Part 10
Recall that Raja Shivaji was stuck on the Panhala fort because of a well-planned and executed siege of that fort by the 40,000-strong army of General Siddi Jowhar. All attempts to break that siege from outside had failed. Torrential rains in the monsoon season did not help either as Siddi Jowhar had come prepared for just such an eventuality with waterproof tents. Monsoon would not last forever either and then Jowhar and his army could really push to seize the fort -– reinforced with English cannon. In short, Shivaji must somehow escape the siege of Panhala before the end of monsoon or else face an almost certain defeat. That would have been the end of himself and his vision of Hindavi Swaraj.
So, once Bahirji Naik discovered a relatively safe passage out of the siege, Shivaji sent his diplomat to visit General Siddi Jowhar and established the date for a “summit meeting” that he had no intention of keeping. Shivaji had asked Baji Prabhu Deshpande, a very capable captain in his army to lead him out of the siege under the cover of darkness and cacophony of rain and wind. There was a good chance that this attempt would succeed due to the natural laxity in the opposing army due to the impending “summit meeting”. Nonetheless, successful escape from Panhala with only 500 soldiers was not a certainty. What if that attempt failed?
At this stage in the planning process, Shiva Kashid stepped forward to save his leader and the vision of an independent nation. Shiva Kaashid did resemble Shivaji in facial features as well as the general build. If he were to dress up like the real Shivaji, it would be difficult though not impossible to distinguish one from the other – at least for a while. Reluctantly, Shivaji Raja accepted this plan though he did not like the concept of possibly sacrificing someone else for his own safety.
After much discussion, two different palanquins were prepared: one for Shivaji Raja and another for Shiva Kaashid. Both left the fort, along with 500 soldiers under the guidance of Captain Baji Prabhu Deshpande. Everything proceeded as per plan for a while. However, just as Shivaji and his soldiers were reaching the outskirts of the siege, it became clear that some of Jowhar’s soldiers had become suspicious and would attempt to follow the escaping army as soon as they had the necessary reinforcements. There was no time to waste.
This was the eventuality for which Shiva Kashid had volunteered. As per the original plan, his palanquin, guarded by a few soldiers, was run via the “main road” to VishalGad while Shivaji Raja and the rest of his army went by a side road that very few knew about. When Siddi Jowhar’s son-in-law followed with his 2,000 strong army, eventually they captured Shiva Kaashid’s palanquin – thinking that they had captured real Shivaji – and brought him back to Siddi Jowhar. After a while, it became clear that Shiva Kaashid was not the real Shivaji but by that time, Shivaji’s soldiers had acquired a very essential lead. Though history does not seem to know for sure, it is very likely that Shiva Kaashid was killed.
Shiva Kaashid’s self sacrifice was the key to the ultimate success of Shivaji’s escape and hence the survival of Hindavi Swarajya. Why did Shiva Kaashid do it? It is a question worth pondering about – especially in today’s atmosphere of widespread corruption – in more nations than just India or U.S.
Unfortunately, history books do not spend much
time on “commoners” such as Shiva Kashid. There is no official portrait
of this hero who saved Raja Shivaji’s life and his vision of Hindavi Swaraj
– very likely through his personal sacrifice. Maybe we can visualize Shiva
Kashid’s portrait in our mind’s eye. Just imagine him in the likeness of
Raja Shivaji – valiantly occupying Shivaji’s palanquin and satisfied that
he is performing his duty.
Part 10