Marriage of Shahaji and Jijabai
Maloji had not yet forgotten the humiliation done by Jadhavrai. Maloji was still in the service of Ahmednagar and his daughter Jijabai was still unmarried. So Maloji requested the Nizamshah to get Jijabai married to my son Shahji by asking Jadhavarai. Nizamshah agreed to this marriage to Jadhavarai and Jijabai and Shahaji got married in AD 1605.
Married life of Jijabai and Shahaji
Before the marriage of Jijabai and Shahji, Sambhaji was born and later Shivaji was born. Shivaji was born on 19 February 1630 in the Nizamshahi Fort of Shivneri. This fort was located at Shivner near Junnar town in the far north of Poona district. Jijabai had asked a local goddess named Shivai for her son. Therefore, when the child was born, he was named Shivaji. After some time Jadhav Rai, angry with the Nizam, went to the service of the Mughals. This caused trouble to Maloji as he (Maloji) was still in the service of the Nizam. Therefore, Maloji kept his son Shahji's wife Jijabai and her son Shivaji in the fort of Shivner. Jijabai's eldest son Sambhaji stayed with his father Shahji. Maloji and Bithoji's stature increased greatly in the Nizam's kingdom due to the break-up with Jadhavrai and they became very close confidants of Nizam's Prime Minister Malik Amber. They got good jagirs in Nizamshahi.
Other marriages of Shahaji
After some time Shahaji married a beautiful girl named Tukabai Mohite. From this couple, Shahaji was blessed with a son named Ekoji or Vyankoji. After some time Shahaji married a Maratha girl named Narsabai. Shahji was blessed with another son named Santaji who is famous in the history of Marathas as Santaji Ghorpade. He was considered a very famous warrior of the Marathas during the time of Shivaji's second son Rajaram.
Jijabai's difficulties
The Nizam of Ahmednagar could not tolerate that Jadhav Rai should give up his service and serve the Mughals. One day he invited Jadhavarai and his family to his fort and got Jadhavarai and three prominent members of his family killed by deceit. After being separated by her husband, Jijabai was somehow living life with the support of her father, but now the life of brother-in-law and his son Shivaji became very difficult due to the loss of his father's shelter. The brother-in-law began to devote his time to the study of religious texts. He did a good study of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita etc. and also narrated the tales of heroes and heroic men of these texts to his son Shivaji. Jijabai made Shivaji aware of the need for the upliftment of the nation of India, free from the clutches of the Mughals and inspired him to adopt high life ideals. He also made Shivaji aware of the need to accumulate power. Due to the teachings of Mother Jijabai, the child started having reverence for Shiva, sages, saints, scholars and Brahmins.
After some time Shahji also left the service of Nizamshah and went to the service of Mughals. Shahji was given a mansab of 7000 but he did not feel like there and after a year and a half he again joined the service of the Nizam. Now the Mughals campaigned against Ahmednagar. Shahaji stood as the shield of Ahmednagar. When Shahji left the service of the Mughals and returned to the service of the Nizam, then the anger of the Mughals broke out as a havoc on Shahji's wife Jijabai and her son Shivaji. They started being harassed by the Mughals. On this, Jijabai continued to travel from one fort to another with Shivaji. Once when the Mughals surrounded them badly, the brother-in-law hid Shivaji in a hill fort among his supporters in such a way that the Mughals could not find him.
Restoration of Jijabai and Shivaji
When Shahji's condition improved, he appointed Dada Kondev as the custodian of his jagirs of Poona and Supa and ordered him to bring Jijabai and Shivaji from the fort of Shivner to Poona and take care of them. Dada Kondev was intelligent, devoted, determined and had a deep understanding of religion and politics. He brought Jijabai and her son Shivaji from the inaccessible fort of Shivner to Poona. He built a grand residence called Lal-Mahal in Poona and kept brother-in-law and his son in this palace. Kondev believed that the ruler should live in a grand palace to establish his influence over the subjects.
Distribution of jagirs by Shahji among sons
Shahaji gave the jagir of Bangalore in Karnataka to his eldest son Sambhaji. Gave the jagirs of Poona and Supa to the second son Shivaji and the jagirs of Thanjavur to the third son Ekoji or Vyankoji. After some time Afzal Khan killed Shahji's eldest son Sambhaji. On this Shahaji himself started managing the Jagir of Bangalore.
