This is the story of The Great Maratha Queen Maharani Yesubai. Yesubai was the wife of Chhatrapati Shambhaji Maharaj and Daughter in law of The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Born at shringarpur a village in Sahyadri mountain range at Konkan Maharasht...
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Born at shringarpur a village in Sahyadri mountain range at Konkan Maharashtra. She was born as daughter of Pilaji Shirke. She was the normal girl Jivubai Shirke, and thus changed name to Yesubai Bhosle when she married to the son of the great Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj. An extremally talented girl got married to a future Chhatrapati in year 1666, he was also very talented as his father. The journey of Yesubai was very hard as after marriage, when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with his 9-year-old son went to Agra and was kept as a hostage in Agra by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Then both Shivaji Maharaj and his son escaped from Agra which is also known as The Great Escape. After escaping Shivaji Maharaj has to hide his 9-year-old son from the Mughals, so when Chhatrapati reached his capital Raigad, he told Sambhaji was no more. this was the hardest time for the young Yesubai, she lived as a widow, she was very straight forward and a positive girl that time. The young Sambhaji returned safely to Raigad from Mathura, she was very overwhelmed to see her husband alive. But tougher times were yet to come in the life of this princess. When Chhatrapati and his second wife Maharani Soyrabai gave birth to Rajaramraje Bhosle. The young Rajaram was very inspired by his elder brother and his sister in law. Birth of Rajaramraje gave some courtiers a chance of conspiracy, as they started to fill the ears of Maharani Soyrabai against Sambhaji Maharaj. As a result, Sambhaji Maharaj and Yesubai was sent to exile. Both lived at the shringarpur, the birth place of Yesubai. Where Yesubai and Sambhaji got blessed by a daughter Bhavanibai.
When Sambhaji Maharaj got coronated and became 2nd Chhatrapati after lot of conspiracies against him, this princess became Maharani of swaraj Maharani Yesubai. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj gave her the title of "KULMUKHTYAR", she was given rights to take decision and look after swaraj after Chhatrapati. All was going happy, when Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Yesubai got blessed with a child. He was named as Shivaji. When every thing was seemed to be happy, this queen faced a major problem that Chhatrapati and his Campanian Kavi Kalash got caught by Muqurrab Khan commander of Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb wanted to catch Chhatrapati of swaraj and he wanted swaraj to surrender, but the brave maharani stood still and didn't surrender, if she wanted she can take all the power in her hands but then she made Rajaramraje as the 3rd Chhatrapati of swaraj and dream of Aurangzeb to catch and kill Chhatrapati was soon disappeared. But then Aurangzeb tortured Sambhaji Maharaj and was executed on 11th march 1689. Later Aurangzeb declared war against swaraj and Maharani managed to make Chhatrapati Rajaramraje get through the Raigad and go to Satara to manage swaraj from there. Queen kept Mughals away from fort till Chhatrapati escaped and then surrendered on condition that no one will be harmed.
Maharani Yesubai and young prince Shivaji was kept as hostage where Aurangzeb was afraid that this young prince must not be as his grandfather Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, so he renamed him as Shahu. Maharani Yesubai was kept hostage for 29 years by Mughals. But Shahu was released on condition that if he does anything against Mughals maharani will be executed, but Shahu managed to rescue maharani Yesubai.
The further more about this Great Maharani Yesubai is still unknown. Unlike Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj her date and year of birth and the day she took her last breath is still unknown. Where and how she died is still not known. Even her birth place the Shringarpur village doesn't have any physical evidence. Even the place where maharani spent her childhood before marriage and where she gave the birth to Bhavanibai, has been disappeared now. There are only tall standing trees there and nothing else. The Maharani Yesubai Sambhajiraje Bhosle has disappeared. No history books know when and where she took her last breath The great Maharani Yesubai came, did her work and disappeared silently in eternity.
