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| Vidya Naiki Literatarot IV - Imperatore/Emperor: Shivaji Vidya is a creative entrepreneur and has also delved into the world of magic including magic shows and performances. She also discovered along the way that she has a psychic energy that helps her in her life and decided to learn more about the unseen phenomena and intuition. She has learnt tarot card reading and continues o practice it for herself and others, besides Theta healing, energy healing and other such arts. She lives and practices in Mumbai. The card for The Emperor is based on Shivaji on whom a string of literature has been penned. Shivaji Bhonsle, also known as Chhatrapati Shri Shivaji Maharaj (February 19, 1630 - April 3, 1680) was the founder of the Maratha empire in western India in 1674. Using guerrilla tactics superbly suited to the rugged mountains and valleys found in this region, he annexed a portion of the then dominant Mughal empire and established the seeds of free India which was to endure until 1818. He is still considered a hero and stories of his exploits have entered into folklore. Shivaji is remembered as a just and wise king and his rule is called one of the six golden pages in Indian history. He established an effective civil and military administration and adopted a policy of religious tolerance to accommodate all religions and sects. Shivaji made it a policy never to desecrate a mosque or seize women. Many Muslims were loyal to him, admired him and served in his army. He also created a government with democratic structure, where 12 ministers were elected by the public - one of the first experiments in democracy in the Indian subcontinent. The chief of ministers (prime minister) was chosen by the public and was called “Peshwa". He was also only the second king in Indian history to have his own navy. Shivaji was suspicious of the East India Company, and tried to restrict it from establishing its outposts or “Vakhar” in various coastal towns. His navy was built with a long term vision of checking the Company rule and also to keep pressure on the rich areas of Surat. Many Maharashtrians remember Shivaji with admiration (both the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport and in 1996 the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, both located in Mumbai, are named after him. The Mughal rulers against whom he fought utilizing guerilla tactics and clever means to escape from hostile situations, termed him a mountain rat. In both his lifetime and decades, even centuries after his death, the famous poets of the Hindu tradition have written odes to his bravery and dharma (sense of duty), making analogies to the birth of the Hindu god Krishna as savior or attempting to establish his close connection to Hindu saints of the era and as a devout follower of Shiva. Samarth Ramdas Swamy who was also his spiritual guru wrote about him, Nishchayacha MahaMeru Bahuta Janansi Aadharu Akhand Sthiticha Nirdharu Janata Raja … The above verse in Marathi means: [Shivaji is] someone who is having very strong conviction and resolve to achieve what he decides [Shivaji is] someone who is fair and understands and supports his citizen irrespective of their cast, creed & religion [Shivaji is] a wise and knowledgeable king … The Emperor as Shivaji speaks of the need for creating a strong ethical and compassionate base before we establish ourselves strongly in the world. It highlights that respect is earned through one's noble deeds in the world and through our wisdom and determination. The symbol of the hand stands for power that comes from the right actions taken in the world. The crown on it shows that such power only creates further responsibility and duties in the world that need to be handled with a great sense of ethics and care. |