Soyarabai: Indian royal

She was the younger sister of Maratha army chief Hambirrao Mohite.

She was married to Shivaji at a very young age in 1642. The marriage took place when Shivaji visited his father Shahaji at Bangalore with his mother Jijabai. After the death of Jijabai in 1674, Soyarabai became more important in Shivaji's family. This was also true for Maratha court politics. Soyarabai had two children with Shivaji, daughter Balibai and son Rajaram.

Shivaji died in 1680 at his capital without naming any successor. In order to continue the empire, Soyarabai got her ten-year-old son, Rajaram as the only legal successor to the throne. But her stepson and heir presumptive Sambhaji, was able to stop this. They got help from Soyrabai's brother, army chief Hambirrao Mohite and put Soyarabai and Rajaram in prison. They took the full power and Sambhaji became the Chhatrapati on 20 July 1680.

After that, she tried all ways to de-throne him. Soyarabai's followers tried to poison Sambhaji in August 1681, but he survived. When he learnt about the plot, he had no other choice but to kill Soyarabai with poison. Many plotters including Soyarabai's relatives of the Mohite family were also slaughtered or trampled by the elephants.