General Sakuji Gaikwad laid siege to the Belawadi fort in 1678. The chief of the fort was a woman. Her name was Savitribai Desai. This woman warrior defended the fort for twenty-seven days. But finally Sakuji succeeded in conquering the fort and, inebriated with victory, he raped Savitribai. Shivaji heard this and was so angry that he punished Sakuji by blinding him and imprisoning him for the rest of his life. He did not pardon a rapist even though he was his own victorious General. He could do so because he sincerely believed, “a woman’s modesty, whoever she may be, must be protected at any
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