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June 26, 2015 · 3:27 am

26th June (1874) in Dalit History – Birth anniversary of Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj

26 June (1874) in Dalit History – Birth anniversary of Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj

Shahu was born as the eldest son of Appasaheb Ghatge, chief of Kagal (senior) by his wife Radhabai, a daughter of the Raja of Mudhol in present-day Karnataka. He was adopted by Anandibai, widow of Raja Shivaji IV, in March 1884. Several generations of inter-marriage had ensured that Shahu’s family was connected intimately with the ruling dynasty of Kolhapur, which is apparently what rendered him a suitable candidate for adoption, despite his not being a male-line member of the Bhonsle dynasty.

Check also – When Babasaheb sought Shahu Maharaja’s financial support

Stamp issued on Shahu Maharaj

The full name of Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj: Colonel His Highness Kshatriya-Kulawatasana Sinhasanadhishwar, Shrimant Rajashri Sir Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Kolhapur (Yeshwantrao Ghatge). He was the eldest son of His Highness. Meherban Shrimant Rajamanya Rajashri Jaisinhrao Ghatge [Abba Sahib Ghatge], Sarjerao Vazarat, Ma-ab, Chief of Kagal (Senior), by his first wife, Shrimant Akhand Soubhagyavati Radhabai Raje Ghatge [Baba Sahib, Radhabai], who was the only daughter of Meherban Shrimant Balwantrao Raje Ghorpade Bahadur, Chief of Mudhol, educ. Rajaram Coll., Kolhapur and Rajkumar Coll., Rajkot.

In case you missed previous days’ Dalit-History posts, check these –

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The Dalit Panthers

The Dalit Panthers was a social organization founded by Namdeo Dhasal, Raja Dhale, and Arun Kamble in April 1972 in Mumbai. Formed in the state of Maharashtra in the 1970s, they ideologically aligned themselves to the Black Panther movement in the United States.

Dalit Panthers

During the same period, Dalit literature, painting, and theater challenged the very premise and nature of established art forms and their depiction of society and religion. Many of these new Dalit artists formed the first generation of the Dalit Panther movement that sought to wage an organized struggle against the varna system. Dalit Panthers visited “atrocity” sites, organized marches and rallies in villages, and raised slogans of direct militant action against their upper-caste aggressors.

Check Also – 15th January in Dalit History – Death anniversary of Namdeo Dhasal

The Dalit Panthers’ Manifesto defines Dalits as “all those who are exploited politically, economically and in the name of religion.” They classified “American imperialism” in the same category as “Hindu feudalism”; with both being examples of caste hierarchy. They also asserted that while Hindu feudalism may have spawned caste inequality, its extension by the modern Indian state had created an oppression “a hundred times more ruthless.”

Their firm stance and rallying message across Maharastra made their members frequent targets of state surveillance and brutality. Their legacy lives on in states across India, including in Tamil Nadu’s VCK Dalit Panthers Political party. Read their manifesto from here.

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