Maratha Clan Compendium Series: Bhonsale
Entire history of the Bhonsale Maratha Clan. Without any omissions. There might be slight mistakes in chronology and gaps in data, but this is the fullest narrative of the great Maratha family in Deccan from every source available ever presented.
The Sisodiya Suryavanshi clan is noted as one of the highest Kshatriya clans in entire Indian Subcontinent, being a branch of Guhilots claiming descent from Guhaditya of Virnagar in Nashik-Trymbak, Maharashtra.
Guhaditya’s father was the famous Maratha progenitor king Nrupa Jayasimha Vijayaditya “Shiladitya” Chalukya of Ayodhya who invaded Deccan with his son Ranaraga Vishnuvardhana Padmaditya.
Abul Fazl, for instance, tells us that “an ancestor of the Rana came to Berar (Varhad/Vidarbha in Maharashtra) and distinguished himself as the Chief of Narnala. About eight hundred years before the author’s time the fort fell into the hands of an invader, and “Bapa, a child” was taken to Mewar where he found refuge among the Bhils and eventually became the ruler of the land.” This is nothing but a confused story of Guhaditya’s pregnant mother Pushpavati fleeing to Nashika away from Trilochana Pallava’s army after they killed her husband Nrupa Jayasimha Vijayaditya.
The Mughal Badshah Jahangir records in his memoirs:
“The administration (of Mewar) has for long been in the hands of this (Sisodiya) family, and they have long borne rule towards the East, that is the Purab ( (This is simply a mythical reference to Ramayan era origin). They became in that time well known under the title of Rajas. After this they fell on the Deccan and took possession of many of the countries of that region. In the place of Raja they have taken the title of Rawal. After this they came into the hill country of Mewat (Mewar), and by degrees got into their possession the fort of Chittor. From that date until this day, which is in the eighth year after my accession, 1,471 years have passed.”
We learn from the Jagatnäräyņa inscription that:
पद्मादित्यस्तस्त्वत्का (का) योध्यां व (ब) भूव दक्षिणगः
“In the family of Shri Rama was born Vijayabhupa. His son Padmaditya went to the Deccan (babhuva Dakshinagaḥ). In his lineage was born Bapa who came from the Deccan and became ruler of Mewar”.
The same story is also found in the official commissioned Rajaprasasti Mahäkävya of Udaipurkar family. The famed Maru Pradeshi Khyati Nainsi Muhnot also recorded that the Rana’s ancestor came from Nashik Trymbak in Maharashtra:
आदि सिसोदिया गेहलोत कहिजै । एक बात यू सुणी । इणारी ठाकुराई पेहली दिखणनू नासिक त्र्यंबक क हुती । सु इणारे पूर्वज सूर्य उपासन हुतो ।
“Aadi Sisodiya Gehalot kahije. Ek baat yu suni. Inaari Thakurrayi pehili Dakkhinu Nashik Trymbak huti.”
This is supported by the fact his liege Rai Jodhpurkar Jaswant Rathore was born, brought up and was very active in Deccan itself and very affiliated with on ground reality. From all records its consistent that Guhaditya was a mixed historical figure, adding the legend of his elder brother Padmaditya and the career of Buddhavarman Chalukya who established himself in Gujarat. Guhilot history is hazy, inconsistent and deliberately skewered by vested interests in Mewari darbar.
However Maratha Shishaudhyas split from Udaipurkar Shishaudhya long before establishment of Amir Sisodiya’s lineage in Chittor. Origin of the Guhilot Shishaudha Clan is also different in 96 Kulin Maratha records from Udaipurkar claims where Sisod is some jagir in the jungles. As per Marathas, Shishaudha is a Title/Biruda (Head-Wearer), which according to historians is of Rahappa Guhilot, in traditional eponymous sense. Kaviraj Bhushan Tripathi related the Maratha lore on origin of Shishaudha Biruda:
महावीर ता वंशी मैं भयो एक अवनीश ।
लियो बिरद “सीसौदिया ” दियो ईश को शीश ॥ ५ ॥
In lineage of valiant heroes was born a lord of the earth.
He took the title of Shishaudhya by offering his own head to god.
All 3 claimed variants of Sisodiya in the Dakshinapatha: Shishunga, Shishaudha, or Shirakshat mean the same and refer to the same episode of wearing or ripping off (In the “Audhna” motion) of Shisha/Heads. Bhonsales of Maharashtra assert themselves as Shishaudhavatansa (Heads of the Sisodiya Clan) on basis of direct descent from Rana Sajjansimha Shishaudha, the true heir to kingdom of Meda Pataka.
Bhonsale is vernacular of Brushabala. Historians have tried to sanskritize it as Bhaswatkula (Bhaswat being the Sun, Kula being family) to retrofit it, but Sanskrit Bhonsale Chattrapati-commissioned or written texts like Budhabhushanam, Shri Suryanvansham Shivabharata, Ansha Avataram Anupurana, Parnala Parvata Grahan Akhyan, etc. clearly state it is Brushabala.
“Brusha-” in Brushabala is “Vrusha” meaning Shiva or even Nandi/Bull or Brusha directly means Great Might. “Bala” stands for Power as well as Army. Thus the name may mean Great Might, Might of a Bull, Might of Shiva, or the (One from) Army of Shiva which is likelier. One can see various reasons behind this name.
As per Kaviraj Bhushan Tripathi who was official court bard of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja, the narrative was that Bhonsala was actually the title of Maharaja Malojiraje Bhonsale.
ताते सरजा विरद भो सोभित सिंह प्रमान ।
रन भू सिला सु भौसिला आयुषमान खुमान ॥८॥
As per this Doha, “Sarja” and “Bhau-Sheela” were both titles of Maharaja Malojiraje Bhonsale. Now here Bhau Sheela means something else entirely, Mountain in the Battlefield. And aside from that it is implying this surname started only from the time of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s grandfather. However this is not supported by the fact that various Bhonsale branches already predating Malojiraje Bhonsale exist. As one would read this article onward, they would note that Bhosa/Bhosawat (Vrushavat) village is near Paithan region and comes under original jagirs of Bhonsales since their resettlement here in Tughlaq era. Along with this the place has very strong Shaivaite traditions. There could have been some significant episode to adopt that. It is seen many “-vat” branches of Shishaudhas exist based off their Jagirs in Uttarpatha as well.
1) Rana Sajjansimha Shishaudha.
Record: After Lakshmansimha Sisodiya defended Chittor while Ratansen Guhilot was captured and executed by Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji, the Sisodiyas became the supreme branch of Guhilot Suryavanshis by default in Mewar region. They had to vacate the fort following the failure of their Saka charges, and resided in the jungles nearby. Lakshmansimha’s only surviving son was Ajaysimha, the leader of Sisodiyas. Over the years Ajaysinh grew senile, and when engaged in feud with other local Bandits over waterholes in Mewar, he issued a bounty on the head of Munja Balecha, their leader. Amir Sisodiya managed to kill the bandit, and just for this simple act Ajaysimha disinherited his own son Rana Sajjansimha Sisodiya. Amir then went one step further and married a widow to raise his status further, which was a very taboo thing in Kshatriya culture. Rana Sajjansimha Sisodiya had a son of his own, and was very fit to be the king. This was a very disgraceful event for him. He finally left Chittor in disgust following the coronation of Amir Sisodiya by his father Ajaysinh on his son Dilipasimha’s rightful seat. Rana Sajjansimha, Sajjansimha’s brother Kshemasimha and his son Rana Dilipasimha joined the Tughlaq Court and were part of the administrative lobby infamously shifted from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri) in Maharashtra by Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. The family then participated in the grand War for Daulatabaad.
