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Tanaji held the rope tight and climbed up and up till he reached the ramparts. The
soldiers followed him. Within minutes they were at the top.

Tanaji whispered, ‘There must be a number of guards posted on the ramparts. Take them
unawares and silence them. They should not be allowed to sound the alarm. We’ll get
down and attack the soldiers inside the fort. Let’s go.’

The men stormed the fort and overpowered the guards in no time. Shouting Jai Bhatoani ,
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they rushed into the fort. The Mughal soldiers offered stiff resistance and a fierce hand-to-
hand fight ensued.

One of the Mughal soldiers quietly slipped out and
rushed to inform Udai Singh.

‘The Marathas have entered my fort? But how?’
cried Udai Singh.

He sprang from his bed and hurried to the next
apartment. ‘Wake up, my sons. Tell the mahout
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to get Chandrawati. She’ll crush the Marathas in

no time.’

Udai Singh’s sons joined in the battle and the
mahout sent Chandrawati charging into the fray.
The Marathas fought bravely. The casualties
were heavy. Among the first to perish were Udai
Singh’s three sons and Chandrawati, the elephant.

Tanaji went looking for Udai Singh.

Udai Singh had by then heard of his sons’ death. He rushed
into the melee. ‘Tanaji, you have a lot to answer for. You can’t escape me.’

‘That we’ll see,’ cried Tanaji. With drawn swords, they closed in.

Both were brilliant swordsmen. The battle raged fiercely round them. The attackers had
got the better of the defenders. In a strategic move, a section of the Maratha soldiers had
thrown open the Kalyan Gate. rampart: a defensive wall of a castle

Tanaji and Udai Singh were locked in a life and ensued: happened or occurred afterwards or as
a result
death struggle. Both were tired and bleeding casualties: people killed or injured in a war or
profusely. accident
melee: a confused struggle
Udai Singh made a gallant effort and plunged his raged: felt or expressed uncontrollable anger
fiercely: in a violent or forceful way
sword into Tanaji’s chest. Tanaji stumbled and fell. profusely: in large amounts
Quite unexpectedly he sprang up and inflicted a gallant: brave, heroic
inflicted: caused (something unpleasant or
7 a goddess painful) to be suffered by someone or something
8 elephant-driver
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