Shivaji's Brave Widows: The Women of Swarajya

When Shivaji Maharaj died in 1680, the Maratha kingdom he built faced its gravest test: a Mughal invasion led by Aurangzeb himself, a succession crisis, and a war that would stretch for decades. But while we often remember the men who fought — Sambhaji, Rajaram, the Mavala soldiers — a quieter force held the realm together: the women of the royal household. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the lives and strategies of Shivaji's wives and daughters-in-law — Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, and especially Yesubai, the daughter-in-law who became a regent, a diplomat, and a symbol of Maratha resilience during the darkest days of the Mughal war. Through letters, treaties, and the memory of the bakhars, we trace how these women managed forts, negotiated with enemies, and kept the flame of Swarajya alive when everything seemed lost. Their stories challenge our assumptions about women in 17th-century India and reveal a side of Shivaji's legacy that is rarely told. #ShivajiMaharaj #Yesubai #MarathaWomen #Swarajya #Aurangzeb #MughalEmpire #Raigad #MarathaHistory #Bakhars #17thCentury #WomenInHistory #IndianHistory #SouthAsia #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #MarathaEmpire #Soyarabai Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo