Raintree 6: Unit 5 To the Memory of a Lion

 Raintree Coursebook 6

Unit 5 To the Memory of a Lion

Tanaji Malusare was Shivaji’s childhood friend and companion at arms. He was a very brave and

daring man and Shivaji proudly called him his Simha or Lion. In this story, Tanaji is at home in

Umratha preparing for his son’s wedding. One morning, a messenger arrives from Raigarh with

an urgent message from the king.

When Tanaji reaches Raigarh Fort, Shivaji tasks him with taking back Kondana Fort from Udai

Singh Rathor and his Mughal forces. Tanaji comes up with a daring plan and with the king’s

blessings, sets off to set the plan in motion.

He calls his friend Suryaji and tells him to drill the soldiers. But he also cautions him saying that

the soldiers should not know what they were training for. The plan is that Tanaji would take

some of the soldiers to Kondana Fort on a moonless night. With the help of Yashwanti the

iguana, they would scale the wall. Suryaji, meanwhile, would take the rest of the soldiers and

wait at Kalyan Gate. Once Tanaji was inside the fort, some of his soldiers would throw open the

gate for Suryaji and his men.

The plan is successful and Tanaji and his men storm the fort. However, a Mughal soldier

manages to slip out and warn Udai Singh Rathor. Udai Singh wakes his sons and sends them

into battle. He also orders the mahout to send Chandrawati, the killer elephant, into the fray.

But all of Udai Singh’s sons and Chandrawati too are killed.

Enraged, Udai Singh seeks out Tanaji. Both men engage in a terrible sword fight while the battle

rages around them. Finally, Udai Singh plunges his sword into Tanaji’s chest. Tanaji stumbles

and falls but manages to spring up and inflict a mortal wound on Udai Singh. Both men then die

from their wounds.

Suryaji comes looking for Tanaji and finds him dead. He then takes over command of the

Maratha soldiers and leads them to victory. Then Suryaji goes back to Raigarh Fort and

sorrowfully tells the king that his friend is dead.

Shivaji is heart-broken and says, “The fort is won, but my lion is gone.” He stands, looking out of

the window.

A memorial to Tanaji stands on the spot where he fell. It is called Sinhagad.

This is an action-packed story that brings to life how the Maratha soldiers took back Kondana

Fort from the Mughals. It is packed with imagery and tension—the soldiers creeping upto the

fort, the attempts to get Yashwati to grab the top of the wall, the danger all the soldiers faced

as they carried out the orders of their king. But what truly makes this story resonate is the

friendship between the king and Tanaji. Their friendship is remarkable—filled with respect,

trust and affection. The story brings this out right from the beginning and this makes the blow

of Tanaji’s death even greater. This is a story about a true friendship which is set against the

background of a daring plan to take back Kondana Fort.

UNIT 5 TO THE MEMORY OF A LION

Warm Up

Free Response

Embedded Questions 1

● Free Response

● First, he will have to come up with a fool-proof way to enter Kondana Fort. Then he and his

men will have to fight Udai Singh Rathor and his sons. His soldiers will also have to deal with

Chandrawati and fight off the Mughal forces.

● It is clear that Shivaji has a very good opinion of Tanaji’s intelligence and prowess in battle. He also

seems to trust Tanaji.

Embedded Questions 2

● T

● NT

Embedded Questions 3

● Yes, it was.

● Yes, it was difficult to take back the fort from the Mughals.

Embedded Questions 4

● He decides to complete the task that his friend set out to do. He plans to take back the fort to

honour his friend.

Embedded Questions 5

● Shivaji was anxious because he wanted to know who had won the battle and what had happened

to his men

● Suryaji remained silent because he did not know how to tell the king that his dear friend was

dead.

● Shivaji stood looking out because he was overcome with grief at the news of Tanaji’s death.

