Shahaji शहाजीDay 2 · 7
His father — a warrior-noble who served the sultans, and dreamed of more.
Family
Maloji मालोजीSaints
His grandfather, who endowed a math for Sheikh Muhammad at Shrigonda. Story →
Jijabai जिजाबाईDay 3 · 23
His mother and first teacher — the soul of swarajya. Later the Rajmata.
Shivaji शिवाजीall
Our hero. Born at Shivneri, 1630; Chhatrapati, 1674.
Sambhaji संभाजीDay 2 · 9
His elder brother, who died young in battle at Kanakgiri.
Saibai सईबाईDay 23
His first wife; mother of his son Sambhaji.
Sambhaji संभाजीDay 28 · 29
His eldest son and successor, who carried the dream on.
Rajaram राजारामDay 28 · 29
His younger son, who kept swarajya alive in hard years.
Soyarabai सोयराबाईDay 29
His queen, mother of Rajaram; after his death her faction put Rajaram on the throne.
Shahu शाहूDay 29
Sambhaji's son, a prisoner of the Mughals from boyhood until 1707; later Chhatrapati.
Ekoji (Venkoji) एकोजीDay 25
His half-brother, ruler of Thanjavur (Tanjore) in the south.
Mentors & guides
Dadoji Konddev दादोजी कोंडदेवDay 3
The administrator who helped train the boy and manage the early lands.
Samarth Ramdas समर्थ रामदासDay 27
Saint-poet of the era; his praise-poem gave the epithets. (Guru status debated.) Story →
Sant Tukaram संत तुकारामDay 27
Beloved bhakti saint-poet of the Marathi people. Story →
Gagabhatt गागाभट्टDay 22
The great scholar of Kashi who performed the coronation rites.
Mauni Baba मौनी बाबाDay 27
The silent saint of Patgaon whom Shivaji visited in 1676. Story →
Sheikh Muhammad शेख महंमदSaints
Muslim saint-poet of Shrigonda, revered by Varkaris; Maloji called him his guru. Story →
Mavlas & war-heroes
The hill-country warriors — the मावळे — who made swarajya real.
Tanaji Malusare तानाजी मालुसरेDay 17
Took Sinhagad and died there. "The fort is won, but the lion is gone."
Suryaji Malusare सूर्याजीDay 17
Tanaji's brother, who rallied the men when the ropes were cut.
Baji Prabhu Deshpande बाजीप्रभू देशपांडेDay 12
Held the pass at Pavan Khind so the king could reach safety.
Fulaji फुलाजीDay 12
Baji Prabhu's brother, who fought and fell beside him.
Shiva Kashid शिवा काशीदDay 11
The barber who dressed as the king and died in his place, buying time.
Jiva Mahala जिवा महालाDay 10
Cut down the attacker at Pratapgad. "Because there was Jiva, Shiva was saved."
Prataprao Gujar प्रतापराव गुजरDay 19
Senapati who charged with only six companions at Nesari.
Murarbaji Deshpande मुरारबाजीDay 15
The last stand on the walls of Purandar.
Kanhoji Jedhe कान्होजी जेधेDay 4
Early Maval chief who brought the hill clans to the cause.
Baji Pasalkar बाजी पासलकरDay 4
One of the earliest companions of the young Shivaji.
Netaji Palkar नेताजी पालकरDay 20
Cavalry commander, once called "the second Shivaji."
Kondaji Farzand कोंडाजी फर्जंदDay 18
Daring officer famed for retaking Panhala with a tiny band.
Hiroji Farzand हिरोजी फर्जंदDay 16
Lay in Shivaji's bed at Agra so the guards would not notice the escape.
Madari Mehtar मदारी मेहतरDay 16
The young servant who sat pressing "the king's" feet during the Agra escape.
Hambirrao Mohite हंबीरराव मोहितेDay 19 · 29
Avenged Prataprao with Anandrao, and became commander of the army.
Santaji Ghorpade संताजी घोरपडेDay 29
Lightning-fast commander of the long war against Aurangzeb.
Dhanaji Jadhav धनाजी जाधवDay 29
Santaji's partner in the raids; later Senapati.
The eyes of swarajya
Bahirji Naik बहिर्जी नाईकDay 20
The master spy whose network of scouts made गनिमी कावा possible.
Allies & builders
Hiroji Indulkar हिरोजी इंदुलकरDay 21
Master builder of Raigad; his name sits humbly on a temple step: "ever ready in service."
Madanna & Akkanna मादण्णा-आकण्णाDay 25
Brother-ministers of Golconda who allied with Shivaji for the southern campaign.
Kanhoji Angre कान्होजी आंग्रेDay 24
18th-century Maratha admiral who carried the navy's tradition on after Shivaji.
Kavi Kalash कवी कलशDay 29
Poet and trusted adviser of Sambhaji; captured and killed with him in 1689.
Keladi Chennamma केळदीची चेन्नम्माDay 29
Queen of Keladi who sheltered Rajaram on his escape to Gingee (1689).
