It was a chance discovery that led history researchers Anuradha Kulkarni and Ajeet Patwardhan to open up the rumaal (cloth) that contained the documents found by the late historian SG Joshi on Sunday prior to the launch of their own book the same day.
While the duo were busy preparing for the launch of the Shivcharitra Sahitya (Volume 15) on Sunday, December 9, they came across an original copy of an old letter dating back to the times of Shivaji, which has been cited as the oldest letter ever found.
Both researchers, of the Bharat Itihaas Sanshodhan Mandal (BISM), stumbled upon the letter that bears the royal seals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The letter which showcases the benevolent side of the founder of the Maratha empire deals with the dispersion of justice and the subsequent appointment of a new village Patil (headman) in the village of Ranjhe in Pune district.
Historian Gajanan Mehendale, who helped authenticate the letter, says, “The letter and its translation from Modi was first published in 1928 by VL Bhave and then again in 1930 by SG Joshi. Since the document itself was about an official appointment, copies of the same used to be made. They never had an official seal of the state on them. And the translations that were published back then were from these copies. This is the original one because it also has the official seal and the mudra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on it. We had to verify the authenticity of the seal because it is faded. However, the dimensions for the opening seal are always 2.5 cms and the closing one 1.5 cms. This has been documented by historians almost 80 years ago. We corroborated the same and found it to be the original letter and not the copy as was the case earlier.”
Mehendale also mentioned that the interesting aspect of the seal was that it is in Sanskrit. “Unlike seals of Dadoji Kondadev, or Jijabai, which were in Persian. That also helped authenticating the letter,” he says.
छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांचे सर्वात जुने व अस्सल पत्र पुण्यातील भारत इतिहास संशोधक मंडळातील अभ्यासकांच्या हाती लागले आहे. हे पत्र २८ जानेवारी १६४६ या तारखेचे असून, या पत्रात रांजे गावच्या पाटलाने स्त्रीविषयक गैरवर्तन केल्याने महाराजांनी त्याचे हातपाय तोडायची शिक्षा सुनावल्याचा उल्लेख आहे.
इतिहास अभ्यासक अजित पटवर्धन आणि डॉ. अनुराधा कुलकर्णी यांना हे पत्र भारत इतिहास संशोधक मंडळाच्या दफ्तरखान्यात ज्येष्ठ संशोधक स. ग. जोशी यांच्या नावच्या रुमालात बांधून ठेवलेले सापडले. जोशी यांना हे पत्र १९२९ साली मिळाले होते. मंडळाने ते १९३० साली 'शिवचरित्र - साहित्य, खंड २' या पुस्तकात प्रकाशित केले होते. त्यानंतर मात्र हे पत्र सापडत नव्हते. या पत्राची एक नक्कल १९२८ साली 'मराठी दफ्तर, खंड ३' मध्ये प्रकाशित झाली होती. नक्कल प्रकाशित झाल्यानंतर एका वर्षांने जोशी यांना अस्सल पत्र मिळाले.
हे पत्र नव्याने मिळाले तेव्हा त्याची अवस्था अतिशय वाईट होती. परंतु पत्रावरील शिवकालीन मोडी लिपी, मायने आणि मुद्रा पाहिल्यावर ते शिवकालीन व कदाचित शिवाजी महाराजांचेच असावे, अशी शंका पटवर्धन व कुलकर्णी यांना आली. यानंतर ज्येष्ठ इतिहास संशोधक गजानन मेहेंदळे यांच्या मार्गदर्शनाखाली या पत्राचा अभ्यास करण्यात आला.
