a Attack on Muslims happens every Muslim Country raises its Voice ... when ever a Christian gets attacked every Eu & western Countries Stand with them... But when ever a Hindu is attacked any where in this world no one is least Concern...

When Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan , Sri- Lanka , Fiji , Afghanistan Happens there is No Country to Support them or Sympathies with them ... My Hindu brothers in any country doesnt have Voice Cozz there is no Country to Support them ...

Gandhi Gave Muslims there Share what did Hindus get India a Sick Country which Disowns them & There Religious Feelings ...

If this Continues i am 101% Sure India will be Divided again ... & i will definitely Support my Hindu brothers for this ... or Religion & Culture of my Ancestors will be Lost ... If Succession from India is the only way for a Hindu for there rights Then i will Surely Support it... If its for a Hindu Homeland or Homeland for people of Dharmic religion I will support it over United India...

 

[Don Jaguar]

@ ALL INDIAN MEMBERS ON THIS THREAD

Guys how the hell are you claiming that Aurangzeb was not a local and a foreign invader..maybe his ancestors were but he was born in subcontinent....grew up in the local environment just like his parents and grandparents.

If we start using your screwed up theory that a person is a foreigner just cuz his great great grandparents came from another country...then using this...Kashmiris are descendants of Aryans..they came from central Asia..they are foreigners...Baloch migrated from Aleppo..then they are foreigners....Qazilbash ( Pakistan's dictator/president Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan was a Qazilbaash) came with Nadir Shah..they are foreigners..Sayyeds across the world are Arab decent...then they are foriengers...what the hell dude.

The concept of "nation state" came in early 1900's....before that people used to migrate and settle across the world...this means today their respective countries should start considering them foreingers....this is such a screwed up and backward mentality which many indian friends on this forum have.

BTW...whoever wrote the article should atleast learn to spell Muslim names...its Zulfiqar not Julfiqar..lol

You have made a very good point.

 

[Android]

You have made a very good point.

kashmiri people didn't came from central asia they are completely indegenous they are mentioned in our ancient epic mahabharata

 

[phylumchordata]

Gāndhārī (Sanskrit: गांधारी) is a character in the Hindu epic, the Mahābhārata. In the epic, she was an incarnation of Mati, as the daughter of Subala, the king of Gandhara, or the modern Kandahar, a region spanning northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, from which her name is derived.

 

[notsuperstitious]

Maddog, Aurangzeb was local, but his intolerance was foreign, a cancer that eventually exacted a price.

 

[trinity]

Dont Forget about Our Great Hindu King Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja... who Fought Two front war against Both British & Tipu sultan for 30 years without a Kingdom with just Handful of Peasant turned soldiers but was Finally killed by Treachery ... & Similarly our Dharma Raja Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma...

Also the Brave Nair Army which Kept every Power out of Kerala... they never allowed any Foreign Power to Settle Peacefully in Kerala... So much So that British called kerala wildest Part of India ...The first Place for Muslims , Dutch , English to Land in India was Kerala But no one Could Conquer Kerala...the Marathas reached every part of south India Karnataka , Andra , Tamil nadu ... But Not Kerala

We never invaded others land but neither allow others to invade ours...But Sad after the India became a SICKcularist Country Kerala lost all of its Glory ... Now less then 50% Hindus r left in Kerala ... Our Kings ruled Kerala so righteously that even after 65 years of independence we still find Gold worth Billions from Hindu temples ( Eg padmanabhaswamy temple)

I am very Fortunate that i was Born & Brought in the Land of Marathas ... Brave Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will always be an Ideal for every Hindu on Earth...

I will never forget Kerala....for centuries it was a strong and mighty civilization. The Hindus were very kind to Muslims, Jews and Christians and allowed them to settle and live there

Listen Dude What British India , Congress & Gandhi Did to Hindus was Brutal ... When 30% of India (Pakistan & Bangladesh ) was Given to Muslims what did Hindus get ... there is No Homeland for them ... Till date Hindus r treated a Secondary Citizen in India...

When ever a Attack on Muslims happens every Muslim Country raises its Voice ... when ever a Christian gets attacked every Eu & western Countries Stand with them... But when ever a Hindu is attacked any where in this world no one is least Concern...

When Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan , Sri- Lanka , Fiji , Afghanistan Happens there is No Country to Support them or Sympathies with them ... My Hindu brothers in any country doesnt have Voice Cozz there is no Country to Support them ...

Gandhi Gave Muslims there Share what did Hindus get India a Sick Country which Disowns them & There Religious Feelings ...

If this Continues i am 101% Sure India will be Divided again ... & i will definitely Support my Hindu brothers for this ... or Religion & Culture of my Ancestors will be Lost ... If Succession from India is the only way for a Hindu for there rights Then i will Surely Support it... If its for a Hindu Homeland or Homeland for people of Dharmic religion I will support it over United India...

If you wish to leave then do so....but Kerala will remain where it is now....a state that has communal harmony.....

 

[KS]

@ ALL INDIAN MEMBERS ON THIS THREAD

Guys,how the hell are you claiming that Aurangzeb was not a local and a foreign invader..maybe his ancestors were but he was born in subcontinent....grew up in the local environment just like his parents and grandparents.

For starters -

His idealogy and the intolerance to other faiths is indeed foreign to the ethos of the subcontinent.

His non-acceptance or disrespect to the local tradition makes him foreign.

Even genetically, Babur came to India in about 1530s and Aurangazeb was born in 1618 which is a very small time for one to become an Indian from a Central Asian. At best he can be said of having part Indian blood..but that's it.

Actually if India wouldn't have been secular , it would have fallen apart long time ago; as it is it was divided due to one man's suscpicion that it is not gonna be secularist, imagine what would have happened if it was a declred hindu state........
We would never would have had the Tatas, wipro, The bollywood khans, the Sam maneckshaw and some many others......
Teaching students about Maratha wars is alright but this no secularism view is crap in my opinion.

Secularism and respect for one's own heritage is different from marxist view of things [self-loathing, de-racination] that characterizes our history books.

For example, the Mughal rule is given about 20 odd pages in the NCERT books while the Marathas hardly a fraction of it. While slaves like Balban, Iltutmish etc are described in detail the likes of Bappa Rawal,, Raja Bhoj who played a stellar role in defeating and sending back the Arabs are not even mentioned. While the rule of Adil Shahis and the Deccan Sultanates are viewed in detail, the era of the Vijayanagar kingdom and the the Shaivite kingdoms of Chola, Pandya, Chera are given only a fleeting glance.

That is the problem with our history books. We actually give our children an outsider view of things and not our own POV.