Shivaji's War Strategy

Shivaji's Valour and Courage : When he was only fifteen years old , Shivaji took the oath of Swaraj in the temple of Raireshwar . He died at Raigad at the age of fifty . Within the short span of thirty - five years , Shivaji , with incomparable valour and statesmanship , established Hindavi Swaraj . Throughout his life he fought for Swaraj . He personally conducted and won many campaigns . His life was full of battles fought against the enemy . Swaraj was threatened on many occasions . Each time Shivaji met the threat with wise and suitable action . He was not only a brave warrior but also a great statesman . When he thought that force would prove useless , he used diplomacy . Afzalkhan was a formidable opponent . But Shivaji met him face to face and killed him . In pouring rain on a dark night he escaped from the siege of Siddi Jauhar . He put Shaistakhan to flight by a bold attack on a dark night . With great skill and daring he escaped from Aurangzeb's prison at Agra . As a general and a statesman , Shivaji is without a second .

Loyalty of his Sardars : Brave himself , Shivaji made his Sardars equally brave . They were loyal and devoted to him . To save Shivaji's life , Baji Prabhu embraced death with a smile at Pavan Khind . Firangoji Narsala defended the fort of Chakan to the last breath of his life . Tanaji left the marriage preparations of his son and conquered Kondana at the cost of his life . Senapati Prataprao Gujar became a martyr in the battle against Adilshahi Sardar Bahlolkhan . One can cite numerous such examples of the loyalty and devotion of his men .

Shivaji's Guerilla Tactics : Shivaji's enemies were very powerful . They had unlimited troops , artillery and ammunition at their command . Compared to the enemy forces , Shivaji's army was very small . How could this small army give open battle to the enemy's vast forces ? Shivaji made very clever use of the local terrain for warfare . Maharashtra is a hilly country full of forests , deep valleys , ghats and hills . The enemy troops carried heavy equipment which hampered quick movement . As against this , the Maratha soldier carried very light arms : a shield , a sword , and a spear . Therefore , his movements were very rapid and he could get about the hilly country with great speed . The Maratha soldier was also tough and swift - footed . The great skill with which Shivaji used these physical qualities stamps him as a military genius of the first order . As far as possible he avoided giving open battle to the enemy . With the help of his first - class intelligence system he kept himself well informed of all the movements of the enemy troops . He would organize surprise attacks on the enemy , isolate and destroy them unit by unit before they could be warned . By the time the enemy reformed and got ready for battle , Shivaji's troops were nowhere in sight . In this way he perfected the technique of guerilla warfare and destroyed the vast army of the Emperor .

Hill Forts : Shivaji's war strategy greatly depended on his hill forts . A fort gave control over the surrounding territory and when well stocked with food and ammunition , its small garrison could hold a large army at bay for two years or more . If confronted by a strong enemy , one could always retreat to the safety of a fort . This is the secret of Shivaji establishing his capital first at Rajgad , and then at Raigad , and not in any city of the plains .

Defence of the Forts : Shivaji appointed men of different castes and communities to guard the forts . This provided mutual check among the officers and kept everybody alert in his duties . This also made acts of sabotage in the forts very difficult . All this shows Shivaji's foresight .

Chouthai : Efficient administration is possible only if the state treasury is full . Shivaji raised money by carrying out raids on enemy territory . He generally collected one fourth of the total revenue from enemy territory . This was known as " Chouthai ' . Shivaji never troubled those who paid him regularly this Chouthai . This is a good example of his statesmanship

Shivaji's Navy : Conscious of the danger to Swaraj from the Siddi , the Portuguese and the English , Shivaji with great foresight , built up a navy . He built strong sea - forts like Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg . Even today one is struck with admiration just to see them . Shivaji weathered many storms and steered the ship of Swaraj to safety . His valour and statesmanship were the main reasons of his success .