Siege of Ponda (1675)
| Siege of Ponda | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||
| Belligerents | ||||||||||
| Maratha Kingdom | Bijapur Sultanate | Portuguese India | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||||
| Shivaji |
Bahlol Khan Ranmast Khan Muhammad Khan | None | ||||||||
| Strength | ||||||||||
|
2,000 Cavalry 7,000 Infantry | Unknown | None | ||||||||
The siege of Ponda took place during the summer of 1675 in the region around Ponda, Goa.
Ponda at that time, was under the Bijapur Sultanate for nearly two centuries, which was at odds with the neighboring Portuguese Empire in Goa and the newly emerging rebel force of the Marathas.
In his surprise attack on the west coast of India, the forces of the Maratha king Shivaji encircled the fortress of Ponda, held by Bijapur and stormed it in an all out open siege. According to legend, he commissioned 500 ladders for the this mission made 500 golden bracelets for the first climbers. A Bijapuri commander Bahlol Khan (alias Abdul Karim) started with a relief force but could not advance further than Miraj as the Marathas had blocked the ghat route by felling trees. The fortress' commander, Muhammad Khan, was one of the few to survive the massacre of the garrison.
The capture of Ponda resulted in the Maratha kingdom capturing some of the western parts of the Konkan region. Shivaji also appointed an agent, Umaji Pundit in the court of Rani Chellama of Keladi (Bednur), on her own request. She was harassed by her commander Timanna.