याबाबत मेहेंदळे म्हणाले, ''शिवाजी महाराजांची १६३२ व १६३८ सालची पत्रेही उपलब्ध असल्याचे दाखविले जाते. परंतु ही पत्रे नक्कल स्वरूपात असून त्यांच्या खरेपणावर विश्वास ठेवला जात नाही. १६४६ सालच्या या पत्रातील भाषा शिवकालीन असून त्यावर महाराजांचे शिक्कामोर्तब आहेत. त्यामुळे हे सर्वात जुने आणि अस्सल शिवकालीन पत्र असल्याचे सिद्ध होते. हे पत्र लिहिले गेले तेव्हा महाराजांनी वयाची सोळा वर्षेही पूर्ण केली नव्हती. पण ते राज्यकारभार सांभाळीत होते. पत्रात सुनावली गेलेली शिक्षा कठोर असली, तरी या प्रकारच्या गुन्ह्य़ाला त्या काळी अशाच शिक्षा असत. ज्या पाटलाचे हातपाय तोडण्याची शिक्षा सुनावली गेली, त्याच्या एका नातेवाइकाने पुढे येऊन त्याला सांभाळण्याची तयारी दाखवली होती. त्या नातेवाइकास पाटिलकी देण्यात आल्याचा उल्लेख या पत्रात आहे.''
महाराजांच्या पत्राचा मराठी अनुवाद
राजश्री शिवाजी राजे यांच्या कचेरीतून खेडेबारे तर्फेचे कारकून, देशमुख व देशकुलकर्णी यांना शुहूर सन १०४६
जाणावे की- सदर तर्फेतील रांजे या गावचा मोकदम बावाजी भिकाजी गुजर हा सदर गावाची मोकदमी करीत असताना त्याच्याकडून काही बदअमल झाला. ही गोष्ट साहेबांना (म्हणजे शिवाजी महाराजांना) विदीत झाली. त्यावरून साहेबांनी हुकूम करून त्याला पकडून आणविले तेव्हा चौकशी केल्यावर ती गोष्ट खरी असल्याचे दिसून आले. त्यामुळे सदर बावाजी याची वंशपरंपरा मोकदमी सरकारात जप्त केली आणि बावाजीचे हातपाय तोडून त्याला मोकदमीवरून काढून टाकले. त्या वेळी सोनजी बजाजी गुजर हे त्या गोतातील म्हणून त्यांनी विनंती केली की बावाजीस माझ्या हाती द्यावे. ती विनंती विचारात घेऊन बावाजीला तीनशे पादशाही होन दंड ठोठावला. ते सोनजी याने देऊन बावाजीस हाती घेतले. बावाजीस संतान नाही आणि सोनजी हा गुजर कुळातील आहे म्हणून साहेबांनी मेहेरबान होऊन सदर तर्फेतील रांजे गावची मोकदमी सोनजी बजाजी गुजर याच्या हवाली करून त्याच्याकडून सरकारात दोनशे पादशाही होन शुल्क घेऊन त्याला मोकदमी दिली आहे. त्याला कोणी अडथळा करू नये. हे मूळ पत्र भोगवटय़ाकरिता त्याला परत द्यावे. आक्षेप घेऊ नये. सुरनिसांनी रुजू केले.
Original Photo Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
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छत्रपती शिवरायांचे सर्वात जुने पत्र सापडले ( वृत्त : दै सकाळ)
छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांनी वयाच्या सोळाव्या वर्षी रांजे गावच्या अत्याचारी पाटलाचे हातपाय तोडण्याची शिक्षा सुनावली होती, हे आपण इतिहासात वाचले आहे. मात्र या रांजाच्या पाटलाचे पुढे काय झाले, त्याची पाटिलकी गेली कुठे, असे अनेक संदर्भ भारत इतिहास संशोधन मंडळात सापडलेल्या एका ऐतिहासिक पत्राद्वारे स्पष्ट होत आहेत. महाराजांचे 28 जानेवारी, 1646 रोजीचे हे पत्र मंडळाच्या दफ्तरखान्यात सापडले असून त्यात हे संदर्भ आहेत.