The War basically began in this way.
By July 1337 CE, Muhammad Bin Tughluq returned to Delhi, but he eventually came to realize that his attempts to establish a powerful center in the Deccan could be foiled by the very Officers he sent to garrison it if they get local support, and so he ordered them to be rotated back to North.
Tughlaq got busy with Lahore rebels but soon this was followed by the rebellion of his officers in Far South led by Sayyid Ahsan which led to establishment of Madurai Sultanate. This was followed by independence of Warangal, and also the first steps for the establishment of the Vijaynagar Empire were taken. Thus South-East Deccan was liberated by the combined efforts of local Hindus as well as his rebellious Muslim officers.
Qutlugh Khan the Viceroy who had pushed out Maratha Yadavraya kingdom resurgents Harpaladeva and Raghuji from Devagiri and also secured the surrender of Malik Hoshang was also very proactive in crushing even the next two rebellions of Nusrat Khan of Bidar and Ali Shah Natthu effectively. He grew famous among the locals and soon Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq received reports of of embezzlements from the Deccan revenue which had fallen from Crores to Lakhs to a few thousand!
Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq had Qutlugh Khan called back to the North in paranoia, much to the dismay of the locals at his departure. The Deccan was now divided into Four Shiqs headed by Malik Sardawatdar, Malik Muqbil-Ul-Mulk, Yusuf Baghra and Azizuddin.
Sarir-I-Sultani Imad-Ul-Mulk was now appointed as the Viceroy of the Deccan, with a Hindu lieutenant under him named Dhara. Each of these Maliks were Neo-Muslim converts with a sprinking of proper Hindus such as Dhara here.
However this remedy was worse than the potential disorder!
Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq gave the new Maliks orders of never ever sparing a single plotter against the state.
On arriving at his headquarters of his division, Dhar/Dharagiri, Azizuddin, designated by author Barani as “the Bastard” summoned the 89 local Amirs of Devagiri and accused them point blank of plotting against the Government. He had them ALL executed right there and then!
The intention behind this moronic barbarity was to instill fear in the locals, yet the effect was quite the opposite!
The Mahratta Rajas and other Amirs who had reached an understanding with likes of Qutlugh Khan, rose up in rebellion across Deccan and Gujarat and other adjoining districts.
When Malik Muqbil, an ertswhile slave of Ahmad Ayaz reached Dabhoi in Gujarat as the governor, the locals rose in rebellion under the leadership of four Amirs, Mubarak Jaur, Qazi Jalal, Jalal Bin Lala, and Jhaattu Afghan. These rebels were so successful, they not only captured Cambay, but also defeated and killed Aziz Khammar at Vadodara/Baroda.
The Amirs of Deccan looked at the Mahratta Rajas for assistance who were already ready to pounce at an opportunity of resurgence.
Thus, now Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq finally decided to march out in person to smash this grand scale rebellion against him.
Before he started out, Qutlugh Khan who was at the court requested him not to lower the prestige of the Sultan’s Throne by personally attending to each and every revolt himself. Qutlugh offered to march out against the rebels himself along with Saheb-I-Sultani and Ali Shah as his helpers instead.
This time Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq refused the offer.
He appointed Malik Firoz as his regent, who would later ascend the throne as Firoz Shah Tughlaq in the future.
Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq marched out of Delhi towards the Deccan on 31st of January 1345 CE, never to return to Delhi again.
On the beginning of 1345 CE, he sent forth his armies under his general Malik Maqbul to slaughter the rebel Amirs who were defeated at the banks of Narmada. Those who survived fled towards Maharashtra and sought refuge of the Mahratta Raja Nanadeva Bagul Rashtraudha who controlled the land from Salher to Maner. The rest of them fled towards Daulatabaad. Those rebel Amirs who remained behind were caught and beheaded.
The Sultan sent forth his most roguish brute courtiers, Zain Banda Majud-Ul-Mulk and the Son of Rukan-E-Thaneshwari towards Daulatabaad to smoke out the rebel Amirs. The terror of these brutal agents was such that entire city of Daulatabaad rioted against this decision forcing the Sultan to replace them with Malik Ahmad Lachin, son of the famous legendary court poet Amir Khusrau along with Malik Ahmad Saranjamdar, popularly known as Qaltash.
Ali-Ul-Mulk who was, the Acting-Viceroy of Daulatabaad despite the upheaval all around, was instructed to prepare an elite contingent of the finest Deccani cavaliers. Then calls to all of the Amirs of Raichur, Mudgal, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Ganjauti, Berar, and many other places were made to be escorted by this cavalier contingent to Gujarat.
After resolving much red tape, prominent Amirs such as Nasiruddin Tagalchi, Hisamuddin, Ismail Mukh, and Alauddin Hasan Gangu Bahman, and Nuruddin assembled at Daulatabaad.
The cavalcade started for Bharuch, but had barely moved forward when the night fell. They halted at Manik Dun pass between the towns of Gaj and Dun. In the night all the Amirs secretly conferred with one another.
The Reality of the situation ahead was clear to all of them; They were all going to be removed from their ranks and butchered like fowl!
Action had to be taken anyhow and they planned to break free.
The very next morning they hacked Malik Ahmad Lachin and Qaltash to pieces, and retraced their route back to Daulatabaad.
Ali-Ul-Mulk was still asleep when the Amirs returned, and woke up to a depressing morning. The Amirs took control by smartly seizing the granary and then the treasury at Dharagir in Daulatabaad. Then after three days of constant struggle, the Palace and the Citadel were also seized.
Now they had a base against the upcoming storm. The greatest piece of defensive architecture in India; The Maratha Fort-City of Devagiri. The rebellion needed a head to ensure any form of a permanent success: A New Sultan. A New Sultanate.
Considerations were made.
Ismail Mukh was a senior Amir of over 2,000 villages and also the younger brother of Malik Yel Afghan, a mighty nobleman of the Tughlaq’s Delhi darbar and also a commander of the Imperial Tughluq Army in Malwa. If the Deccani Alliance failed then Malik Yel Afghan could be the only reinforcement the Amirs could expect for supporting their cause from the North. And so, Ismail Mukh was voted as the new leader of Deccani Alliance.
With this, Ismail Mukh bestowed titles of Khwaja-E-Jahan (Stalwart of the Aeon) on Nuruddin and title of Zafar Khan (Victorious King) on Alauddin Hasan Kanku Bahman.
The Iqtas of Maharashtra province were re-arranged among the new masters.The refugee Amirs from Vadodara, Dabhoi and from the Mahratta Mayuragiri Kingdom of Maharaja Nanadeva Rashtraudha assembled at the new Daulatabaad Darbar.
Mlecchas were going to battle with Mlecchas and it was now just a matter of which edifice was left standing.
The next job was to dismantle Tughlaq loyalists in Deccan itself at Gulbarga, Sagar and Kalyani. Sultan Ismail Mukh sent his forces to reduce them.
The now legitimate Independence of Deccan boiled the blood of Muhammad Bin Tughluq. Their increasing stability in such manner only depressed him further, till one day, he dropped on the floor touching his forehead to the ground and begged Allah to grant him one last victory over the Maratha Fort-City of Daulatabaad. In return, he swore to completely forsake his signature perpetual bloodlust once and for all!
