Chhatrasal
Topic: The Marathas · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 3 "The Marathas"
Meaning
Chhatrasal was a Bundela prince from central India. He was inspired by Shivaji and fought the Mughals. He carved out an independent kingdom in Bundelkhand, in parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. He shows that Shivaji's fame and his idea of self-rule reached beyond Maharashtra. Later, the Peshwa Bajirao I helped him against a Mughal attack.
Example
The NCERT chapter names three signs of Shivaji's fame in his own time. Chhatrasal set up independent Bundelkhand. Europeans compared Shivaji to Alexander. The Hindi poet Bhushan came to Maharashtra to write poems praising him.
Don't confuse with
- Chhatrapati: This was the royal title of Shivaji and his successors, meaning king. Chhatrasal was a different person, a Bundela prince.