Diving into the marital life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is like stepping into a tapestry woven with the threads of politics, alliances, affection, and loss. He wasn’t just a formidable warrior and architect of the Maratha Empire, but a figure whose personal relationships—especially his marriages—reflect the complexity of his era. While historical records can be patchy or even contradictory at times, there’s a general consensus about his eight wives and the broader context of royal alliances in 17th-century India.
Let’s wander through these relationships with a mix of narrative, nuance, and the just-right amount of unpredictability—because real life was rarely neat, and history often isn’t either.
Saibai Nimbalkar became Shivaji’s first wife, married around mid-May 1640 at Lal Mahal in Pune . Known for her grace and compassion, she quickly became a central figure in his life. She bore him four children—three daughters (Sakhubai, Ranubai, Ambikabai) and his eldest son, Sambhaji . Tragically, Saibai passed away in September 1659, leaving a void that even his mother, Jijabai, tried to soften .
Next came Soyarabai, hailing from the influential Mohite clan of Karad . Though sources cite varying dates for their marriage—from as early as 1650 to as late as 1660—the consensus is that she was Shivaji’s second wife . She bore him Rajaram and a daughter, Deepabai (or Balibai) . Soyarabai was politically astute and, after Shivaji’s death, played a significant role in the succession struggle—attempting to place her young son on the throne .
Putalabai, from the Palkar family, married Shivaji around 1653 . Childless by default of historical record, she is remembered most for her loyalty, as she committed Sati upon Shivaji’s death in 1680 .
Sakvarbai of the Gaikwad family married Shivaji on January 10, 1657 . She gave birth to a daughter, Kamalabai, who later married into Netaji Palkar’s family . After Shivaji’s death, Sakvarbai became a captive during Raigad’s fall and endured life under Aurangzeb’s guard .
Sagunabai from the Shirke clan played a strategic role in cementing Shivaji’s alliances. She bore him a daughter, Rajkunvarbai . Some records place her as his second wife, but the chronology remains loose in the sources .
On April 8, 1657, Shivaji married Kashibai, daughter of Santaji Jadhav, at the iconic Rajgad Fort . Though she bore no children and passed away in early 1674, her marriage reinforced bonds with the Jadhav family, which had both emotional and political significance .
Little is documented about Lakshmibai of the Vichare family, but she is consistently listed among Shivaji’s eight wives . Her contributions, sadly, remain a quiet footnote in history.
Gunwantabai of the Ingle family rounds out Shivaji’s marital roster . Like Lakshmibai, details about her life and legacy are sparse—another reminder that not every story gets told in detail.
In Shivaji’s time, marrying into various noble families wasn’t unusual—it was strategic. These unions helped forge alliances, integrate local rulers into a broader Maratha polity, and strengthen the structural base of the rising Swarajya . Each alliance reinforced political networks, while his daughters were married off to strengthen those same bonds.
But it wasn’t all transactional—there were elements of emotional depth, mourning, maternal devotion, and court intrigue woven into these relationships. Saibai’s early death, Soyarabai’s ambition, Kashibai’s dignity, Putalabai’s sacrifice—they weren’t just pawns in a grand strategy, but people with lives that influenced the course of history.
It’s worth noting that while many sources agree on these eight names, details vary—dates shift slightly, children may be named differently, and individual narratives can diverge . Such discrepancies matter, because they tell us about the gaps in historical preservation, biases of record-keeping, and regional or linguistic interpretations of the past.
“Every marriage was a thread in the tapestry of the Maratha Empire—sometimes delicate, sometimes forceful, often political, but always personal.”
That kind of quote might have been penned by a historian scanning secondary sources, but it captures how each union carried both statecraft and intimacy.
Navigating the marital tapestry of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a venture into both history and human complexity. These eight women were more than alliances—they were individuals whose lives intertwined with politics, strategy, sorrow, and loyalty. While records may be incomplete, together they sketch an image of a king whose personal life was as layered as his battlefield tactics.
The pattern is clear: marriage as both a diplomatic tool and a deeply personal journey. The gaps—names without stories, alliances without anecdotes—shouldn’t discourage us; instead, they beckon deeper exploration, inviting curious readers, historians, and storytellers to fill those spaces with more research, empathy, and context.
He married eight women: Saibai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, Sagunabai, Kashibai, Lakshmibai, and Gunwantabai.
Saibai gave birth to Sambhaji (and three daughters), while Soyarabai was the mother of Rajaram and Deepabai/Balibai.
No—some like Lakshmibai and Gunwantabai remain little more than names in historical records.
Marriages were often strategic, aiming to ally powerful Maratha families and strengthen the foundation of his emerging Swarajya, though emotional bonds were not absent.
Putalabai is recorded to have committed Sati after Shivaji’s death in 1680, a testament to the era’s customs and her personal devotion.
Yes—Sakvarbai was taken captive during the fall of Raigad and experienced significant hardship under Mughal custody.
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