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Shivaji and His Times c8.s20: §14. Death of Murar Baji Prabhu

Shivaji and His Times c8.s20

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§14. Death of Murar Baji Prabhu

c8.s20.1

Taking seven hundred select men with himself, Murar Baji made a sortie on Dilir Khan, who was trying to climb the hill with 5,000 Afghans and some more troops of other races. The Marathas dashed forward, mingled with the enemy on all sides, and there was severe fighting at close quarters. Murar Baji with his Mavles slew 500 Pathans besides many *Bahlia* infantrymen, and at the head of sixty desperate followers cut his way to Dilir's camp.

c8.s20.2

∗ Alamgir-namah, 903, says that the fort had 4,000 combatants left in it at capitulation. Therefore Sabhasad's figure of 2,000 for the original garrison is wrong.

c8.s20.3

His comrades were slain by the overwhelming body of the Mughals, but Murar Baji rushed straight on towards Dilir. The Khan, in admiration of his matchless courage, called upon him to yield and promised him his life and a high post under him. Murar indignantly refused, and was going to strike at Dilir when the latter shot him down with an arrow. Three hundred Mavles fell with him, and the rest retreated to the fort. But the garrison, with a courage worthy of the mother of Brasidas the Spartan, continued the struggle, undismayed by their leader's fall and saying, "What though one man Murar Baji is dead? We are as brave as he, and we shall fight with the same courage!" (Sabh. 43-44; *T. S.*)

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