Emperor Mohammad Shah Adil of Bijapur was holding his grand court. It was a dazzling show. The emperor sat on a high throne bedecked with jewels. The ministers, courtiers, scholars, commanders, chieftains and men of art were in their respective seats.
The court singers had just finished their songs of the greatness of Shah Adil. The emperor was proudly surveying the magnificent show of his power and grandeur.
The court usher came in and announced, “Commander Shahaji and his son Shivaji arrive in this great court to pay their respects to his exalted highness, the Emperor of Bijapur… (Formal recitation of titles and epithets)… Mohammad Shah Adil.”
The emperor nodded his head arrogantly.
The user led in Shahaji and Shivaji. The father was holding the fingers of his son. The two walked to the throne where the father released the hand of the son. Shahaji bent down and paid obeisance to the Emperor is Muslim style.
Then, he turned to his son and spoke, “Shiva! It is the great Emperor of Bijapur who you see in the throne, our protector and provider. Pay obeisance to His Highness.”
Young Shiva didn’t respond. He just stood and stared belligerently at the Emperor. Shiva had walked with his head high and ignored the razzle and dazzle of the court.
Shahaji felt embarrassed at the behaviour of his son. He bent and whispered, “Son, pay your respect to His Highness, the Emperor. He is a very kind person. If pleased he will give you a load of loyal presents and Bijapur sweets. Now, come on, pay obeisance just like I did.”
The friends and well wishers of Shahaji were feeling very uneasy. Shiva didn’t move. Some friends of Shahaji then approached the boy and tried to persuade him in vain. The boy had haughty look on his face and he was casting an accusing gaze upon the emperor.
There was a pin drop silence in the court. The emperor was now frowning. Never before such a thing had happened. No one knew what to do where a kid ignored the great power and the status of an Emperor.
The emperor was also confused. He tried to win over the boy by smiling at him. All the courtiers were staring at the boy. Shahaji’s face was turning red. There were murmurs and the court hummed with comments like a disturbed beehive. Some of the remarks were audible.
“Huh! What is this?”
“I think the boy is stunned. The razzle and dazzle of the court has completely confused him.”
“No. The brat has no culture.”
“Bad, very very bad.”
Some one said, “Son of a snake! I never trusted that Shahaji.”
Shahaji’s face had gone white.
He tendered an apology, “O Mighty Emperor! I beg for your pardon. Please forgive my son who is stunned by the greatness of this court. He does not know the manners of the conduct of great courts.”
The emperor nodded his head and contrived to laugh to hide his embarrassment. He growled, “Ah…well..never mind..never mind. Just a little boy he is. Yet uneducated. You must teach him. Bring him to this court when he is ready. He will be rewarded.”
The faces of Afzal Khan, Fateh Khan, Moose Khan and other Muslim commanders were dark with rage. They stared at the boy murderously.
Shahaji pushed his son to lead him out of the court. Before turning his back, Shiva folded his hands and said “Namaste!” to the emperor as a parting kick. Then he marched away without any show of remorse or guilt feeling.
Shahaji sent Shiva to where they were staying in the care of the servants.
Shiva had noticed on the way to the court the riches, wealth, palaces and splendid gardens of Bijapur. The pomp and the show of the power in the court was impressive. The clothes and the finery the courtiers wore showed how wealthy they were. It pained Shiva that the rulers were of foreign origin and alien religion. The Muslim invaders had come to this land with only horses and the swords. Now they had usurped everything. They had power and lived a life of luxury in beautiful palaces with incredible wealth. The Hindu natives of the land had been reduced to servants and hirelings who had to bow before the invaders.
Just as he was being led home by the valets they came across a butcher who was leading a cow for the slaughter. He was mercilessly beating it.
Shiva’s blood boiled in anger. His eyes flashed and the nostrils flared up. Mother Jijabai had fed the fact to her son’s mind that the holiness of the sacred cow was the very soul and symbol of his religion and the culture. The Muslims ate cows to kill the Hindu religion and culture. All these facts flashed in the mind of young Shiva.
He was shaking in rage. He took out his small dagger from his cummerbund and prepared to charge at the butcher to punish him for his sinister deed of desecrating the holy cow.
“I will kill him,” young Shiva hissed.
The servants got alarmed. There were Muslims all around and young Shiva was asking for a big trouble in addition to his misdemeanour in the court. They had a hard time in subduing Shiva and leading him away from the scene.
Shahaji had equally hard time in making peace with the emperor and the courtiers. To avoid further unpleasantness and trouble Shahaji decided to send Shiva and Jijabai away from Bangalore to their state of Poona.
The father never rebuked Shiva for his misconduct in the court. Infact, he was satisfied deep down that his Shiva was evolving the way he wished for. In 1639, Jijabai and Shivaji reached Poona escorted by Shahaji’s close confidant Dada Kond Dev. And he was to manage Poona state and arrange for the proper education of Shivaji.
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