The Politics behind the Deification of Shivaji

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 18 March 2025 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Temple at Maradepada in Thane's Bhiwandi on Monday, March 17. The inauguration was held on the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti, according to the Hindu calendar. The deification process of Shivaji is complete with his temple. The pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses was already chock-a-block with countless deities and sub-deities. So, the addition of one more deity is welcome. To quote Mirza Ghalib, "Kyon na firdaus ko dozakh se mila dein ya Rab/ Sair ke vaaste thodi-si fiza aur sahi” (Why shouldn't the paradise be added to the hell? There'll be further space and scope for the entertainment and enjoyment). But on a serious note, Shivaji's elevation to godhood has a political angle to it. Deification of a character makes him/her irreproachable. The person becomes Caesar's wife (above all suspicions). Historically as well as anthropologically, deification is a process with an ulterior motive. The deified character becomes so great that all those pitted against him/her become insignificant. The Maratha politics and people of Maharashtra deify Shivaji and Hindutva and demonise Aurangzeb and Islam. Moreover, this issue is being raised as a red herring to divert the attention of the public from the rift that has appeared in the coalition partners in Maharashtra. Indians are negatively nostalgic people. Cashing in on our past glories is a national character. For example, Bengalis will never be tired of eulogizing their icons such as Tagore, Vivekananda, Subhas Bose, Sri Aurobindo, among others. Likewise, Maharashtrians will extol Shivaji, Savarkar and Ambedkar as per their castes. These characters of the past are being used to settle the (hoary) old scores. Shivaji is now a proverbial stick to beat the Muslims and Aurangzeb with. We're unable to juxtapose our 'glorious' past with certain unpleasant and unfortunate events, episodes and incidents. But we also have this tendency to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If Aurangzeb tortured and killed Sambhaji, he also kept his son Shahu in his custody and didn't harm him. Shahu, who was seven years of age when captured, remained prisoner of the Mughals for 18 years from February 1689 until Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's death in 1707. Shahu was then set free by Emperor Muhammad Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb. The visit of Shahu I to Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khuldabad remains an intriguing and symbolic moment in Indian history. It is a testament to the complex interplay of power, politics, and personal history that defined the Maratha-Mughal relationship in the early 18th century. While the legacy of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb remains contested today due to his prolonged military campaigns, Shahu’s decision to pay respects at the tomb of the man responsible for his father’s execution offers a deeper insight into his saintly disposition, political acumen, strategic foresight, and cultural influences. Our extreme ethnocentrism is clouding our perceptions. Our political and historical immaturity is also responsible for this ongoing chaos, vandalism and deification of Shivaji. We must remember that the Mezquita-Catedral (Mosque-Cathedral) in Córdoba, Spain, is one of the finest examples of social harmony anywhere in the world. The people of Spain have accepted the deep influence of Islam on their society, and this mosque-cathedral with a blend of Islamic, Gothic and Renaissance architecture is a symbol of that past. Constructed as a mosque in the 8th century under Islamic rule, it was converted into a cathedral in the 13th century after the Christian re-conquest of Cordoba. A UNESCO World Heritage site today, this monument now represents the history of Islamic and Christian coexistence in the Iberian Peninsula. We must learn from mature nations to look at the past dispassionately and only with an academic interest without any intention to flog the dead horse and exhume the skeletons of a bygone era. By sparing the tomb of Aurangzeb, militant Marathas can prove that they also have brains and they believe in burying the hatchet. Let bygones be bygones. They can also underline the fact that their profound respect for Shivaji doesn't depend upon his (Shivaji's) deification. We should evolve collectively and behave sagaciously. But will we? … URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/politics-behind-deification-of-shivaji/d/13491 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism