शिवछत्रपतींचे आरमार Book Review [ShivChhatrapatinche Aarmar]

शिवछत्रपतींचे आरमार

Book Name : शिवछत्रपतींचे आरमार [Armada of Chhatrapati Shivaji]
Author : Gajanan Mahendale; Santosh Shintre
Subject : Maratha Naval History
Publishers : Parammitra Publication
Language : Marathi
Pages : 218
Price : Rs 225 (From BookGanga.com)
Overall Rating : 
Writing & Research : 
Illustrations & Maps : 


Detailed Review

I have been researching about Maratha Navy since '07, and I have read a fair amount of books. However, I must say, very few books have earned my respect when it goes to painstaking research. Few authors respect the concept of cross references, footnotes, appendices and bibliography.

But this book is different. And I am not surprised, as it is written by one of Maharashtra's most respected Historian and Scholar - Gajanan Mahendale and his personal friend and fellow scholar Santosh Shintre. Who else will give you a nearly 40-page bibliography and references for a 218page book? That's genuine "Scholarship" my friends.

The book covers the Maratha Naval period from circa 1650s to 1680 i.e. the demise of Shivaji Maharaj. The book itself is divided into 4 sections, viz :

1. Beginnings of Shivaji's Armada
2. Shivaji & Siddi
3. Khanderi Campaign of 1679
4. Afterthoughts

Afterthoughts is the shortest of the four [barely 3 pages]. Beginnings...is really well written, and throws light upon not only the beginning of Maratha Navy, but also the organisation of the Portuguese Navy in Indian Ocean. Shivaji & Siddi has some great action in it, more than the remaining three sections combined. Lastly, the Khanderi Campaign is wonderfully explained, both politically and militarily. Also the only section to have a well-printed map.

Appendices have a bad habit of leaving you unsatisfied. The same is true here. Appendices here are organised thus :

1. Shivaji Maharaj's Sea-Forts
2. Shivaji Maharaj's Naval Officers
3. Shivaji Maharaj's Battleships

Battleships is the shortest one. It has two illustrations of Maratha Ships, poorly reproduced. Naval Officers is fairly decent, although painfully short. Sea-Forts is accompanied by two photographs. There are five more photographs also in earlier sections.

History buffs will love this book.

As I said earlier, the book is a scholar's dream come true. If you are seriously studying Naval History of India and/or Marathas, you should seriously consider buying this one.

PROS :

• Well written AND researched sections.
• Great References & Bibliography
• Worth its Money

CONS :

• Bad Maps. Except the one in Khanderi Campaign, I loved that one.
• Poorly printed illustration of the two ships.
• If only the appendices were chapter-length...this book would have been 5star.

Final Word : Should you buy it? & Is it worth your Money? YES & YES.

Coming Soon: Review of शिवछत्रपतींचे आरमार

Hi,

Recently bought the book "शिवछत्रपतींचे आरमार", by Gajanan Mahendale & Santosh Shintre.

I'l be putting up a review of the book within a few days.

Bye.

Myths about Maratha Navy.

The biggest myth around Maratha navy is that, 'Maratha navy was the only naval establishment of an indigenous Indian kingdom during medieval period.'
Nothing could be further from truth.
When people claim such a thing, they indirectly imply that India, having a main coastline of 5,423 kilometers, was never blessed with able monarchs. That the said kings never thought of maintaining a trade fleet, let alone an armed navy.
However these critics forget that they themselves were so focused on mainland politics that they never saw the naval traditions which dot the coastline of India.
These men go so far as to say that the Muslim rulers ignored naval growth.

Now; for the myth-buster.

India's Military tradition has been interrupted from time to time, but its naval tradition has been continuous right from the time of Chandragupta Maurya, in 300 BC. The Cholas actually went as far as Malay Archipelago.
As far as medieval India is concerned, India’s naval strength was by far greater than Spain or Portugal. It was only in 1500s that the naval superiority of Sindhu Sagar (western sea) was successfully claimed by Portuguese.

Some of the many Indian Kings, & Princes (Pre-Shivaji) who maintained their own naval fleet were:

• Raja of Honavar circa 1370s
• Naik of Sangameshwar 1200s
• Raja of Vishalgad 1400s
• Koli Patil of Dabhol
• Koli Patil of Rajpuri (His capital later became Janjira) 1500s
• Samuthiri Raja of Kozhikode
• Sultan of Gujarat till 1500s

Of the above mentioned Sultan of Gujarat was known as lord of the sea. (When Jahangir conquered Gujarat, he was presented with a gilded belt of the vanquished sultan. Jahangir saw the belt and exclaimed, 'Behold, for these are the articles of the Lord of the Sea').

Not only this, the Admiralty as established by Nizamshah of Ahmadnagar, later evolved into what we know today as the principality of Janjira.
Later after the death of Ahmadnagar Empire, Siddi of Janjira moved his allegiance to Adilshah of bijapur. The Bijapur sultan himself maintained a naval station at Karwar.
Qutubshah of Golconda also maintained his own fleet. His trade fleet travelled to Mecca each year.

Akbar, a Central Asian Mongol, established a Naval fleet based in Bengal (Bengal or Ancient Anga has been a centre for shipbuilding for centuries.) Shaitakhan(the one whose fingers were cut by Shivaji), was a great reformer of the Mughal fleet at Bengal.

What I want to convey to you, is that to enhance the greatness and ingenuity of Marathas, do not ignore the rich contribution of so many other naval leaders. They deserve the credit which has been denied to them.