रांजे गावचा पाटील बावाजी भिकाजी गुजर याने एका स्त्रीशी गैरवर्तन केल्याप्रकरणी चौकशी करून महाराजांनी त्याचे हातपाय तोडून पाटिलकी जप्त केली होती. त्याच्याच नात्यातील सोनजी बजाजी गुजर यास ही पाटिलकी देऊन महाराजांनी बावाजीस पुढील देखभालीसाठी त्याच्या हवाली केले होते; असा या पत्रातल्या मजकुराचा आशय असल्याची माहिती मंडळाच्या पदाधिकाऱ्यांनी दिली. ही माहिती रांजे परिसरातले कारकून, देशमुख आणि देशकुलकर्णी या अधिकाऱ्यांना व्हावी म्हणून महाराजांतर्फे हे पत्र दिल्याचे या मजकुरावरून दिसते. या पद
ाधिकाऱ्यांनी दिलेल्या माहितीनुसार जुन्या काळातले इतिहास संशोधक स. गो. जोशी यांना हे मूळ पत्र 1929 साली मिळाले होते. त्यानंतर दीर्घकाळ या पत्राचा ठावठिकाणा नव्हता. 1928 मध्ये "मराठी दप्तरा'च्या तिसऱ्या खंडामध्ये व 1930 मध्ये "शिवचरित्र-साहित्य- खंड दुसरा' मध्ये या पत्राची नक्कल प्रकाशित झाली आहे.
कुलकर्णी म्हणाल्या, 'मंडळात सुमारे तीनशे संशोधकांचे रुमाल आहेत. हे पत्र स. गो. जोशी यांच्या रुमालात मिळाले. त्यावर शिवकालीन मुद्रा दिसली. त्यावरून ते महाराजांचे असल्याचे लक्षात आले व अभ्यासकांना दाखवून हे पत्र शिवकालीन असल्याची खात्री करण्यात आली.'' हे पत्र योग्य त्या पद्धतीने जतन करणार असल्याची माहिती पटवर्धन यांनी दिली.
75 टक्के मजकूर वाचण्यायोग्य
मेहेंदळे म्हणाले, 'पत्रातील भाषा व अक्षर व शिक्के शिवकालीन आहेत. या पत्रावरील शिक्‍क्‍यांची मोजमापे घेऊन ती महाराजांच्या इतर पत्रावरील शिक्‍क्‍यांच्या मापाची असल्याची आम्ही खात्री केली. यातील 75 टक्के मजकूर वाचण्यायोग्य असून ते महाराजांच्या आजपर्यंत प्रकाशात आलेल्या पत्रांपैकी सर्वांत जुने पत्र आहे. गुन्हेगाराला शिक्षा करण्याबरोबरच त्याच्या पुनर्वसनाची जबाबदारी घेण्याची महाराजांची दृष्टी या पत्रातून दिसते.''
MUMBAI, July 31: Thirteen letters of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj written
in ancient modi script and stolen from the department of archives have
been recovered.
The director of the Archives, P S Bhogal, disclosed today that the letters bearing the signatures and seals of the Maratha warrior king were recovered after an inquiry which found four staffers, including two assistant directors of the archives department, guilty of stealing the historical letters.
Bhogal said that the letters were stolen by the four high ranking staffers by opening the department on a holiday after producing a forged letter to the watchman on duty.
The letters were written in modi script, an ancient language used mainly for correspondence purpose.
The script is the usual Marathi written in running hand with a long single line as its headgear and certain alphabets manipulated from the usual script to enable faster hand writing.
The letters, that were collected from Pune, Dhule and Kolhapur for the publication of a book on the occasion of the silver jubilee year of Maharashtra, were missing since 1988 when the publication came out.
The department, however, found out about the missing letters only in 1995 when a historian requested to see the letters in their original form for the purpose of his research.
When Bhogal probed, he found that another thirteen letters of the Peshwas and an unpublished letter of Major General Arthur Wellesley, who fought a battle against the Marathas in Marathwada region in 1803, were also recovered from one of the four accused. A case has been filed against them.
