Pratapgarh Maharashtra
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Pratapgarh (प्रतापगढ) is a large fort located in Satara district of Maharashtra, India. It was the site of the Battle of Pratapgarh in in 1659.
Location
Pratapgad fort is located 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Poladpur and 23 kilometres (14 mi) west of Mahabaleshwar, a popular hill station in the area. The fort stands 1,080 metres (3,540 ft) above sea level[1] and is built on a spur which overlooks the road between the villages of Par and Kinesvar.
Variants
- Pratapgad (प्रतापगड)
- Pratapgarh Maharashtra (प्रतापगढ़, महाराष्ट्र)
- Pratapagarha (प्रतापगढ़), महाराष्ट्र (AS, p.580)
History
The Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji commissioned Moropant Trimbak Pingle, his prime minister, to undertake the construction of this fort in order to defend the banks of the Nira River and the Koyna Rivers, and to defend the Par pass. It was completed in 1656.[1] The Battle of Pratapgad between Shivaji and Afzal Khan was fought below the ramparts of this fort on 10 November 1659. This was the first major test of the fledgling kingdom's army, and set the stage of the establishment of the Maratha empire. Pratapgad continued to be involved in regional politics. Sakharam Bapu, a well-known minister of Pune, was confined by his rival Nana Phadnis in Pratapgad in 1778. He was later moved from fort to fort until he died at Raigad. In 1796, Nana Phadnis, while escaping from the intrigues of Daulatrao Shinde and his minister Baloba, assembled a strong garrison in Pratapgad before heading to Mahad.
In 1818, as part of the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Pratapgad surrendered by private negotiation. This was a great loss to the Maratha forces, as Pratapgad was an important stronghold, had a large garrison, and could suppress much of the country around Wai. A 17 feet high equestrian bronze statue of Shivaji was unveiled by Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, on 30 November 1957, the same year a road was constructed by the Public Works Department from Kumbhrosi village up to fort. A guest house and a national park were built inside the fort in 1960. The fort is currently owned by Udayanraje Bhosale, the heir to the former Satara princely state
प्रतापगढ़, महाराष्ट्र
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[2] ने लेख किया है .....प्रतापगढ़ (AS, p.580) महाराष्ट्र राज्य के महाबलेश्वर से बारह मील पश्चिम की ओर शिवाजी के कृत्यों से [p.581]: सम्बन्धित पहाड़ी स्थान है। शिवाजी बीजापुर रियासत के भेजे हुए हुए सरदार अफ़ज़ल ख़ाँ का इसी स्थान पर बघनख द्वारा वध किया था। यहाँ का दुर्ग समुद्रतल से 3543 फुट ऊँची पहाड़ी पर बना है। इसका निर्माण शिवाजी ने 1656 ई. में करवाया था। शिवाजी की अधिष्ठात्री देवी भवानी का मन्दिर यहाँ का प्रसिद्ध स्मारक है। अफ़ज़ल ख़ाँ का मक़बरा यही पर स्थित है, जिसमें उसका कटा हुआ सिर दफ़नाया गया था।