Rajmata Jijau is remembered as a skilled organiser, a visionary administrator who gave an intellectual foundation to the idea of Swarajya, and an exemplary mother. She was born at Sindkhed Raja in present-day Buldhana district of Maharashtra to the valiant nobleman Lakhuji Jadhavrao and Mhalasabai. She imbibed the values of courage, self-respect and justice from the Jadhavrao family. She later married Shahajiraje of the Bhosale family of Verul. Sambhajiraje and Shivajiraje were their two sons. The values of the Jadhavrao, Nimbalkar and Bhosale families shaped her intellectual, political and social outlook.

Deeply concerned by the hardships faced by ordinary people amid power struggles and continual warfare in the Deccan, Jijau gave priority to public welfare. While Shahajiraje was in Karnataka, she looked after the family and also oversaw matters related to the administration of the Pune jagir. Following the destruction of Pune by the Adilshahi commander Murar Jagdev, she guided its resettlement. She encouraged agriculture, emphasised public security and upheld just governance. While nurturing the idea of Swarajya in young Shivaji Maharaj and the Mavalas, Jijau instilled values of justice, valour, respect for women, equality and public welfare. For Jijau, Swarajya was not merely political power but a system rooted in public welfare. Her inclusive approach gave the idea of Swarajya a strong social foundation.

In the male-dominated society of the seventeenth century, Jijau demonstrated political acumen and administrative ability through her work. By placing public welfare, justice and equality at the centre, her foresight, accomplishments and value-based leadership laid a strong foundation for a people-oriented Swarajya.