In 1674, Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad, formalising the Maratha kingdom. The ceremony asserted sovereignty against Mughal and Deccan powers. Shivaji's rule became central to Maratha political memory and regional identity.

Maratha court culture and later nationalist writing turned Shivaji into a heroic subject of ballad, drama and poetry. His story energised regional languages and offered poets a figure of resistance, kingship and cultural pride.