He completed his formal education at the Rajkumar College, Rajkot and took lessons of administrative affairs from Sir Stuart Fraser, a representative of the Indian Civil Services.

He ascended the throne in 1894 after coming of age, prior to which a regency council appointed by the British Government took care of the state affairs.

[5] A Brahmin priest Narayan Bhat of the royal family refused to perform the particular Vedokta rites for Shahu implying that he belonged to Shudra varna later claiming that there were no real Kshatriyas and that in the present Kaliyuga or epoch of Kali, only two varnas existed—Brahmins and Shudras[11] which led to Shahu supporting Arya Samaj and Satyashodhak Samaj as well as campaigning for the rights of the Maratha community.

[15][16] Chhatrapati Shahu occupied the throne of Kolhapur for 28 years, from 1894 to 1922; during this period he initiated numerous social reforms in his empire.

He also ensured suitable employment for students thus educated, thereby creating one of the earliest affirmative action (50% reservation to weaker sections) programs in history.

He established hostels for different ethnicities and religions, including Panchals, Devadnya, Nashik, Shimpi, Dhor-Chambhar communities as well as for Muslims, Jains and Christians.

He established Vedic Schools which enabled students from all castes and classes to learn the scriptures, thus propagating Sanskrit education among all.

Shahu was a strong advocate of equality among all strata of society and refused to give the Brahmins any special status.

He appointed a young Maratha scholar in the post and bestowed him the title of `Kshatra Jagadguru' (the world teacher of the Kshatriyas).

This incident together with Shahu's encouragement of the non-Brahmins to read and recite the Vedas led to the Vedokta controversy in Maharashtra.

The boarding school, Rajkumar College, Rajkot gave a balanced education with highly religious and just Principal Chester Macnaghten with all the righteous traits after actually practicing for almost 15 years in Darbhanga palace educating Maharaja Lakshmeshwar Singh, the minor prince of the Brahmin family on throne teaching the western and Indian ways all at the same time before becoming the first principal of the first English public school opened under Macaulay's Doctrine in India.

The Shahu Chhatrapati Spinning and Weaving Mill, dedicated marketplaces and co-operative societies for farmers were established to free his subjects from predacious middlemen in trading.

His seminal contribution in social, political, educational, agricultural and cultural spheres earned him the title of Rajarshi, which was bestowed upon him by the Kurmi community of Kanpur.

The two met a number of times during 1917–1921 and went over possible ways to abolish the negatives of caste segregation by providing "caste-based reservation" to selected people.

[5] His full official name was: Colonel His Highness Kshatriya-Kulaawatans Sinhasanaadheeshwar, Shreemant Rajarshi Sir Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj Sahib Bahadur, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO.

[citation needed] During his life he acquired the following titles and honorific names: Shahu IV was portrayed in Star Pravah's drama serial.