Child Shivaji's training by Dada Kondev
Child Shivaji, on the one hand, was listening to the stories of brave men and women of high ideals of Ramayana and Mahabharata from his mother and on the other hand, was watching with his own eyes the work being done by Dada Kondev for the prosperity of the subjects. He took many measures to make Shahji's jagirs prosperous and turned them upside down. He took steps to make the land fertile and conducted military campaigns against the dacoits to free the people from the fear of dacoits. To stop the wild animals that entered human settlements and killed humans, he prepared an army of Maval youths. Dada Kondev did another wonderful job. No other jagirdar or ruler was doing this work during that period. He went to every village of Shahji's jagir, taking the boy Shivaji with him and inquired about the problems and quarrels of the people there. Strives to solve problems and listens to the disputes by sitting with both the parties. He would explain both the sides and finally give his decision. He would also include child Shivaji in this decision-making process. This area was called Maval and its inhabitants were called Mavali who were uneducated and were unaware of the right methods of farming. Dada Kondev used to tell them the right methods of farming so that the income of the farmers would increase. Kondev got Shivaji trained in horse handling, bow learning, Neja and sword driving, Malla war etc.
Setting up Friendships
Brilliant and talented Shivaji started taking interest in Kondev's work. Seeing this tendency, many farmers and common people started considering Shivaji as their benefactor and ruler. Never before had any ruler had such close relations with the poor people. Gradually Shivaji became popular in both Poona and Supa Jagirs. Shivaji established his circle of friends by visiting every village of his father's fiefdom. Shivaji taught these youth the lessons of patriotism and religion. Established closeness with them by playing with them. Gradually thousands of young men became friends of Shivaji who were ready to lay down their lives at the one voice of their king.
Shivaji's first marriage and trip to Bangalore
In AD 1640, Mother-in-law, in consultation with Dada Kondev, married Shivaji to Saibai, a daughter of the Nimbalkar family. When Shahaji came to know about this marriage, he sent orders to Konadeva to bring Jijabai, Shivaji and his wife Saibai to Bangalore so that he (Shahji) could meet his family and bless the daughter-in-law. Dada Kondev took this family from Poona (Maharashtra) to Bangalore (Karnataka) where they were all given due hospitality. In this journey, Shivaji along with mother and wife visited Hindu pilgrimages and temples of that region. Jijabai lived in Bijapur with her son and daughter-in-law for three years. One day Shahji took Shivaji with him and went to the court of Adilshah. There, instead of bowing down to Adilshah, Shivaji greeted Adilshah standing upright. On this Adilshah wondered and asked why did he do this? On this, Shahaji apologized to Adilshah and said that he is a pure child, he is not aware of the royal customs.
Slaughter of butcher selling beef
One day when Shivaji saw a butcher selling beef and meat on the way, he told Adilshah that we worship the cow as a mother and the butcher cuts it on the road. Therefore, you should stop cow slaughter in your state. Adilshah, after listening to Shivaji, ordered that no person would cut a cow on the road or sell beef and meat on the road because Hindus also come out from there. A few days after this order was issued, a butcher was taking a cow. Shivaji freed the cow by cutting the rope and when the butcher protested, he barked a dagger in the butcher's stomach due to which the butcher died. When this matter reached Adilshah, he supported Shivaji's action because according to the royal order, cow slaughter and sale of beef could not be done on the road, then how could the cow be taken on the road publicly to kill !
Shivaji's second marriage
Adilshah was very pleased with Shivaji's courage and independence. He got Shivaji to get another marriage done by asking Shahji. He was married to Soyarabai, a daughter of Shirke Gharana. Adilshah himself also attended this marriage along with his nobles and blessed Shivaji and his new wife.
Farewell to Shivaji from Bijapur
Ever since Shivaji came to Bangalore, Shahaji was giving him training in the administration of the Bijapur state, the management of the army, court customs, the intrigues of the nobles, the arrangement of the shed, the operation and maintenance of weapons, etc. When any Amir-Umrao would come to meet Shahji, Shahji would make Shivaji sit with him so that he would listen and understand the matters related to the state. Everything was going well and Shahji as well as Adilshah was showering love on Shivaji, but after the butcher was killed by Shivaji in AD 1643, Shahji became apprehensive from his son's side as to when this would happen. What trouble should it create and Adilshah should harm it. Therefore, Shahji asked Dada Kondev to go back to Poona with Jijabai and her sons and daughters-in-law. By this time Shivaji's age had become about 13 years.
Shivaji's disinterest in Shahaji's work
Shahaji was in the service of the Sultan of Bijapur. As such he played a major role in the invasions of the Hindu kingdoms by Bijapur. Thousands of Hindu families were razed by the Bijapur state and forced them to become Muslims by force. They were left as beggars by snatching the properties of Hindus. Hundreds of grand Hindu temples were destroyed. Shahji had to lead the Bijapur army in all these works. All these things came to know in detail to Shivaji during his Bangalore visit. Shivaji was disenchanted with this act of his father and in his mind the sprout of rebellion against Muslim rule was born.