Battle of Sinhagad: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Sinhagad (Kondhana)

| partof = [[Battles involving the Maratha Empire|ImperialThe Maratha Conquestsrebellion]]

| image = Sinhagad.jpg

| image_size = 300

| date = 4 February 1670

| place = Fort [[Sinhagad]], near [[Pune]], [[India]]

| result = Maratha victory<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sorokhaibam |first=Jeneet |title=Chhatrapati Shivaji: The Maratha Warrior and His Campaign |date=2013 |publisher=Vij Books India Private Limited |year=2013 |isbn=9789382573494 |publication-date=2013 |pages=185-187 |language=English}}</ref>

| result = Maratha victory

| territory = Fort [[Sinhagad]] (then, Kondhana fort) captured by [[Marathas]]

| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Maratha Empire.png}} [[Maratha Empire|Maratha kingdom]]

| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Mughal Empire.png}} [[Mughal Empire]]

| commander1 = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border|22px]] [[Tanaji Malusare]] {{KIA}}

| commander2 = [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|22px]] Udyabhan Rathore Udaybhan{{KIA}}<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHK-BhVXOU4C&pg=PA79 | title=The Marathas 1600-1818 | isbn=978-0-521-03316-9 | last1=Gordon | first1=Stewart | date=February 2007 | publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref>

| strength1 = Unknown

| strength2 = Unknown

| casualties1 =

| casualties2 =

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}}

{{Campaignbox Later Mughal-Maratha Wars}}

The '''Battle of Sinhagad''', also known as '''Battle of Kondhana''', involved an attack by the forces of the [[Maratha EmpireArmy|Marathas]] during the night of 4 February 1670 on the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] fort of [[Sinhagad]] (then Kondhana), near the city of [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]]. The Marathas captured the fort.

== Background ==

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In the 1650s, [[Aurangzeb]] sent [[Shaista Khan]] to subdue [[Shivaji]]. Khan captured Poona (now Pune) and took residence in [[Lal Mahal]]. Shivaji and his soldiers made a surprise attack on Khan, wherein they wounded him and killed one of his sons. However, Khan eventually escaped. Khan looted Pune for 2 years and devastated [[Deccan]]. So, Shivaji went on to [[Battle of Surat|loot and plunder]] the wealthy port city of [[Surat]] to restore the wealth as Surat at the time was a centre of great riches and wealthy merchants. This greatly increased Aurangzeb's anger against the Marathas. He sent his General Mirza Raja [[Jai Singh I|Jai Singh]] with a large army to subdue Shivaji. Jai Singh [[Battle of Purandar|besieged]] [[Purandar Fort|Purandar fort]]. Meanwhile, [[Diler Khan]] defeated the armies at Vajragad, near Purandar. The Mughals plundered villages in the Maratha kingdom. For the welfare of his subjects, Shivaji decided to sign a treaty with Jai Singh. They met and signed the Treaty of Purandar. According to the treaty, Shivaji was to give 23 forts to the Mughals and agree to fight for them when needed. He would be allowed to retain control of 12 forts. Later, he agreed to meet Aurangzeb at [[Agra]].{{cn|date=September 2023}}

Upon reaching Agra, Aurangzeb put him under [[house arrest]], but Shivaji managed to escape. Shivaji then kept a low profile for some years until Aurangzeb increased activities in the north. Later, Jai Singh died at [[Burhanpur]], and a weaker prince, [[Bahadur Shah I|Muazzam]], became governor of the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]]. Shivaji then felt that this was a good opportunity togain reclaim what had belonged to the [[Swaraj]]yaterritory. He broke the treaty and started recapturing the forts that he had previously given the Mughals under the treaty.{{cn|date=September 2023}}

== Battle ==

Sinhagad was one of the first forts which Shivaji recaptured from the Mughals. The capture was made possible by scaling the walls at night with rope ladders. [[Tanaji Malusare]] was martyred and Udaybhan was killed, but the fort was captured by the Marathas. The battle and Tanaji's exploits are the basis of a popular Marathi ballad.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=Stewart|title=The Marathas 1600-1818|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHK-BhVXOU4C&pg=PA79|volume=2|year=1993|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=79|isbn=9780521033169|quote=The first and most spectacular success was the capture of Sinhagad fort. It was taken by scaling very difficult walls by the means of rope ladders in a night raid which culminated in a hand to hand combat inside the fort. The raid was led by Tanhaji Malsure, who was killed in the battle.}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==

When Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was informed about the victory and the loss of Tanaji's life during the battle, he exclaimed "Gad aala pan sinh gela" (Devnagari: गड आला पण सिंह गेला) (English: "The fort has been captured but we lost the lion"). A bust of Tanaji Malusare was installed at the fort in memory of his contribution and sacrifice.<ref name="Verma">{{cite book|title=Forts of India|last=Verma|first=Amrit|publisher=The Director, Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India|pages=83–86|location=New Delhi|isbn=81-230-1002-8|date=2003}}</ref> The fort was also renamed [[Sinhagad]] to honour his memory.{{cn|date=September 2023}}

== In popular culture ==

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[[Category:1670 in India]]

[[Category:Battles involving the Maratha EmpireConfederacy|Sinhgad 1670]]

[[Category:Conflicts in 1670|Sinhagad]]

[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Sinhagad]]