New History of the Marathas v1.c10.30

v1.c10.30

Kartalb Khan left Poona in January 1661 and descended the western Ghats by what was known as Umbar-Khind at the foot of fort Lohgad, a little to the south of the present railway station of Lonavla, a difficult passage as the railway route itself shows by running through so many tunnels. The pass of Umbar-Khind was extremely narrow and about 8 miles in length, but more than 15 miles from the eastern plain to the western, and hardly allowed more than two men walking abreast. The path is steep and narrow and runs through a barren waterless tract with huge precipices on the two sides. Shivaji had studied the intricacies of the passage and being well informed by efficient spies, he tried to encompass the complete ruin of Kartalb’s forces. His well trained parties of infantry remained hidden in secret recesses, ready to pounce upon the enemy at the given signal. The Mughals unsuspecting any untoward trouble, leisurely descended through the narrow pass in evident glee, encumbered with baggage, guns and ammunition. As soon as the whole force had been practically entrapped in the narrow defiles, the two entrances above and below came to be suddenly closed by Shivaji’s men, so that the Mughals could neither turn back nor proceed on : and missiles of stone and bullets began to fall upon them from the adjoining rocks. Kartalb Khan found no way out, his men were dying of suffocation and thirst, so that he begged the Rai Bagan to intercede with Shivaji. The Marathā exacted a heavy fine and lo ! in a moment the path was left clear, so that the Mughals could wend their way back to Poona in utter discomfiture. Parmānand has described this episode of Umbar-Khind with graceful eloquence.¹