Kondana

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Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)
Map of Pune District

Kondana (कोंडाणा) was the ancient name of Sinhagad, a hill fortress located at around 36 km southwest of the city of Pune, India.

Variants

Origin

History

Some of the information available at this fort suggests that the fort could have been built 2000 years ago. The caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple stand as proofs for the same.

Previously known as Kondhana, the fort had been the site of many battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670. Perched on an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range in the Sahyadri Mountains, the fort is situated on a hill about 760 metres above ground and 1,312 metres above mean sea level.

The Sinhagad (Lion's Fort) was strategically built to provide natural protection due to its very steep slopes. The walls and bastions were constructed only at key places. There are two gates to enter the fort, the Kalyan Darwaja and Pune Darwaja which are positioned at the south east and north-east ends respectively.[1] The fort was also strategically located at the centre of a string of other Maratha occupied forts such as Rajgad Fort, Purandar Fort and Torna Fort.

The Sinhagad Fort was initially known as "Kondhana" after the sage Kaundinya. The Kaundinyeshwar temple coupled with the caves and carvings indicate that the fort had probably been built around two thousand years ago. It was seized by Muhammad bin Tughlaq from the Koli king Nag Naik in 1328 AD.[2][3]


Shahaji Bhosale, as the commander of Ibrahim Adil Shah I, was entrusted with the control of the Pune region. His son Shivaji, refused to accept the Adilshahi and initiated the task of setting up Swarajya. Shivaji gained control of Kondana in 1647 by convincing Siddi Amber, the Adilshahi Sardar who controlled the fort, that he, the son of Shahaji Bhosale, could manage the fort's defences optimally. Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande played a key role in this activity. Adil Shah jailed Siddi Amber for this treasonous act and schemed to get it back. He imprisoned Shahaji Bhosale for a concocted crime and informed Shivaji. In 1649, Adil Shah traded the fort for Shahaji's release. Shivaji Maharaj recaptured it in 1656 again with the help of Bapuji Mudgal Deshpande who convinced the Fort commander by giving land in the newly created Shivapur village and peacefully gained control of the fort.

This fort saw attacks by Mughals in 1662, 1663 and 1665. In 1664, "Shahistekhan", a Mughal general, tried to bribe the people of the fort to hand it over to him, but was unsuccessful.

Through the Treaty of Purandar, the fort passed into the hands of the Mughal army chief "Mirzaraje Jaysingh" in the year 1665.

In 1670, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj reconquered the fort for the third time and the fort came and stayed under the Maratha rule till 1689 A.D.

After the death of Sambhaji, the Mughals regained control of the fort. The Marathas headed by "Sardar Balkawade", recaptured it in 1693. Chhatrapati Rajaram took asylum in this fort during a Mogul raid on Satara but died in the Sinhagad Fort on 3 March, 1700 A.D.

In 1703, Aurangzeb conquered the fort. In 1706, it once again went into the hands of the Maratha's. Pantaji Shivdev of Sangola, Visaji Chafar and the Pant Pratinidhis played a key role in this battle. The fort remained under the Maratha rule till the year 1818, after which the British conquered it. The British however took 3 months to capture this fort, which was longest it took them to win any fort in Maharashtra.

One of the most famous battles on Sinhagad was fought by Tanaji Malusare, a Koli[4] general of Chhatrapati Shivaji of the Maratha Empire in order to recapture the fort on March 1670[5].

A steep cliff leading to the fort was scaled in the dead of the night with the help of a tamed monitor lizard named "Yashwanti", colloquially known as a ghorpad. Thereafter, A fierce battle ensued between Tanaji and his men versus the Mughal army headed by Udaybhan Singh Rathod, a Rajput sardar who had control of the fort. Tanaji Malusare lost his life, but his brother Suryaji took over and captured the Kondhana fort, now known as Sinhagad.[6]

There is an anecdote that upon hearing of Tanaji's death, Chhatrapati Shivaji expressed his remorse with the words, "Gad aala, pan Sinha gela" - "The Fort is conquered, but the Lion was lost".

According to some, the name Sinhagad predates this event. A bust of Tanaji Malusare was established on the fort in the memory of his contribution to the battle.[7]

Kondana Caves

The Kondana Caves are located in the small village of Kondana, 33 km north of Lonavala and 16 km northwest of Karla Caves. This cave group has 16 Buddhist caves. The caves were excavated in first century B.C. The construction on wooden pattern is notable. The cave only one inscription on the front of the Chaitya, which gives information about donors.[8]

One can reach the cave by descending from Rajmachi village.[9]

About 14 km from the Karjat station, on Central Railway, and at the base of the old hill fort of Rajmachi, is the Kondane group of caves, first brought to notice in the 19th century by Vishnu Sastri, and soon after visited by Mr. Law, then collector of Thana. They are in the face of a steep scarp, and quite hidden from view by the thick forest in front of them. Water trickles down over the face of the rock above them during a considerable part even of the dry season, and has greatly injured them. So much so indeed that it is now difficult to determine whether they or the caves at Bhaja Caves are the earliest. They must be nearly, if not quite contemporary, and as they must have taken some time to excavate, their dates may overlap to some extent. The Vihara at Kondane certainly looks more modern, while the Chaitya, which is very similar in plan and dimensions to that at Bhaja, is so much ruined that it is impossible now to decide which may have been first completed.[10]

कोंडाणा

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[11] ने लेख किया है ...कोंडाणा AS, p.228) महाराष्ट्र के प्रख्यात दुर्ग सिंहगढ़ का प्राचीन नाम है.