When the news of Zafar Khan Bahman’s victory over his remnant loyalist contingents in Deccan at Gulbarga reached his hears, Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq at once began serious preparations for one last struggle directly leading his armies this time.
Mulk Sartaj and Malik Yel Afghan merged into the Imperial forces with their contingents as Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq marched against the Deccan Alliances. Sultan Ismail Mukh gave the call for contingents from Gulbarga siege to come to the capital immediately to battle once and for all, in this much awaited glorious contest.
Countless Deccani Kshatriya kings and a few others including some northern adventurers such as the likes of Rana Sajjansimha Sisodiya, who had been waiting for this critical opportunity to strike back at the invaders rallied around their leader Maharaja Govindadeva Yadavraya to participate in this decisive struggle.
A united army of over 30,000 Kshatriyas, Mongols, Afghans and other warriors was raised.
Muhammad Bin Tughluq began his operations as soon as his reached Daulatabaad. The contingents of the Deccan Sultanate from Gulbarga led by Zafar Khan Bahman joined in with the one led by Sultan Ismail Shah.
Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq decided to play an entrenched role and gave express orders for everyone not to move an inch from their position unless they were directly commanded by him to do so. This allowed the Deccani Alliance army to be proactive in their cavalry charges. Thus they were able to deliver solid strikes and came within an ace of routing the Tughluq army from their sitting duck stance.
At this critical movement, Khwaja Jahan Nuruddin who was leading the Center of the Deccan Alliance army was shot down. The 6,000 strong royal cavalier contingent of Ismail Mukh fled at this moment turning the tables on him. Ismail Mukh launched a full-fledged mass attack at Muhammad Bin Tughlaq while Zafar Khan Bahman charged with the Left Flank. But the Tughlaq horde numbers refused to dwindle.
At last Zafar Khan Bahman made an raiding dash on the position where Tughlaq Army treasury was kept but he was pushed back.
With this the game collapsed and the Deccan Alliance was forced to retreat. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq unleashed his War-Elephants at this point and the route of Deccani Alliance was complete! Zafar Khan Bahman personally fought in a rearguard action and with great difficulty saved a part of his army.
By the end of the day, the battlefield was littered with thousands of dead partisans of Ismail Mukh trampled down by Tughlaq’s War Elephants.
Knowing now the might of the Sultan’s forces and fully aware of the impossibility of success by any further concentrated effort, the leaders of the Deccan Alliance chose a new line of strategy.
After the carnage had ceased, they held a Council of War in the darkness of the night. It was decided that Ismail Mukh should try to hold Daulatabad as long as possible while the other Deccan Alliance leaders proceeded to their own Jagirs and defended them against the Delhi Sultan’s forces; the Sultan would not be able to strike a decisive blow, as his hands would be too full for accomplishing anything definite.
Ismail considered his position untenable in the face of the previous day’s defeat and quietly moved upwards to the citadel, Dharakhera, where provisions were stored and prepared himself for a long siege.
The next day the Sultan occupied the main city of Daulatabad below, which had been left undefended.
He now thought that all the ground lost during the last few years had been won back, and true to the promise he had made to the Almighty while he was at Bharuch, he ordered a general amnesty to all the political prisoners. He was so pleased with the occupation of Daulatabad, where he now took up his residence that he sent a special deputation to inform the Council of Regency at Delhi of this Victory, and the Council replied by sending the famous Muslim poet chronicler, Ziyauddin Barani, with a message of congratulation.
This exchange of felicitations, however, proved to be worthless because after a residence of two months at Daulatabad, the Sultan had to leave for Gujarat to suppress another serious disturbance, this time headed by Togha. He put Khudawandzada Malik Jauhar and Shaikh Burhan Bilaramiin in charge of the seige of Dharakhera while Imad-Ul-Mulk Sartaj was directed to oppose Zafar Khan Bahman at Gulbarga.
Deccan Sultan Ismail Mukh was shut up at Dharakhera with absolutely no means of escape, and the whole Deccan Alliance army under his charge was virtually a prisoner in the hands of Malik Jauhar outside, who began to kill prisoners of war and treated the inhabitants of Daulatabad with extraordinary cruelty.
In this period Zafar Khan Bahman, according to the strategy, went straight from Gulbarga to his Jagir at Miraj, and thereon proceeded to Arka where he remained for three months, preparing for the coming fray and praying that God would rid the people of Deccan from the Tughlaq tyranny. From Arka, Zafar Khan moved on to Sagar, where it’s commander Iskandar Khan along with other chiefs of the Deccan Alliance also joined him.
They were at Sagar when news arrived that Imad-Ul-Mulk Sartaj had occupied Gulbarga. The time had come for the climax of this saga.
Zafar Khan Bahman now held a Council of War and decided to move immediately to Daulatabad to defeat Malik Jauhar, and then to dispose off Sartaj wherever he could be found. When Sartaj heard that Zafar Khan had started marching for Daulatabad, which he had himself intended to reach by forced marches, Sartaj impromptu left Gulbarga in a race for the Deccan capital!
The Deccan Alliance crossed the Godavari River without a hitch, and had to fight with the advance-guard of the enemy at Daulatabad, and after defeating them he marched to Bir and occupied it.
From Bir he went back towards the Godavari River, taking possession of the granary at Mahwa; and here he received reports that Sartaj was at Sindtan. Zafar Khan Bahman immediately changed his tactics and marched to Sindtan where he came face to face with Sartaj and his large army.
Some preliminary skirmishes occurred until Zafar Khan’s troops, equipped with 1,500 horse sent by the Hindu Raya of Telangana from Kaulas at this critical point of time, launched a full-fledged cavalry charge on the Delhi Sultanate army and completely routed it.
Sartaj who was wounded by an arrow, tried to escape when he was caught by a “Deccani soldier” who then chopped off his head!
The whole Tughlaq Delhi Sultanate army now laid down its arms before the Deccan Alliance;
“Camels of Bactria, horses of Tartary, female slaves and Abyssinian males by the thousands, maunds of gold and silver bullion, hundreds of tents” and booty without count fell into their hands! Everything now lay at the feet of the Deccan Alliance army.
Zafar Khan Bahman was received by Ismail Mukh at Nizampur about ten miles from Daulatabad with all the pomp befitting the occasion. Ismail had soon realised the great popularity and status which Zafar Khan had acquired by his masterly tactics.
A fortnight after Zafar Khan’s arrival, he called the Amirs and Rajas together, and finally explained to them that he had kept the kingdom really in trust for Zafar Khan so long, and proclaimed his own abdication from the throne, taking the title of Shamsuddin for the rest of his life. As the throne of the Deccan was now vacant, the army as well as the concourse of the people present unanimously voted Zafar Khan as the Sultan with the title of Sikandar-i-Sani Sultan Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah Al Wali. With this, the Sassanid Empire of Iran was re-established in Maharashtra in the form of Bahmani Sultanate.
Relying on the auspicious occasion chosen by the Hindu astrologers rather than by any Musallmaan, the first Bahmani Sultan was crowned by his preceptor, Shaikh Sirajuddin Junaidi on Friday, 3rd of October 1347 CE, restoring the Sassanid Empire in Maharashtra nearly 700 years after the fall of Yazdegerd III.
