Shivaji and His Times c9.s2.26

c9.s2.26

In the pitch dark night of 6th March, 1673, Kondaji arrived at the foot of Panhala, and taking sixty picked Mavles with him, silently scaled the steep hill-side, every man helping his next comrade up by the hand. On reaching the summit, they suddenly blew their trumpets from different sides and charged through the fort. The surprise was complete. The wildest confusion and alarm reigned among the garrison, which was heightened by the drums beating to arms and the hastily roused soldiers running hither and thither. A confused hand to hand fighting raged for the rest of the night. Kondaji himself attacked and slew the commandant of the fort. The chief civil officer or Paymaster Nagoji Pandit fled away with his bare life. The other Maratha troops swarmed into the fort, the day dawned, and the whole place was soon occupied by the victors, who seized the local officials and beat them to discover the hidden treasure in their own houses and the Government offices.