Opinion: Chhaava & Scindias — Battlefield Allies To Family Ties, And Maratha Legacy Of Valour
The movie ‘Chhaava’, based on the life and times of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, has taken the box office by storm. It has inspired many to read about the political ascendency of the Marathas in the 17th and 18th centuries. Did you know there is a deep family connection between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and the Maratha Scindia (Shinde) family of Gwalior that emerged as one of the strongest political families in the Indian subcontinent from the 18th century onwards?
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s daughter-in-law was Shrimant Savitrabai Scindia of Kanherkhed, the ancestral village of the Gwalior Scindias, according to the 1940 book ‘Gwalior Today’, edited by Michael H. Brown. According to the Marathi book ‘Shindeshahi Itihasantil Sulabh Goshti (A simple story of the Shinde royal family's history)’ — written by Ramrao Subhanrao Barge and published by Alijah Durbar Press in Gwalior State — she was the daughter of Sardar Nemaji Shinde (Scindia), who played an important role in the Maratha-Mughal wars during the reign of his son-in-law Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of Satara. There is still a house in the prestigious Scindia School, Gwalior, named after Nemaji or Nimaji Scindia, who fought bravely against Aurangzeb. Nemaji Scindia secured victories against the Mughals on the Malwa plateau when the Marathas entered Mughal territories in central India and Gujarat circa 1705.
According to historian Jaswant Lal Mehta, the name of Chhatrapati Sambhaji’s daughter-in-law was not Savitrabai but Ambikabai. In his book ‘Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813’, he wrote that Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj married Ambikabai Shinde (Scindia) in 1703, when he was held as a royal prisoner by Aurangzeb at his army camp in the Deccan. Ambikabai died in Mughal captivity soon after. Shahu Maharaj’s second wife, Rajasbai, was the daughter of Manaji Rustamrao Jadhav of Sindkhed.
The Capture
Sambhaji was imprisoned by the Mughals and killed — after gruesome torture — in March 1689. Eight months later, Raigad fell to Zulfikar Khan on November 3, 1689. The royal family — Shahu, aged 7, and Sambhaji’s wife Yesubai — as well as other prominent Maratha sardars were imprisoned by the Mughals. They then spent 17 years in captivity, according to P.S. Kadam.
When Shahu was freed by the Mughal emperor Qutb-ud-Din Muhammad Azam (Azam Shah), he was required to leave Yesubai, his wives, and his half-brothers as hostages. In addition to his paternal realm, Azam Shah gave Shahu the provinces of Gondwana, Gujarat, and Tanjore, as well as Chauth and Sardeshmukhi among the six ‘subhas (provinces)’ of the Deccan. On May 8, 1707, Shahu departed the Mughal camp. He was set free in Dohra, north of the Narmada, close to Nemawar.
Along with Haibat Rao Nimbalkar and Chimnaji Damodar, Samanta Nemaji Scindia was instrumental in helping Shahu consolidate his authority.
Earlier, in 1699, Nemaji Scindia had encountered the Mughal governor of Talner, Husain Ali Khan — Nemaji had captured him, and released him after exacting a heavy fine. This news is believed to have distressed the Mughal emperor beyond measure. Historian Govind Sakharam Sardesai has written about the soaring Maratha spirits at the time by citing a letter from Rajaram to Vithoji Babar dated December 22, 1699, “We have arrived at Sinhagad and have launched the full force of our armies against the Emperor (Mughal). The Senapati Dhanaji, Nemaji Shinde, Parsoji Bhosle and other leaders have led a furious attack upon the imperial camp of Brahmapuri… they fell upon a convoy of ten thousand pack animals carrying supplies to the imperial forces which were marching upon Satara. The enemy has lost all courage, and can make no effect against fort Satara. We now take no account of this powerful Emperor whom, God willing, we shall soon put to rout. You must do your best in this joint effort. We are rewarding your services in an ample measure.”
Connections Go Deeper
The connection between ‘Chhaava’ and the Scindias doesn’t end here. The Sarsenapati of the great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Hansaji aka Hambirrao Mohite — maternal uncle of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, portrayed by Ashutosh Rana in the movie — was an ancestor of Maharani Chinkuraje Scindia, wife of Maharaja Madhav Rao II Scindia (Madho Maharaj), and Colonel-in-Chief of 2nd Ali Jah Gwalior Lancers. A branch of the Mohite family was established in Gwalior when Maharani Chinkuraje Scindia married Maharaja Madhav Rao II Scindia (Madho Maharaj) in 1891. Her father Sardar Madhorao Mohite was subsequently made a ‘sardar’ of the Scindia state. He was for a time an aide-de-camp to Madho Maharaja and received an annual allowance.
Hambirrao Mohite was a valiant warrior who thwarted the Mughals’ attack on Golconda. The King of Golconda was temporarily protected by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the former assisted Shivaji with his own forces in his expedition to the Carnatic. During this expedition, which Shivaji Maharaj personally led, he captured Vellore, fortified Gingi, and set up military posts along the road through Mysore.
After Shivaji, Mohite fought for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Sambhaji dispatched his troops under the command of Mohite to fight the Sarja Khan-led Mughal army at Wai in 1687. The Marathas defeated the Mughals, but Mohite attained martyrdom in this battle.
Another important connection of the Scindia family and the struggle of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj against the Mughals is represented by the valour of Senapati Dhanaji Jadhav. Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia, great-grandfather of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, was a descendant of Senapati Dhanaji Jadhav from his maternal side. Dhanaji served as senapati of Shahu’s forces. He was dispatched by Shahu to Baglan and Khandesh with the object of recovering the northern portion of his patrimony. He crushed a few Mughal officers, including one Karim Beg of Junnar. On the way to Panhala, however, Dhanaji suddenly took ill and died in June 1708 at Wadgaon on the river Warna.
Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia’s mother, Sakhya Raje Scindia, was from the family of Dhanaji Jadhav and Lakhuji Jadhav (ancestor of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj), and now the cenotaphs of both Madho Maharaja and his mother are in Shivpuri.
The Scindias also played an important role in expanding the ‘Hindavi Swarajya’ that Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji fought for. Maharaja Mahadji Scindia planted the Maratha banner in Delhi; and he conquered all the four erstwhile capitals of the Mughal empire: Akbarabad (Agra), Fatehpur Sikri, Shahjahanabad (Delhi), and Lahore.
The very fort of Agra where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj were kept as prisoners by Aurangzeb was conquered by Mahadji Scindia, and a Maratha, Rayaji Patil, was made its killedar. Aurangzeb wanted to subordinate the Marathas but died in what is now Maharashtra, unsuccessful. However, the great Maratha Mahadji Scindia was successful in making the Mughal Shah Alam II his prisoner and pensioner. Scindia also destroyed the grave of Nawab Najib Khan Rohilla, who tried to destroy Hindavi Swarajya by inviting Ahmad Shah Abdali to India.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji said to Aurangzeb that the ideology of Hindavi Swarajya will stay alive even after his death, and so it happened. Maratha families like the Scindias, Gaekwads, Holkars, and Pawars expanded Maratha power to different parts of India. The time has come for people from the film industry to work on more movies on the other warriors of the Maratha Empire.
The writer is head of Scindia Research Centre.
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