The Mahratta and Northern Kshatriya Rajas took up powerful positions in the new Bahmani Empire as Sardeshmukhs, Naiks, Raos and Rajas.
Rana Sajjansimha on the other hand was rewarded the jagir of several villages in Mirat near Daulatabad along with his son in the first Darbar ceremony after election of Zafar Khan Alauddin Hasan Kanku Bahman as the first Sultan of the Bahmani Dynasty in 1347 CE.
Rana Sajjansimha and his son Rana Dilipasimha were also deployed to chastise rebels in Karnataka where they defeated number of local Sardars and rulers and collecting huge booty of gold, silver, elephants and other valuable things.
After a career of 9 years the valiant Rana died in 1355 CE.
महीच्या महेंद्रा मधे मुख्य राणा ।
दलीपास त्याचें कुळीं जन्म जाणा ॥
तयाचे कुळीं मालभूपाल झाला ।
जयानें जलें शंभु संपूर्ण केला ॥ ८५ ॥
Among the Indras of this Earth, the greatest is Rana Family.
That Clan arose after being born from Dilipa.
And in his Clan was born King Maloji.
Who devoted his existence to the cause of Shiva.
2) Sardar-E-Khaskhel Rana Dilipasimha Shishaudha.
Record: Participated with his father on behalf of the Deccan Alliance in the great War for Daulatabaad. Regarding Rana Dilipasimha’s role, it is associated with the action against the Tughlaq-appointed headman of Mudhol region, Narayanrao Desai, who was a Delhi Sultanate loyalist and opposed to Zafar Khan Alauddin Bahman’s rebellion against Delhi Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. After Zafar Khan’s first defeat, one of his scattered forces under Khwaja Jahan Nurudin was ambushed in the night by Narayanrao but they managed to wave them off. Eventually the Deccan Alliance won against Tughlaqs and liberated the entire south.
Later Narayanrao feigned friendship with Ismail Mukh (the ex-titular Sultan/head of the Deccan Alliance before Zafar Khan’s formal coronation), made him rebel against Zafar Khan. After this rebellion failed, Narayanrao killed all of Ismail Mukh’s relatives and imprisoned him and later poisoned him to death. Zafar Khan Bahman sent an army with a 1000 catapults along with Rana Dilipasimha Sishaudha in the campaign to besiege Jamkhandi Fort where Narayanrao had taken refuge. Narayanrao was captured and pardoned, restored to his jagirs though Mudhol was seized by the Bahmani State. Rana Dilipasimha was confirmed again his father’s Jagir of ten villages in Mirat near Devagiri as a reward.
After the death of Sultan Alauddin Bahman Shah, his son Muhammad/Mahmud Bahman Shah became the new Sultan.
There was another incident of where one horse-dealer was bringing some prized horses for sale to Muhammad Shah Bahamani. But en route, prince Nagadeva, son of the Telangana Maharaja seized all the horses from the horse-dealer. This news reached to Bahmani Sultan who deployed an army which was completely under Rana Dilipasimha who displayed great valour and brought back all the horses taken by Nagadeva to Bahmani court of Muhammad Shah. Along with the Sultan’s reward to Rana Dilipasimha, another reward was also given to him by the horse-trader.
During the first of the Bahmani-Vijayanagar Wars, Vijaynagar king had taken shelter of Adoni Fort. After a long siege Sultan Muhammad Shah sent agents to Vijayanagar king who surrendered and the Adoni Fort was conquered by the Bahmani army. In this conquest Rana Dilipasimha Shishaudha along with his 2,000 solders participated and defeated the Telangana army taking elephants and wealth and presented the booty to Muhammad Bahman Shah which enhanced his status greatly. After 20 years of continuous service the Rana passed away in 1367 CE.
>Then the Bhonsale Shishaudha lineage split between Branch of Rana Kshemasimha Shishaudha who was brother of Rana Sajjansimha Shishaudha and uncle of Rana Dilipasimha. Kshemasimha’s descendants settled in Konkan and become Khem Sawants, and Rana Dilipasimha’s son Siddhojirao’s Branch<
We will continue tracking Rana Dilipasimha’s descendants:
3) Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Rana Siddhojirao (Siddhasimha) Shishaudha.
Record: When the Son of Sultan Muhammad Bahman Shah, Sultan “Balwant” Muhajid Bahman Shah left his capital Gulbarga for another war with Vijaynagar, Rana Siddhojirao and his son Rana Bhairavasimharao were put in charge of capital defense. He was instrumental in putting down the rebellion of Bahauddin, the commandant of the Sagar Fort, and was therefore conferred the command of Sagar territory. Rana Siddhajirao was appointed the Thanedar/Qilledar of Sagar in the year 1377 CE. After some time, Rana Siddhojirao also played a very key role in history of Deccan by assisting Sultan Firoz Bahman Shah in gaining the Bahmani throne. The son of Firoz Bahmani’s adoptive father Sultan Muhammad II Bahman Shah, Sultan Ghiyasuddin Bahman Shah was blinded and cast by a Turkic usurper Tagalchin who placed Shamsuddin Bahman Shah, son of a slave-born, as the puppet Sultan. Therefore Firoz Bahmani and his brother Ahmad Bahmani took Ghiyasuddin under their wing and rebelled against the upstart Tagalchin and fled to the refuge of the Maratha King.
Farishta describes the Maratha King Siddhojirao the Thanedar of Sagar as “rich and powerful”, and received the rebelling Bahmani Princes with open arms with full regalia. On the next day, Ahmad Bahman and Firoz Bahman addressed a letter to Shamsuddin Bahman Shah, as also other letters to the principal Bahmani nobility, stating that their design was only to expel Taghalchin, whose treachery to the late Sultan Ghiyasuddin Bahman Shah, and other numerous crimes, had cast dishonor on the royal family, were known to all: They demanded,’ therefore, that Tagalchin should be punished, after which, the Princes promised to pay due submission to the authority of Shamsuddin Bahman Shah: declaring, till this objective was obtained, they would use every means in their power to effect his destruction.
Shamsuddin Bahman Shah, consulting his mother Makhduma-E-Jahan and Tagalchin, sent back an answer which insulted the two Princes, who then sought the assistance of the Maratha King Rana Siddhojirao Bhonsale. Rana Siddhojirao and his son Bhairoji Sisodiya mustered three thousand cavalry and infantry, and marched towards Gulbarga with full confidence that other Bahmani troops would join them from the capital. Disappointed in this expectation, the Bahmani princes halted for some time on the banks of the Bhima river, without being aided by any chief of consequence except the Maratha Rana Siddhojirao. It was, finally agreed that the Bahmani Princes should advance forward into the capital with the regal canopy raised over the head of Firoz Bahman declaring him the new Bahmani Sultan. This force was intercepted by Tagalchin’s men at Mirqil (or Marttir), about 8 miles south of Gulbarga and they had to fly back to Sagar.
But there was a party at the Bahmani court which was secretly against the rule of Taghalchin, who quickly arranged for another entry. Firoz, Ahmad, Rana Siddhojirao’s band (also included his son Rana Bhairavasimha) quietly marched to Gulbarga palace entering the Darbar Hall after overpowering the armed royal guard. The Darbar then exploded into a series of fistfights and hand to hand combat. Taghalchin was killed by a stroke of the blind Ghiyasuddin’s sword, while, the puppet Sultan Shamsuddin Shah was caught and blinded, and then allowed to proceed to Mecca with his mother.
