4 February in military history: Battle of Sinhagad, 1670

Quick answer

On a dark night in early 1670, traditionally dated 4 February, Tanaji Malusare, a captain of the Maratha king Shivaji, led a rope-ladder assault on Kondhana, a Mughal-held hill fort near Pune. Tanaji and the Rajput commander Udaybhan killed each other, but his brother Suryaji rallied the attackers and took the fort, renamed Sinhagad.

Battle of Sinhagad, 1670: the night the lion fell

4 February 1670 · 356 years ago

Tanaji Malusare, one of Shivaji's oldest captains, led a night escalade of the Mughal-held hill fort of Kondhana near Pune. He and the Rajput commander Udaybhan were both killed, but his brother Suryaji rallied the attackers and took the fort.

Read the full story of Battle of Sinhagad, 1670: the night the lion fell ›

Battle of Makassar Strait, 1942: Doorman's cruisers under the bombers

4 February 1942 · 84 years ago

An ABDA fleet under Karel Doorman sailed to stop a Japanese invasion convoy in the Dutch East Indies early in the Pacific War. Japanese bombers damaged two cruisers and forced the fleet to turn back, leaving the Makassar Strait to Japan.

Read the full story of Battle of Makassar Strait, 1942: Doorman's cruisers under the bombers ›

Also on this day

Battle of Rawa

4 February 1863 · 163 years ago

Polish insurgents of the January Uprising led by Antoni Jeziorański, with Aleksander and Franciszek Sokołowski, attacked the Russian garrison in Rawa Mazowiecka. They took the barracks along with weapons and prisoners, while the remaining Russians fell back toward Skierniewice.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Battle of Sinhagad?

Shivaji's Marathas. Tanaji Malusare's men took the Mughal-held fort of Kondhana in a night attack early in 1670, although Tanaji himself was killed.

When was the Battle of Sinhagad?

It is traditionally dated to the night of 4 February 1670. The Bombay Gazetteer puts it in February 1670, on the ninth night of the dark half of Magh, while Jadunath Sarkar dated it to late January 1670.

Why is it called Sinhagad?

Sinhagad means the lion's fort. Shivaji is said to have mourned Tanaji with the words that he had gained a fort but lost a lion, and the fort of Kondhana became known by that name.

How many died at Sinhagad?

No reliable count exists. Sabhasad's chronicle claims 1,200 Rajputs killed, while the Bombay Gazetteer gives 300 Marathas and 500 Rajputs killed or disabled. Both commanders died.