Comprehension

A. 1. Tanaji was at home in Umratha preparing for his son’s wedding.

2. He wanted to discuss taking back Kondana Fort from the Mughals because Ma Sahib felt that the

other forts were not safe.

3. He wanted to keep the plan of attack a complete secret. So he felt that the fewer people about it,

the easier it would be to keep it a secret.

4. He was angry because Tanaji’s men had killed his sons.

5. Tanaji’s friend, Suryaji, takes the news to the king after the battle. The king is grief-stricken when he

hears the news.

B. 1. a. Tanaji said this to the soldier who had spoken.

 b. It tells us that Tanaji was a practical person who also believed that hard work and good training

would help a soldier survive. He did not believe in superstition.

 c. I think the soldier who had spoken would have felt ashamed. The other soldiers might have felt

inspired and more hopeful about the battle they were about to enter.

2. a. Udai Singh was talking about the fact that Tanaji’s army had killed his sons in battle.

 b. Udai Singh probably felt angry and sad both at the same time. He would have been sad that his

sons were dead and angry that the Marathas had killed them.

 c. They began to fight.

3. a. Yes, he had probably guessed because Suryaji was not answering him. This probably made him

guess that Suryaji had bad news for him.

 b. Yes, it seems that Suryaji knew about the friendship between the king and Tanaji. You can guess

this by how reluctant Suryaji is to tell the king his bad news. He knows the news will hurt the

king.

 c. It tells us that Shivaji and Tanaji had a deep and abiding friendship. It also shows us what great

respect the king had for his friend.

C. 1. Yashwanti was an iguana. Her part in the plan was to help Tanaji and his men get into Kondana

Fort stealthily. She is one of the most important parts of the plan. Tanaji planned to tie a rope to

her and thrown her onto the wall of Kondana Fort. Tanaji would then climb up and the soldiers

would follow. So without Yashwanti the plan would not have been possible.

2. Once Yaswanti had gripped the top of the wall, Tanaji would climb up and then lower more ropes

to the ground. Then the Maratha soldiers would climb up these ropes and enter the fort. Once they

were in the fort, they would take the guards posted on the ramparts by surprise and overpower

them. After making sure that the guards would not raise the alarm, they would attack the Mughal

soldiers in the fort.

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

shocked that the Marathas had managed to storm the fort. So he sprang from his bed and hurried

to the next room. He asked his sons to join the battle and he also ordered the mahout to release

Chandrawati the elephant. Soon, Udai Singh’s sons joined in the battle and the mahout sent

Chandrawati charging into the fray. But they were all killed almost immediately. So Udai Singh

went looking for Tanaji.

4. Tanaji did not survive the battle. He was locked in a life-and-death struggle with Udai Singh and it

was a terrible battle because both were brilliant swordsmen. Then Udai Singh plunged his sword

into Tanaji’s chest. Tanaji fell but then he managed to spring up and inflict a mortal wound on Udai

Singh. Udai Singh died from the wound. Then Tanaji, too, collapsed and died.

5. Suryaji swore to complete the task that Tanaji had taken up. Then he led the Marathas into battle.

The Marathas, led by Suryaji, fought bravely and they won the battle. Kondana Fort was once

again in their hands. Suryaji then returned to Raigarh Fort to inform Shivaji of their victory. He also

informed the king about the death of his friend.

D. The text tells us that Tanaji and Shivaji were once companion at arms. This means that the king

knew what kind of a soldier Tanaji was. Sivaji thought of Tanaji as fierce and fearless in battle and

that is why he calls him his ‘Simha’. He also thinks that Tanaji is a clever man and that he is a good

strategist—this is why he asks Tanaji to solve a problem that he himself was unable to solve. This

special name also tells us that Tanaji had never let his king down and that he had proved Shivaji’s

opinion of him to be correct.

E. It means that courage does not always mean a big heroic act or doing something scary. It can also

mean finding the strength to keep trying despite failure or to find the mental courage to try again

after failing or to do something that is frightening for you but easy for other people. Different people

have different hurdles to face and courage can also be facing these problems and overcoming them.

