Kanhoji Naik-Jedhe Deshmukh was a 17th-century

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

Sardar , and a trusted aide of

Shahaji Shahaji Bhonsale (Pronunciation: �əɦad͡ʒiː c. 1594 – 1664) was a military leader of India in the 17th century, who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire at various points in his career. As a membe ...

Maharaj, and of Shahaji's son Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj , who founded 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 Sh ...

in 1646. Kanhoji owned the entire 'Rohid Khora', which includes the forts of Raireshwar and Rohideshwar, in present-day Bhor taluka, near

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

. The administration was controlled from his native place Kaari He was respected among the

Deshmukh Deshmukh (IAST:Dēśamukh), is a historical title conferred to the rulers of a . It is used as a surname in certain regions of India, specifically in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whose family received it as a ...

s, noblemen in the area. Kanhoji was of the same age of Shahaji. His eldest son Baji 'Sarjerao' Jedhe was two months older than Chhatrapati Shivaji. Shahaji sent Kanhoji along with the young Shivaji Maharaj to Pune. Because of his high personal standing among the Jamindars, he helped

Shivaji Maharaj 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 ...

in organising most of them under his banner. His actual testing time came when Afzal Khan, a

Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been ...

sent by Bijapur court, came to attack Chhatrapati Shivaji. Adilshah threatened all the Deshmukhs of the

Maval Maval is a tehsil in a subdivision of the same name, in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. Description The word Maval is derived from a Marathi word ''Maval'', meaning the direction in which the sun sets. This region is towards the west ...

region to support Afzal or else perish. At the behest of Shivaji Maharaj, Kanhoji convened a meeting of all the Deshmukhs (who had received similar threats from Adilshah) at his 'wadaa' at Kaari. Kanhoji not only stood by Shivaji Maharaj, but inspired and motivated all the Deshmukhs to fight for Swaraj. He played a pivotal role in planning and executing the battle of Prataapgad which eventually led to the defeat of Afzal Khan's army. After Afzal was defeated soundly at the Battle of Pratapgad, Shivaji Maharaj honored the loyalty and bravery of Kanhoji by awarding him ''talwarichya pahilya panache maankari'' (Sword of Honour). Kanhoji Jedhe also played a pivotal part in bringing Shivaji Maharaj back from

Agra Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...

where he was under house arrest.{{how, date=May 2020

Descendants

In the 20th century, the descendants of Kanhoji Jedhe also played a leading role in the establishment of the State of Maharashtra;

Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti Samyukta Maharashtra Movement ( mr, संयुक्त महाराष्ट्र चळवळ), commonly known as the Samiti, was an organisation in India that advocated for a separate Marathi-speaking state in Western India and Cent ...

, founded by Keshavrao Jedhe, led the demand for a Marathi-speaking state. Maharashtra was formed as a direct result of this Samiti; the

Hutatma Chowk Hutatma Chowk ("Martyrs' Square, (Officially, Hutatma Smarak Chowk) ("Martyrs Memorial Square"), is a square in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The square hosts Flora Fountain and was known by that name until 1961 when it was officially rena ...

and

Maharashtra Day Maharashtra Day, commonly known as Maharashtra Din ( Marathi: महाराष्ट्र दिन) is a state holiday in the Indian state of Maharashtra, commemorating the formation of the state of Maharashtra in India. from the division of ...

commemorate the relentless efforts of the

Jedhe Jedhe is a Deshmukh sub clan of the Maratha caste in Maharashtra, India. The village of Kari, in modern Bhor taluka was the capital of the Jedhe Deshmukh. Moreover, the Jedhe were the pioneer house of Deshmukh among Marathas who supported Shivaji ...

s. Military history of India Indian military leaders People of the Maratha Empire Warriors of the Maratha Empire