Editing Shivaji (section)

== Coronation ==
[[File:The Coronation Durbar with over 100 characters depicted in attendance.jpg|thumb|280x280px|20th century depiction of the Coronation Durbar with over 100 characters depicted in attendance by M.V. Dhurandhar]]
[[File:Deccan, ritratto di chhatrapati shivaji maharaj, bijapur 1675 ca.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Shivaji I c. 1675]]

Shivaji had acquired extensive lands and wealth through his campaigns, but lacking a formal title, he was still technically a Mughal [[zamindar]] or the son of a Bijapuri [[jagirdar]], with no legal basis to rule his de facto domain. A kingly title could address this and also prevent any challenges by other Maratha leaders, who were his equals.{{efn|Most of the great Maratha Jahagirdar families in the service of Adilshahi strongly opposed Shivaji in his early years. These included families such as the Ghadge, More, Mohite, Ghorpade, Shirke, and Nimbalkar.{{Sfn|Jasper|2003|p=215}}}} Such a title would also provide the [[Marathi people|Hindu Marathis]] with a fellow Hindu sovereign in a region otherwise ruled by Muslims.{{sfn|Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times|1920|pp=239–240}}

The preparation for a proposed coronation began in 1673. However, some controversies delayed the coronation by almost a year.{{sfn|Gordon|1993|p=87}} One controversy erupted amongst the [[Brahmin]]s of Shivaji's court: they refused to crown Shivaji as a king because that status was reserved for those of the ''[[kshatriya]] [[varna (Hinduism)|varna]]'' (warrior class) in Hindu society.<ref name="Gandhi1999">{{cite book|author=Rajmohan Gandhi|title=Revenge and Reconciliation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OVqP54UEe4QC&pg=PA110|year=1999|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-029045-5|pages=110–|quote=On the ground that Shivaji was merely a Maratha and not a kshatriya by caste, Maharashtra's Brahmins had refused to conduct a sacred coronation. }}</ref> Shivaji was descended from a line of headmen of farming villages, and the Brahmins accordingly categorized him as a Maratha, not a Kshatriya.{{sfn|Gordon|1993|p=87-88}}<ref name="BaviskarAttwood2013">{{cite book|author1=B. S. Baviskar|author2=D. W. Attwood|title=Inside-Outside: Two Views of Social Change in Rural India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jVQtBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA395|date= 2013|publisher=Sage Publications|isbn=978-81-321-1865-7|pages=395–}}</ref> They noted that Shivaji had never had a [[sacred thread]] ceremony, and did not wear the thread, such as a kshatriya would.{{sfn|Gordon|1993|p=88}} When Shivaji came to know about this conspiracy, he later bribed and summoned [[Gaga Bhatt]], a [[pandit]] of Varanasi, who stated that he had found a genealogy proving that Shivaji was descended from the [[Sisodia Dynasty|Sisodia]]s, and thus indeed a kshatriya, albeit one in need of the ceremonies befitting his rank.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sunder |first=B. Shyam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-c4tAAAAMAAJ&q=bribed+gaga+bhatt |title=They Burn: The 160,000,000 Untouchables of India |date=1987 |publisher=Dalit Sahitya Akademy |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chand |first=Shyam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u2eKAAAAMAAJ&q=bribed |title=Saffron Fascism |date=2002 |publisher=Hemkunt Publishers |language=en}}</ref>{{Sfn|Cashman, The Myth of the Lokamanya|1975|p=[https://archive.org/details/mythoflokamanya00rich/page/7 7]}} To enforce this status, Shivaji was given a sacred thread ceremony, and remarried his spouses under the [[Marriage in Hinduism|Vedic rites]] expected of a kshatriya.{{sfn|Farooqui, A Comprehensive History of Medieval India|2011|p=321}}<ref name="Godsmark2018">{{cite book|author=Oliver Godsmark|title=Citizenship, Community and Democracy in India: From Bombay to Maharashtra, c. 1930–1960|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCpKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT40|date=2018|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-351-18821-0|pages=40–}}</ref> However, according to historical evidence, Shivaji's claim to [[Rajput]], and specifically of Sisodia ancestry, may be seen as being anything from tenuous, at best, to purely inventive.<ref name="Varma & Saberwal">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S8EoAAAAYAAJ|title=Traditions in Motion: Religion and Society in History|last1=Varma|first1=Supriya|last2=Saberwal|first2=Satish|date=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-566915-2|page=250|language=en}}</ref>