Grammar

A. 2. She was late because she missed her bus.

3. I put it back where I had found it.

4. We should leave early if we want to be on time for the film.

5. Should you wish to call me, here is my number.

6. He could not get a seat, though he came early.

B. 2. because 3. If 4. whose 5. where

Vocabulary

1. exclaimed 2. assignment 3. anxiously 4. drill 5. hurled 6. gripped

7. muttered 8. memorial

Writing

A. topic sentence: Tanaji Malusare was one of Shivaji’s oldest and dearest friends.

supporting sentences: The king trusted Tanaji to accomplish things that he felt were too difficult

for other people. Just having Tanaji in the room seemed to help the king relax. The king’s trust was

so deep that he did not even ask Tanaji to explain his plan but gave him permission to go ahead

and do it.

closing sentence: Tanaji’s death came as a great blow to the king and he honored his friend with a

memorial that expressed his affection and respect for him.

B. Free Response

Punctuation

1. I’m really excited about our trip to the zoo.

2. She’s hoping to make the Olympic team in the future.

3. “I don’t like cycling downhill,” Sitara said. “So I’m not coming with you.”

4. They’ve bought a lot of food for the picnic.

5. The Patel family wouldn’t like to attend the late-night sound and light show.

6. The children can’t help but feel nervous. It’s the first time they’re performing on stage.

Listening

Listening Text

 She stood at the end of the street, right at the entrance to the tunnel. Her heart raced with fear and

excitement as she waited for Michael to give the signal. There was a loud BOOM and then complete

silence. Then she heard angry shouts and the sound of heavy footsteps. She turned and darted into

the tunnel, hoping that Michael had been able get away from the guards. It was pitch dark—panic

took hold for a moment before she was able to push it away. Keep calm, keep calm, she told herself.

Just a little longer and you’ll be able to lead them away. She kept running, listening all the while as the

heavy footsteps kept following her deeper into the tunnel.

Answers:

1. fear 2. excitement 3. angry 4. panic 5. calm

Speaking

Suggested answer (Accept any logical answer).

 Soldiers—The soldiers were probably worried and scared. They did not know what the plan was and

they probably knew that the Mughal soldiers were as skilled as they were. Also, they were about to

walk into a battle and they were probably nervous and charged up. They were probably dismayed

when Yaswanti slid down but felt better and inspired when Tanaji spoke to them.

 Tanaji—Tanaji was probably tense and worried. He might have also been hopeful that his plan would

work and that everything would go as planned. He was probably dismayed too when Yaswanti slid

down but was relieved when she finally managed to grip the wall. Also, as the leader of the army he

was also probably afraid that he would let down his soldiers and his king.

 what happened: Once Yaswanti had gripped the top of the wall, Tanaji would climb up and then

lower more ropes to the ground. Then the Maratha soldiers would climb up these ropes and enter the

fort. Once they were in the fort, they would take the guards posted on the ramparts by surprise and

overpower them. After making sure that the guards would not raise the alarm, they would attack the

Mughal soldiers in the fort.

Life Skills

set your goal think about all the

possibilities

work out an action

plan

decide on a solution study the results of

the plan

set the plan into

action

make the necessary

changes to the plan

TO THE MEMORY OF A LION

A. Answer in brief.

1. Who was Tanaji? Why did he ask his wife to postpone their son’s wedding?

 Ans: Tanaji was Shivaji’s childhood friend and a great warrior. Tanaji was busy preparing for his

son’s wedding when he was summoned by the king. As that was the call of duty and he had to

leave immediately to Rajgarh, he asked his wife to postpone their son’s wedding.

2. Why did Tanaji want to use an iguana in his plan of attack?

 Ans: Usually in a war, for any strategic attack different animals are used. Tanaji wanted to make

use of Yashwanti, their iguana, which would help them in scaling the huge wall of the fort

silently.