Bhogal said that he took a strong note of the stealing of the original letters of Shivaji Maharaj which were returned to the department by post by an anonymous samaritan on November four, 1995 after he had submitted his preliminary report to the Maharashtra government charging the four staffers.
The letters were found missing when the historian Prof G B Mehendale from Pune had requested access to the letters in March 1995 for his book `Shiva Chhatrapatiche Patrache Pratiroop Darshan', which was published recently.
Bhogal had then asked for an immediate government inquiry into the case.
“Shivaji University (SU), which is celebrating its golden jubilee year, has decided to reprint this book which is out of print for many years,’’ vice-chancellor NJ Pawar told DNA.
“Besides, a Marathi compilation, Bal Krishna Life, Work and Memories, edited by MR Walambe in 1942 is being edited and ready for release on December 18,’’assistant archivist of SU Bapusaheb Mane told DNA.
Director of SU’s Shahu Research Centre Jaysingrao Pawar is editing the book for the reprint.
Bal Krishna (December 22, 1882-October 21, 1940), a noted scholar, was born in Multan in Punjab and later shifted to Kolhapur. He served as principal in the city-based government run Rajaram College between 1922 and 1940. He had written widely on ancient Indian and Hindu culture, politics and economics. He was the first to float the idea of the setting up the varsity in
Kolhapur.
Shivaji the Great is one his famous works released in 1932 in four volumes of 1,630 pages.
“These volumes are in English and helpful to foreign historians and historians of other states in understanding Shivaji Maharaj. In that period, authentic English reference books on Shivaji Maharaj was not a common thing,’’ Mane said.
Bal Krishna collected many new sources for his research. The extensive use of foreign sources is an important aspect of this work. These volumes also contain many original letters of Shivaji Maharaj.
One of Shivaji’s Maharaj’s letter to his lieutenant Raoji in Rajapur describes how he attacked Shahistekhan (April 5, 1663). This letter shows that maharaj was accompanied by 400 soldiers.
“Khan’s elder son, son-in-law, 12 wives and 40 others were killed. I attacked Khan and I thought he got killed, but now information is that he was injured,’’ the letter said.
The volumes are rich with rare paintings including paintings of Shivaji Maharaj entering Agra, Shivaji Maharaj attacking Shahistekhan, paintings of various personalities, maps, and photographs of various forts and towns.
At present, the volumes of Shivaji the Great are out of print. A few copies are available at the archives in SU which researchers can use. “The reprint editions will be kept for sale at affordable prices,’’ Mane said.
कुलकर्णी म्हणाल्या, 'मंडळात सुमारे तीनशे संशोधकांचे रुमाल आहेत. हे पत्र स. गो. जोशी यांच्या रुमालात मिळाले. त्यावर शिवकालीन मुद्रा दिसली. त्यावरून ते महाराजांचे असल्याचे लक्षात आले व अभ्यासकांना दाखवून हे पत्र शिवकालीन असल्याची खात्री करण्यात आली.'' हे पत्र योग्य त्या पद्धतीने जतन करणार असल्याची माहिती पटवर्धन यांनी दिली.
 |
| Oldest letter of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj |
75 टक्के मजकूर वाचण्यायोग्य
मेहेंदळे म्हणाले, 'पत्रातील भाषा व अक्षर व शिक्के शिवकालीन आहेत. या पत्रावरील शिक्‍क्‍यांची मोजमापे घेऊन ती महाराजांच्या इतर पत्रावरील शिक्‍क्‍यांच्या मापाची असल्याची आम्ही खात्री केली. यातील 75 टक्के मजकूर वाचण्यायोग्य असून ते महाराजांच्या आजपर्यंत प्रकाशात आलेल्या पत्रांपैकी सर्वांत जुने पत्र आहे. गुन्हेगाराला शिक्षा करण्याबरोबरच त्याच्या पुनर्वसनाची जबाबदारी घेण्याची महाराजांची दृष्टी या पत्रातून दिसते.''