On 28 May, Shivaji did penance for his and his ancestors' not observing Kshatriya rites for so long. Then he was invested by Gaga Bhatt with the sacred thread.{{sfn|Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times|1920|p=244}} On the insistence of other Brahmins, Gaga Bhatt omitted the Vedic chant and initiated Shivaji into a modified form of the life of the [[Dvija|twice-born]], instead of putting him on a par with the Brahmins. Next day, Shivaji made atonement for the sins, deliberate or accidental, committed in his own lifetime.{{sfn|Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times|1920|p=245}} He was weighed separately against seven metals including gold, silver, and several other articles, such fine linen, camphor, salt, sugar etc. All these articles, along with a [[lakh]] (one hundred thousand) of hun, were distributed among the Brahmins. According to Sarkar, even this failed to satisfy the greed of the Brahmins. Two of the learned Brahmins pointed out that Shivaji, while conducting his raids, had killed Brahmins, cows, women, and children. He could be cleansed of these sins for a price of [[Rupee|Rs]]. 8,000, which Shivaji paid.{{sfn|Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times|1920|p=245}} The total expenditure for feeding the assemblage, general almsgiving, throne, and ornaments approached 1.5 million [[rupee]]s.{{sfn|Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times|1920|p=252}}

On 6 June 1674, Shivaji was crowned king of the [[Maratha Empire]] (''[[Hindavi Swarajya|Hindavi Swaraj]]'') in a lavish ceremony at Raigad fort.<ref name="Pillai2018">{{cite book|author=Manu S Pillai|title=Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rq5oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR9|year=2018|publisher=Juggernaut Books|isbn=978-93-86228-73-4|page=xvi}}</ref><ref name="Barua2005">{{cite book |first=Pradeep |last=Barua | title=The State at War in South Asia | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FIIQhuAOGaIC&pg=PA42 | year= 2005 | publisher=University of Nebraska Press | isbn=978-0-8032-1344-9 | page=42 }}</ref> In the [[Hindu calendar]] it was the 13th day (''trayodashi'') of the first fortnight of the month of ''[[Jyeshtha (month)|Jyeshtha]]'' in the year 1596.<ref name="RauArchives1980">{{cite book|author=Mallavarapu Venkata Siva Prasada Rau (Andhra Pradesh Archives)|title=Archival organization and records management in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LXtmAAAAMAAJ|year=1980|publisher=Published under the authority of the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh by the Director of State Archives (Andhra Pradesh State Archives)|page=393}}</ref> Gaga Bhatt officiated, pouring water from a gold vessel filled with the waters of the seven sacred rivers—[[Yamuna]], [[Indus]], [[Ganges]], [[Godavari]], [[Narmada]], [[Krishna River|Krishna]], and [[Kaveri]]—over Shivaji's head, and chanted the Vedic coronation mantras. After the ablution, Shivaji bowed before his mother, Jijabai, and touched her feet. Nearly fifty thousand people gathered at Raigad for the ceremonies.{{sfn|Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times|1920}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Yuva Bharati|year=1974|publisher=Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee|page=13|edition=Volume 1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6vUoAAAAYAAJ&q=50,000+people+shivaji+coronation|quote=About 50,000 people witnessed the coronation ceremony and arrangements were made for their boarding and lodging.}}</ref> Shivaji was entitled ''Shakakarta'' ("founder of an era"){{sfn|Sardesai|1957|p=222}} and ''[[Chhatrapati]]'' ("[[Pati (title)|Lord]] of the [[Chatra (umbrella)|Umbrella]]"). He also took the title of ''[[Defender of Faith|Haindava Dharmodhhaarak]]'' (protector of the Hindu faith)<ref name="Chandra1982"/> and ''Kshatriya Kulavantas'':<ref name="Sardesai2002">{{cite book |author=H. S. Sardesai |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=deHZAUDHzYwC&pg=PA431 |title=Shivaji, the Great Maratha |publisher=Cosmo Publications |year=2002 |isbn=978-81-7755-286-7 |page=431}}</ref><ref name="Kulkarnee1975">{{cite book |author=Narayan H. Kulkarnee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faodAAAAMAAJ&q=kshatriya+Kulawatans |title=Chhatrapati Shivaji, Architect of Freedom: An Anthology |publisher=Chhatrapati Shivaji Smarak Samiti |year=1975}}</ref><ref name="Singh1998">{{cite book |author=U. B. Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S30xOPtnzZYC&pg=PA92 |title=Administrative System in India: Vedic Age to 1947 |publisher=APH Publishing |year=1998 |isbn=978-81-7024-928-3 |page=92}}</ref> ''Kshatriya'' being the varna{{efn|''Varna'' is sometimes also termed {{lang|sa|[[Varnashrama Dharma]]}}}} of [[Hinduism]] and {{lang|sa|kulavantas}} meaning the 'head of the {{lang|sa|kula}}, or clan'.<ref name="Sharma1978">{{cite book |author=Tej Ram Sharma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WcnnB-Lx2MAC&pg=PA72 |title=Personal and Geographical Names in the Gupta Inscriptions |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |year=1978 |page=72 |id=GGKEY:RYD56P78DL9}}</ref>

