Self-courage, faith on self, support of parents, old-age persons, deities (God and Godess), Mawlas and citizens, secularism, opposition to superstition, destruction of bad customs and traditions, these and many other things made our Maharaj and after they become Maharaj, they made whole Maharashtra.
It is certain that Shivaji Maharaj got the ancient education and weapons training that the children of the Kshatriya clan wanted, such as Ashwarohan (अश्वारोहण) (horse riding), dandpatta (दांडपट्टा), swordsmanship, shooting etc. But Maharaj could read and write or not? Maharaj knew letters or not? was Maharaj illiterate? Many experts ask this question. Early historian Grant Duff and well known historian Yadunath Sarkar state that Shivaji Maharaj was illiterate. Also, not a single letter in Maharaj’s handwriting has been found yet. But in the ninth chapter of Shivbharat, it is mentioned that
‘शिवाजी लिपीग्रहणयोग्य वयाचा झाल्यावर शहाजीने त्यास गुरूंच्या स्वाधीन केले’
Translation :
‘Shivaji was handed over to the Guru by Shahaji, when Shivaji reached the age of understanding words’.
In the 91 Sections (कलमी) Bakhar mentions that
‘शहाजीच्या आज्ञेप्रमाणे दादोजी कोंडदेवाने चिरंजीवास (महाराजांस) शहाणे केले’
Translation :
‘Dadoji Kondev made the Chiranjeevas (Maharaj) knowlegable as per Shahaji’s order’.
This means that Maharaj had knowledge of letters and was not illiterate. Also, Maharaj got written many Sanskrit books like ‘Rajyavyasavaya Kosh’, ‘Karan Kaustubh’ etc. from scholars. Author of Shivbharat i.e. Parmanand was actually working in Shivaji’s court (दरबार).
