The Story Of Chhatrapati Shivaji's Date Of Birth

On 30th March ( Falgun Krishna Tritiya), most of Maharashtra will celebrate his Jayanti . Now why only most Maharashtra will celebrate , and others won't considering Chhatrapati is respected by everyone who is born Marathi is because some have already celebrated it on Feb 19 . 
Ajit Ranade on Feb 19 tweeted this , reproduced below:

Overheard: आज राष्ट्रवादी आणि कॉंग्रेस वाल्यांची शिवजयंती आहे. एप्रिल मध्ये शिवसेनेची येईल

which means: NCP/Congress will celebrate  Shiv Jayanti on Feb 19 , shiv sena' Jayanti will come in April  . 

In response I replied with what I knew on subject : that some Historian question Feb 19  as actual DOB of  Shivaji and in response he said Lokmanya has role in this controversy . He later put this query to Raju Lokapur who has done a lot of study on subject  and he gave us some wonderful insights on this duel date and it starts with :-

Lokamanya Tilak didn't contribute to any confusion . When he started the Shiv Jayanti Utsav in 1896 time frame in Pune, the accepted date of birth of Shivaji was  Vaishakh Shudh Dwitiya of Shaka 1549 (Prabhav Samvatsara) corresponding to Thursday, 6 April 1627 based on several "bakhars"  such as 91-Kalami, Chitnis, Pant-Pratinidhee, Shiv-Digvijay, Satarkar Chhatrapthi, Shedgaonkar, etc.

 

However, VK Rajwade was the first to come across Tanjavur sheela-lekh in 1906 that mentioned the birth date of Shivaji as Phalgun Krishna Tritiya of Shaka 1551 (Shukla Samvatsara) corresponding to Friday, 19 Feb.1630

 

Then one SM Divekar went to Tanjavur around 1918 and obtained a Tamil poem called "Shiv-Bharat" that re-iterated the new date. The other evidences were :

a) The earlier date of 1627 was taken as official as famous British historian Grant Duff borrowed it from Chitnis bakhar written in 1820's, which in turn relies heavily on Sabhasad bakhar that was written at Fort Ginjee in 1697 at the suggestion of Rajaram Maharaj; however, several references have later proved to be inaccurate, probably since the bakhar was compiled during war-time and far away from Maharashtra.

b) The janma-patrika of Shivaji found in libararies of Rajasthan royal families around 1924, that were compiled in when Shivaji met Mirza Raje Jaising multiple times during 1665. The library also has janma-patrika of other 17th century personalities such as Shahji, Sambhaji, Shah Jehan and some Mughal mansabdars, and have proven to be authentic.

(c) The references of Ramdas Swami disciples. 

(d) the movement & battles of Shahji with Mughal and Adilshahi forces, notably DaryaKhan, during 1627-32 period in & around Pune, and the killing of Lakhuji Jadavrao at the Nizamshah darbar also re-inforces that Friday, 19 Feb.1630 evening (6.10 pm) as the correct time of Shivaji's birth. 

All further research has shown the latter to be the correct date based on Jedhe Shakavali, Shri Forbes Gujarathi Sabha, as also the horoscopes found at Biyawar, Badnera, Bikaner, etc. The other references of movement of Shahji and his battles with Mughal & Adilshah forces also re-confirms the latter to be the correct date of birth.

 

Lokamanya Tilak himself acknowledged that there was some confusion about the two dates in Kesari editorials in 1916 and 1920, and emphasized that more research needed to be done. The conclusive evidence, however, came about in 1924, i.e., four years after the death of Lokamanya Tilak.

 

For a few years until 1932, the birth-day celebrations continued on both dates when Bharatiya Itihas Samshodhak Mandal of Pune accepted the 1630 as birth year of Shivaji

 

In 1966-67, Govt.of Maharashtra appointed an expert committee to conclude the debate, that confirmed 1630 as the year of birth of Shivaji

 

The lunar calender date of Phalgun Krishna Tritiya never falls on 19 Feb any more as the Protestant Church of England corrected their Gregorian calender in 1752 by dropping 10-days to correct itself and coincide with the Vatican year

 

Therefore, the natural frequency of Phalgun Krishna Tritiya shifted to 4-30 March in present day calendar (2013) that creates a confusion in the minds of most people .

I found this bit interesting & worthwhile , hence shared here :) .