Important Battles question: Which 1659 encounter greatly strengthened Shivaji’s position against the Bijapur Sultanate?

The source-backed, question-specific record explains: Afzal Khan was sent by Bijapur against Shivaji and died during their meeting below Pratapgad in November 1659. Maratha forces then defeated the Bijapuri army and captured resources and territory. Framing the item around the campaign’s result is more precise than combining the later foundation of a coronated Maratha kingdom with one personal encounter. This evidence establishes the historical relationship required in this Important Battles item. A correct solution must preserve the exact battle, date, participants, commander, location, outcome or significance requested by the stem. Similar periods, genres or national traditions do not make two battle facts interchangeable. Option A gives The Pratapgad campaign and the death of Afzal Khan and satisfies every condition stated in the question. The remaining choices—The Battle of Buxar, The Siege of Arcot and The Battle of Talikota—do not satisfy the complete requirement. The reliable checking method is to identify the named battle first, recall or verify its verified participant or outcome, and then read qualifiers such as “both works,” “original language,” “first published,” “correctly matched” or “incorrectly matched.” These qualifiers determine what counts as the answer. Replaying that method for this Important Battles question confirms The Pratapgad campaign and the death of Afzal Khan without relying on option position. This approach builds accurate historical knowledge and careful.