Introduction
The Battle of Sinhagad was a daring Maratha night assault on 4 February 1670, launched to recapture Kondhana Fort near Pune from Mughal control. Tanaji Malusare led the operation and died in combat, but his men secured the fort. Shivaji Maharaj then renamed Kondhana Sinhagad, the “Lion’s Fort,” in his honour.
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 February 1670 (night assault) |
| Place | Kondhana Fort, near Pune, Maharashtra |
| Maratha commander | Tanaji Malusare (killed in the fighting) |
| Mughal fort commander | Udaybhan Singh Rathore |
| Outcome | Marathas recaptured the fort; Kondhana renamed Sinhagad |
| Famous line | “Gad aala, pan Sinha gela” |
This guide explains how the battle unfolded, which parts are well documented and which belong to legend, and answers the questions readers ask most often about Shivaji and his era.
Why Kondhana Mattered
Kondhana was one of the most strategically important hill forts near Pune. Under the Treaty of Purandar in 1665, Shivaji Maharaj had to surrender several forts, Kondhana among them, to the Mughals. The fort was then placed under the Mughal commander Udaybhan Singh Rathore.
Its steep approaches and high position made it exceptionally hard to attack. The Mughal garrison treated the cliffs as a natural defence, which is why a direct frontal assault was considered nearly impossible. Hill fortresses across the Deccan, such as Daulatabad Fort, were built around the same idea: let the rock do the defending.
Shivaji paid close attention to geography when he planned his own strongholds. The story of Sindhudurg Fort and how Shivaji built a fortress in the sea (1664–67) shows the same thinking applied to the coast.
Shivaji’s Mission to Tanaji
Shivaji Maharaj entrusted the recapture of Kondhana to Tanaji Malusare, one of his most trusted commanders and a close associate. Traditional accounts say Tanaji accepted the mission even though preparations were under way for his son Rayaba’s wedding, setting family celebrations aside for the campaign.
The operation was not a large conventional siege. It depended on surprise, local knowledge of the terrain, and a small force able to scale the fort in darkness before the garrison could organise a defence.
The Night Assault
On the night of 4 February 1670, Tanaji led Maratha Mavala warriors towards the fort. Accounts differ on the size of the force. Some traditions describe about 300 climbers, while others place the larger force at roughly 800 to 1,000 men. The central fact is the same in every version: a small assault group scaled the fort’s difficult cliffside, described as southern or western, under cover of night.
The most famous detail is the use of a trained monitor lizard, Yashwanti (a ghorpad), to help anchor the climbing ropes. The story is widely repeated in popular memory and at the fort itself, but it belongs mainly to legend and later oral tradition rather than to firmly established contemporary records.
Once on top, the Marathas surprised the defenders near the Kalyan Darwaza and opened the gate, letting more Maratha troops under Tanaji’s brother Suryaji enter the fort.
Tanaji and Udaybhan
A fierce hand-to-hand fight followed between Tanaji Malusare and Udaybhan Singh Rathore. Traditional narratives describe Tanaji’s shield breaking during the duel. He is said to have kept fighting with cloth bound around his arm until his injuries overcame him.
Tanaji’s death did not end the assault. Suryaji Malusare and the veteran commander Shelar Mama rallied the Marathas, Udaybhan was killed, and the remaining Mughal garrison was overwhelmed.
“Gad Aala, Pan Sinha Gela”
When news of the victory and Tanaji’s death reached Shivaji Maharaj, he is traditionally said to have exclaimed:
“Gad aala, pan Sinha gela” — “The fort is won, but the lion is lost.”
The line captures both the military success and the personal grief of losing a beloved commander. In Tanaji’s honour, Shivaji renamed Kondhana as Sinhagad.
What Is History and What Is Legend?