Shivaji's mother died on 18 June 1674. The Marathas summoned Nischal Puri Goswami, a tantric priest, who declared that the original coronation had been held under inauspicious stars, and a second coronation was needed. This second coronation, on 24 September 1674, mollified those who still believed that Shivaji was not qualified for the Vedic rites of his first coronation, by being a less controversial ceremony.<ref name="Srivastava1964">{{cite book|author=Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava|title=The History of India, 1000 A.D.–1707 A.D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bdw9AAAAMAAJ|year=1964|publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala|page=701|quote=Shivaji was obliged to undergo a second coronation ceremony on 4th October 1674, on the suggestion of a well-known Tantrik priest, named Nishchal Puri Goswami, who said that Gaga Bhatta had performed the ceremony at an inauspicious hour and neglected to propitiate the spirits adored in the Tantra. That was why, he said, the queen mother Jija Bai had died within twelve days of the ceremony and similar other mishaps had occurred.}}</ref><ref name="Branch1975">{{cite book|author=Indian Institute of Public Administration. Maharashtra Regional Branch|title=Shivaji and swarajya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ytQgAAAAMAAJ|year=1975|publisher=Orient Longman|page=61|quote=one to establish that Shivaji belonged to the Kshatriya clan and that he could be crowned a Chhatrapati and the other to show that he was not entitled to the Vedic form of recitations at the time of the coronation}}</ref><ref name="Sharma1951">{{cite book|author=Shripad Rama Sharma|title=The Making of Modern India: From A.D. 1526 to the Present Day|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oAUdAAAAMAAJ|year=1951|publisher=Orient Longmans|page=223|quote=The coronation was performed at first according to the Vedic rites, then according to the Tantric. Shivaji was anxious to satisfy all sections of his subjects. There was some doubt about his Kshatriya origin (see note at the end of this chapter). This was of more than academic interest to his contemporaries, especially Brahmans [Brahmins]. Traditionally considered the highest caste in the Hindu social hierarchy. the Brahmans would submit to Shivaji, and officiate at his coronation, only if his}}</ref>