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Q: Why can I not add "Shri", "Chhatrapati", or "Maharaj" to Sambhaji's name?
A: As per WP:Honorifics and WP:Commonname, in Wikipedia, we refer to people by their commonly used name in the cited academic sources. We do not include titles or Honorifics unless they are commonly used in the cited sources (Shambaji does not fall in this category). Please note Charles III, where he is referred to as "Charles" throughout, not "King Charles" nor "His Royal Highness" or whatnot. We clearly note Sambhaji's titles in the article, we just don't repeat them each time his name is written.
Q: Why does it say "addiction to sensual pleasures"?
A: That is exactly what the cited sources say, and other sources note allegations that he behaved inappropriately with a Brahmin woman, or may have committed some other offense. Suffice to say, for whatever reason, Shivaji confined him to Panhala. If you know of an alternate theory for that confinement, and have a reliable source, you can add that as an alternative theory, but you cannot simply remove that explanation unless you have very strong evidence that such story is obsolete according to modern scholars.
Q: I believe the article's sources are biased against Sambhaji, why are they being used?
A: Assertions of bias must be backed up by references to reliable sources saying as much, or other highly compelling policy-based arguments. Simply asserting that it is biased is not sufficient to convince other editors.
Purnima Sah (February 19, 2025). "Remove objectional reference about Sambhaji Maharaj from Wikipedia: Fadnavis". The Hindu. Retrieved February 19, 2025. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) took a serious note on the objectional and derogatory content and references about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on Wikipedia and directed the State cyber police to approach the open-source free online encyclopedia to get them removed.
"4 Wikipedia editors booked over factual inaccuracies about Chhatrapati Sambhaji". Hindustan Times. February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has registered a case against at least four Wikipedia editors for not taking down "objectionable" content on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from the open-source encyclopedia, PTI reported on Friday, citing officials.
Sharveya Parasnis (February 19, 2025). "Fadnavis Targets Wikipedia Over Alleged Distorted History of Chhatrapati Sambhaji". MediaNama. Retrieved February 21, 2025. Fadnavis did not specify the exact content he found objectionable. However, a quick review through the Wikipedia page reveals statements that may have contributed to the controversy. The second paragraph states that Sambhaji was confined at Panhala Fort by his father, allegedly due to his addiction to sensual pleasures or for violating a Brahmin woman. It also stated that Sambhaji defected to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and fought against his own father.
Divyesh Singh (February 21, 2025). "Case against 4 Wikipedia editors for not removing content on Sambhaji Maharaj". India Today. Retrieved February 21, 2025. The Cyber Cell of Maharashtra Police has lodged a case against 4–5 editors of Wikipedia for failing to take down controversial content on Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, sources said. Sources said 4 to 5 individuals were involved in editing and spreading disinformation about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on Wikipedia, which could lead to a law and order situation.
"FIR against person who made 'derogatory edits' to Chhatrapati Sambhaji profile on Wikipedia". The Indian Express. February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025. Maharashtra cyber police have registered an FIR against a person who allegedly edited the profile of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on Wikipedia and added content to it. The police have registered an FIR against the user Ratnahastin, who, as per the complaint, added 'derogatory' content to the profile.
Rohit Singh (February 28, 2025). "Wikipedia Tax-Exempt Status at Risk As US Attorney Demands Transparency on Content Moderation". MediaNama. Retrieved February 28, 2025. In another case, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently directed the state's cyber cell to act against allegedly offensive content on the Wikipedia page of Chhatrapati Sambhaji, a historic Indian king. Fadnavis instructed officials to contact Wikipedia and ensure the disputed content was removed, stressing that incorrectly presenting historical facts is unacceptable.
Piotrus, there appear to have been two main statements in the article that were deemed "controversial", despite them having the backing of dozens of scholarly sources going back decades. Both claims you can see in the lede of the article. The first is that the reason for Sambhaji's confinement at Panhala Fort was due to sexual impropriety and likely the rape of a Brahmin woman. The second is that he briefly defected to the Mughal Empire to fight against his father. SilverserenC01:31, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
There were also objections concerning claims about atrocities committed by Sambhaji's forces, the general quality of his governance, and disagreements over the exact circumstances of his final capture and execution (the last of which is complicated by historical sources providing diverging accounts) signed, Rosguilltalk01:35, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I'd put in a fair bit of work to try to improve this article, but its still got a ways to go frankly. I'm still not sure the sourcing/framing on the controversial stuff is great, and I imagine we could probably do a better job presenting some of it. I'd started work on a historiography section, which I hoped would alleviate some of the concerns of presenting stuff in WikiVoice. But I stalled out post-war, and had been busy doing other things. If we could work on building up that section, we might be able to meaningfully improve the lead, which is the part that folks are maddest about (although it did go through considerable rework when this first came up). CaptainEekEdits Ho Cap'n!⚓03:52, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]
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