Oxford University Press apologises over 20-year-old book about Indian warrior king

The Indian arm of Oxford University Press (OUP) has issued an apology over the controversial portrayal of a Hindu warrior king in a book published more than two decades ago.

OUP India said the book contained certain “unverified statements” about Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Shivaji, whose full name was Shivaji Shahaji Bhosale, was a 17th-century warrior-king in western India whose resistance to the Mughal Empire made him a hero in his lifetime and who is now celebrated, particularly by Hindu nationalist groups.

The ruler has airports, railway stations, roads, cities, and public squares and memorials named after him across India.

The book, titled Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India, was written by American author James Laine and published in 2003.

It sparked widespread outrage, particularly in the state of Maharashtra, where Shivaji is revered as a cultural and political icon. Protesters argued that the title misrepresented his legacy by describing him as a “Hindu” king, saying he did not rule as a religious monarch but as a regional sovereign whose administration included Muslims and protected places of worship.

They also objected to the portrayal of India during his time as “Islamic”.

In 2004, more than 150 protesters ransacked the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune over its alleged role in assisting the author’s research for the book.

On Tuesday, OUP India said: “Oxford University Press deeply regrets any distress caused by the content in question. We acknowledge that the language used was inappropriate and failed to reflect the reverence and respect that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj commands across India.”

“We sincerely apologise to the people of Maharashtra, the Maratha community and all those who hold him in highest esteem,” the statement read.

The apology was issued after Udayanraje Bhosale, the 13th descendant of Shivaji, filed a complaint against Oxford University India's former managing director Sayeed Manzar Khan and three others on the allegations of defaming the ruler in 2005.

The matter was heard on 17 December in the High Court of Kolhapur bench, where the lawyers representing Mr Khan and three others said their clients will issue an apology to Mr Bhosale and publish the said apology letter in widely circulating Marathi and English language newspapers.

The publishing house acknowledged that some statements regarding Shivaji on page numbers 31, 33, 34, and 93 of the book were unverified.