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Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follows: The chronicles of seventeenth-century India often revolve around the tug-of-war between the Mughal Empire and emerging regional powers. Yet the capture of Kondhana fort in 1670 reveals how the destiny of campaigns may hinge not upon emperors, but upon the will of a single commander. Tanaji Malusare, born in the rugged hills of Maharashtra and seasoned in guerrilla warfare under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was neither the wealthiest nor the most celebrated of Maratha sardars. What distinguished him was a fierce blend of loyalty and daring that transformed a seemingly impossible task into an enduring legend. Kondhana, overlooking Pune, was not merely a fort of stone; it was the key to securing Maratha heartland. Guarded by Udaybhan Rathod, a Rajput officer loyal to the Mughals, its cliffs were thought impregnable. Any assault was judged suicidal. When Shivaji deliberated upon who might risk the attempt, Tanaji—despite being preoccupied with his son's wedding—volunteered with the now-immortal words: 'First my duty, then my family.' Such prioritization of sovereignty over self would later become a parable of civic sacrifice. On a moonless night, Tanaji and a few hundred men approached Kondhana. Scaling its steep walls with the aid of ropes and monitor lizards trained for grip, the Marathas gained a precarious entry. What followed was not a skirmish but a maelstrom—steel against steel, cries echoing in the torchlit darkness, and Tanaji duelling Udaybhan in combat that epitomized ferocity. Though Tanaji fell mortally wounded, his troops, inflamed by his martyrdom, pressed on until the Mughal garrison was subdued. The aftermath was paradoxical—victory alloyed with grief. Shivaji is said to have lamented: 'The fort is won, but the lion is lost.' To enshrine that sacrifice, Kondhana was renamed Sinhagad—Fort of the Lion. Yet the legacy extended beyond nomenclature. Folk ballads, Powadas, and oral traditions preserved Tanaji's defiance as a moral compass, teaching generations that empires are upheld not only by rulers but by the anonymous courage of those who wager everything upon honour. In Tanaji's saga, historians find more than an episode of war. They find the anatomy of loyalty: a man who exchanged the certainty of family celebration for the uncertainty of battle; a warrior whose defeat in life translated into triumph for his people; and a reminder that history often advances not through numbers, but through the incandescent bravery of the few. What is the tone of the passage?
- 1Triumphant and celebratory
- 2Satirical and mocking
- 3Reverential and commemorative✓
- 4Indifferent and detached
Correct answer
Reverential and commemorative
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