5 Great Lessons from the Deccan History
In these times, when we are surrounded by loss and devastating news from everywhere, it felt appropriate to pen down some thoughts, to keep our spirits going. Especially when, one cannot physically reach out and do much. So, I was just mulling over, the top 5 things I learned from my current favorite genre- History and that too, the Deccan History. So this is how it goes.
1. A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position — John C. Maxwell
Passion is felt when the fire within you burns brighter than the one that’s engulfing you. This comes from the life of Shivaji in his childhood. He was brought up in a war-torn countryside, where loyalty was up for sale. Deccan was in tethers, with five forces pulling in different directions, Adil Shahi, Nizam Shahi, Qutub Shahi, Bahamani Sultanate, and Mughals. As Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran writes in her book, he was born in a time when caste and class divides were made for the division of labor and the functioning of an efficient society. However, the Mughals used this aspect to their advantage, and so did the British, centuries later. The locals were brutally treated, women feared to go out of their homes, and lands were plundered in the name of religion. In such a setting, there arose the dream of ‘Hindu Swaraj’. The initial sparks were fanned by Jijabai and many caught on to see a free Hindavi Swaraj. There was a burning desire to protect the basic human rights of Hindus in the country, however, he was clear that this was not fueled by religious motivations, but against oppressors from the west.
A century later, the Peshwas too pursued the dream and reached right up to Attock, and also conquered Delhi (post 3rd battle of Panipat) during the reign of Madhavrao Peshwa.
2. Vision above all
A 15-year-old boy, along with his friends visited the Shivalinga in Raireshwar temple. He took an oath in front of the Shivalinga along with his friends to create Swaraj for his people. A boy with a passion to protect his people made it possible because he created a vision of Swaraj. Thirty years later, he would be crowned as the King/Chhatrapati to this land. It is remarkable, that ‘Swaraj’ was a well-articulated term that he had created which made the dream visible. No longer was it an abstract thought, but a defined term that was rolled out as a project, starting with capturing of hill forts.
A brilliant strategist he set out building forts like Pratapgad, (completed in merely 2 years) which would be known as, the watchtower of the Konkan. He set out to build his Navy and built sea forts to protect them, knowing well that to thrive economically and politically, a strong Navy was needed.
His generals were committed to this cause and even decades after the death of Chh. Shivaji, his vision still grew. That is probably the reason for the 18th Century in India, being described as the ‘Maratha Century’.
3. Be Fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire
When one imagines the Marathas from that period in history. Fearless is a quality that immediately comes to mind and a quality that they most certainly lived by. In this period in history, Chh. Shivaji displayed valor when he confronted and killed Afzal Khan, one of the most feared generals of Adil Shah Sultanate. To the time, when he went to Delhi to meet Aurangzeb and escaped from tight home imprisonment.
But let us not forget, his mighty generals. When Siddhi Jauhar mounted an attack on Panhala in 1660, Shivaji escaped the fort in the dead of night and made his way to Vishalgad (40 km from Panhala). As the enemy grew closer, Baji Prabhu Deshpande (Commander in Maratha Army) and his men decided to protect the narrow pass of Pawan Khind (the sacred pass), till the fort-keeper in Vishalgad, fired a cannon to announce the safe arrival of Shivaji. Baji Prabhu and his 300 men fought till their last breath. It is said that a severely wounded Baji Prabhu, fought fearlessly for 2 hours straight, his eyes and ears eagerly waiting for the three blasts from Vishalgad! The battle of Pawan Khind remains one of the most admirable feats of valor and bravery in Indian history and is compared to the Greek battle of Thermopylae (which we saw in the 300 movie version as well).
Tanhaji Malusare and Kondhaji Farzand who with their limited men captured the hill forts of Kondhana and Panhala are exemplary examples of fearless warriors. Almost a century later, Sadashivrao Bhau would also fervently lead his army when the odds were stacked against him, to fight the Afghan, Ahmad Shah Abdali. An army that was starved, cold from the brutal winters of the North and depleting resources, gave the toughest fight to Abdali and his men. Even though the battle was lost, Abdali lost his capacity to wage any further war in Hindustan.
4. A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its Persistence.
Swaraj was not built in the lifetime of 1 man but many who sacrificed their life. Ch. Shivaji in spite of losing his forts many times during his time continued to fan the flames of Swaraj. His kingdom by the time of his death had spread to Gingee in Tamil Nadu. Some decades later, even though we lost the 3rd Battle of Panipat, the dream endured. In 1771, the Maratha dominion was established under the Peshwa Madhavrao. History has been a witness that persistence can grind an iron beam into a needle.
5. If you are tired, learn to rest but don’t quit.
This is probably one of my biggest lessons from history. Reading of such brave and strong characters, one often feels that maybe they had a good support group, or maybe it was the power that they yielded, that made them achieve greatness. However, there were times in Shivaji’s life, when all hope was lost. It would have been quite easy to abandon the dream of Swaraj, but he endured. This was especially difficult when he was dealing with Mirza Raja Jai Singh, a Rajput king in the service of Aurangzeb. Shivaji had to cede 23 forts to Aurangzeb, courtesy of Mirza. Following this, he had to fight some battles for Aurangzeb and also travel to Delhi, where he was imprisoned. This event played out over months and just when Aurangzeb was convinced Shivaji had been broken, he escaped! In those trying times, when his resources were gone and very little hope was left he persisted. He understood that it was not the time to fight, but to recuperate slowly.
Tie a knot when you are at the end of the rope, and then develop the strength to pull yourself back again!
In this ongoing quest of Deccan history, I have imagined, and lived through the emotions, of those glorious events. Many a time, Inspired. Often in Awe, and occasionally shed a few tears in between. It also reinforced the thought that emotional intelligence is more important than your intelligence quotient.
So here, are my top 5 lessons from history so far. This journey is ongoing, and am hoping the lessons would do too. Hope this helped in inspiring you, like it did, for me.
