In the first half of the seventeenth century, an epoch making personality emerged in Maharashtra- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He established Swaraj by challenging the unjust ruling powers here.

Most of people lived in villages. A village was also called mauja. The chief of the village was the Patil. He used to try to bring maximum land under cultivation. When there was any dispute in the village, the Patil resolved it and made peace.

The Deshpande was the chief of all Kulkarnies in the Pargana. The Deshpande did all at the Pargana level, the work that Kulkarni did at the village level.

A great famine occured in Maharashtra in 1630 CE. People were greatly distressed due to this famine. People were ready to sell themselves for a piece of Bhakri, but there was nobody to buy them.

In initial days the group of villages were known as Pargana. The headquarter of Pargana was called Kasba. And the village smaller than a Kasba was called Mauja.

There was usually a market adjacent to a Kasba which is known as peth. The Shete and Mahajan were the watandars of the peth. The setting up of a peth was the job of the Shete and the Mahajan. For that, they received some land from the government and some rights from the villagers. The Mahajan maintained the acconts of the Peth.

In Maharashtra, the tradition of Saints which began with Sant Dnyaneshwar and Saint Namdeo was carried on by Sants coming from various strata of the society. People of all strata society were part of Saint tradition.

The Deshmukh was the chief of Patils in a Pargana. The Deshmukh did at the Pargana level what the Patil did at the village level.

The chief of village was the Patil. He used to try to bring maximum land under cultivation. When there was any dispute in the village, the Patil resolved it and made peace. A Kulkarni helped the Patil in his work. The Kulkarni kept the record of the revenue that was collected.

Many villages together made a Pargana, But the numer of villages was not the same in all Pargana. The Pune Pargana was a big Pargana, It consisted of 290 villages. There was 64 villages in the Chakan Pargana. The Shirwal Pargana was small, it had only 40 villages.

Shaistakhan set up his camp at Lal Mahal in Pune where Shivaji Maharaj had lived his childhood. Khan sent his forces in the regions around Pune. These forces looted the people.

Shivaji Maharaj was born at the Shivneri fort near JUnnar in Pune district on the day of Phalgun Vadya Tritiya in the Shaka year 1551, that is on 19 February 1630.

The Marathas asserted their political importance during 700 and 1750 CE period. Chatrapati Shivaji directly challenged the Mughal supremacy.

Shivaji started his conquest in 1646 A.D by conquering the fort of Torna.
In 1646 due to serious illness of the Sultan of Bijapur and the consequent disorders in his kingdom gave Shivaji much desired opportunity and he captured the fort of Torna.

Shivaji was born on 6 April 1627, Shivner, Pune. Known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan.

Shivaji learned skills of war from Dadaji Kondadev.Shivaji learned the military training and learnt the art of government from Dadaji Kondadev.Dadaji Kondadev was administrator of the Pune jaagir.

Shivaji born at Shivneri Fort in Maharashtra, India. Near the city of Junnar in Pune District on 19 February  1627. Jijabai his mother named him Shivaji in honor of the god Shiva, to whom she had prayed for a healthy child.

Shivaji was born to Jijabai and Shahaji Bhonsle , in 1627 A.D  at Shivneri fort near Junnar, Pune. Shahaji Bhonsle worked as an officer in the army of the Sultan of Bijapur. He was brought up under the care and supervision of his mother.

Raigarh , Purandhar , Torna all these forts were captured by Shivaji.Raigarh fort was seized by Shivaji and then he renovated and built the fort and it became the capital of Shivaji Maharaj's Empire . At the age of 19 yeas he captured the Torna fort and than Purandhar.

Shivaji celebrated his coronation in 1674 at Raigarh.On 6th June 1674 , Shivaji coronation was performed according to the Shastras by Vishweshwar, also called Gaga Bhatta, of Varansi, a master of the four Vedas and all the Hindu Scriptures. After that he called as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Shivaji's teacher was Dadaji Konda - dev. Shivaji grew up at Pune under the strict supervision of his mother and his teacher . Dadaji Konda-dev made Shivaji an administrator and an expert soldier.

The person who established the village used to become Patil. Patil was not a government post or self occupied post. Virtues and works of the person used to make him a Patil. Later on this post became hereditary. Patil became the Village King and later received government honor, even after receiving many posts.