Maratha Rana Siddhojirao was then rewarded with the designation of Mir Naubat for his heroic support.
He died in 1388 CE in a grand battle.
Historians like Haroon Khan Sherwani state Rana Siddhojirao actually rebelled against Firoz Shah Bahmani, and died in a battle against him. In the farman of 1398 CE Sultan Tajuddin Firoz Bahman Shah wrote a eulogy to Rana Siddhojirao Bhonsale where he says Siddhojirao actually died defending Firoz Bahman. Or with a separate interpretition Siddhojirao died in a campaign (described overall as a “fight”).
Either Farishta is confused or we lack further context on Farman’s description.
What this incoherence lends support to is that the Ghorpades DID NOT carry out any forgery of history by directly copying any available historical source. Anyone with common sense can see such clear mistakes would never be made by forgers who reproduce events on manuscripts after keeping them side by side. The error in Farman copies however does supports other agendas for remaking Farmans, but NOT for the agenda of creating any genealogies for Ghorpades, as alleged by acclaimed modern historian Mehendale. A Copy is not a Forgery. Ghorpades had no need to concoct such detailed history and then end up making such mistakes. It is clear they were copying their original farmans only, and not composing a new imaginary historical background. Scholar Mehendale also supports that Ghorpade farmans are at least from 17th Century CE minimum.
Anyways the farman describing his role is as follows:
“Actuated by resolve (to put down Tagalchin), we proceeded towards Fort Sagar with an army and unfurled the flag (of Rebellion).
Rana Siddhaji, Thanedar of Sagar, on receipt of the news of our Imperial presence, came to receive us and loyally joined our cause and girding up his loins eagerly attached himself to us.
Acquainting himself of our unswerving resolve, he took great pains and rendered service at the risk of his life. Whatever was told him, was satisfactorily arranged by him. Whenever the enemy tried to surprise us and do us harm, this faithful Soul was aware of it and was ready to resist the same and thus he fell and sacrificed himself in the thick of the fight. Shortly afterwards, by the grace of the Almighty our object bore fruit and came within our realisation. At this time I ascended my ancestral throne by great fortune and luck. Siddhaji’s son, Bhairavasimha who had fought shoulder to shoulder with his father against our enemies and had showed great courage and ability, attracted our Imperial notice as one deserving of royal favours.”
4) Thanedar Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Rana Bhairoji Bhairavasimha Brushabala-Shishaudha
Record: The township of Mudhol with the adjoining 84 villages in the Raibag Taraf, was granted as a mark of royal favour to to Rana Bhairavasimha. His sons were Devaraja and Karnsingh. Karnsingh was killed in battle. Devaraja became the Patriarch.
5) Thanedar Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Rana Devaraja Brushabala-Shishaudha
Record: Second son of Rana Bhairoji.
6) Thanedar Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Rana Indrasen “Ugrasimharao” Brushabala-Shishaudha
Record: He was a ferocious warrior and he was one of the few survivors of the Massacre of the Bahmani Army carried out by the Shirkes and Sangameshwar Chalukyas.
It was the year 1453 CE, the 14th reigning Bahmani Sultan was an over-ambitious Sultan named Alauddin Ahmad Shah Bahmani.
The same year he decided to conquer all the Coastal-Forts of Konkan. He put the reponsibility of the campaign on his finest general, his Grand Wazir, a Shia Muslim Khalaf Hasan Basri, titled as Malik-Ut-Tujjar.
The Jadhavrao King Govindadevaraya Maharaja had been a mentor in the initial years of Bahmani Sultanate before revolting at Daulatabad by collecting all the Maratha Naiks and relocating to Hathnur (Hatnapura) and establishing an independent state. The land from Hathnur to Mehkar was under Marathas totally independent. The Bahmanis thus lost their major local Maratha lobby though they still had some Maratha vassals around the region. In the Konkan, the Maratha Rayas (Shirkes and Chalukyas) with their Navies would ritualistically slaughter thousands of Hajji Muslims annually and dominated the coastlines of West India. This was a very humiliating state for the Muslim empire.
Malik-ut-Tujjar thus started his march towards Konkan from the Bahmani bastion, Bidar, with 7,000 elite Shia and around 3,000 elite Arab Sunni cavalry forces, along with his own private contingents, forming over 10,000 of the deadliest Islamist commando fighters assembled by the Bahmanis under the same banner yet.
Malik penetrated Konkan by first capturing the fort of Chakan after great resistance. He could then set up a launch station at Chakan fort. The Mleccha army then fought the Maharaja Vajrapala Shirke II of Bahiravgad, King of North Konkan, who ruled from Ghāt Matha to Varana River in South, and after a ferocious battle around Chiplun region defeated him. To acquire such a mighty warrior as an ally on the side of Islam, Malik-ut-Tujjar ordered the Shirke Raja to convert to save his life. To Malik’s surprise, Maharaja Shirke readily feigned an agreement to convert!
But Maharaja Vangoji Shirke then informed the Malik about his enmity with the Dharmābhimāni Maharaja of Sangameshwar, Maharaja Shankarraya Chalukya. Maharaja Vangoji Shirke explained that if he converted to Islam then once the Bahmani armies left, Shankarraya Chalukya would destroy the Raje Shirke Kingdom. He requested that Malik-Ut-Tujjar should preemptively attack Chalukya capital at Sangameshwar and secure his position first as a vassal.
Maharaja Vangoji Shirke thus proposed to Malik-ut-Tujjar an alliance against ShankarRaya Chalukya. Shirke insisted upon the conversion of ShankarRaya along with him if Islam was to be secured.
The Malik was well aware of the dense jungles around the Khelna (Vishalgad) region and was hesitant on accepting Maharaja Vangojiraje Shirke’s proposal. But the astute Shirke Maharaja assured Malik that he would guide his armies to Vishalgadh through a safer way.
Fanatical as well as ambitious, Malik-ut-Tujjar could not resist the temptation of converting two of the most powerful Mahratta rulers of Konkan, which was even more alluring than gaining territory.
Malik thus ordered his armies to march south towards Sangameshwar. But the Sunni contingent, not trusting this Shia general ultimately decided not to march forward. The Sunnis started marching back to Chakan Fort. Within no time a major group of his forces were gone but Malik-ut-Tujjar had made himself determined on defeating and converting ShankarRaya.
Along with the Maharaja Vajrapala Shirke, Malik started with his remaining Shia army towards Sangameshwar. The guileful Shirke King acted obedient during the first two days of the march and completely won Malik’s trust. But from the third day onwards, Vangojiraje Shirke started behaving strange.
Instead of providing safe passage to the Bahmani forces, he misguided them to dark, dense forests of the Western Ghats. This continued for the next 2 days and the Bahmani armies were badly exhausted. Some of them, not accustomed to the jungle environment, devoid of sunlight even fell ill. The army finally camped in the jungle, tents all separated from one another with no hope for coordination.
Maharaja Vangojiraje Shirke now made a escape through boats along a stream to his Hindu Maratha colleague Shankarraya Chalukya’s castle and a plan of a combined attack was hatched.
