Bahirji Naik

Bahirji Naik, (original name Bhairavnath Jadhav), was a 17th century Maratha spy and head of intelligence department in the army of Shivaji. Bahirji was honoured with title of "Naik" (transl. Chief) by King Shivaji due to his great work.[1][2][3]

As Shivaji’s Chief of Intelligence, he was very successful in his methods.[4] His tomb is currently situated on Bhupalgad (Banurgad) in Khanapur taluka of Sangli district. He was born in the village of Shingave Naik, Ahmednagar. In 1592, Bahirji's son, Tukoji Naik, built Ram Mandir and the outer border of the Shingave village. A stone bearing an inscription of his name is kept in the Ram Mandir.[citation needed]

Not much is or was known about the early life of Bahirji, except that his expeditions and adventures as a spy in Shivaji's army greatly contributed to the success of the Maratha Empire.[4]

  1. ^ Institute, Deccan College Post-graduate and Research (1978). Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute. Dr. A. M. Ghatage, director, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute. pp. 52 Quote: "Chhatrapati Shivaji maharaj had a separate intelligence department under one Bhairavnath (Bahirji) Jadhav (Naik). From his surname Bahirji appears to be belonging to the Maratha caste . However, there is a tradition that he was a Ramoshi.".
  2. ^ "Bahirji Naik's Swarajya work is inspiring - Bhide Guruji". Loksatta. 24 August 2013.
  3. ^ Karthikeyan, Ananth (21 January 2018). "Berads: Renowned fighters of the Deccan". DNA.
  4. ^ a b Singh. The Pearson Indian History Manual for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. Pearson Education India. ISBN 9788131717530.