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The glorious UNDEFEATED Maratha Navy Grand Admiral who crushed ALL Sea-Powers that dared to prey on the Hindu Nation.
Maratha fleet under sarkhel kanhoji angre 🔥defeated arab fleet & entirely routed it from Indian Ocean
Kanhoji Angre was the commander of the Maratha Navy and is famous for taking on the might of the seafaring colonial powers that were trying to find their foothold in India in the early 18th century. Such was his might that he became the undisputed master of the sea on the western coast of India, right from Surat up till Vengurla.
As a tribute to this hero of India, the shore-based logistics and administrative support establishment of the Western Naval Command, in Mumbai was named INS Angre, on September 15, 1951.
Sarkhel kanhoji angre was undefeated until his death
Kanhoji led the Maratha navy established by Shivaji. He used his ships to protect Maratha merchants from the pirates operating in the Malabar, and in securing the sovereignty of the sea for the Maratha state. This brought him into direct conflict with the colonial powers, namely the English at Bombay, the Portuguese at Goa and the Dutch at Vengurla. In 1718 open hostilities broke out between Kanhoji and the English. The latter sent many expeditions to Kolaba, but none were successful. Then the combined forces of the English and the Portuguese launched an offensive against him in December 1721. This expedition too, came to naught as Kanhoji beat them through both war and diplomacy. Not only did he defend his fort and other inland stations, but he also managed to get the Maratha army under Pilaji Jadhav to come to his aid.
Maratha Grand Admiral Raghujiraje Angre-Sakpal with Spanish Empire Officers🚩
Haidar Ali inherited Maratha Sardars of Wadiyars.
Spanish Naval Commander & Officers met with the Maratha Grand Admiral of Mysuru Fleet at Mangalore 18 April 1776, for Alliance against British.
In medieval India, the Muslim rulers had mostly ignored the naval arm of their military forces. It may be because they came overland from the North and won decisively in land battles. This scenario changed, however, when the Portuguese arrived in India and started monopolizing and controlling trade on the western coast of the continent. Chhatrapati Shivaji realized the importance of a strong navy; the first keel of a Maratha naval vessel was laid down in a creek near Kalyan in 1654.
Royal Seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji
Shivaji had taken up the task of constructing multiple naval bases along the coast of present-day Maharashtra. He organized two fleets – one under the command of Admiral Mainak Bhandari and the other under dαutαt Khan. The Maratha Navy consisted mostly of native Konkani sailors; however, it was commanded mostly by mercenaries, including Siddi and Portugese. By 1659, the Maratha Navy consisted of around 20 warships. Hiring mercenaries was relatively common in Maratha military culture and the Navy was no exception to this practice. The Portuguese naval officer Rui Leitão Viegas was hired as fleet commander, in part because the Maratha wanted to get insight into the Portuguese naval technology and capabilities. The Maratha knew the Portuguese had a powerful navy. The Portuguese convinced their mercenary officers to leave the service of the Maratha; however, the Portuguese allied with the Maratha when the latter went to war against the Mughal Sultanate.
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The first test of strength of the Maratha Navy came in 1679, although the British had a taste of it during Shivaji’s attack on Surat in 1664. In 1679, Shivaji annexed the island of Khanderi, situated 11 miles off the entrance to Mumbai.
Hero stone No. 1 depicting Konkan naval battle – ASI Museum, Old Goa, 12th c.
It depicts a fight with a soldier struck by a footman’s dagger. The ship is a broad vessel with 4 oars & ornamentation. A sternpost rudder is hung by rope. & railings are fitted for the helmsman.
Hero stone no. 2 from the same museum is dated to 15th c. & depicts a broad craft crowded with troops who are armed with bows. The ship is formed of planks sewn together, square openings for the oars below the gunwale, a stern gallery & an axial rudder.
Reference:
Ships on Hero Stones from the West Coast of India – International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (April 2006) – S. Tripati
Books to Read on Maratha Navy & the Angre-Sakpal Maratha Family 📜
• Kanhoji Angrey by Malgonkar Manohar. (Outdated, but VERY Comprehensive)
• Naval Resistance to Britain’s Growing Power in India, 1660-1800 by Philip MacDougall (MASTERPIECE, worth purchase).
• The Angreys Of Kolaba In British Records by B. K. Shrivastavya
• A History of the Maratha Navy and Merchantships’ by Dr. B. K. Apte