The core outline is well supported: Kondhana was recaptured in 1670, Tanaji led the operation, he fought Udaybhan, Tanaji died, and Suryaji completed the capture. Several dramatic details, however, deserve care.
| Element | Historical status |
|---|---|
| Maratha recapture of Kondhana in 1670 | Well established |
| Tanaji’s leadership and death | Widely accepted |
| Udaybhan as Mughal fort commander | Supported by historical accounts |
| Exact number of Maratha soldiers | Varies across sources |
| Monitor lizard Yashwanti | Legendary tradition, not firmly proven |
| Exact wording of Shivaji’s quote | Traditional attribution, central to Maratha memory |
The earliest major narrative associated with the episode is the Sabhasad Bakhar, a Maratha chronicle written decades after the event. Later chronicles and 19th-century histories expanded the story, which helps explain why heroic details, especially the lizard and the vivid duel, became so prominent.
Aftermath and Legacy
The recapture of Sinhagad was more than a symbolic victory. It returned a key fort to Maratha control and became an enduring example of courage, tactical daring and sacrifice in the history of Shivaji Maharaj’s Swarajya.
Today, Sinhagad Fort near Pune has memorials to Tanaji Malusare. Restoration work in 2019 uncovered what archaeologists identified as his original memorial stone, believed to be around 350 years old, beneath later structures.
Tanaji’s sacrifice is remembered not only because he died in battle, but because the mission succeeded after his death: his brother and fellow commanders turned a perilous climb into a decisive Maratha victory.
The memory of this era reaches well beyond the forts themselves. Around Diwali, children across Maharashtra still build miniature forts from mud and brick, a custom explored in Diwali Killa: how mud forts link childhood to Maratha heritage. And if you are visiting Pune, the city that later became the seat of the Peshwas, pair a trip to Sinhagad with the story of Shaniwar Wada, the Peshwa palace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shivaji say when Tanhaji died?
When Shivaji Maharaj heard that Tanaji Malusare (also spelled Tanhaji) had fallen even as the fort was won, he is traditionally said to have declared, “Gad aala, pan Sinha gela,” meaning “The fort is won, but the lion is lost.” The line is a traditional attribution rather than a verbatim record, but it is central to Maratha memory. In Tanaji’s honour, Kondhana was renamed Sinhagad.
Who cut Afzal Khan’s head?
In the most widely repeated account of the meeting at Pratapgad on 10 November 1659, Shivaji wounded the Bijapur general Afzal Khan with the wagh nakh (iron tiger claws). Afzal Khan’s bearers tried to carry him away in a palanquin, but Shivaji’s lieutenant Sambhaji Kavji Kondhalkar caught up and beheaded him. Popular retellings differ in detail, and some simply say that Shivaji killed him. Maratha tradition also holds that Afzal Khan struck first during the embrace, though the exact sequence rests on later chronicles. Afzal Khan was buried with honours at the foot of Pratapgad, where his tomb still stands.
Did Shivaji say sorry to Aurangzeb?
There is no single agreed answer. After Mirza Raja Jai Singh besieged Purandar, Shivaji signed the Treaty of Purandar in June 1665 and gave up forts, including Kondhana. In 1666 he travelled to Aurangzeb’s court at Agra, felt slighted, and left the court. He was then kept under watch and escaped in August 1666. Some accounts say that Shivaji wrote letters to Mughal authorities in the formal language of submission, asking for forgiveness and security. Some historians read these as genuine pleas for pardon. Others treat them as the standard courtly language of the time and as a tactic to buy time while he rebuilt his strength. The article you have just read offers one clue: Kondhana, ceded in 1665, was back in Maratha hands by 1670.
Why did the Marathas not save Sambhaji?
Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Shivaji’s son, was captured on 1 February 1689 at Sangameshwar in the Konkan. A Mughal force under Muqarrab Khan surprised him there, reportedly guided by informers including Ganoji Shirke, a relative by marriage. Sambhaji and about 25 of his officers were taken into the Mughal camp, where Aurangzeb was based, and he was executed on 11 March 1689 at Tulapur near Pune.
Several factors explain why no rescue succeeded. The capture was sudden and Sambhaji had only a small escort. The Maratha army had already been weakened by earlier fighting, and he was held inside a large, heavily guarded Mughal camp. One account says a rescue attempt was repelled. Later that year, Raigad itself came under Mughal pressure and fell, so the Maratha leadership was fighting for survival. Historians still debate some details of the capture, including how much of it was betrayal and how much was a failure of security.
