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| PRATAPGAD |
Pratapgad is at a distance of 21 km from Mahabaleshwar to Mahad road. On 10th November, 1659, this fort was built. The biggest battle took place between Shivaji Maharaj and Afzal Khan, so this fort has gained a unique general significance. This fort was established by Shivaji Maharaj in the year 1656. The fort is located at an altitude of about 3543 feet above sea level. Ch. Shivaji Maharaj had established the temple of 'Tulja-Bhavani' mother at this place. Hundreds of kilometers of Konkan area can be seen from this fort. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj! Even if only his name is mentioned, every Marathi man has a feeling of pride and excitement in his mind. Maharaj is the true deity of the whole of Maharashtra, the Hindu man! Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, created by Rajmata Jijau, performed many feats in his vertical life. The story of his prowess is still told to children at home. One of them is Shiv Pratap Din, the day that tells the story of greatness! This day, which tells the story of Maharaj's incredible bravery, is celebrated every year at Pratapgad. We celebrate the day when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed the cruel Afzal Khan at the foot of Pratapgad as Shiv Pratap Day. It is rare to find a Marathi man who does not know the battle of Pratapgad! This is a very important battle in the history of Maharashtra. One of the most exciting moments in history is the assassination of Afzal Khan. In the south, Adilshah had run a little to the ground. As there was no way to stop the Maharajah, Adilshah's mother Buddy Begum finally appealed to the Bhar Darbar of Bijapur that whoever brought Shivaji Maharaj captive would be given a big reward. He was a cruel, cunning Afzal Khan! It was not easy to defeat him. He was a great warrior of Adilshahi and was well versed in all tactics. In order to take care of Shivaji Maharaj, Afzal Khan left Bijapur with a large army in 1659. In Afzal Khan's army, Siddi Hilal, Musakhan, Amber Khan, Yakut Khan, Prataprao More and Pilaji Mohite were the mighty warriors. There were also soldiers with guns.
As he went from floor to floor, he demolished many temples according to Islamic custom. Shivaji Maharaj, on hearing the news of Khan's arrival, shifted his stay from Rajgad to Pratapgad in the remote dense forest. Afzal Khan demolished the Bhavani temple at Tuljapur and then diverted his cash to the temple at Pandharpur, the deity of Maharashtra.
But the maharaja took a defensive stance by playing guerrilla kava. Khan shook hands with Siddi of Janjira and also strengthened his grip on the Konkan side. Khan slowly moved on and stopped at Wai. He was well acquainted with the region as he was formerly the Subhedar of Wai. From this point on, it would be easier for him to play, so he stayed with Wai. Khana wanted to kill Shivaji Mahar even before the war. Maharaj was of the opinion that tactics were better than power. Moreover, as there would have been losses in the war, Maharaj sent his envoys to Khan and showed him that he was scared.
We are scared and we don't want to fight, we want to make a pact or compromise. The messenger informed Khan. Khan called Maharaj to meet Wai. But the Maharaja refused to go to Wise because there was a strong possibility of an assassination. So Maharaj pretended that he was very scared and asked Khan to visit the foothills of Pratapgad. Khan agreed to meet at the foot of Pratapgad. During the meeting, it was decided that neither side would use any weapon. It was decided that each party would have 10 bodyguards and one of them would stay outside the tent and the other bodyguards would stay long.
The date of the visit was 10th November 1659. On the day of the visit, Afzal Khan came to Shamiana before the time of the visit. Shivaji Maharaj had deliberately made a very grand and beautiful shamiana. Although Khan had decided to betray him unarmed, he hid Bichwa under his tunic as he had decided to betray him. After Maharaj came to Shamiana, Afzal Khan invited Maharaj to give him a hug. As soon as Dhippad Afzal Khan hugged Maharaj, he pressed his arm and attacked Maharaj.
But as he was wearing armor, he was not harmed and as Khan betrayed him, Maharaj took out the tiger and stabbed Khan in the stomach and took out his sack. So his bodyguards became alert. A battle broke out between the other bodyguards and the Maharaja's bodyguards. Sayyid Banda attacked Maharaj but Jiva Mahal caught him and cleared the way for Maharaj.
Maharaj sent his head to Jijau as a gift. The Maharaja immediately returned to the fort and ordered the artillery to attack Afzal Khan's army. The troops of the Maharaja were already encamped in the dense forest of Pratapgad. As soon as they heard the sound of gunfire, they attacked Afzal Khan's army. Khan's army was unconscious. Kanhoji Jedhe attacked the gunmen. Musakhan fled. Afzal Khan's army was in turmoil. About 5,000 soldiers were killed and 3,000 captured as prisoners of war and Adilshahi's army was severely defeated. But Maharaj's army did not oppress anyone. This was the big difference between Marathas and others.
This is the heroic story of Maharaj in whose memory Shiv Pratap Day is celebrated.
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