On the fifth day when the Bahmani forces were unwinding the Marathas suddenly erupted from every den, cavern, bush and within no time the bloodthirsty combined Hindu forces of Sangameshwar Maharaja Shankarraya Chalukya & Bahiravgad Maharaja Vajrapalaraya Shirke of 30,000 infantry, lancers and artillery fell upon the Mlecchas from all four sides butchering them like poultry. The onslaught of the Mahrattas was so swift and thunderous that the Bahmanis couldn’t even remove their swords from the scabbard. In the dense alien jungle the Bahmanis had no way out of this bloodbath. The merciless massacre continued and every tree in that glade was watered with copious Mleccha blood!
The decimation was almost complete and around 7,000 Elite Mlecchas were slaughtered in a matter of minutes. 500 Sayyid noblemen of Medina, Karbala and Najaf with Abyssinian and Deccani tribal officers alongside 2,000 of their adherents were also slaughtered. Only a handful of Bahmanis could wade out of the blood-soaked mud and retrace their way back to Chakan Fort.
One of these survivors were the Hindu Kshatriya Bhonsale family.
A Domino effect started that sowed seeds of destruction of the Afaqi (Foreign) and Dakkhani (Indigenous Deccani) Muslim Elite synergy of the Bahmani Empire and its gradual shattering.
The Sultan Alauddin Shah received a false reports by the Dakkhani lobby that Khalaf Hasan Basri had deliberately led his army to destruction, planning to sabotage the Dakkhanis. The Sultan who was fuming at this humiliating and complete defeat at the hands of the Mahrattas, commanded his Dakkhani troops to kill off the remnants of the Afaqi contingents along with their families.
The Dakkhanis raced to slaughter upto 5,000 Afaqi Musallmān babies, and then they violated, humiliated countless women even of the highest Sayyid class and massacred them all wholesale until the correct reports reached the Bahmani Sultan. But by then it was too late.
Thus this army of the Bahmanis was annihilated. This after-episode of Afaqi genocide was a permanent crack in Bahmani Sultanate’s political libido.
7) Thanedar Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Raje Bahadur Ghorpade Karnasimha Brushabala-Shishaudha.
In 1469 CE Wazir Mahmud Gawan the Khwaja Jahan, one of the greatest generals and statesmen India had ever seen before, had assumed the position of Commander-in-Chief of Bahmani Sultanate forces. The New Malik-Ut-Tujjar (Chief of Merchants) had to clear the Konkan tract to gain control of lucrative West Coast trade. 16 years ago, his predecessor Malik-Ut-Tujjar Khalaf Hasan Khan Basri and his elite commando forces were put to sword by the Maratha Chalukya and Hoysala Shirke Rayas of Konkan, and the Bahmanis were still baying for blood. The Shirke Maharaja Vangoji II had even taken the Bhonsale Patriarch Ugrasimharao Indrasen Bhonsale as a captive in the failed 1453 Bahmani campaign. Therefore the Bhonsales had to avenge this.
His eldest son Rana Karnasimha and his grandson Bhimasimha had proven their mettle in the bloody battles against Maharajas Vajrapala & Shankarraya by capturing many forts.
Their genius was unparalleled and unseen in the Deccan yet. Over the years they sidelined the career of Rana Ugrasena’s brother Rana Pratapsimha and also of Ugrasena’s younger son Shubhakrushna.
As such Rana Karnasimha reigned over his ancestral Jagir of Mudhol under the service of Bahmanis. All these years since 1453’s humiliating defeat, the Bahmanis were engaged in brutal struggles with the vast armies of Sultan Mahmud Khalji, the Emperor of Malwa.
In the meanwhile, the Chalukya and Halebid Ballala Shirke Mahratta Rayas were launching their own Naval attacks from over 130 ships against the Mlecchas, disrupting their India-to-Mecca ship routes and pirating and slaying thousands of wealthy Muslim Hajj pilgrims. Thus a battle was being waged by Marahtas to cut off an arm of the Bahmani Sultanate’s maritime commerce. With the close of the conflict with Malwa, the Bahmanis were ready to avenge their failure down South and put an end to this piracy by the Maratha Kings.
And thus the vast numbers of the Bahmanis descended once again against to avenge themselves on the Mahrattas, 16 years after their defeat. Each and every fort in their path proved an hindrance, but the Imperial Bahmanis managed to establish a base for their operations in Kolhapur. To counter this, the Mahratta Rayas deployed their warriors and sealed off the mouths of the Ghats starting at Matha Ghat near Pune, the natural gateway into Konkan, Maharashtra, and firmly swore that “they would put to sword every Musalmaan in their country if the Bahmanis advanced!”.
Mahmud Gawan himself noted the difficult terrain where his mounted troops would be worthless and a needless baggage, and hence he disbanded and sent back the entire cavalry and proceeded onwards with the infantry. Out of fear of the upcoming challenge Mahmud issued orders for reinforcements to his lieutenants Kishwar Khan who assembled warriors from Dabol and Karhad while Asād Khan brought in men from Junnar and Chakan. Along with this, troopers arrived from Chaul, Wai as well as Mān Desha (Mhaswad, in Satara).
Thus, Bahmanis themselves possessed a formidable Mahratta army of their own. And the march began with Scorched Earth tactics being used to turn entire jungles into wastelands. It is noted the troops of Jhakuraya Chalukya of Vishalgad and Vangojiraje Shirke II of Bahiravgad both unleashed havoc against the Bahmanis, offering over FIFTY guerilla battles in their march up to Khelna. The carnage lasted for several weeks until rains were going to set in. Gawan finally reached Khelna, the fort which had never been conquered by the Muslim invaders. For over FIVE months, the Bahmani forces helpless stood before the fort without any success and had to finally retreat back to Kolhapur, right back to where it all started. The irregular cloud-bursts were commonplace in Maharashtra prior to full-fledged storms of monsoon, and rivers, streams coupled with the hilly terrain would make the availability of food supplies virtually impossible. After the rains they returned back, but even now, arriving at the very doorsteps of the first Raya’s capital at Khelna (Vishalgad), the efforts of Bahmani Sultanate’s forces could be wasted. All the bloodshed so far could be for naught. It was now or never for the Bahmani force. Majlis-Ul-Rafi Yusuf Adil Khan, the Son of the Constantinople Ottoman Emperor Gazavat-E-Sultan Murad II, and the future founder of Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur, was an Overseer of this Siege, with the Bhonsales operating under him. The walls of Vishalgad were higher than that of any fort they had ever gazed at, even the cliff atop which it was situated was almost unimaginable to scale.
At this juncture, Rana Karnasimha and his son Bhimasimha swore to take the fort by one way or another. They noticed how the Mahratta iguanas, the Samars / Ghorpads, were able to traverse over the vertical surface of the cliff all about. The Ghorpads back then were much more ferocious and larger in size than the last remaining survivors of this species today.
An impractical, almost childish idea to climb the cliff by roping in one of these must have been discarded swiftly. The combined weight alone itself would be an insurmountable challenge.
Yet, if somehow enough of these fearsome creatures were utilized in 100s and set up climbing at different points distributing the weight of the infiltrator to a negligible figure, this feat could be accomplished.
However, despite this theoretical scaling, these untamed, untrained creatures themselves naturally utilized zig-zag irregular motion for climbing. There was no assurance of a swift straight climb. Rana Karnasimha and his son returned to the camp and told the soldiers about this wildly devised tactic. The desperate camp seeing no succour otherwise, agreed to capture these creatures. At least over a hundred of the Ghorpads were captured and the soldiers now looked upon these demonic looking creatures who were surprisingly docile when not provoked and showed signs of intelligence. Experiments run on the Ghorpads to see their motion would then be observed to have been straightened when their neck was locked in place. They would have forged Buster-Collars for all of the Ghorpads and a belt on their waist which was roped to the waist of the assailants.
