Question

Battle of Pavan Khind took place in
A)1660
B)1662
C)1664
D)1668

Answer 1

Hint: In the vicinity of fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha Warrior Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Siddi Masud of Adilshahi Sultanate the Battle of Pävankhind took place.

Complete answer:
Between Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Mughals, the Battle of Pavan Khind was fought in 1660. Mughals were fully prepared after Maratha’s easy victory in the first two battles. To address the rising power of Shivaji, the Mughals formed an alliance with Adilshah. The engagement ended with the destruction of the Maratha forces, and a tactical victory for the Bijapur Sultanate, but failing to achieve a strategic victory.

Under siege and vastly outnumbered by an Adilshahi army led by an Abyssinian named Siddi Masud in 1660, the Maratha King Shivaji was trapped in the fort of Panhala. The Adilshahis were the invaders which ruled Bijapur for a few years.
 The ruler at the time was Ali Adil Shah II. Adilshahi, having suffered several defeats from Shivaji, and even though they were at odds with Mughals, had aligned with the Mughals to temper Shivaji's ambition. Baji Prabhu Deshpande managed to engage a large Adilshahi army with 300 soldiers, while Shivaji managed to escape the siege.

Administered by a Maratha chieftain named Range Narayan Orpe under Shivaji, Shivaji planned to escape to the fort of Vishalgad. Two Maratha sardars of the Adilshahi Commander Siddi Jouhar namely Suryarao Surve and Jaswantrao Dalvi had also encircled the fort of Vishalgad simultaneously.

Shivaji waited for months, planning and depleting the Adilshah's food source. He waited until he reckoned that they needed to gather more food and then started his plan. Shivaji, Baji Prabhu, and around 600 of their best troops, hardened mountaineers of the Maval region, would dash through the Adilshahi force at night.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A)

Note: Shivaji made his escape on the dark night of 13 July, with his contingent of troops. Baji Prabhu was second in command of this contingent. The Adil Shahis gave hot and rapid pursuit, with an army of 10,000. It was clear that there was no way to shake off the enemy, and that the Marathas would not simultaneously prevail over both the Moghul garrison at Vishalgad and the chasing Adilshahi army.