Jankibai
Janki Bhosale (née Gujar) (1675 - 2 March 1700 CE) was Empress consort of the Maratha Empire as the first wife of Rajaram I.
| Janki Bai | |
|---|---|
| Empress of the Maratha Empire Rani Shrimant Akhand Soubhagyavati Jankibai Raje Sahib Bhonsle | |
| Empress consort of the Maratha Empire | |
| Tenure | 12 March 1689 - 2 March 1700 |
| Predecessor | Yesubai Bhonsale |
| Successor | Tarabai |
| Born | 1675 |
| Spouse | Rajaram I |
| House | Bhosale |
| Father | Prataprao Gujar |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Jankibai was the daughter of Prataprao Gujar, an aristocratic general, who was the commander-in-chief of the Maratha Empire.[1] Her father died in a battle against the Adil Shahi at Nesari on 24 February 1674. Shivaji, the king of the Marathas upon hearing the solemn news, grieved his general's death. As a result, he married his second son, the ten-year-old Rajaram to the five-year-old Jankibai. They were married in a grand ceremony that took place in Raigad Fort on 7 March 1680. Her father-in-law Shivaji died on 3 April 1680, twenty five days after her marriage.[2]
Death
On 2 March 1700, the thirty-year-old Rajaram died following a brief illness. Sources differ on Queen Janakibai's death . Some records say that she committed Sati with her husband at Sinhagad . However Marathi bakhars and letters reveal that Jankibai was one of the captives taken during the Battle of Raigad along with Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale and Shahuji . She was released in 1719 from the Mughal captivity by Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath along with Yesubai and other Maratha women.
References
- Ranade, Mahadeo Govind. Rise of the Maratha power. Hesperides Press.
- Mehta, Jashwant Lal. Advanced study in the history of modern India 1707-1813.
