The Rajyabhishek We Must Never Forget

When Shivaji Maharaj was crowned Chhatrapati on this very day in June 1674, it marked a significant shift in history. No one alive then had ever witnessed a Hindu coronation before.

It was an era where the political landscape was dominated by the Mughals or the Deccan Sultanates, and the very idea of a Hindu ruler seemed unfathomable. Yet, enter Shivaji Maharaj became a force to be reckoned with.

Forget the dusty textbooks, for a moment. Before Shivaji, the narrative was clear: Hindus could be warriors, administrators, even esteemed courtiers, but a king? That was reserved. Shivaji, however, had other plans. He didn't just dream of a Hindu state — he built it, brick by brick, in the face of relentless imperialism.

And today, here we are, celebrating 350 years of Swarajya. We've curated a special issue to honour the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj & the spirit of Swarajya that still burns bright.

We celebrated this historic milestone with a special print issue last year but we have now run out of it. However, if we receive 500 print subscriptions this month, we'll do a special print run and send you the special issue FREE. If not, fret not, we'll still send you the PDF of it along with 2 election time print issues.

Become a print + digital subscriber through this link for as little as ₹2999 ₹1999 and join us in this celebration.