|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band of Soldiers: A
year on the road with Shivaji
Sadashiv, the protagonist of the story, is a 16-year-old orphan who is forced to leave his village, Dongarhpur, by an unsympathetic uncle and villagers who accuse him of being a thief. It is a time of turmoil with the Bijapuris and Mughals ruling with an iron hand resulting in the people living a life of misery and humiliation. But a lone warrior—Shivaji—with his band of soldiers has vowed to get rid the land of the tyrants and establish a Maratha kingdom. His army, personally led him, is constantly harassing the Mughals and the Bijapuris and proving to be a thorn in their sides. Sadashiv is inspired by Shivaji’s valour and his kindness toward the oppressed people. As he is uncertain about his future, he decides to go to Poona and join Shivaji’s army. On the way, by chance, he runs into Shivaji and his soldiers who are on one of their missions to loot the enemy’s treasure. Shivaji, impressed by the boy’s intelligence, takes him into his fold. Sadashiv wastes no time in becoming Shivaji’s trusted lieutenant. He is sent on many dangerous and secret missions during which he outmanoeuvres the enemy soldiers by his quick wit and daring. During one such mission Sadashiv single-handedly annhilates Bijapur’s army, which is besieging Shivaji’s fort, by destroying their stock of gunpowder. To stop the news of the annhilation reaching the the Bijapur king, Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah, first, which will endanger the life of Shivaji’s father, Shahji, Sadashiv is sent with a message for Shahji . Sadashiv once again comes up trumps. Sadashiv also manages to rescue his sweetheart, Kunku, from the clutches of her father who has fixed her wedding to a money-lender. With a epidemic almost wiping out all of Shivaji’s horses, Sadashiv — who is now Shivaji’s personal bodyguard — draws up an ingenious plan to steal horses from Shivaji’s uncle’s stable. He succeeds and this brings him even closer to Shivaji. The book has been translated into English by Sreejata Guha. The easy-to-read book has been targeted at children. It is too bland for adult readers with hardly any twists and intrigues. It is hard to believe — for an adult reader — that such a young boy pulling off such incredible feats without even a scratch showing for his efforts. The impressionable young minds will connect easily with the adventures of Sadashiv. |
A
fictional account originally written in Bengali, Band of Soldiers,
by Saradindu Bandyopadhay, a renowned writer of crime fiction, ghost
stories, historical romances and children’s fiction, is set in Maratha
India of the mid- 17th century.