Indian Antiquary Vol 50

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 63

Fen.. 1921)
ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM OF SHIVAJI
53
His Mes additional", his bakhar
Malhar Ram Rao Chitnis, who wrote his bakhar long after Sabhasad, does not give
us any additional information about the administrative system. Chitnis
His Rajniti is a treatise on polity, in which he compiles the theories of public administration from old Sanskrit works. It could not therefore, have any bearing on the actual government of Maharashtra as it then existed, although the duties of the eight Pradhans might probably have been compiled from some
old papers. Shivadigvijaya. the most voluminous work of its kind. Shivadigvijaya.
is full of legends and impossible stories, but has not a word to say about the working constitution of Maharashtra in Shivaji's days. The only thing we should note here is that Messrs. Dandekar and Nandurbarkar, the joint editors of Shivadigvijaya, have failed to prove their contention, that it is the work of Khando Ballal son of Balaji Avaji. It is in all probability a very recent work, and consequently its evidence has but little weight with the modern student who aspires to study history as a science.
The same editors have published another bakhar, Shri Shivaji Shri Shivaji Pratap.
Pratap, which is nothing but a compilation of myths and legends. The anonymous author had not only no historical training, but he seemed to lack historical knowledge altogether. This bakhar is therefore absolutely useless both for a reconstruction of the political history of Maharashtra and for the compilation of an Account of Shivaji's administrative system. Very recently a sixth bakhar has been published by Mr. Bhave in his Marathi Daftar. It is only an elaboration of Sabhasad. The anonymous author has copied freely from an old manuscript of Sabhasad's bakhar, and his own additions are not at all trustworthy. About Shivaji's Civil and Military regulations he has nothing more than a long extract from Sabhasad to give. Even there he has omitted some old and obsolete words which he evidently did not understand. A seventh bakhar, viz., the Shahanavkalmi bakhar was discovered and published in the
columns of the now defunct periodical-the Prabhat-by Mr. Chandorwh hanav Kalmi kar. This Bakhar is alleged to have been found hy the old copyist Bakhar.
in the Daftar of Annaji Datto, a Brahman officer who played an important part in Shivaji's service. It is however devoted mainly to political history, and even there it is not quite trustworthy., An English translation of a Bakhar foand at Rairi has been published by Prof. Sir G.
Forrest. Scott-Wating, who wrote in 1811, spoke very highly of the
original. This however has unfortunately been lost. The accuracy of the English translation has been challenged by the late Justice Telang. Rao Bahadur D. B. Prarasnis claims to have rediscovered a manuscript of Rairi Bakhar, but it has to our misfortune again disappeared. On the whole it may be safely asserted that this bakhar is not worth much. The Kayastha Prabhunche Bakhar is very modern and of no use to us. Lastly remains a bakhar of peculiar interest, discovered and published by Mr. V. K.
Rajwade in the abovementioned magazine, the Prabhat. This Bakhar The Tanjore inscribed is of very little historical value, but it is a wonderful specimen of
human industry. The published Bakhar covers more than one 3 I have discussed this point more fully in a note in my extracts and documents relating to the Maratha History, Vol. I.
See Ranade's Rise of the Maratha Power, p. 259 f.
.
Bakhar.