Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior

In 1647, young Tanhaji Malusare is trained in swordsmanship by his father, Kaloji Malusare, who is later killed during a Mughal raid on their village of Umrat. Seventeen years later, in 1664, Tanhaji, now a military commander in the service of Shivaji Maharaj, leads forces alongside his younger brother Suryaji in defeating a Mughal cavalry detachment.

In 1665, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb dispatches his uncle, the Maharaja of Amber Jai Singh I, to check Shivaji’s territorial expansion in the Deccan Plateau. Following the Battle of Purandar, Shivaji is compelled to cede control of 23 forts to the Mughal Empire, including the strategic Kondhana Fort. Subsequently, the Mughal general Beshak Khan insults Shivaji’s mother, Jijabai, who vows to remain barefoot until Kondhana is recaptured.

By 1670, Shivaji’s spies report Aurangzeb’s plan to place Kondhana under the command of Rajput general Udaybhan Rathod, who will use it as a base for Mughal advances in southern India. Udaybhan is transporting a massive cannon, ‘‘Naagin’’, intended to target Maratha positions. Shivaji formulates a plan to retake Kondhana but withholds the details from Tanhaji, whose son Rayba’s wedding is imminent. During the Holi festival, Tanhaji visits Rajgad Fort to invite Shivaji and Jijabai to the wedding. However, Maratha noble Chandraji Pisal, secretly allied with Udaybhan, informs Tanhaji of the planned campaign in an attempt to draw him into a trap. Tanhaji insists on leading the mission, postponing his son’s wedding despite Shivaji’s initial reluctance.

Pisal warns Udaybhan of the Maratha strategy. Using this intelligence, Udaybhan deceives Tanhaji into attacking Maratha soldiers disguised as Mughals. Udaybhan reaches Kondhana unopposed, positions ‘‘Naagin’’ toward Rajgad, and reinforces the fort’s defenses. Tanhaji infiltrates Kondhana through a concealed passage and rallies local villagers to resist Mughal control. During Shivratri celebrations, he kills Pisal’s nephew Chultya for treachery but is captured and tortured by Udaybhan. Jagat Singh, Udaybhan’s subordinate and the brother of captive Kamal Devi, secretly frees Tanhaji and informs him of Udaybhan’s intention to marry Kamal Devi by force. Tanhaji vows to rescue her and reclaim Kondhana.

On the night of 4 February 1670, coinciding with Ashtami, Tanhaji leads a surprise assault on Kondhana. His forces scale the fort’s steep walls and engage the Mughal garrison in fierce combat. Amid the chaos, Jagat Singh and Kamal Devi escape. As Udaybhan prepares to fire ‘‘Naagin’’ at Rajgad, Tanhaji intercepts him. In the ensuing duel, Tanhaji loses an arm but kills Udaybhan, pushing him and the cannon over a cliff. Mortally wounded, Tanhaji plants the Bhagwa Dhwaj on Kondhana before succumbing to his injuries.

When Shivaji arrives, the fort is back under Maratha control. Mourning his fallen commander, Shivaji remarks, “’‘Gad aala, pan sinh gela’’” (“The fort has been captured, but the lion is lost”). Shivaji personally oversees Rayba’s wedding, while Savitribai, Tanhaji’s widow, fulfills her promise to dress as a bride in private as she awaits his return. Aurangzeb’s plan to consolidate Mughal control in southern India is delayed for another eighteen years until he personally campaigns in the Deccan.