Dadoji was also incharge of the Kondana fort which belonged to Bijapur court. After the death of Dadoji, Bijapur court appointed Miyan Rahim Mahmood Khan as the new incharge commander of Kondana fort. It was not acceptable to young Shivaji. He wanted his saffron flag over that fort.
He asked his confidant, Bapuji Mudgal to capture the fort before the arrival of Mahmood Khan.
Bapuji decided upon a surprise attack to avoid casualties and the quick victory. With a force of chosen warriors he entered the fort stealthily and took the small band of guards by complete surprise. They were too frightened to put up a fight and meekly surrendered.
When the new appointed commander, Miyan Mahmood Khan arrived he was shocked to see the saffron flag fluttering over the fort. And up on the walls Swarajya soldiers were looking down at him menacingly. He developed cold feet and fled back to Bijapur to narrate the new situation.
Bijapur retaliates
When Bijapur Emperor heard about the fate of Kondana fort he became furious. Shivaji’s acts could no longer be tolerated or dismissed. He was becoming a big headache for the empire. To add fuel to the fire news came that Shivaji’s brother Shambaji was also making trouble for the empire in the south. He was doing exactly what Shivaji was doing in the west. Shambaji had rallied the Hindu kings of Karnataka region and was planning to create a Hindu empire with Bangalore city as its nucleus.
To make matters worse complaints also started filtering in that their father Shahaji was living like an emperor and that he was spending money on luxuries like water. The courtiers who hated Shahaji were having a field day in poisoning the ears of the emperor Shah Adil.
The Emperor called the meeting of his commanders and the problem was discussed. It was decided that the three culprits, sons and their father deserved to be taught an exemplary lesson by capturing them and putting them in prison. Accordingly the plans were made.
The task of dealing with Shahaji was entrusted to the minister Mustafa Khan. He was to be assisted by Baji Gorpade.
Commander, Farid Khan was given the task of capturing Shambaji who was in Bangalore fort with his army. His lieutenants were to be Tani Durray and Vittal Gopal. They were to raid Bangalore fort to nab the elder son of Shahaji.
The task of capturing Shivaji fell upon commanders Fateh Khan, Sharof Shah, Balaji Haivatrao Baji Naik and Matro Raj Gatge.
On 24th July 1648 Mustafa Khan called the meeting of his commanders to plan the attack. Then Shahaji was camping outside Bangalore with his soldiers. It was decided to storm the camp. The informers of Shahaji alerted him that Mustafa Khan was hatching some sinister plan against him. Shahaji could not believe it as Mustafa Khan had met him and made a peace offer. He thought that the matter had been sorted out and the misunderstanding removed. He was unaware that the meeting with him was the part of the trick. Infact, Mustafa Khan had planned a nightly surprise attack on Shahaji’s camp.
Just before dawn, according to the plan a large group a heavily armed soldiers rushed towards the camp of Shahaji at Mustafa Khan’s signal. Shahaji was sleeping peacefully and soundly. He woke up to the sounds of foot steps and clankings of armour. Suddenly, he realised that he had been betrayed. He shouted to his soldiers to wake up and fight back. But it was too late. Shahaji and his soldiers were caught completely by surprise. The attack was cleverly planned and carried out.
Shahaji fell down injured as the enemy shadows attacked. Baji Gorpade quickly bound him in chains and he was taken prisoner.
The news of the capture of Shahaji dismayed his sons. That put them in deep anguish. Meanwhile Farid Khan launched an attack on Bangalore fort but Shambaji and his army beat him back. The defeated Farid Khan and his army fled. On the other front Bijapur’s army and their chosen commanders went after Shivaji to capture him. Shivaji’s army quickly counter attacked and outwitted the enemy. Fateh Khan and his army fell back and failed in their mission.
On this front, a bitter battle was fought for Subhan Mangal Fort. It was a small fort but its importance increased as the renowned warrior of Bijapur, Balaji Haivatrao was holed in it. He had dug in and fortified himself when he had to fall back in the face of the fury of Shivaji’s soldiers.
Shivaji was a great war strategist and fought battles with his mind. Foolhardy wars were not favoured by him. He believed in guerilla warfare. Surprise attack and quick retreat were his tricks. Remaining entrenched in inacessible mountains was his best defence. Infact, these very tactics are followed by modern armies.
Shivaji remained entrenched in Purander fort and ordered his valiant commander Kawji to seize the Subhan Mangal fort.
His order of the day was, “Brave soldiers of Swarajya! Shah Adil of Bijapur used a foul trick to capture our father Shahaji in hope that by using him as hostage it would be able to make us their puppets and our Swarajya would vanish like a dream. They have challenged our honour and our very right to live. I grieve for my father’s incarceration but I refuse to surrender. We must fight for our pride and honour. We shall fight the enemy with all our might. The traitors like Balaji Haivatrao who has sold his soul to the foreign invaders deserve to be taught a lesson. He hides in the Subhan Mangal Fort like a rat. We must show that freedom loving natives have become cats who would tear the likes of him to pieces. My friend and valiant soldier here, Kawji will do it. I pray for his glorious victory.”
The soldiers hailed Shivaji lustily and Kawji took a vow to vanquish the enemy and make Subhan Mangal Fort an asset of Swarajya. Shivaji wished him success and applied Vijay tilak on his forehead.
The army under Kawji set out on the difficult mission. He laid a seize to the fort. Balaji Haivatrao was surprised to see the audacity of the small enemy that was challenging the might of a great empire whose army was camped in the fort. For him it was a suicidal act.
But Kawji had other ideas. He had come to wage a do or die battle. He challenged Haivatrao to come out of the fort and fight like a man. But Balaji Haivatrao chose to stay holed inside where he was safe and held upperhand. He had no reason to expose himself.
Kawji’s soldiers launched an attack inspite of being smaller in numbers. Balaji had a large army camping inside the fort. But Shivaji’s men were highly motivated and itching to prove a point to the hirelings of the Bijapur empire. The defenders of the fort were raining arrows at the advancing attackers. Kawji egged on his soldiers and they managed to cross the moat and reach the fort walls braving the arrows and the other missiles namely, stones, boulders, logs, heavy objects down the walls. They were attacking the wall furiously with implements to breach it as heavy things kept raining down. At last they succeeded in breaking the wall and creating an opening. The attackers entered the fort through that hole to be confronted by defenders in large numbers. They suffered heavy casualties.
Just then, another group of attackers managed to breach the other wall of the fort. Soldiers poured in led by raging Kawji yelling their favourite war cry ‘Har Har Mahadev!’, Kawji was accompanied by renowned warriors Shivaji Ingle, Bheemaji Bagh and Gatge. All of them were rattling their swords menacingly. This group of soldiers fought so fiercely as if they were fighting the last battle of their lives. The defenders were getting butchered like lambs. They fell back.
It infuriated Balalji Haivatrao. He too was a famed warrior. He jumped into the fray like wounded tiger holding swords in both hands. The sight of Balaji Haivatrao, the prized enemy target sent Kawji’s blood rushing to his head. In a frenzied move he launched his spear at the enemy. The spear went through Balaji’s chest and he collapsed with a horrible groan. That demoralised his remaining soldiers and they surrendered accepting the defeat.
Amid the thunderous cries of ‘Jai Bhavani’ the saffron flag of Swarajya went up on the fort.
