Hindi → English transcript

Was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj a secular person,

who carried both Hindus and Muslims along,

and whose army used to be 40% Muslim?

Then why does the new generation associate him with Hindutva, Marathas,

or Jai Bhavani, or with just one religion?

I won't use the word "Hindu"—

that word came much later.

Because based on the definition I am about to give you…

My only question to you is,

when did the word "secular" or the definition of secularism

originate in India or in the global context?

We learned secularism here

at the time when we realized that

the Mughals are not going away.

In the war of 1857, we

declared Bahadur Shah Zafar as our king.

After declaring him, under his banner,

we had to unify the whole of India and fight.

We fought from 1857 to 1947.

Our common enemy at that time was the British.

My question to you is this:

During Shivaji Maharaj's time,

when there was no constitution,

by which scripture was the nation run?

It was the Dharmashastra, wasn't it?

Now, which Dharmashastra was that?

Was it the scripture of the Turks?

Was it the scripture of the Arabs?

Was it the scripture of the Muslims?

Or was it the Hindu scripture?

If that scripture believed in equal respect for all religions,

which it does, as Hindu scripture teaches us this,

that we should live together with everyone,

and teaches us 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,'

but that does not mean

that when the Mughals are attacking you,

or Adil Shah is attacking you,

Shivaji Maharaj would consider them as part of this nation,

work with them, or recruit them into his army.

Multiple letters of Shivaji Maharaj have been found.

In one of these, he writes to his brother, Vyankoji.

Following a dispute, a battle took place with Vyankoji,

and Vyankoji was defeated there.

Then Shivaji Maharaj's letter arrives.

that you have employed Turks on such a large scale in your army,

At that time, even the word 'Muslim' was not directly used for these people.

It was 'Turk'. Why was that?

They had all come from outside.

They were all assumed to be from Turkey.

that if you have employed Turks in your army on such a large scale,

then how will you win? I do not keep Turks in my army.

Many Britishers have called Shivaji Maharaj

the 'King of Hindu Forces'. Not a unified force of all.

There is a very prominent leader in our country. He clearly said that Shivaji Maharaj was a secular man.

I am saying that no leader of this nation should say this.

A leader is not a historian. He is not an academician. He is a leader.

But there is a record of Muslims being included in Shivaji Maharaj's force.

If you can show me more than 12, I will leave the mic and walk out right now.

I will even shut down my YouTube channel.

I had made this claim on my YouTube channel

that if you can show me more than 12 names,

there are no names beyond 12.

What was the rule? At the time Shahaji Raje was working for Adil Shah,

he had to send some people along with Shivaji Maharaj.

No one's name is mentioned, there are very few select people,

and Shivaji Maharaj did not even continue with those select few in the long term.

Today, this fact has been established a thousand times in Maharashtra,

that prominent academics have said this,

like our greatest historians to date, the three names being,

Babasaheb Purandare, Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale, Ninad Bedekar,

They have challenged, 'Show me more than 12 names,'

They weren't found, the names were simply not found, so this claim that is made,

The claim that there were 40% Muslims in Shivaji's army,

show some contemporary proof of this.

What is the current situation in Maharashtra?

A prominent Chief Minister has made this claim.

Let him claim it, sir. What I'm saying is,

Chief Minister... and anyway, since when are our country's politicians educated?

Half of the politicians are not educated.

I'm saying, suppose this politician is claiming this,

now suppose if I tell you something about health,

will you give more preference to me or to a doctor?

But obviously, you'll give it to the doctor, right?

Let the politician do his job, the historian does his.

Let the academician do their job.

There's a difference between a street cricketer and Sachin Tendulkar explaining it.

I'm not saying the CM isn't important.

He is in his field, I am in mine,

people are in theirs.

Unless you have read about it, don't talk.

My direct message to these leaders is,