Mother Tahira Charitable Trust and Various Social organizations paid their emotional tributes on the 345th death Anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of India’s great Maratha Empire. Various Aocial organizations organized an inter-faith prayer Meeting. Today, on 3 April 2025,
An Inter-faith prayer Meeting was organized in the Satyagraha Auditorium of Satyagraha Research Foundation on the 345th death Anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of India’s great Maratha Empire. People of all Religions participated in it. On this occasion, International Peace Ambassador Cum Secretary Satyagraha Research Foundation Dr. Ajaz Ahmad Advocate, Dr. Suresh Kumar Agarwal, Senior Journalist Cum Founder Mother Tahira Charitable Trust Dr. Amanul Haque, Dr. Shahnawaz Ali, Dr. Amit Kumar Lohia, West Champaran Kala Manch Convenor Shaheen Parveen and Mother Tahira Charitable Trust Director S. Saba jointly paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the great ruler of India and son of Mother India, and they paid that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj died on this day on 3 April 1680. His entire life was dedicated to the protection of the Motherland and Social unity. His full name was Chhatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosale. He was a great ruler and Strategist of India who laid the foundation of the Maratha Empire in West India in 1674 AD. He was Crowned in Raigad in 1674 and became “Chhatrapati”. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj provided a Capable and progressive Administration with the help of his disciplined Army and well-organized Administrative units. He made Many innovations in warfare and developed a new style of guerilla warfare (Shivsutra). He revived Ancient Indian political practices and Court etiquettes and made Marathi and Sanskrit the official languages. He came to be remembered as a hero in the Indian freedom struggle. In the freedom Movement of India, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started Shivajiraje Janmotsav to develop the spirit of nationalism.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a true supporter of Hindu Muslim unity. He strengthened the Maratha Empire by including one-third Muslim youth in his army.
After the death of his political rival Afzal Khan, he respectfully built the tomb of Afzal Khan in Pratapgarh. Shivaji was a king who respected all religions. This is clearly reflected in his policies, army and administrative appointments. Shivaji Maharaj was blessed by A Muslim Sufi saint named Hazrat Baba Yakut Thorwale.
Shivaji Maharaj respected all religions and he also respected Muslim saints and dargahs.
There were many Muslim Commanders in Shivaji’s Army, including Shriman Hilal Ji, Shriman Daulat Khan, Shriman Ibrahim Khan, Shriman Qazi Haider, Shriman Siddi Ibrahim, Shriman Siddi Wahvah, Noorkhan Beg, Shama Khan, Shriman Hussain Khan Miani, Shriman Siddi Mistri, Shriman Sultan Khan, Dawood Khan and Shriman Madari Mahetar etc. Speakers on the occasion said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was blessed by many Muslim and Christian Sufi saints. Shivaji’s grandfather Malojirao Bhosale named his sons Shahji and Sharifji in honor of Sufi saint Shah Sharif. Shivaji fought battles against local Hindu kings as well as Aurangzeb. Interestingly, in the war with Aurangzeb, the man who led Aurangzeb’s army was Raja Jaisingh, a Rajput, and a high official in Aurangzeb’s court.
Shivaji adopted humane policies in his administration, which were not based on any religion. Religion was not a criterion for recruitment of soldiers in his army and navy and one third of them were Muslim soldiers.
His navy was commanded by Siddi Sambal and Siddi Muslims were in large numbers in his navy. When Shivaji was under house arrest in Agra Fort, one of the two persons who helped him escape from captivity was a Muslim, his name was Shriman Madari Mehtar. His intelligence secretary was Maulana Haider Ali and his artillery was commanded by Ibrahim Gardi.
Chhatrapati Maharaj Shivaji respected all religions. He ordered to give a lifelong honorable stipend to ‘Hazrat Baba Yakut Thorwale’ and also helped Father Ambrose at that time so that with that support Hazrat Baba Yakut and Father Ambrose could help every needy person. When his church in Gujarat was attacked. Shivaji had built a mosque for Muslim devotees right in front of his palace in his capital Raigad in the same way as he had built the Jagdishwar temple for his worship.
Shivaji had given clear instructions to his military commanders and his officials that Muslim women and children should not be mistreated during any military campaign. He had ordered to provide proper security to mosques and dargahs. He had also ordered his officials that if anyone finds a copy of the Quran, it should be given full respect and handed over to the Muslims. Through this platform, we once again pay tribute to him.
