A statue falls and a controversy rises: Why did Shivaji statue sport a scar?

Sculptor Apte, who is currently absconding, had in May last year posted pictures of the clay model of the statue on his social media account. One of his associates had commented on the photograph, “Excellent, great detailing. The statue even shows the scar on Maharaj’s forehead.”

In response to the comment, Apte acknowledged the associate’s eye for detail and said not many had spotted the scar. Unlike the popular view held by many Maratha historians that it was Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni, the Brahmin envoy of Khan, who delivered the blow that left Shivaji with the scar, Apte claimed that the scar was caused by the blow from Afzal Khan. “In 1659, during the Afzal Khan campaign, Shivaji Maharaj was injured above his left eye by Khan’s sword. That’s the reference I have used here,” Apte said.

Taking exception to Apte’s depiction of Shivaji with the scar, historian Indrajit Sawant told The Indian Express, “There are hundreds of sculptures of Shivaji Maharaj, and this is the only one in which he is shown with a scar. I do not see why he did this.”

Sawant also questioned Apte’s theory that it was Afzal Khan who inflicted the injury on Shivaji’s forehead. “Depictions of historical figures who are adored by millions should be based on historical facts. While a certain degree of artistic liberty is acceptable, incorporating elements that are historically untrue and that may hurt the sensibilities of lakhs of people should be avoided,” Sawant said.

Given the NCP’s Maratha politics, party leaders, too, have questioned Apte’s “intent”, saying the scar is meant to show the Maratha warrior in poor light.

“Why is a scar shown above the left eye of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in this sculpture? What is the history behind this? Was this all decided deliberately?” NCP member of the Legislative Council Amol Mitkari said.

NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Jitendra Awhad claimed that the statue crafted by Apte was made with the intent to tarnish the reputation of Shivaji Maharaj. “It is unclear whether those who allowed him to make the statue even saw it. All of this is meant to tarnish Maharaj’s reputation,” Awhad said.

The many Shivaji statues

Over the last century, hundreds of statues of the Maratha king have been erected, with differing aesthetics.

It is widely acknowledged that the first-ever sculpture of Shivaji was created in the 18th century, showcasing him astride a horse with his sword in hand. The granite carving was commissioned by Belawadi Mallamma, the wife of Ishaprabhu Desai, the ruler of a fiefdom whose territory covers present-day Belagavi and Dharwad districts of Karnataka. While Ishaprabhu Desai was killed by Shivaji’s army, the Maratha king, in a mark of appreciation for the fight put up by Mallamma, is said to have handed the fief back to her. Overcome by gratitude, Mallamma is said to have got the statue built which now stands at Yadwad in Belagavi district.

Of the earliest contemporary statues of Shivaji is the one unveiled in 1928 at a park in Pune which is now part of the Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School (SSPMS). The 13.5-foot statue, showcasing the king astride a horse and brandishing a sword, was sculpted by artist Vinayak Pandurang Karmarkar at the insistence of Kolhapur ruler Shahu Maharaj.

Since then, there have been many more statues of the Maratha king, in Maharashtra and beyond – all highlighting his physical strength and dominance.

However, the earliest available descriptions of Shivaji paint a different picture of the man. In his journal Les Voyages aux Indes Orientales, French explorer and linguist Jean de Thevenot describes the Maratha king thus: “The Rajah is small and tawny, with quick eyes which indicate an abundance of spirit.” These are part of a handful of descriptions left behind by people who met him.

Historians say that much before his statues came up, Shivaji was represented in about 22 miniature portraits drawn in the 17th and 18th centuries

Six of these portraits, said to have been drawn by Shivaji’s contemporaries, are presently located in various parts of the world, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai.

These portraits, too, don’t depict Shivaji with the scar.

A caste angle

The controversy around Shivaji’s scar has added another layer to the ongoing caste-related tensions in Maharashtra.

While Shivaji is portrayed as a secular monarch dedicated to the welfare of all his subjects, including peasants, the Hindutva narrative depicts him as a staunchly Hindu king who fought against Muslims to protect Brahmins. There is another subtext, too, to this tussle: the Brahmin-Maratha feud, which has its roots in 17th-18th century Maharashtra.

The conflict between Brahmins and the Marathas, which started with the rise of Shivaji and continued through subsequent Maratha rulers, was partly about power and influence. Brahmins, who traditionally held significant social and religious authority, found their position challenged by the Maratha rulers, who promoted a more meritocratic system.

In his book Shivaji: His Life and Times, historian Gajanan Mehendale claims that Krishnaji Bhaskar Kulkarni was killed in the Battle of Pratapgarh in which Shivaji sustained the injury.

While some historical records claim that Shivaji himself delivered the fatal blow to Kulkarni, others argue that Shivaji’s bodyguards were responsible.

Sawant says there are numerous historical accounts that support the former narrative.

“The notion that Shivaji did not kill Kulkarni is aimed at playing down Shivaji’s stature as a challenger to Brahminical hegemony, which was prevalent at that time. The idea that Shivaji could kill a Brahmin… especially when the prevailing cultural belief was that killing a Brahmin was a severe transgression, does not align with their interpretation of history,” Sawant says.