सिंहगढ़ दुर्ग

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[12] ने लेख किया है ...सिंहगढ़ (AS, p.961): यह प्रसिद्ध क़िला महाराष्ट्र के प्रख्यात दुर्गों में से एक था। यह पूना से लगभग 17 मील दूर नैऋत्य कोण में स्थित है और समुद्रतट से प्रायः 4300 फ़ुट ऊँची पहाड़ी पर बसा हुआ है। इसका पहला नाम कोंडाणा था जो सम्भवतः इसी नाम के निकटवर्ती ग्राम के कारण हुआ था। दन्तकथाओं के अनुसार यहाँ पर प्राचीन काल में 'कौंडिन्य' अथवा 'श्रृंगी ऋषि' का आश्रम था।

इतिहासकारों का विचार है कि महाराष्ट्र के यादवों या शिलाहार नरेशों में से किसी ने कोंडाणा के क़िले को बनवाया होगा। मुहम्मद तुग़लक़ के समय में यह 'नागनायक' नामक राजा [p.962]: के अधिकार में था। इसने तुग़लक़ का आठ मास तक सामना किया था। इसके पश्चात् अहमदनगर के संस्थापक मलिक अहमद का यहाँ पर क़ब्ज़ा रहा और तत्पश्चात् बीजापुर के सुल्तान का भी। छत्रपति शिवाजी ने इस क़िले को बीजापुर से छीन लिया था। शायस्ता ख़ाँ को परास्त करने की योजनाएँ शिवाजी ने इस क़िले में रहते हुए ही बनाई थीं और 1664 ई. में सूरत की लूट की पश्चात् वे यहीं पर आकर रहने लगे थे। अपने पिता शाहूजी की मृत्यु के पश्चात् उनका अन्तिम संस्कार भी यहीं पर किया गया था।

1665 ई. में राजा जयसिंह की मध्यस्थता द्वारा शिवाजी ने औरंगज़ेब से सन्धि करके यह क़िला मुग़ल सम्राट को कुछ अन्य क़िलों के साथ दे दिया पर औरंगज़ेब की धूर्तता के कारण यह सन्धि अधिक न चल सकी और शिवाजी ने अपने सभी क़िलों को वापस ले लेने की योजना बनाई। उनकी माता जीजाबाई ने भी कोंडाणा के क़िले को ले लेने के लिए शिवाजी को बहुत उत्साहित किया। 1670 ई. में शिवाजी के बाल मित्र माबला सरदार तानाजी मालुसरे अंधेरी रात में 300 माबालियों को लेकर क़िले पर चढ़ गए और उन्होंने उसे मुग़लों से छीन लिया। इस युद्ध में वे क़िले के संरक्षक उदयभानु राठौड़ के साथ लड़ते हुए वीरगति को प्राप्त हुए। मराठा सैनिकों ने अलाव जलाकर शिवाजी को विजय की सूचना दी। शिवाजी ने यहाँ पर पहुँचकर इसी अवसर पर यह प्रसिद्ध शब्द कहे थे कि गढ़आला सिंह गेला अर्थात 'गढ़ तो मिला किन्तु सिंह (तानाजी) चला गया।' उसी दिन से 'गोंडाणा' का नाम सिंहगढ़ हो गया।

विजय का वर्णन: सिंहगढ़ की विजय का वर्णन कविवर भूषण ने इस प्रकार किया है:-

"साहितनै सिवसाहि निसा में निसंक लियो गढ़ सिंह सोहानी,
राठिवरों को संहार भयौ,
लरि के सरदार गिरयो उदैभानौ,
भूषन यों घमसान भौ भूतल घेरत लोथिन मानों मसानौ,
ऊँचे सुछज्ज छटा उचटी प्रगटी परभा परभात की मानों।"

इस छन्द में शिवाजी को सूचना देने के लिए ऊँचे स्थानों पर बनी फूस की झोपड़ियों में आग लगा कर प्रकाश करने का भी वर्णन है।

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Sinhagad Fort". Archived from the original on 8 January 2008.
  2. ↑ Nagpur University Journal: humanities. Nagpur University. 1973.
  3. ↑ State), Bombay (India : (1885). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency ... Government Central Press.
  4. ↑ Hardiman, David (2007). Histories for the Subordinated. Seagull Books. ISBN 9781905422388.
  5. ↑ Gordon, Stewart (1993). The Marathas 1600-1818 (1. publ. ed.). New York: Cambridge University. p. 70. ISBN 9780521268837.
  6. ↑ Sudheer Birodkar. "Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the National Revival under the Marathas". hindubooks.org. Archived from the original on 30 September 2000.
  7. ↑ Verma, Amrit. Forts of India. New Delhi: The Director, Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. pp. 83–86. ISBN 81-230-1002-8.
  8. ↑ Ahir, D. C. (2003). Buddhist sites and shrines in India : history, art, and architecture (1. ed.). Delhi: Sri Satguru Publ. p. 197. ISBN 8170307740.
  9. ↑ Kapadia, Harish (2003). Trek the Sahyadris (5. ed.). New Delhi: Indus Publ. p. 122. ISBN 8173871515.
  10. ↑ Fergusson, James; Burgess, James (1880). The cave temples of India. London : Allen. pp. 220–222.
  11. ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.228
  12. ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.961-962
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