Battle of Pavan Khind

Battle of Päwan Khind
Part of the Imperial Maratha Conquests
Shivaji and Baji Prabhu at Pawan Khind
Date July 13, 1660 Location Pävan Khind, Vishalgad, Maharashtra, India Result Shivaji victory
Belligerents
Maratha Empire	Bijapur Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Baji Prabhu Deshpande †	Sidi Masud Sidi Johar
Strength
300	10,000
Casualties and losses
200+	1,400+

Battle of Pävankhind was a rearguard battle and a last stand that took place on July 13, 1660 at a mountain pass in the vicinity of fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha sardar Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Siddi Masud of Adilshah.

In 1660, Shivaji was trapped in the fort of Panhala, under siege and vastly outnumbered by an Adilshahi army led by an Abyssinian named Siddi Masud. The Adilshahis were the dynasty which ruled Bijapur for many centuries. The ruler at the time was Ali Adil Shah II.

Shivaji had inflicted embarrassing defeats upon the Adilshahis, and they were determined to crush him. The Adilshahis were often at odds with the Moghuls, but in this case they were aligned with the Moghuls with the joint purpose of crushing the overly audacious and crafty Shivaji.

An ambitious plan was hatched by Shivaji to escape to the fort of Vishalgadh, which was administered by a Maratha chieftain named Range Narayan Orpe, who was under allegiance to the Adilshahis, but who had come to a clandestine arrangement to switch sides and join Shivaji at an opportune moment. There was also a Moghul garrison stationed at Vishalgadh which Shivaji would have to defeat. Shivaji waited for months, planning and depleting the Adilshah's food source. He waited until he knew they needed to gather more food, and then started his plan.

Shivaji, Baji Prabhu and around 600 of their best troops, hardened mountaineers of the Maval region, would dash through the Adilshahi force at night. A man named Shiva Kashid, who resembled Shivaji in appearance, had volunteered to dress like the king and get captured. It was envisaged that this would buy some additional time, before Siddi Masud realised the error an gave chase.

Shivaji made his escape on the dark night of July 13, with the small contingent of troops. Baji Prabhu was second in command of the contingent. Baji Prabhu would have perhaps won no place in history and ended his life in relative obscurity if Shivaji and his party had managed a good lead towards their destination. But the Adilshahis gave hot and rapid pursuit, with an army of 10,000. It was clear that there was no way to shake of the enemy, and that the Marathas would not simultaneously prevail over both the Moghul garrison at Vishagadh and the chasing Adilshahi army.

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Wikipedia