Question

On 5 April 1663, Shivaji Maharaj raided Lal Mahal at night with a select band of soldiers . In this raid , Shaistakhan lost his ____
A. Head
B. Hand
C. Fingers
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: We will first discuss the Shivaji Maharaja and then about his army. Chhatrapati Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha Empire. It was a powerful Empire and reasons for several problems to British and Mughals. In 1674 ,the Shivaji formerly crowned as chhatrapati at Raigad. He had a large army to counter his enemies.

Complete answer:
Shivaji engaged in Mughal Empire, Sultanate of Golconda and Sultanate of Bijapur. His dynasty is the major problem for both the hostilities and alliances of Sultanates and Mughals. He established the powerful kingdom of Maratha Kingdom with his military.
Let us discuss the Military of Shivaji Maharaj . Chhatrapati Shivaji introduced the guerrilla warfare strategy. He also had another name called “Mountain rat “by Aurangzeb. He and his generals followed the guerrilla tactics of attacking enemy forces and then the retreat into the mountain forts. Mountain forts played a major role in their military operations. It provided a geographical advantage to his military. He captured several important hill forts and also refurbished and repaired many forts which were located in the strategic location. He had naval power also. He was aware about the requirement of naval power in the Konkan coast. His fleet consists of more than 400 ships to counter the British. But the British ships never exceeded the number of 160 . He bought several ships from Portuguese and maintained several forts at the coast line. He converted low caste coastal people into sailors who were experienced in the field. His army was divided into two categories: infantry and cavalry. His artillery was reliant to European. Infantry supported the cavalry. On 5 April 1663, Shivaji launched a surprise attack on Shaista Khan in Pune at Lal Mahal, at night along with a small group of chosen men. He and his men killed some of Shaista Khan’s wives but Shaista Khan escaped with a loss in finger to the melee of Shivaji. Shaista Khan was the uncle of Aurangzeb.
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: Shivaji was a well-known warrior and exemplar for ethics and character. Though he was not liked by Mughal Empire, he was recognized as a national hero during the Indian Independence Movement. He was considered as proto-nationalist and a hero for the Hindus.