Even a Maratha king needed Brahmin legitimation to be crowned.

Evidence

In 1674, the Deccan Brahmins refused to allow the coronation of Shivaji, the Maratha king (1627/30–80), according to Vedic rites. They doubted his Kshatriya origins and saw him as a Shudra claimant. As Rao (2009, 42) says: “A Brahmin from Benares, Gaga Bhatta, supported Shivaji’s claim to Kshatriya status after much persuasion and traced the Bhosle lineage to the Sisodia Rajputs of Udaipur.” Gaga Bhatta is also said to have charged a hefty fee for legitimising Shivaji’s claim. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 1083

Categorization

• XREF: Core to the reader’s goal: shows that Brahminical validation was a gating resource even for the most powerful secular ruler — the priestly monopoly over ritual status was instrumental and for sale.