Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who laid the foundation of the Maratha empire, died at the age of 50 on April 3, 1680. More than three centuries have passed, but his life, valour, beliefs, and ideals continue to stoke interest, which is palpable from the significant number of films made and books written on him. Safe to say, people have tried making sense of the life of this Maratha warrior, through both fact and fiction; the latest being 'The Wild Warfront - Shivaji Maharaj: Volume 2', a historical novel written by celebrated Marathi writer Vishwas Patil, translated into English by Nadeem Khan, and published by Westland Books.
My English novel "Shivaji Mahasamrat, the Wild Warfront" got published in Delhi ,the presence of Nitin Gadkari ji and great author Shashi Tharoor ji. काल नवी दिल्लीमध्ये शानदार प्रकाशन .
— Vishwas patil (@AuthorVishwas) April 3, 2025
The book is available on Amazon Flipkart and on the site of Westland eka publishers. pic.twitter.com/hNVIBvpz37
"Researching about the life of Shivaji has been the passion, obsession, and madness of my life," said Patil at his book's launch at a fully-packed Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi.
While speaking fondly of the Maratha warrior, Union minister Nitin Gadkari pointed out how Shivaji is a misunderstood figure. "He was even dubbed as a bandit by the British," the minister said.
While his valour continues to inspire, what is also interesting is how he stands different for different people. For Jyotirao Phule, Shivaji was the voice of the subaltern, and for Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he was the original Hindu nationalist, pointed out writer-politician Shashi Tharoor. "You had different interpretations even within Maharashtra," he said.
One thing is certain, Shivaji was 100 per cent secular, said Gadkari.
"Throughout history, he won several battles but never attacked a mosque," Gadkari said, adding how his troops consisted of Muslim soldiers, and how after defeating General Afzal Khan of Bijapur in the 1659 Battle of Pratapgarh, he ordered his army to bury the slain general with respect.
Tharoor pointed out how important it is to talk about Shivaji's secularism, which is often underappreciated by his admirers as well.
Gadkari also lauded the English translation of the book by Khan, from Marathi, as because of it, the story of Shivaji will reach a wider public.
