Person

Shivaji

1630–1680 · 17th century · Also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shivaji Maharaj

Shivaji (1630–1680) was the founder of the Maratha state in western India and was crowned Chhatrapati in 1674. He fought the Bijapur Sultanate and the Mughal Empire using hill forts, guerrilla tactics and a navy. Accounts of the Maratha Empire credit him with the administrative system of the Ashta Pradhan council and the raid on Surat in 1664.

Shivaji
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Maratha EmpireFoundation, Military, Governance, SummaryBijapur SultanateGovernance, Decline, Summary

Mentioned in 10 state histories

Phaltan StateMudhol StateJanjira StateBijapur SultanateKeladi Nayaka kingdomSavantvadi StateThanjavur Maratha KingdomVishalgad StateSandur StateSatara State

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Shivaji. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shivaji
MLA
“Shivaji.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shivaji. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Shivaji.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shivaji.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Shivaji’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shivaji (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