The eight ministers — Ashtapradhan
The council of eight formed at the coronation (Day 22 · 26) — swarajya's government.
| Office | Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Peshwa | Moropant Trimbak Pingle | Prime minister — head of the council |
| Amatya | Ramchandra Nilkanth | Finance & revenue |
| Sachiv | Annaji Datto | Secretary — correspondence & records |
| Mantri | Dattaji Trimbak | Interior & the royal chronicle |
| Senapati | Hambirrao Mohite | Commander-in-chief of the army |
| Sumant | Ramchandra Trimbak | Foreign affairs |
| Nyayadhish | Niraji Ravji | Chief justice |
| Panditrao | Raghunath Pandit | Religious & charitable affairs |
A sourcing note: the eight offices are certain, but several ministers' personal names are recorded differently across sources (period bakhars vs later compilations) — e.g. the Panditrao is given as Raghunath Pandit or Moreshwar Pandit, the Sumant as Ramchandra Trimbak or Sonopant Dabir, and the Amatya (Ramchandra Nilkanth) is the same man later famed as Ramchandra Pant Amatya.
Adversaries
Afzal Khan अफझल खानDay 10
The giant Bijapur general of Pratapgad. With Sayyad Banda & envoy Krishnaji Bhaskar.
Siddi JoharDay 11 · 12
Bijapur commander who besieged Panhala. With Siddi Masud.
Shaista Khan शाइस्ता खानDay 13
Mughal governor who lost his fingers in the night raid on the Lal Mahal.
Mirza Raja Jai SinghDay 15
The formidable Mughal general behind the Treaty of Purandar.
Aurangzeb औरंगजेबDay 16 · 29
The Mughal emperor — the cage at Agra, and the escape.
Bahlol KhanDay 19
The Adilshahi general opposite Prataprao at Nesari.
Ram Singh रामसिंगDay 16
Jai Singh's son, made responsible for Shivaji at Agra; later suspected of helping him escape.
Udaybhan Rathod उदयभान राठोडDay 17
The Rajput commander holding Kondhana for the Mughals; fell fighting Tanaji.
Ikhlas Khan इखलासखानDay 18
Mughal commander defeated and captured at Salher.
Kartalab Khan करतलबखानDay 20
Mughal general trapped at Umberkhind (1661) — with Rai Bagan, who advised terms.
Shah Jahan शाहजहानDay 1 · 16
Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal; Aurangzeb's father, who died his son's prisoner in 1666.
Chandrarao MoreDay 8
Chief of Javali, the gateway to the Konkan.
Diler Khan दिलेरखानDay 28
Mughal general whom Sambhaji joined in 1678.
The patil of Ranjhe रांझ्याचा पाटीलDay 26
Village headman tried and severely punished for wronging a woman (c. 1645–46).
Muqarrab Khan मुकर्रबखानDay 29
Mughal commander who captured Sambhaji at Sangameshwar (1689).
Voices that tell the story
The chroniclers, travellers, historians and poets whose words the nights quote or weigh — so you can see where each story comes from.
Krishnaji Anant Sabhasad सभासदDay 18 · 19
Courtier whose chronicle (bakhar), written in 1697, is a key early Maratha source.
Narayan Shenvi नारायण शेणवीDay 19
English factory interpreter; his letter of 4 April 1674 describes Prataprao's charge.
François BernierDay 14
French traveller who recorded who was spared in the sack of Surat.
Khafi KhanDay 10 · 26
Mughal-side Persian chronicler whose account of Pratapgad differs from the Maratha one — yet who recorded Shivaji's rules protecting mosques, the Quran and women.
James Grant DuffDay 10 · 20
British author of A History of the Mahrattas (1826).
Jadunath SarkarDay 10 · 26
Historian whose Shivaji and His Times weighed the evidence on Pratapgad.
Henry OxendenDay 22
English envoy whose 1674 diary is an eyewitness account of the coronation.
Kusumagraj कुसुमाग्रजDay 19
20th-century Marathi poet of "वेडात मराठे वीर दौडले सात".
Jyotirao Phule जोतिराव फुलेDay 28
Social reformer credited with finding the neglected samadhi (1869); his powada called Shivaji Kulwadi-bhushan.
Lokmanya Tilak लोकमान्य टिळकDay 28
Helped lead the 1895 effort to restore the samadhi on Raigad.
Women & deities
Dipabai दीपाबाईDay 25
Ekoji's wife, who helped the two brothers make peace.
Jankibai जानकीबाईDay 19 · 28
Prataprao Gujar's daughter, later married to Shivaji's son Rajaram.
Rai Bagan रायबागनDay 20
A Maratha woman commander in Mughal service at Umberkhind.
Hirkani हिरकणीDay 21
The milkmaid who climbed down Raigad's cliff for her child — the Hirkani Buruj is named for her.
Tulja Bhavani तुळजा भवानीDay 2 · 9
The family goddess, of Tuljapur.
Shivai Devi शिवाई देवीDay 2
The goddess of Shivneri, for whom Shivaji was named.
Yesubai येसूबाईDay 29
Sambhaji's wife, who sent Rajaram out of Raigad and spent thirty years a Mughal prisoner.
Tarabai ताराबाईDay 29
Rajaram's wife and Hambirrao Mohite's daughter, who led the war after 1700.