| |
An
Appeal
Metaphorically, Shivaji can only be compared with
the Himalayas.
Stretching
along India’s northern fringe, this vast mountain
range protects the country from the freezing winds
of Central Asia. It melts down the snow into life
sustaining rivers. Without the Himalayas, the sub-continent
might well have been just an extension of the inclement
Gobi desert.
In
much the same manner a few hundred years ago, Shivaji
protected our country by emerging as the single most
formidable bulwark against chilling winds of another
kind: the southward advance of invaders from Central
Asia – the Mughals of the Mongol-Timurid race.
In
a short lifespan of 50 years, he exemplified all of
the noble qualities in a king that had earlier only
been dreamt of by another Indian visionary - Kautilya.
Shivaji’s
statesmanship, generalship, astute logistical sense,
diplomacy, deep concern for social welfare, foresight
in commissioning fortifications and maritime facilities
are some of the qualities that ensure him an unparalleled
place in Indian history. Perhaps his description by
noted historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar as “the
most creative genius of Medieval India” is as
close as we may ever get in a just evaluation of one
of the greatest sons of India.
Top
Objectives - Why Are We Making It?
- Over
the years on Shivaji’s birth anniversary,
all of us have become quite accustomed to public
speeches by orators of every hue urging audiences
to derive inspiration from the king. Likewise,
we also share the common experience that next
day the issue is promptly forgotten.
No effort was made so far to create an integrated
and easily accessible resource pool for authentic
information about the noble king. Our present
effort seeks to address and supply this need.
- The
world at large needs to be informed of the singular
qualities of this Indian hero. His vision of independence,
strategic excellence, keen sense of justice, indomitable
will, personal valour and, above all, a flawless
character are all qualities that were conspicuous
by their absence among his peers. Duly processed
content, presented with the help of state of the
art technology, has enabled us to present this
wealth of information at the mere click of the
mouse, in a structured but user-friendly manner.
- World
renowned sources like the Encyclopedia Britannica
mention Shivaji cursorily, in the space of a mere
12-16 lines. We felt his unique stature in Indian
history merited an exhaustive overview. So, instead
of decrying his neglect by others, we set about
the CREATION of our own encyclopedia, not in the
classical or ‘alphabetical’ sense,
but as a comprehensive, accurate and single-point
source for information about him.
- We often
sensed, at many levels, the need for an authentic
resource on this glorious era of Maratha history.
The Maharashtrian Diaspora particularly and the
Indian community generally requires such a compilation
to inform ‘generation next’ on the
life and times of this illustrious icon of self-determination.
Historians and researchers worldwide, too, require
a well researched and dependable resource providing
information about documentary and other data that
were hitherto locked in Marathi. Several instances
can be cited to show how events have been unjustly
misinterpreted owing to lack of reliable English
translations. We trust such will not be the case
any more.
These
are our immediate objectives in undertaking this challenging
project. It is a continuing and constantly evolving
process. The launch of the first version is certainly
not the end. There will ever be newer findings in
the course of historical research, which we will continue
to incorporate in this web encyclopedia.
Top
We
Need Your Support And Help
Projects of such voluminous nature obviously require
massive funding.
We are offering
this cornucopia of information to the world free of
cost. Even the downloads are free.
Over 128 professionals
have dedicated their services to this project. We
have invested in the latest and best possible technology
- from servers to ‘crash proofing’ mechanisms.
With our own resources
exhausted, we decided to approach society with our
funding difficulties. We are grateful to local civic
bodies, corporates and individual contributors for
their spontaneous response.
However, more funds
are yet required to maintain the project in its fullest
splendour. Continuous updating of the extent of displayed
information and quality of presentation, which will
enable us to make the site one of the richest for
its textual and multimedia content, requires finance.
To make this mammoth
task possible, we are hereby appealing to Indians
all over the world as well as Corporates for further
monetary assistance.
We request all sections
of society to extend their generous support and thereby
redeem in part the debt of gratitude we collectively
owe to Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Please send in your cheques /drafts to in favor of
" Vande Maataram Dot Com Pvt. Ltd.",
Payable at Pune and kindly post it to us at
following address,
Vande-Maataram
Dot Com Pvt. Ltd.,
Ekdant Co-Op Hsg Society,1787,
Sadashiv Peth,
Near Pune Vidyarthi Griha, Pune - 411030, Maharashtra
(India)
Top
|
