Western Ghats

The hills south of Pune include Purandar, a fortified height guarding approaches across the western Deccan. Steep slopes and neighbouring peaks made the mountain a defensible position, while passes linked the plateau with the Konkan. In 1665 a Mughal army besieged Purandar and took the adjacent stronghold of Rudramal. Shivaji negotiated a treaty with the Mughal commander Jai Singh and surrendered a number of forts, including Purandar. Its mountain defences remained central to the struggles of the Marathas and their rivals.