Book Name: Who was Shivaji?
Author's Name: Govind Pansare
English Translation by: Uday Narkar
Published by: LeftWord Books, 2254/2A Shadi Khampur, New Delhi-110008
About the Book:-
Author's Name: Govind Pansare
English Translation by: Uday Narkar
Published by: LeftWord Books, 2254/2A Shadi Khampur, New Delhi-110008
About the Author:-
Govind Pansare was one of Maharshtra's leading communist leaders and public intellectuals. He was born on 26th November, 1933 and he was shot at his home in Kolhapur on 16th February, 2015 by some assailants and he died on 20th February, 2015 in Mumbai.
He was an active trade unionist and a labour lawyer. He also took part in many reform movements in Maharshtra, including movements against superstition and for inter caste marriage. He was a prolific writer and speaker, and authored at least ten books, inculding the best selling Shivaji Kon Hota?
The book was originally published in Marathi as Shivaji Kon Hota ? in 1988. The first English translation of the book came in 2005. The revised edition came in 2015 with an introduction by Anirudh Deshpande and an afterword by Prabhat Patnaik.
The book is originally based on a lecture given by Comrade Govind Pansare in Kolhapur. Pansare has tried to put forward a rational understanding of both the facts and myths around Shivaji's persona and regime from a contemporary, secular and progressive standpoint.
Pansare tries to show that Shivaji was made a hero by the people of Maharashtra because of his humane policies for the people. The books rejects the idea of Shivaji being a Hindu warrior ruler by citing examples of various generals employed in his army who were muslims. He has tried to show that Shivaji was a secular ruler who treated everyone equally.
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