Fact Box:
Pangong Lake
- Pangong Lake, situated at a height of almost 4,350m in the disputed region of Aksai Chin, is the world’s highest saltwater lake.
- Pangong Lake, one of the most famous lakes in Leh Ladakh, derives its name from the Tibetan word, “Pangong Tso”, which means “high grassland lake”.
- One-third of the nearly 160 kilometres-long lake lies in India, other two-thirds in China.
- It was one of the prominent flashpoints when border tensions between the two countries flared up in June 2020.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680)
- He was born on 19th February 1630 at Shivneri Fort in District Pune in the present-day state of Maharashtra.
- He was born to Shahaji Bhonsle, a Maratha general who held the jagirs of Pune and Supe under the Bijapur Sultanate, and Jijabai, a pious woman whose religious qualities had a profound influence on him.
- Shivaji was not named after Lord Shiva. His name was derived from the name of a regional deity – ‘Goddess Shivai.’
- Contributions:
- He revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration.
- India's first-ever navy in the modern era was built by Shivaji to protect the coast of Maharashtra.
- He established a competent and progressive civil rule with the help of disciplined military and well-structured administrative organizations.
- The Ashta Pradhan (Marathi: Council of Eight) set up by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
-
- Peshwa (Prime Minister )
- Amatya (Finance Minister )
- Shurunavis ( Secretary )
- Waqia-Navis (Interior Minister )
- Sar-i-Naubat (Commander-in-Chief )
- Sumant (Foreign Minister)
- Nyayadhish (Chief Justice )
- Panditrao ( High Priest)
-
- He innovated military tactics, pioneering non-conventional methods (guerrilla warfare) and leveraged strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise.
- He focused on pinpoint attacks to defeat his larger and more powerful enemies.
- A brave and genuinely secular ruler, he respected women and cared for the downtrodden and farmers.
- He died on 3rd April 1680.
Important Battle:
|
Battle of Pratapgad, 1659
|
Fought at the fort of Pratapgad near the town of Satara, Maharashtra, between the forces of the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Adilshahi general Afzal Khan.
|
|
Battle of PavanKhind, 1660
|
Fought at a mountain pass in the vicinity of fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, between the Maratha Sardar Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Siddi Masud of Adilshahi.
|
|
Sacking of Surat, 1664
|
Fought near the city of Surat, Gujarat, between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Inayat Khan, a Mughal captain.
|
|
Battle of Purandar, 1665
|
Fought between the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire.
|
|
Battle of Sinhagad, 1670
|
Fought on the fort of Sinhagad near the city of Pune, Maharashtra between Tanaji Malusare, a commander of Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj and Udaybhan Rathod, fort keeper under Jai Singh I who was a Mughal Army Chief.
|
|
Battle of Kalyan, 1682-83
|
Bahadur Khan of the Mughal Empire defeated the Maratha army and took over Kalyan.
|
|
Battle of Sangamner, 1679
|
Fought between the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire. This was the last battle in which the Maratha King Shivaji fought.
|
|
Courses
Study
Notes
Home
Resources
More
