Subedar Tanaji Malusare was the military leader of the Maratha Empire led by Chhatrapati Shivaji. He is remembered for his role in the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670.
Wiki/Biography
Tanaji Malusare was born in 1600 (died 70 years old) in Godavli, Javali Taluka (Satara, Maharashtra, India).
family, caste and wife
Tanaji was born into a Maratha family. His father’s name was Sardar Kaloji and his mother’s name was Parvatibai. He has a brother – Sardar Suryaji. He married “Savitri Malusare” and their son was named Rayaba Malusare.
History of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Tanaji Malusare
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Tanaji Malusare were close friends and during their childhood they used to devise strategies to capture the fort. Later, Shivaji won many battles with the help of Tanaji, Baji Prabhu and thousands of Maratha warriors. Tanaji is remembered in history for the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670. Tanaji was preparing for his son’s wedding when Shivaji summoned him to fight. He left his son’s wedding and followed Shivaji. Tanaji fought heroically to his last breath and died in the battle. Shivaji was deeply affected by the death of his friend and at the time of his death he said:
‘Gad ala pan sinh gela’ This means “the fortress was taken, but the lion died.”
Sketch of Tanaji Malusare and Shivaji
Battle of Sinhagad 1670
In 1670, Tanaji was called to a meeting by Shivaji, where Shivaji told him that he must recapture Kondana Fort near Pune from the Mughals. It was a matter of honor for him. Tanaji replied that he would free the fort from the Mughals at any cost. The Mughal leader “Udaiban Rathore” who led 5000 Mughal soldiers to guard the fort was a Hindu but due to selfish motives he joined the Mughal army. The entire fort was guarded by the Mughals except the western part of the fort which was covered by tall rocks. Tanaji decided to invade the fort through this route, for which he took the help of a Bengal monitor lizard (Ghorpad) named “Yashwanti”. They tied a rope to a lizard and climbed up to the fort. With the help of 342 soldiers, he successfully entered the fortress.
Invasion of Kondana Fort with the help of Lizards
Picture depicting the invasion of Kondana Fort
Tanaji’s brother “Suryaji” moved with 300 Mavalas near the gate of Kalyan Darwaja fort. Tanaji and Udaiban fought fiercely and Udaiban broke Tanaji’s dar, but Tanaji tied a piece of cloth on his left hand for protection and continued fighting. Udayban deceived Tanaji and killed him. Suryaji and Shelar Mama (an old Sardar in his 70s) retreated here and killed Udaybhan. The Marathas succeeded in recapturing the fort from the Mughals.
Entrance to Sinhagad Fort
kandana fort
Picture depicting the battle between Udayban and Tanaji
Sculpture depicting conversation between Shivaji and Tanaji
die
He died in 1670 while fighting the Mughal leader Udaiban at Sinhagad Fort in Toptwadi.
Facts/Trivia
- After the capture of Kondana Fort, Chhatrapati Shivaji renamed the fort Sinhagad in honor of Tanaji.
- In memory of Tanaji, “Vakadwadi” in the city of Pune was renamed “Nalbir Tanajiwadi”.
- During the medieval period, the popular poet Tulsidas composed a poem “Powada” depicting Tanaji’s bravery.
- Vinayak Damodar Savarkar composed a ballad “Bajiprabhu” which depicts the story of Tanaji’s bravery.
- A book titled Garh Ala Pan Singh Galla was published in 1903.
- Today, Kandana Fort has become one of the best tourist places in Maharashtra.
- According to reports, the original monument of legendary warrior Tanaji Malusare was discovered at Sinhagad Fort during restoration work. Dr. Tejas Garchi, Director of the Maharashtra State Department of Archeology and Museums said,
The Tanaji Monument was built in the 1940s and consists of a base, a bronze statue and a concrete canopy. When we were restoring the Tanaji Monument we stumbled upon the original memorial stone beneath what is now the base. “
- In 1933, a Marathi film called “Sinhagad” was released in which actor “Shankarrao Bhosle” played the role of Tanaji.
- In 2019, the release date of Tanaji: The Unsung Warrior, based on Tanaji’s life, was announced. The film’s star cast includes: Ajay Devgan as Tanaji Malusare, Kajol as Tanaji’s wife, Sharad Kher Sharad Kelkar as Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Saif Ali Khan as Udaybhan, Jagapati ·Jagapathi Babu plays Shelaar Mama and Devdatta Nage plays Suryaji Malusare.
tanhaji unknown soldier
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education