Last updated: 5 November 2026
Quick answer: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630–1680) was the son of Shahaji Bhosale and Jijabai. He married eight wives, led by Saibai and Soyarabai, and had two sons, Sambhaji and Rajaram, and six daughters. Sambhaji’s line became the Satara royal house and Rajaram’s the Kolhapur house. Their heads today are Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara and Shahu II Chhatrapati of Kolhapur.
The Shivaji Maharaj family tree explains a great deal of Maratha history. A disputed succession in 1680, a widow who ran the war after 1700, and a split into two rival thrones in Satara and Kolhapur all grow out of this one family. This page sets out the Bhosale lineage from Shivaji’s grandfather to the descendants who sit in Parliament today.
Shivaji Maharaj’s Family at a Glance
| Grandparents | Maloji Bhosale and Umabai |
| Father | Shahaji Raje Bhosale (1594–1664), a general who served Ahmadnagar and later Bijapur |
| Mother | Jijabai (died 17 June 1674, days after Shivaji’s coronation) |
| Born | 19 February 1630, Shivneri Fort |
| Siblings | Elder brother Sambhaji (killed at Kanakagiri, 1656); half-brother Venkoji (Ekoji), founder of the Thanjavur Maratha line |
| Wives | Eight: Saibai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, Sagunabai, Kashibai, Lakshmibai, Gunvantabai |
| Sons | Sambhaji (1657–1689) and Rajaram (1670–1700) |
| Daughters | Sakhubai, Ranubai, Ambikabai, Dipabai, Rajkunvarbai, Kamalabai |
| Died | 3 April 1680, Raigad. How Shivaji Maharaj died |
Who were Shivaji Maharaj’s parents?
His father, Shahaji Bhosale, was one of the most powerful Maratha commanders of the Deccan sultanates, holding the jagir of Pune and later large estates around Bangalore in Bijapur’s service. His mother, Jijabai, daughter of Lakhuji Jadhav of Sindkhed, raised Shivaji at Pune with the administrator Dadoji Kondadev while Shahaji was away in the south. Most biographers credit her with shaping his ambitions.
Shahaji’s son by his second wife Tukabai, Venkoji (Ekoji), took the Bhosale name to Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu in 1674, founding a separate Maratha dynasty that ruled there until 1855.
How many wives did Shivaji Maharaj have?
Shivaji Maharaj had eight wives. Most of the marriages tied powerful Maratha families to his cause.
| Wife | Family | Children and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saibai | Nimbalkar of Phaltan | First wife (m. 1640). Mother of Sakhubai, Ranubai, Ambikabai and Sambhaji. Died 5 September 1659. |
| Soyarabai | Mohite | Chief queen at the 1674 coronation. Mother of Rajaram and Dipabai. Died 1681. |
| Putalabai | Palkar | No children. Committed sati on Shivaji’s pyre in 1680. |
| Sakvarbai | Gaikwad | Mother of Kamalabai. Taken captive by the Mughals when Raigad fell in 1689. |
| Sagunabai | Shirke | Mother of Rajkunvarbai. |
| Kashibai | Jadhav | No children. |
| Lakshmibai | Vichare | Little recorded. |
| Gunvantabai | Ingle | Little recorded. |
Older English sources often list only four or five wives; the Marathi records and modern biographers give eight. Details on the lesser-known queens are thin, and a few dates vary between sources.
Shivaji Maharaj’s children
Sambhaji (1657–1689), Saibai’s son, succeeded his father after a struggle with Soyarabai’s faction and ruled until his capture and execution by Aurangzeb. Read how Sambhaji Maharaj died.
Rajaram (1670–1700), Soyarabai’s son, became Chhatrapati after Sambhaji’s death, escaped to Jinji fort in Tamil Nadu and directed the war from there until he died at Sinhagad in 1700.
