Publisher admits statements were unverified
Oxford University Press (OUP) India has issued a formal apology over certain “unverified statements” made about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in a book published more than two decades ago. The apology was addressed to Udayanraje Bhosale, the 13th descendant of the Maratha warrior king, and to the public at large.
In a public notice published in a newspaper, OUP India acknowledged that specific statements appearing on pages 31, 33, 34, and 93 of the book Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, authored by American writer James Laine and published in 2003, were not adequately verified.
The book had sparked widespread outrage in Maharashtra in the early 2000s. In January 2004, more than 150 activists of the Sambhaji Brigade vandalised the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) in Pune, alleging that the institute had assisted the author and objecting to what they described as derogatory references to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In its notice, OUP expressed regret over the publication of the disputed content and apologised to Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale as well as to readers “for any distress and anguish caused”. The statement clarified that the apology was being issued on behalf of the publisher’s former Managing Director, Sayeed Manzar Khan.
The apology marks a significant development in a long-running controversy surrounding academic writings on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a figure deeply revered in India as a symbol of valour, governance, and cultural pride.
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Some thing to feel happy about finally