B. Answer in detail.

1. What was Tanaji’s plan to capture the fort? What efforts did he take to execute it?

 Ans: Tanaji had devised a daring plan to recapture the Kondana fort. He informed Sivaji that he

would attack the fort from the west which according to Shivaji was difficult to pull off. But Tanaji

was confident and with the help of Suryaji prepared for the attack. His plan was to scale the walls

of the fort from the west with the help of Yashwanti, overpower the guards, fight the Mughal

soldiers and encounter Udai Singh. To execute this plan, he asked Suryaji to drill the soldiers and

make them adept at the use of arms. All these had to be done secretly because he wanted to take

the enemy by surprise. Tanaji was undeterred by the few obstacles he faced in the process and

went ahead with his plan of attack.

2. How did Suryaji’s composure help in completing the last leg of the battle successfully?

 Ans: The fierce fight between Udai Singh and Tanaji ended with the death of both the

brilliant swordsmen. Suryaji, along with other soldiers entered the fort, only to find Tanaji,

lying dead in a pool of blood. Though overcome with anger and grief, Surayaji gathered

himself, drew his sword and fought bravely and after a brief struggle won the battle. Kondana

fort was once again in their hands. Tanaji, with his courage and strength fought and almost

captured the fort but lost his life before he could complete the battle. Suryaji, with grief in his

heart, fought bravely the last leg of the battle and won the battle though Tanaji was not by

his side.

C. Read the lines and answer the questions.

1. She is a force by herself. I have thought and thought, but can’t find a way of capturing the fort.

 a. Who is the speaker?

 b. Who is ‘she’ in the above lines?

 c. Who according to the speaker will be able to help?

 Ans: a. The speaker is King Shivaji.

 b. ‘She’ refers to the killer elephant Chandrawati.

 c. Shivaji, strongly believed that his friend and soldier Tanaji will be able to find a way.

2. “Wake up, my sons. Tell the mahout to get Chandrawati. She’ll crush the Marathas in no time.”

 a. Who speaks the above lines?

 b. Was Chandrawati able to crush the Marathas?

 c. What happened to the sons?

 Ans: a. Udai Singh speaks the above lines when he hears that the Marathas have entered his

fort.

 b. No. She was not able to withstand the fierce Maratha soldiers who fought bravely. She

was killed in the battle.

 c. The sons were the first to perish in the battle.

D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)

1. Do you think the Marathas won the battle only because they took the enemy by surprise?

 [Free response] Suggested answer: The Marathas would have been easily defeated if the

Mughals had not been taken by surprise. That Udai Singh Rathor had a strong army to defend the

fort can be seen from the way Shivaji showed concern about carrying out the attack against that

strong army. Tanaji’s plan to attack silently only helped them win the battle.

2. Pick out any two characteristics of Tanaji that impressed you the most. Give reasons.

 [Free response] Suggested answer: The two characteristics of Tanaji that impressed me

the most are his courage and his commitment as a soldier. He was a committed soldier and

that was the reason he was prepared to postpone his son’s wedding to meet Shivaji. He was

courageous till the end and breathed his last only after inflicting the mortal wound on his

opponent.

E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)

“The fort is won, but my lion is gone.” How do these words bring out the greatness of Tanaji?

 Ans: Tanaji was Shivaji’s childhood friend and companion in arms. Shivaji was very proud of this

brave and daring warrior and called him his simha or lion. This simha was of great support and

strength for Shivaji whenever he was anxious or worried about his kingdom’s safety. In the story

we see how Tanaji recaptured the Kondana fort fighting against the mighty Udai Singh Rathore

and the Mughal soldiers. Tanaji, as promised, won the fort for Shivaji but lost his life. The lion in

Shivaji’s life was gone. Shivaji had won the fort, but his lion who would guard the fort was gone

forever.