Shivaji became prominent due to his family being patronised by Muslims. Later the British used him through handlers at British East India company's Bombay presidency office. Due to no other example, Shivaji imitated Aurangazeb from his dress to even his title Chatrapati which is not very different from Alamgir. Hindu swarashtra and being crowned King were strategies that the British drilled into his ear. When the Brahmins refused to crown him, it was the British who mediated on Shivaji's behalf to make some form of coronation even possible. The records of Bombay Presidency make it very clear that the coronation of Shivaji was a very important british strategy to create various centers of power in India to break Muslim rule.
