Shivaji - - Trailer.

This is coolbert:

From a comment to the blog:

"Anonymous said...
Hey coolbert. Unrelated to this topic but pertaining to an earlier post of yours about Chattrapati Shivaji. It seems like a new series has been produced in India about him."

"Here's the youtube link, it's pretty interesting."

"great warrior shivaji maharaj"

This is pretty good. Bollywood [?] has a movie or a TV series centered around the Hindu warrior/King Shivaji?

This particular youtube production is a trailer? Takes a while to download an view if you have a dial-up connection, much faster of course with other connection.

Shivaji of course is the Hindu ruler, the archetype of the ruler/warrior, who was able to successfully defy the Mughal [Muslim] rulers of India. Mughals, who ruled, in eyes of many, with a heavy hand, oppressive of their Hindu subjects. Shivaji is a modern iconic figure to the Hindu, THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACK IN MUMBAI COMMENCING WITH THE SLAUGHTER IN THE TRAIN STATION NAMED AFTER SHIVAJI!!

"Shivaji Bhosle (Born:February 19, 1630, Died: April 3, 1680), commonly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj . . . laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire."

"Shivaji established and set up a competent civil rule with the help of well regulated and disciplined military and well structured administrative organizations."

"Shivaji changed rules of military engagement prevalent in that era. He pioneered Ganimi Kava, rapid commando actions . . . Shivaji had smaller army and thereby was obliged to make major innovative reforms in military organization, logistics, stratergies and tactics to help overcome this great imbalance."

Some comments about the trailer I am able to discern:

* The army of Shivaji was primarily light cavalry? Fighting in the manner most commonly found in the Indian sub-continent. Warriors eschewing body armor for the most part, in contrast to say an European mounted knight, traveling and fighting in a manner to exclude excessive impedimenta.

* The horse preferred by the Hindu army of Shivaji employed the Marwari horse? A horse exclusively bred as a war-horse. But light and fleet of foot, as befits light cavalry. A BREED OF HORSE THE STATUS OF WHICH AS A DISTINCT BREED WAS IN QUESTION, BUT NOW, THANKS TO VARIOUS HORSE BREEDERS, NOW BEING RESURRECTED.

"the Marwari horse has been bred in Rajasthan since at least 1212 C.E. It was originally developed to be a war horse. The breed was developed by the Rathores, the traditional rulers of Marwar, who had developed a policy of strict selective breeding."

"Selective breeding produced a horse with speed and stamina. The Marwari was also bred and trained to behave courageously. It would not collapse, even when seriously injured, until it had carried its rider out of danger. It would stand near its wounded rider, biting and kicking at those who attempted to approach."

* Warriors within the cultural domain of the Indian sub-continent have long employed a wide variety of fighting techniques and martial arts forms unique to the culture. Again, for the most part, eschew body armor, relying upon fighting ability and skill, employing the sword and buckler [small shield] in combat, a sword probably maybe made with the finest wootz steel, of the highest quality and manufacture.

Westerners tend to have an image and think of India as a place populated by peaceful, non-violent, ahmisa followers of Mahatma Gandhi! NOT persons with a long military tradition and experience at warfare. NOT persons who engage in martial arts training or combat. This IS JUST NOT SO! India currently has the second or third largest army in the world, and world-class weapons design capability [BrahMos anti-ship missile]!

This too is most interesting:

Shivaji did confront, to some degree, the various European powers who were active in the area with naval forces. Shivaji understood the role and utility of naval forces and was able to employ same!

"A large portion of his kingdom was a coastline and he secured it with a potent navy . . . He was very successful in keeping foreign naval ships, particularly Portuguese and British, under check."

Shivaji was as formidable and successful warrior king. A man of natural and marked ability and an ENLIGHTENED RULER! That is a hard combination to beat!

coolbert.