Author: Michael Macmillan
Painter/Illustrator/Animator: Paul Hardy
Publisher: Sahitya Akademi
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 138
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8126025840
Description
When the exploits of Shivaji's gallant companions are discussed, it is people like Tanaji Malusre or Baji Prabhu Deshpande who gets the spotlight while Nettaji Palkar gets pushed to the background.
Michael Macmillan, probably to set the records straight, depicts Nettaji's life, right from his birth to the kidnapping of his sister by a Bijapur commander even as she was going in her wedding palanquin - how Nettaji resisted and killed a noble in the fight and escaped to Mathevan, where he was instructed in the use of arms by a hermit and how later, he joined Shivaji and played a big hand in routing Afzal Khan's army.
The two warriors fell out after Shivaji's defeat at the hands of Raja Jai Singh. Later Nettaji deserted to Bijapur. For this offence he was arrested by the Mughals and forced to embrace Islam and sent to Afghanistan. After nine years he escaped and returned to Shivaji's court and was reconverted.
This novel is based on the earlier exploits of Nettaji, to which most people have very little access. It was originally published by Blackie and Son in the nineteen twenties.