A Fresh Wave of Fanatism: Shivaji was quiet for the next two years. In April 1669, A issued orders to destroy the sacred temples of Mathura and Kashi and construct mosques in their place. All Hindu ceremonies and fairs were banned. Upset with Aurangzib’s actions, Shivaji took revenge by plundering a number of towns under Mughal control. He plundered Surat for three days in 1670. This continued for three years. In 1671, Shivaji fought a war with the Mughal for the conquest of Saler on the Gujarat/ MP. Border. Shivaji captured the fort in 1671, his PM, Moropant Pingle earned a unique name for valor. A renewed war with Bijapur put Shivaji under strain but what it brought out was the true Maratha character – a spirit of sacrifice and cooperation, a sense of national unity which made Maratha’s a respected name throughout India. This was Shivaji’s greatest achievement. I have often wondered who inspired Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Veer Savarkar. Was it Shivaji?
The Coronation happened in 1674. He appointed eight ministers. Shivaji appears to have borrowed his departmental division from ancient Hindu scriptures. Shivaji was an autocrat and allowed no independent powers to his ministers.
The Last venture Karnatak. With all the splendor assumed by Shivaji, his actual domain was hardly more than 200 hundred square miles in length and even less in breadth. The Siddis of Janjira and the Portuguese were his constant enemies. While the North was under Maratha rule, the South remained free for his ambition. The south was loosely held by the states of Bijapur and Golconda. With the death of the kings of these two states around 1672, confusion prevailed. In Golconda, two Hindu ministers managed the administration ably and made common cause with S for the uplift and regeneration of the Hindu empire. Unfortunately, Shivaji’s brother, the ruler of Tanjore, Ekoji was against him and collaborated with the Muslims against S. His PM Raghunath Pant’s disagreed with him and resigned to join hands with Shivaji. Shivaji left Raigarh in 1677, having already dispatched strong parties to subjugate Muslim chiefs who were against his scheme of bringing South India under Hindu rule. An agreement was reached with the Sultan of Haidarbad for jointly resisting Mughal advances. He went to Gingee and captured Vellore after a years effort. On his return to Raigarh, Shivaji seized most of Ejoki’s possessions in the Mysore plateau. Ekojis wife brought reconciliation between the two brothers.