Libraries and archives in Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, The Netherlands and the UK has immense literature on the life and contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Marathas in the making of India. Quite a bit of it has been written by western writers, government and otherwise.
In India too, we have useful collections in Pune, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Baroda, Indore, Goa, Pondicherry, Egmore/Chennai and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.
In the good old days in our history courses in Pune and later in Baroda, we often came across the touching humanitarian concerns of Shivaji towards his own people, soldiers, opponents and those wounded or captured in combats.
Shivaji's life of prayer, respect and a sense of duty towards the other, justice, determination, protection of the oppressed, honouring widows, downtrodden, marginalised, sense of forgiveness, and patriotism stand out if one carefully reads the historical accounts by foreign writers as well as by indigenous scribes of those times.
A memorial to this extraordinary son of India would be a fitting gesture and a fine token of appreciation in honour of the virtues practiced by the enlightened Indian ruler of the bygone era.