Missing letters of Shivaji recovered
UNITED NEWS OF INDIAThe director of the Archives, P S Bhogal, disclosed today that the letters bearing the signatures and seals of the Maratha warrior king were recovered after an inquiry which found four staffers, including two assistant directors of the archives department, guilty of stealing the historical letters.
Bhogal said that the letters were stolen by the four high ranking staffers by opening the department on a holiday after producing a forged letter to the watchman on duty.
The letters were written in modi script, an ancient language used mainly for correspondence purpose.
The script is the usual Marathi written in running hand with a long single line as its headgear and certain alphabets manipulated from the usual script to enable faster hand writing.
The letters, that were collected from Pune, Dhule and Kolhapur for the publication of a book on the occasion of the silver jubilee year of Maharashtra, were missing since 1988 when the publication came out.
The department, however, found out about the missing letters only in 1995 when a historian requested to see the letters in their original form for the purpose of his research.
When Bhogal probed, he found that another thirteen letters of the Peshwas and an unpublished letter of Major General Arthur Wellesley, who fought a battle against the Marathas in Marathwada region in 1803, were also recovered from one of the four accused. A case has been filed against them.
Bhogal said that he took a strong note of the stealing of the original letters of Shivaji Maharaj which were returned to the department by post by an anonymous samaritan on November four, 1995 after he had submitted his preliminary report to the Maharashtra government charging the four staffers.
The letters were found missing when the historian Prof G B Mehendale from Pune had requested access to the letters in March 1995 for his book `Shiva Chhatrapatiche Patrache Pratiroop Darshan', which was published recently.
Bhogal had then asked for an immediate government inquiry into the case.
Authentic book on Shivaji will be available to history lovers
The out of print Shivaji The Great, one of the valuable authentic research works on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj penned by late principal Bal Krishna in 1932 will be available to researchers and history lovers in a few months.“Shivaji University (SU), which is celebrating its golden jubilee year, has decided to reprint this book which is out of print for many years,’’ vice-chancellor NJ Pawar told DNA.
“Besides, a Marathi compilation, Bal Krishna Life, Work and Memories, edited by MR Walambe in 1942 is being edited and ready for release on December 18,’’assistant archivist of SU Bapusaheb Mane told DNA.
Director of SU’s Shahu Research Centre Jaysingrao Pawar is editing the book for the reprint.
Bal Krishna (December 22, 1882-October 21, 1940), a noted scholar, was born in Multan in Punjab and later shifted to Kolhapur. He served as principal in the city-based government run Rajaram College between 1922 and 1940. He had written widely on ancient Indian and Hindu culture, politics and economics. He was the first to float the idea of the setting up the varsity in
Kolhapur.
Shivaji the Great is one his famous works released in 1932 in four volumes of 1,630 pages.
“These volumes are in English and helpful to foreign historians and historians of other states in understanding Shivaji Maharaj. In that period, authentic English reference books on Shivaji Maharaj was not a common thing,’’ Mane said.
Bal Krishna collected many new sources for his research. The extensive use of foreign sources is an important aspect of this work. These volumes also contain many original letters of Shivaji Maharaj.
One of Shivaji’s Maharaj’s letter to his lieutenant Raoji in Rajapur describes how he attacked Shahistekhan (April 5, 1663). This letter shows that maharaj was accompanied by 400 soldiers.
“Khan’s elder son, son-in-law, 12 wives and 40 others were killed. I attacked Khan and I thought he got killed, but now information is that he was injured,’’ the letter said.
The volumes are rich with rare paintings including paintings of Shivaji Maharaj entering Agra, Shivaji Maharaj attacking Shahistekhan, paintings of various personalities, maps, and photographs of various forts and towns.
At present, the volumes of Shivaji the Great are out of print. A few copies are available at the archives in SU which researchers can use. “The reprint editions will be kept for sale at affordable prices,’’ Mane said.
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