Tanaji Malusare

Tanaji Kaloji Malusare or Subedar Tanaji Malusare was a military commander of the Maratha kingdom and a companion of Shivaji. A local poet Tulsidas, wrote a powada describing Subhedar Tanhaji's heroics and sacrifice of life in the Battle of Sinhagad, which has since made him a popular figure in Indian folklore.

Background
According to the historian David Hardiman, Kolis were the early helpers of Shivaji Maharaj in a revolt. Tanhaji Malusare is one such prominent example of a Koli whose name is memorizalized due to his act of capturing the fort of Singhad and handing it to Shivaji. Tanhaji's father's name was Kaloji Malusare.

Military career
Early military career

According to many historians including Jadunath Sarkar, Tanaji was involved in the capture of Torna fort or Battle of Torna (1646). In 1646, Shivaji sent his captains Netaji Palkar, Yesaji Kank and Tanaji Malusare to capture the fort of Torna taking advantage of the illness of the Adil Shahi Sultan, Mohammad Adil Shah.

As an official Army Officer

Tanaji was with Shivaji Maharaj around the time when he took his pledge at Rayareshwar temple to establish a sovereign kingdom. He was the commander of Maratha troops in the Battle of Jawali and also in the Battle of Pratapgarh, where Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan.

Last Battle and Death

Shivaji following his reconquest, he sent Maratha forces under the command of Tanaji Malusare to recapture the fort of Sinhagad (then,Kondhana fort) at the night of 4 February 1670. He was martyred in the battle but However, the Marathas recaptured the fort.

In popular culture



 * Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had written a ballad on him, which was banned by the colonial British government.
 * Gad aala pan sinh gela (Marathi: गड आला पण सिंह गेला) a Marathi novel by Hari Narayan Apte was written in 1903, based on his life.
 * In 1922 Bengali poet Jatindramohan Bagchi wrote a poem named Singhagarh stating the heroic death of Tanaji Malusare while recapturing the fort.
 * Sinhagad, a 1933 Marathi film was produced by Baburao Painter, based on the 1903 novel.
 * Bengali writer Saradindu Bandyopadhyay wrote the Sadashib series where the younger version of Tanhaji was mentioned as a close associate of Shivaji.
 * In 1971 Amar Chitra Katha released a comic book called Tanhaji, written by Meena Talim and illustrated by Vasant B. Halbe.
 * Tanhaji's character is portrayed by an actor in Raja Shivchatrapati serial of Star Pravah.
 * In the 2018 Marathi-language epic Farzand, Tanhaji Malusare is portrayed by Ganesh Yadav.
 * In the 2019 Marathi-language epic Fatteshikast, Tanhaji Malusare is portrayed by Ajay Purkar.
 * Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn produced and played the role of Tanhaji Malusare in Tanhaji. It was based on the Battle of Kondhana, Tanhaji film theatrically released on 10 January 2020. It was a box-office hit.
 * In the 2023 Marathi-language epic Subhedar, Tanhaji Malusare is portrayed by Ajay Purkar.