The six daughters married into allied Maratha houses. Sakhubai married into the Nimbalkars, Ranubai into the Jadhavs, Ambikabai into the Mahadiks and Rajkunvarbai into the Shirkes.
Shivaji Maharaj Family Tree
- Maloji Bhosale + Umabai
- Shahaji Raje Bhosale (1594–1664) + Jijabai
- Sambhaji (elder brother, d. 1656)
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630–1680) + 8 wives
- Sambhaji (1657–1689; mother Saibai) + Yesubai
- Shahu I (1682–1749) → Satara house → today Udayanraje Bhosale
- Bhavanibai
- Rajaram (1670–1700; mother Soyarabai) + Tarabai, Rajasbai
- Shivaji II (son of Tarabai)
- Sambhaji II (son of Rajasbai) → Kolhapur house → today Shahu II Chhatrapati
- Daughters: Sakhubai, Ranubai, Ambikabai (Saibai); Dipabai (Soyarabai); Rajkunvarbai (Sagunabai); Kamalabai (Sakvarbai)
- Sambhaji (1657–1689; mother Saibai) + Yesubai
- Shahaji + Tukabai → Venkoji (Ekoji) → Thanjavur Marathas
- Shahaji Raje Bhosale (1594–1664) + Jijabai
How did the family split into Satara and Kolhapur?
When Aurangzeb died in 1707, the Mughals released Sambhaji’s son Shahu, hoping to divide the Marathas. It worked. Rajaram’s widow Tarabai had been ruling in the name of her son Shivaji II and refused to give way. The civil war ended with Shahu holding the main throne at Satara, where his Peshwas built the Maratha empire, and Rajaram’s line ruling a separate kingdom at Kolhapur. The Treaty of Warna in 1731 fixed the border between the two.
Who are Shivaji Maharaj’s descendants today?
- Satara: Udayanraje Bhosale (born 1966) is the head of the Satara house and is widely described as the 13th descendant of Shivaji Maharaj. He won the Satara Lok Sabha seat for the BJP in 2024. His cousin Shivendraraje Bhosale is a Maharashtra MLA.
- Kolhapur: Shahu II Chhatrapati (born 1948), described as the 12th descendant and great-grandson of the reformer Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, won the Kolhapur Lok Sabha seat for the Congress in 2024. His son Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati (born 1971) served in the Rajya Sabha from 2016 to 2022.
One honest caveat: both houses continued at several points through adoption, which was standard practice for Indian royal families. Shahu I adopted Rajaram’s grandson Ramraja, and Kolhapur adopted Rajarshi Shahu from the Ghatge family of Kagal in 1884. “Descendant” here means heir to Shivaji’s throne by dynastic succession, which is how both families and Maharashtra itself use the term.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Shivaji Maharaj’s parents?
Shahaji Raje Bhosale and Jijabai.
How many wives did Shivaji Maharaj have?
Eight: Saibai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, Sagunabai, Kashibai, Lakshmibai and Gunvantabai.
Who was Shivaji Maharaj’s first wife?
Saibai Nimbalkar of Phaltan, whom he married in 1640. She was the mother of Sambhaji and died in 1659.
How many children did Shivaji Maharaj have?
Eight: two sons, Sambhaji and Rajaram, and six daughters.
Who is the 13th descendant of Shivaji Maharaj?
Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara is usually called the 13th descendant. Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati of Kolhapur is also described as 13th in his line.
Which royal family descends from Rajaram?
The Kolhapur house. The Satara house descends from Sambhaji through his son Shahu.
Sources and Further Reading
- Jadunath Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times.
- Stewart Gordon, The Marathas 1600–1818 (Cambridge University Press).
- Christopher Buyers, Royal Ark: Satara genealogy.
- Deccan Herald, “Two descendants of Shivaji Maharaj win polls in Maharashtra” (June 2024).
Related: How Did Sambhaji Maharaj Die? · Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj · Indian Rulers Timeline · Mughal Family Tree
Quiz: Shivaji Maharaj’s Family
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