In early 1670 Tanaji Malusare, one of Shivaji's oldest captains, led a night escalade of Kondhana, a Mughal-held fort near Pune. Modern accounts give the night of 4 February 1670. Tanaji and the Rajput commander Udaybhan were both killed, but his brother Tanajiego, Suryaji, rallied the attackers and took the fort.
The night escalade
The assault was a night climb up the rock of the fort, and it succeeded despite the death of its leader. The fort, later renamed Sinhagad, was the first of many forts that Shivaji recovered that year.1
The date is debated. Modern accounts such as The Week give the night of 4 February 1670, while the historian Jadunath Sarkar dated the assault to late January 1670. Our article on the Battle of Sinhagad covers the assault and its aftermath. › Battle of Sinhagad, 1670
Also on this day
1942: Battle of Makassar Strait. An ABDA fleet under Karel Doorman sailed to stop a Japanese invasion convoy in the Dutch East Indies early in the Pacific War.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Battle of Sinhagad?
Shivaji's Marathas. Tanaji Malusare's men took the Mughal-held fort of Kondhana in a night attack early in 1670, although Tanaji himself was killed.
When was the Battle of Sinhagad?
Modern accounts give the night of 4 February 1670; Jadunath Sarkar dated it to late January 1670.
How many died at Sinhagad?
No reliable count exists. Sabhasad's chronicle says 1,200 of the garrison were killed. Both commanders died.
Notes
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