Ashta Pradhan ( literally , 'Council of Eight') was the cabinet of the Maratha Confederacy . The council is credited with having implemented good governance practices in the Maratha heartland, as well as for the success of the military campaigns against the Mughal Empire .
17-469: The coronation of Shivaji was held in 1674, at the fort of Raigad in present-day Indian state of Maharashtra . On that occasion, Shivaji formalized the institution of a council of eight ministers to guide the administration of his nascent state. This council came to be known as the Ashta Pradhan . Each of the ministers was placed in charge of an administrative department; thus, the council heralded
34-534: A prime minister appointed by Shivaji's grandson Shahu gradually arrogated power. Within a short period, de facto control of the Maratha state passed to his family. This family of hereditary prime ministers retained the title of Peshwa. However, the Ashta Pradhan council was never revived to fill the functions it discharged for the last decade of Shivaji reign. Also See: Khando Ballal Chitnis Also see: Bahirji Naik Raigad fort Raigad , seen in
51-537: A strong high wall, and bastions thereto. All the other parte of the mountaine is a direct precipice, so that it is impregnable except the treachery of some in it betrayes it. On the Mountain are many strong buildings, as the Raja's Court,and houses for other Ministers of State, to the number of about 300, It is in length about 21 miles and breadth * a mile, but no pleasant trees nor any sort of grains grows thereon. Our house
68-525: The Mena Darwaja on the south side, was supposedly the private entrance for the royal ladies of the fort that lead to the queen's quarters. The convoy of the king and the king himself used the Palkhi Darwaja . on the north side. To the right of Palkhi Darwaja, is a row of three dark and deep chambers. Historians believe that these were the granaries for the fort. From the fort, one can view
85-603: The Raigad Ropeway , an aerial tramway spanning 750 m (2,460 ft) in length and reaching a height of 400 m (1,300 ft), which conveniently transports them from the ground to the fort in just four minutes. The main palace was constructed using wood, of which only the base pillars remain. The main fort ruins consist of the queen's quarters, and six chambers, with each chamber having its private restroom. The chambers do not have any windows. In addition, ruins of three watch towers can be seen directly in front of
102-605: The Raigad district of Maharashtra , India, is a hill fort located in the city of Mahad . It is one of the strongest fortress on the Deccan Plateau and was historically referred to as Rairee or Rairy fort. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj , the Maratha ruler , along with his chief engineer Hiroji Indulkar , did the construction and development of various buildings and structures, including Raigad. In 1674, after being crowned
119-564: The base village of Pachad. Additional attractions of the fort include the Khubladha Buruj, Nane Darwaja and the Hatti Talav (Elephant Lake). Henry Oxienden was on the fort from 13 May to 13 June 1674 & he quoted "We arrived at the top of that strong mountain about sun set, which is fortified by nature more than art, being off very difficult access, and but one advance to it, which is guarded by two narrow gates, and fortified with
136-468: The birth of a bureaucracy. The formalization of an administrative mechanism was of a piece with other measures, indicative of the formalization of a sovereign state, which were implemented on the occasion of Shivaji's coronation: coinage bearing his insignia (the copper Shivrai and the gold hon ) were issued, and a new era, the Rajyabhishek era, was proclaimed on the occasion. The Ashta Pradhan
153-414: The cries of her infant son back at the village echo after nightfall, the anxious mother couldn't wait till dawn and courageously climbed down the steep cliff in pitch darkness all for the love of her little one. She later repeated this extraordinary feat in front of Shivaji and was rewarded for her bravery." Noticing that this was a potential loophole, Shivaji built a bastion over the cliff and named it after
170-515: The execution point called Takmak Tok , a cliff from which sentenced prisoners were thrown to their death. This area has been fenced off. A statue of Shivaji is erected in front of the ruins of the main market avenue that leads to the Jagdishwar Mandir , which has Sardar Hiroji Indalkar 's name engraved on the first step, his own Samadhi and that of his dog named Waghya . The Samadhi of Rajmata Jijabai, Shivaji's mother, can be seen at
187-601: The fort is 180 m (600 ft) above this door. The king's court, inside the Raigad Fort, has a replica of the original throne that faces the main doorway called the Nagarkhana Darwaja . It faces the East Side. It was here where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Rajyabhishek took place. This enclosure had been acoustically designed to aid hearing from the doorway to the throne. A secondary entrance, called
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#1732764694168204-596: The king of the Maratha Kingdom of the Konkan , Shivaji Maharaj chose Raigad as the capital of his Hindavi Swaraj. Located at an elevation of 820 metres (2,700 ft) above its base and 1,356 m (4,449 ft) above sea level within the Sahyadri mountain range , the fort offers views of the surrounding area. Accessing the fort requires ascending approximately 1,737 steps. Alternatively, visitors can opt for
221-750: The milkmaid as Hirakani Buruj. The statue of Chatrapati Shivaji's pet dog was removed by alleged members of the Sambhaji Brigade in July 2012 as a protest but was re-instated by Shivaji Raigad Smarak Samiti, the Archaeological Survey of India , sculptor Rambhau Parkhi and the District Administration. Rajyabhishek The rājyābhiṣeka is a late Vedic ceremony of coronation . It also refers to anointing government officials, particularly heads of state, at
238-641: The notable exception of the priestly Panditrao and the judicial Nyayadisha , the other pradhans held full-time military commands, and their deputies performed their civil duties in their stead. In the later era of the Maratha Empire, these deputies and their staff constituted the core of the Peshwa 's bureaucracy. Shivaji son Sambhaji , (ruled 1680–89) reduced the powers of the council. Over time, council positions became hereditary, ceremonial positions at court with nominal powers, if any. Beginning 1714 AD,
255-506: The palace grounds out of which only two remain as the third one was destroyed during a bombardment . The fort also overlooks an artificial lake known as the Ganga Sagar Lake . The only main pathway to the fort passes through the "Maha Darwaja" (Huge Door) which was previously closed at sunset. The Maha Darwaja has two huge bastions on both sides of the door which are approximately 20–21 m (65–70 ft) in height. The top of
272-420: Was about a mile from the Raja's Pallaoe, into which we retired with no little content." The fort has a historic buruj called "Hirakani Buruj" (Hirakani Bastion) constructed over a huge steepcliff. The legend goes "that a milkmaid named as Hirakani from a nearby village had come to sell milk to the people living at the fort. She happened to be inside the fort when the gates got closed and locked at sunset. Hearing
289-535: Was designed to encompass all the primary administrative functions of the state, with each minister being given charge of one role in the administration. Ministerial designations were drawn from the Sanskrit language; the eight ministerial roles were as follows: Continued conflict with the Mughal Empire meant that military matters remained exceedingly important to the affairs of the nascent state. Hence, with
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