Important Battles question: In which battle did Shivaji's forces defeat and kill Afzal Khan?

The verified answer to “Important Battles question: In which battle did Shivaji's forces defeat and kill Afzal Khan?” is Battle of Pratapgad (1659), option B. The source-backed, question-specific record explains: The Battle of Pratapgad (November 10 1659) saw Shivaji Maharaj kill Afzal Khan the powerful Bijapur general in a personal encounter at Pratapgad Fort near Satara Maharashtra. This battle was followed by a Maratha assault that routed the Bijapur forces. 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 B gives Battle of Pratapgad (1659) and satisfies every condition stated in the question. The remaining choices—Battle of Pune, Battle of Purandar and Battle of Sinhagad—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 Battle of Pratapgad (1659) without relying on option position. This approach builds accurate historical knowledge and careful option elimination for SSC, Railway, Banking, Defence, State and other competitive examinations.