Shivaji's Coronation: The Ritual That Forged a Hindu Kingdom

In 1674, on the summit of Raigad Fort, Shivaji Maharaj crowned himself Chhatrapati in a spectacular Brahminical ceremony that was as political as it was spiritual. This episode unpacks the coronation's planning, its controversial choice of priest—Gaga Bhatt from distant Varanasi—and the elaborate rituals that included a golden throne, a new calendar, and a stunning reversal of Mughal orthodoxy. We explore how Shivaji, already a warrior-king, used the coronation to legitimize his Swarajya as a sovereign Hindu state, complete with titles, coinage, and a carefully crafted genealogy. Why did he summon a pandit from Benares? What did the ceremony borrow from the Mughal durbar, and what did it reject? And how did this single event reshape the political landscape of the Deccan? Join us as we climb the thousand steps to Raigad and witness the moment a rebel chieftain became a crown prince of Hindavi Swarajya. #ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj #Coronation1674 #Raigad #HindaviSwarajya #GagaBhatt #MarathaHistory #Varanasi #HinduKingdom #Sovereignty #DeccanHistory #MughalEmpire #Aurangzeb #GoldenThrone #Shivrai #TantraPaddhati #SouthAsianHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo