Annaji Datto Sachiv was the Sachiv (Chief Secretary) in the

Ashta Pradhan Ashta Pradhan (literally, ''Modern council of ministers'') was a system /topic/Ashta-Pradhan, title = Ashta Pradhan | Marathi council The council is credited with having implemented good governance practices in the Maratha heartland, as well ...

(Council of 8) mandal of the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

during the rule of

Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...

Early life

Before joining the services of Shivaji, Annaji Datto was a

Kulkarni Kulkarni is a family name native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The name "Kulkarni" is a combination of two words (''kula'' and ''karni''). ''Kula'' means "family", and ''Karanika'' means "archivist". Historically, Kulkarni was the title g ...

Sangameshwar Sangameshwar Taluka is a taluka in Ratnagiri subdivision of Ratnagiri district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The headquarters for the taluka is the town of Devrukh.The headquarters was moved from the village of Sangameshwar to Devrukh in 1 ...

. He joined Shivaji's administration in 1647.

Career

Campaign on Panhala and Pawangad

Annaji Datto was assigned the job of capturing the Panhala fort after the Afzal episode. In 1659, Annaji captured the Panhala fort and Pawangad fort from the Mughals.

Minister under Shivaji Maharaj

Land reform

In 1667, Shivaji Maharaj appointed Annaji to the task of land revenue reform in areas under the Swarajya.He improved upon

Malik Amber Malik Ambar (1548 – 13 May 1626) was a Siddi military leader and prime minister who became a kingmaker and de facto ruler of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate in the Deccan region of India. Born in the Adal Sultunate, in present-day Ethiopia, Mal ...

's revenue system and introduced a new one. Annaji's efforts led to a new system of lower government claim on farm produce of 2/5.His work involved accurate land measurement, bringing new land under cultivation, and measures to reduce exploitation of the illiterate cultivators by the hereditary village officials such as the Patil and

. Annaji Datto also carried out a survey known as ''Annaji Datto's Dhara''. He improved upon Malik Amber's revenue system and introduced a new one, which is considered to be one of the great land-marks in the deve- lopment of agriculture in Maharashtra in medieval time

Sarkarkun for Konkan division

According to Subhasad Bhakhar, the

Maharaj was divided into three parts, each under a cabinet minister, called a Sarkarkun. Annaji Datto Sachiv,

Moropant Trimbak Pingle Moropant Trimbak Pingle (1620–1683), was the ''peshwa'' of the Maratha Empire, serving on Shivaji Maharaj's Ashta Pradhan (Council of Eight Ministers). Early life Moropant Trimbak Pingle was born to a Deshastha Brahmin family in 1620 Nimgaon. ...

, and Dattoji Pant were appointed sarkarkun. As sarkarkun, Annaji Datto controlled the Konkan territory, including Choul. Dabhol, Rajapur, Kudal, Bande, Phonda, and Koppal. This division between territories was called ''Talghat'' or ''Southern division''.

Conflict with Sambhaji

Shivaji's eldest son and presumptive heir,

Sambhaji Sambhaji Bhosale (14 May 1657 – 11 March 1689) was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, ruling from 1681 to 1689. He was the eldest son of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. Sambhaji's rule was largely shaped by the ongoing ...

, was sent to the fort of Panhala by his father, who disapproved of his habits. However, in December 1678 Sambhaji left the fort and defected to the Mughals for a year, but then returned home when he learnt of a plan by

Dilir Khan Jalal Khan Daudzai, known by his title Diler Khan, was a Mughal general who served under Aurangzeb and was the governor of Awadh. He was the son of Nawab Darya Khan Daudzai, a mansabdar of Pashtun Afghan ethnicity, who had migrated to India in 16 ...

, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan to arrest him and send him to Delhi. Upon returning home, Sambhaji was unrepentant and was again put under surveillance at

Panhala Panhala (Pronunciation: ənʱaːɭa is a city and a Hill station Municipal Council (3177 feet above sea level) 18 km northwest of Kolhapur, in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Panhala is the smallest city in Maharash ...

by his father. However, Shivaji soon fell ill and died in April 1680. The news of Shivaji's death reached Sambhaji at Panhala within eleven days.

Conspiracy with Soyarabai

At the time of Shivaji's death, Annaji conspired with Shivaji's widow,

Soyarabai Soyarabai Bhosale (née Mohite) (died 1681) was one of the eight wives of Shivaji, the founder of Maratha empire in western India. She was mother of Shivaji's second son, Rajaram. She was the younger sister of Maratha army chief Hambirrao Mohi ...

to lure the Council of ministers (ashtapradhan mandal), into electing her then ten year old younger son Rajaram to the throne of Maratha swarajya with

as the regent. On 21 April 1680, arrangements were made to make Rajaram's position secure. The coronation of Rajaram I was performed by Annaji Datto and a few of Rajaram's supporters. Soyarabai and Minister's proposed Sambhaji for the division of the

. When their proposal of the division of the Swarajya was turned down by Sambhaji, the adherents of the cause of Rajaram, Peshwa Moropant Pingle, Annaji Datto and others marched against Sambhaji. However, Sambhaji quickly won over the support of the Maratha army. He arrested those who had marched against him on the way to

between 19 May and 2 June 1680. Sambhaji marched on Raigad and gained possession of the capital on 18 June 1680. He promptly put Rajaram, Soyarabai in close confinement.

Execution

Annaji and other ministers involved in the conspiracy were arrested and either executed or confined. Annaji was however released after a period. Later in 1681 when Prince Akbar,

Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

's rebel son was given asylum by Sambhaji, Annaji and several members of the Shirke clan (of Yesubai) promised the Deccan to Akbar in exchange for leaving a in small kingdom for Rajaram. Akbar refused to be a party to this conspiracy and betrayed these conspirators to Sambhaji who quickly executed Annaji, his brother Somaji, a large number of the Asthapradhan members and members of the Shirke family in August 1681.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * *{{cite book , last1=Kulakarni , first1=A. Rā , title=Explorations in the Deccan History , date=2006 , publisher=Pragati Publications , isbn=978-81-7307-108-9 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TzJuAAAAMAAJ , language=en People of the Maratha Empire