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.

While the rest of the world was still grappling with the concept of decolonisation, Shivaji was already determined with Hindavi Swarajya. He was onto reclaiming his people's dignity and autonomy, centuries ahead of his time.

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.