With this setup, they began what was going to change the way Deccani fort defenses will be constructed and scaled forever.
Rana Karnasimha, his son Bhimasimha and a few elite commandos began the climb using hundreds of Ghorpadas to distribute and carry their weight. The climb was surprisingly working out exactly as planned, and without any accidents, the Mahrattas scaled the fort of Vishalgad. The Bahmani force watched on this spectacle and waited at the gates to open. The shock of seeing armed men emerge out from the exterior of a nigh unscalable rampart must have played quite an effect as the clash between the garrison and the infiltrators began.
Rana Karnasimha and Rana Bhimasimha swiftly cut down the guards at the ramparts as the noise drew the attention of more and more men. The Maratha swords clashed against one another as Rana Karnasimha and his son warded off watch-men and raced to open the gate.
The fate of the fort was sealed once the gates were opened.
The Bahmanis stormed in as the chaotic fray of Mahratta Garrison pitted against Mahratta Bahmanis turned into a whirlpool. Rana Karnasimha battled on in the confusion till he finally bled out from his many wounds. His son Rana Bhimasimha held on defending his valiant father as the last of the garrison was put to the sword.
The Bahmani Empire force would continue onwards with the Ottoman Prince Yusuf Adil Khan and the Rana Bhimasimha towards victory in the remaining campaign. Most Marathas thereon had to be bribed into submission except for the Belgaum fort, which was likely under the Rashtrakutas.
The awe-inspiring account of the heroic victory over Khelna was relayed to the Sultan Muhammad Shah Bahmani by Mahmud Gawan’s agent Sayyid Azim Humayun who was driven to issue down unrestrained encomiums for the loyal Rana who laid down his life in duty.
On the return from the campaign both Mahmud Gawan and Rana Bhimasinha were gifted Robes of Honour. A Farman was issued on 7/5/876 Islamic Year or 22/10/1471, extolling the heroic sacrifice of Rana Karnasimha, and granting Mudhol along with all 84 villages formally to Rana Bhimasimha. Apart from Mudhol, the chain of fortresses in Parganas of Raibag, Ben (Wai) were also given to Bhimasimha.
Mahmud Gawan on the other hand fell into depression from this 3 year campaign against the Marathas. Out of these 3 years, one single Maratha fort had cost him over 8 months. So great a strain had this campaign against the Mahrattas cost him, that he immediately stripped off his splendid dress, and dropped on the floor crying plenteously!
After this pitiful state was over he rose up and called for all the Mullahs, Pirs from as far as Bidar and Ahmedabad and distributed all his money, jewels, and other treasures to them, leaving himself with just his elephants, horses and library. He looked to skies and stated, “Praise be to god! I have escaped temptations, and am now free from all dangers!”
The Bahmani Empire soon shattered with the conspired death of Mahmud Gawan.
Not only this, a major shift was to occur from the Farman issued to the Sisodiyas.
Rana Bhimasimha Sisodiya was hereby declared Raja Ghorpade Bahadur alongwith numerous other titles in honour of both himself as well as those dragons that let this lion soar to glory.
His house banners now marked the ensigna of a Ghorpad.
8)Thanedar Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Raje Bahadur Ghorpade Bhimasimharaje Brushabala-Shishaudha.
His reign started with establishment of Mudhol Kingdom which was an already owned Jagir by Brushabalas, as a Bahmani State-recognized Royal Vassal Seat.
A Tiger in the Forest of Courage & Bravery,
A Soaring Bird over the Ocean of Valour,
Pre-Eminent Among All Men,
The Mighty,
The Skillful Man of Actions,
The Leader of Warriors,
The Rustam of Conquering Forts,
The Vanquisher of Tigers,
The Destroyer of Military Arrays,
The Greatest Well-Wisher of the Throne,
Ever-Ready to Sacrifice His Life,
A Lover of Truth,
Worthy of Royal Grace & Favours,
Commander of Three Thousand Savaran-Va-Hasham
As the Bahmani Empire shattered with the death of Mahmud Gawan, the Ghorpade Bhonsales pledged themselves to their captain Yusuf Adil Khan under whom they had served in 1469-1471 Campaign of Mahmud Gawan against Shirkes and Chalukyas.
The Bhonsale Lineage at this point Splits 3 ways between
Pratapasimha Brushabala (Brother of Indrasen-Ugrasen Bhonsale and the Uncle of Karnasimha Bhonsale & Shubhakrishnarao/Mahaloji Bhonsale, Granduncle of Karnasimha’s son Bhimasimha Ghorpade Bhonsale),
And Shubhakrishnarao “Mahaloji” Brushabala (Younger Son of Indrasen-Ugrasen Bhonsale, brother of Karnasimha Bhonsale and Uncle of Bhimasimha Ghorpade Bhonsale) who both together shifted to their ancestral jagirs in the Devagiri-Ellora regions.
While Bhimasimharaje Ghorpade Bhonsale (Grandnephew of Pratapasimha Bhonsale, Nephew of Shubhakrishnarao/Mahaloji Bhonsale, Son of Karnasimha Bhonsale) settled in the Mudhol region as the King starting the Ghorpade Bhonsale branch, the most Senior Bhonsale family.
The Brushabalas/Bhonsale Houses descending from Pratapasimha and Shubhakrishna/Mahaloji thus stopped using Rana as they were no longer part of the Main Patriarch Branch of Bhonsales, while the Ghorpades cease mainstream usage of Rana because the title Raje Bahadur Ghorpade is their new Bahmani Royal Court designation. Rana thus ceases in visible usage.
The Nineth generation of eldest Bhonsale House, Ghorpades of Mudhol, was Sarfaraz Thanedar Mir Naubat Sardar-E-Khaskhel Maharaja Kheloji Raje Bahadur Ghorpade Brushabala-Shishaudha.
This was a significant generation.
The Turk Baridshah did maximum damage to Bhonsales (Junior) as well as Ghorpades (Senior Bhonsales).
Sarfaraz Khelojiraje Ghorpade Bahadur was martyred against Bahmani rebel Wazir Khawas Khan Barid-E-Mumalik Qasim Turkani who established Baridshahi. Mudhol Ghorpade-Bhonsale lineage continued from Khelojiraje’s son, who joined the Adilshahi Faction after end of Bahmani Empire.
Simultaneously, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s ancestor Shubhakrushnarao “Mahaloji” Bhonsale’s great grandson (Mahaloji’s son Kheloji’s son was Jankoji who was titled “Bhumindra”, and Sabaji was his son) Raja Sabaji/Sambhaji of Shambhugiri also rose in rebellion against the Bahmani Empire after death of Wazir Mahmud Gawan. Sabaji Bhonsale was defeated and killed by Wazir Qasim Baridshah. Wazir Qasim Baridshah then got Sabaji Maratha’s daughter married to his son to Sultan Amir Ali Baridshah to gain legitimacy and manipulated all 400 Marathi cavaliers of Bhonsales into joining his faction.
All of the rebel Bhonsale territories were thus attached to the Baridshah family to make up what later became known as the Baridshahi Sultanate, after Bahmani Empire was shattered.
