The ministry of culture has nominated twelve forts as the ‘Maratha Military Landscape’ for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The dozen have been chosen from the 390-odd forts the Marathas built on the Sahayadri mountains, Konkan coast, Deccan plateau and the Eastern Ghats.
Maratha rule formally began with the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1674 and ended with the dissolution of the Maratha confederacy in 1818. Their history and success are linked to the forts, which they captured or built, and then defended, provided with food and water, and administered with transferable officers who had no hereditary rights. The extraordinary network of forts was a result of the terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri.
Having been great warriors, the Marathas became a military unit under the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Known for their innovative approach to warfare, they would use guerrilla tactics, hit-and-run strategies and swift cavalry movements. They could traverse difficult terrains, strike swiftly and disappear equally swiftly. Mobility, flexibility and decentralisation of the army were some of the innovative approaches to warfare designed by Shivaji.
Much thought went into choosing or building a fort, whose terrains included forest, ground, hill and water. “Forts are the chief protection of a kingdom. They should be built all over the country after selecting the proper site,” said Amatya, a lieutenant to Shivaji’s son Rajaram. “There should not be a higher point near the fort amongst the surrounding hills… The approach to the fort should not be easy to access.”
Many forts were visible to each other, so they could communicate by using fire signals. Often a hill surrounded by smaller mounds forming a protective curtain was selected. The ascent included steep zig-zag paths or steps or niches cut into the bare rock. In some forts, the last part of the climb could only be accomplished using a ladder, while subterranean passages led to the main entrance in others. The walls offered further defence, with several reinforced by two or more walls, the second line higher than the first. They were known as chilkhat, meaning armour, with stone battlements and two or more gates.
The forts selected by the Ministry of Culture for the UNESCO World Heritage list include Salher, Shivaneri, Lohgadh, Khanderi, Raigadh, Pratapgadh, Rajgadh, Suvarnadurg, Panhaladurg, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, all of which are in Maharashtra, and Gingee in Tamilnadu.
Each fort has a history. Salher fort is the highest in Maharashtra, at 5,175 feet. Shivaneri was an ancient Buddhist centre near Junnar and the birthplace of Shivaji. Lohagadh or the Iron Fort was associated with several dynasties: Lohtamia, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahmanis, Nizams, Mughals and Marathas. Khanderi is an island fort, renamed Kanhoji Angre Island in 1998 in honour of the Maratha admiral.
Raigadh is one of the strongest fortresses of the Deccan. Originally Raivi, a short form of Raigiri, Shivaji’s coronation took place here in 1674. The samadhis of Shivaji and his mother are situated here. Pratapgadh was the site of the famous battle between Shivaji and the Bijapur sultanate general Afzal Khan in 1659. Rajgadh is situated along a ridge, with breathtaking views of hills and valleys. Suvarnadurg is located on a small island in the Konkan and was connected to a land fort, Kanakadurg, by a now-defunct tunnel. It was captured in 1660 by Shivaji by defeating Ali Adil Shah II, and Kanhoji’s navy was stationed there.
Panhaladurg has been described as “a treasure trove of history, culture and natural beauty” and is one of the largest forts in the Deccan. After the death of Afzal Khan, Shivaji captured Panhala in 1705. Tarabai, widow of Shivaji’s son Rajaram and regent, made Panhala her headquarters and personally led the war against the Mughals. Panhala has three enormous stone granaries named after Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati, which could hold 2,50,000 khandis of grains. Inside the fort, Sambhaji built a temple dedicated to his grandmother Jijabai. Vijaydurg, located at the tip of the Vijaydurg peninsula, was impregnable. Ships could be anchored in the creek and yet remain invisible from the sea. Sindhudurg was a marine fort in Konkan, commissioned by Shivaji and built by Portuguese engineers and Vadderas, a caste of stone cutters.
The sole Maratha fort in Tamil Nadu is Gingee near Tiruvannamalai, a triangle between three hills: Krishnagiri, Rajgiri and Chandradurg. Shivaji ranked it as the most impregnable fortress in India; the British called it the ‘Troy of the East’. The only access was a wooden drawbridge over a ravine 60 feet deep and 24 feet wide. On the summit are two perennial sweet-water springs and below are three reservoirs to store rainwater. Water was brought for the seven-storeyed Kalyana Mahal by an earthenware pipe from a reservoir 500 metres away, outside the walls. Gingee was originally built by Chola kings. Later, it became a Vijayanagar stronghold till it went into Bahmani possession in 1638. It was captured by the Marathas in 1677. In Tiruvannamalai, Shivaji re-established the original temples of Shiva (Shonachalapati) and Vishnu (Samottir Perumal), which had been demolished and converted into mosques.
Unfortunately, this great heritage of the Maratha kings came to an end in 1818, when all the forts were captured by the British, as was much of India herself.