Shiv Jayanti Special Blog highlighting the Entrepreneurship Skills to learn from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Yesterday was Shivjayanti i.e. the birth anniversary of the great Hindu King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I Was planning to post this Blog yesterday but due to daily work and Shivjayanti Celebrations was unable to do so. So finally sharing this Blog today ( a day after ShivJayanti).
Shivaji Maharaj’s birth date is 19th February as per the English Calendar. However, as per the Hindu Calender Shivaji Maharaj was born on the third day of the dark half of Phalgun Month i.e. Phalgun Krishna Paksha (Tritiya) to Jijamata and Shahaji Bhosle. So, yesterday Shivjayanti was celebrated all across the world as per the Hindu Calendar“Tithi”.
We all are extremely fortunate that a legendary leader like Shivaji Maharaj was born in our country. And if you are a Maharashtrian we can proudly say that “The Great Hindu King belongs to our state”. Shivaji Maharaj believed in the ideology of “Hindavi Swarajya” which means freedom from the Mughals and giving justice to the deprived and fighting against injustice. Hindavi Swarajya is about the eradication of casteism and unity as Hindus under the Holy Bhagwa Dhwaj (Saffron Flag). It is also about applying the rich principles of the Hindu religion in the daily lives of people. Shivaji Maharaj devoted his entire life to this mission.
After winning the Torna fort at the tender age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj went on to win around 111 forts over the span of 35 years. Jijamata (Mother of Shivaji Maharaj) played an instrumental role in grooming Shivba to be a great king. Defeating Mughal stalwarts like Afzal Khan, and Shaista Khan, escaping tactically from Aurangzeb’s dreaded clutches by taking the help of a fruit basket from Agra to successfully invade today’s part of Southern India which Maharaj called Dakshin Digvijay Swari, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj was indeed one of the Greatest Kings of our country.
If you are an entrepreneur there are so many entrepreneurship skills that you learn from the great king –
Given below are some powerful entrepreneurial skills which you can learn from Shivaji Maharaj and implement in your business.
Believing the impossible
One of the most important things for entrepreneurs is to believe in the impossible. With almost the whole of India under Mughal Rule, the idealogy of “Hindavi Swarajya” looked impossible during the time when Shivba was a child. However, Jijamata instilled the ideology of Hindavi Swarajya in Shivba and he started to believe that “Hindavi Swarajya” was possible. No matter how improbable it looked at that time but Shivaji Maharaj made sure that it was not impossible. So he began his journey towards creating his own Maratha (Marathi) rajya (Kingdom) i.e. Swarajya. Also, Shivaji Maharaj made his peers believe the same and without any hesitation, they decided to be a part of the journey.
Similarly, entrepreneurship is about believing that you can achieve the impossible that is starting your own business instead of settling for a Job with a decent salary and those tempting perks. Once you start believing the impossible you can take the next steps towards your “Swarajya” i.e. setting up your own business and can also take a few likeminded minds along with you in this quest of “Swarajya”
Leadership Skills
One of the most important skills that an entrepreneur needs to possess is leadership skills. A Leader should always lead by example, make people believe in the mission of the organization, and bring out the best in his team. Shivaji Maharaj had all the qualities mentioned here. He was brave, kind-hearted, and an amazing warrior who always led by example. Shivaji Maharaj always interacted with his “Mavlas” and “Sardars” making them believe in the ideology of “Hindavi Swarajya” and most of the time he was in charge of the campaigns against the Mughals.
Treat your employees well
Shivaji Maharaj loved and care for his people so the “Mavlas” (soldiers of Shivaji Maharaj) and other Sardars always gave their best as they know that they had a leader who truly loved and cared for them. There were so many loyal Sardars like Tanaji Malusure, and Bajiprabhu Deshpande who could do anything for Shivaji Maharaj because they believed they were working for a leader who loves them, cares for them, and his fighting for the independence of his people. Even though Shivaji Maharaj was a brave king and a fearless warrior his mission of “Hindavi Swarajya” would only be accomplished with a team of loyal people working for him. Similarly an entrepreneur no matter how talented and gifted he is needs a team to build his business and take it to a next level.
So as an entrepreneur or a business owner, it is extremely vital to take care of your team. Treat them well, and make them believe that they are part of the system. The entrepreneur should make his employees believe in the holistic mission of the business. He should make them realize that the success of the business will lead to their personal and financial success as well.
The Noble Purpose
Shivaji Maharaj planted the ideology of “Hindavi Swarajya” which means freedom from the foreign rule in this case “Mughal Rule” in the minds of his people. This gave them a noble purpose to work together as a team to achieve that goal. As an entrepreneur, it is essential to have a noble purpose that unites the employees to work together, The purpose should be something impactful that can create value for the people and the society.
Management Skills
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was exceptional when it came to Management. The way he built his forts is a prime example of this. Be it stocking ample water and food on forts in case of emergencies or building forts at destinations that can be the entry point for invaders to name a few. Another example of Shivaji Maharaj’s management skills is signing the treaty of Purandar with Mirzaraje Jaysingh (Jaysingh 1). Mirzaraje, the commander of Aurangzeb and king of Ajmer was very powerful and tough to deal with and as a result, Maharaj gave up control over his 23 forts to avoid the bloodshed of his own people. Later on, Maharaj regained control over all the forts by making use of guerilla warfare.
Another example of Shivaji Maharaj’s management skill is the patience he showed before killing Afzal khan. Afzal Khan resorted to all sorts of cruelty to trigger Shivaji Maharaj to leave Pratapgad. However, Maharaj showed lots of patience and let Afzal Khan come close to the valleys of Pratapgad. We all know what happened next and how Afzal Khan was tactfully killed by Shivaji Maharaj during a one-to-one meeting in the footsteps of Pratapgad.
Similarly, it is important for entrepreneurs to let go of a few possessions or comforts during a financial crunch. You can easily get those comforts or possessions back once your business comes back to normal. Afzal Khan’s episode highlights the importance of patience and waiting for the right time in entrepreneurship. Sometimes you need to be patient and wait for the right situation to make things happen in your business. This waiting time can be utilized in proper planning and upgrading yourselves so that you can make the most when the right situation finally arrives.
Leave a Legacy Behind
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj during his journey of accomplishing his mission of “Hindavi Swarajya” has also left a rich legacy that is providing inspiration for generations. The idea of Swaraj, the valor of Maharaj, ethical practices Maharaj resorted to, respecting his people, respecting women, helping people and other rulers in times of difficulty, and doing something good and valuable for the society. This is why Shivaji Maharaj is a legendary leader; even today, his name infuses zeal, enthusiasm, and courage in the hearts and minds of millions.
Similarly, an entrepreneur while growing a business should always be good to employees and customers. The entrepreneur should also resort to doing something for the betterment of society and initiating holistic development among people and followers that can be beneficial in a long run and will create a legacy for others to follow and take inspiration from.
So these are some of the entrepreneurship skills of Shivaji Maharaj which every entrepreneur can learn and apply to his/her business. Also, each one of us should also embrace a few skills which Maharaj possessed to be a better person in life.
- Jay Bhavani
- Jay Shivray