When Bahmani Sultanate had properly shattered, Raja Sabaji Bhonsale’s sons Babaji and Bimbaji after having lost their private army to Baridshah, had shifted to Nizamshahi Sultanate Faction of Ahmadnagar in West Maharashtra for refuge. Junior Bhonsale status had dropped to Bargir (solitary combatant) status.
This was the Lowest point in Bhonsale history.
Sabaji’s son Raja Babaji Bhonsale lived in refuge status all his life, as a simple Shiledar. It was likely Babaji’s brother Bimbaji who became progenitor of the Hinganikar Bhonsale branch, from where the great future Senasahebsubah Raghujiraje Bhonsale of Nagpur was born.
It is confirmed Babaji’s own son was Maharaja Maloji Bhonsale who rises to become Vazira-Daulata (Minister of the Empire) and Sargiroh (Chieftain of Maratha Community) of Nizamshahi Sultanate. A single generation drop in Status is rapidly reversed in his generation.
As per Kaviraj Bhushan Tripathi who reported the narrative at the time of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s rule, Bhonsale surname started from Maloji’s period. “Sarja” (Lion) and “Bhonsale” (Bull) were claimed to be Malojiraje’s titles. But this still needs to be verified in detail.
Keluskar, Takakhav, Jadunath, Parasnis, James Grant Duff all relied on Malhar Chitnis’ shabbily compiled records which were arranged in just one week and then burnt by British propagandist James Grant Duff. These historians had no access to Mudhol Ghorpade Bhonsale records and hence they have a black hole from Rana Sajjansimha to Malojiraje. These historians did a lot of damage to history of Bhonsales and Maharashtra as a whole.
While he lived, Maharaja Malojiraje Bhonsale was compared to Surya, Vishnu, Arjuna, Kubera, and Kāla himself. He was the undisputed ruler of lands across Parganas of Verul, Dheradi, Kannarad, several villages in Jafarabaad, Daulatabaad, Ahmadnagar districts. These were separate from the large Pūna Estate, Supa Estate, several Nizamshahi Royal estates & cities such as Patgaon. Shiva Digvijaya records that after becoming the Wazira Daulata, along with a Mansab Rank of over 12,000 Aspa (12,000 Cavalry), the Nizamshahi had yielded to him the cities of Baramati, Sangamner, Chandwad, Shevgaon, Patode, Ambade & many other others, such as Nashik with all it’s 27 Forts, Ten Parganas and Mahals in Malwa with claim on the city of Burhanpur as well.
After Maharaja Malojiraje, was born the great Maharaja Shahajiraje Bhonsale who further conquered Mysuru and pushed onwards towards in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Maharaja Shahjiraje Bhonsale conquered Bednur defeating Virabhadra Nayak of Bednur; Kenga Nayak of Basavapatnam, Jayadevaraya of Kaveripatnam, Kantirava the Nayak of Srirangapatnam, Vijayaraghava of Tanchapuri, Venkata Nayak of Chandipura, Shriranga of Vijayanagar, Tirumula Nayak of Madurai, Venkata of Palugonda and Timme Gowda, the Nayak of Hamsakuta. He fought and defeated Mughals, Nizamshahi, and Adilshahi all at once.
The world knows what happened afterwards with Hindupati Padshah Bhonsales who become Maratha Kshatriyakulavatansa and Chattrapatis of the entire Hindu race.
The Senior Mudholkar Raje Bahadur Ghorpade Bhonsales also established Sansthans at Kapshi, Gajendragad, Sandur, Dattawad, Madyal, etc.
Lineage of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja was from Highest Bloodlines of South and North India.
Father Side: Rana Sajjansimha Sisodiya > Rana Dilipasimha Sisodiya > Rana Siddhoji Sisodiya > Rana Bhairoji Sisodiya > Rana Devaraja Bhonsale-Sisodiya > Rana Indrasena Bhonsale > Raja Mahaloji “Shubhakrushna” Bhonsale > Raja Kheloji Bhonsale > Raja Jankoji “Bhumindra” Bhonsale > Raja Sabaji Bhonsale > Raja Babaji Bhonsale > Maharaja Malojiraje Bhonsale > Maharaja Shahajiraje Bhonsale
Mother Side: Praudha Pratap Chakravarti Samrat Ramachandradevaraya Yadavraya > Samrat Shankardevaraya Yadavraya > Maharaja Govindadevaraya Jadhavrao > Raja Thakurraya Jadhavrao > Raja Bhukandevaraya Jadhavrao > Raja Achalkarnarao Jadhavarao > Raja Vitthaladevarao Jadhavarao > Maharaja Lakshmanadevarao Jadhavrao > Maharani Jijabaisaheb
One thing when discussing genealogies which should be understood by people, is that not all branches of a family follow typical order. Patriarch (the main) branch always tends to live longer by default, however often macrocosmic upheavals and the participation of the Patriarchs in those calamities can result in early deaths through war, assassinations, disease, etc. On the other hand Bhauki (junior) branches can peacefully spawn nearly 3 generations in the time the Patriarch title shifts from the main person to his son. But also due to allocation of prestige, resources and first dibs towards Patriarchs, Bhauki lineages tend to sink into obscuring, poverty and eventual demises too. That is why history always, always depends on context. There are many patterns, not just one.
If a Clan is participative in stable times,
Patriarch lineage is prestigious.
Bhauki lineage is obscure yet prosperous.
If a Clan is participative in unstable times,
Patriarch lineage is always in jeopardy.
Bhauki lineages have scope of adoption, and ascension.
That’s why one must not always be skeptical.
Aurangzeb’s “sons” were 50-60 year old men themselves with their own grandsons during the time of Aurangzeb’s war against Marathas.
Foolish arguments about Babaji Bhonsale’s lineage having so many successors in succession compared to Jadhavraos or as such are useless. A Maratha boy got married anywhere between age of 12-16. By the time he is 24 he could have a 12 year old son himself. So using artificial logic against natural pattern of history is silly.
When the Adilshahi Empire was at its weakest point due to Maratha onslaught and Mughal invasions, it was easy for Mudholkar Raje Bahadur Ghorpade Bhonsales to hire scribes to copy their Farmans of Bahmani era (Adilshahi were themselves only Sardars of Bahmani Empire). Ghorpades had no need to concoct such detailed history and then end up making such mistakes like writing Mahmud as Dawud.
It was British dogs like Grant Duff and Sir Jadunath who claimed Bhonsales did forgery because of problems in Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja’s coronation without any proof. The truth was that Junior Bhonsales never had any genealogy with them and this is recorded even by Karveer Darbar commissioned researcher Dr. Bal Krishna. Even Tanjavur Bhonsales wrote imaginary obscure history because Ghorpades did not share documents with any of these junior Bhonsale families. So the Historians have shifted goalposts and claimed that Senior Ghorpades who had been kings for centuries did “forgery”. The pedigree of such historians should be studied first.
SOURCE:
History of Mudhol State by MS Ghorpade, B D Khane
Shivaji the Great Vol. I by Dr. Balkrishna
Ghorpade Gharanyacha Itihas by Babaraje Ghorpade
The Bahmanis Of The Deccan by Haroon Khan Sherwani
Maḥmūd Gāwāṇ, the Great Bahmani Wazir by Haroon Khan Sherwani
Tarikh-E-Farishta Muhammad Qasim Farishta