Inauguration of Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre memorial

[Kunal Biswas]

On the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa, the New Year of Maharashtrians, the Indian Navy paid rich tribute to the great Maratha Warrior, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre by erecting a memorial at Alibaug. The 10 feet tall statue of Admiral Kanhoji Angre was unveiled by Vice Admiral Jagjit Singh Bedi, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. The ceremony was conducted with lot of pomp and show, with the Naval Band at its best. The audience consisted of all the renowned invited dignitaries of Alibag Nagar Parishad and more than 500 people witnessed and reminisced the history of the great Alibaug born Maratha Warrior.

On taking over the command of the Maratha Navy from Admiral Sidhoji Gujar in 1699 a tripartite coalition consisting of the Siddis, the Moghuls and the Portuguese strove in a combined efforts to put an end to the Maratha Naval power. However, in the naval action that ensued, Admiral Kanhoji emerged victorious and annexed Sagargod. He also exacted revenue from many principalities along the Konkan coast. Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre was an Admiral of outstanding ability, who had a great vision and challenged the British Naval power along the West Coast of India. His policy of recruitment was to take professionally best seamen irrespective of cast, creed or even nationality. Some Arabs and Persian nationals served loyally in his fleet. Kanhoji also developed his dockyard which was capable of building vessels, mounting guns and victualling the fleet.

Kanhoji Angre holds a special significance for the Navy since he reigned supreme in the Arabian sea for two decades. The Navy’s biggest establishment in Mumbai Indian Naval Ship ‘Angre’ has been named after this great Maratha who still remains a proud symbol of valour and fighting spirit. The statue has been made especially by the Indian Navy for the residents of Alibaug in the memory of the brave exploits of ‘Admiral Angre’ and the Great Maratha Navy.

The fibreglass sculpture made by the famous artist Sheyesh Khanvilkar, stands on a pedestal in the site housing the private cemetery of the Angre family. The site has been developed by Alibaug Nagar Parishad which involved repairing of the 22 Samadhis of various Angre family members.

Source : http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR273

===========================

Maratha ships attacking the sloop 'Aurora', of the Bombay Marine, 1812.

Artist: Thomas Buttersworth
Source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

 

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The Maratha Empire is credited with laying the foundation of the Indian Navy and bringing about considerable changes in naval warfare by introducing a blue-water navy. From its inception in 1674, the Marathas established a naval force, consisting of cannons mounted on ships. The 'Pal' was a three-masted Maratha man-of-war with guns on its broadsides.

The dominance of the Maratha Navy started with the ascent of Kanhoji Angre as the Darya-Saranga by the Maratha chief of Satara. Under that authority, he was admiral of the Western coast of India from Bombay to Vingoria (now Vengurla) in the present day state of Maharashtra, except for Janjira which was affiliated with the Mughal Empire.

The Marathas established watch posts on the Andaman Islands and are credited with attaching those islands to India. He attacked English, Dutch and Portuguese ships which were moving to and from East Indies. Until his death in 1729, he repeatedly attacked the colonial powers of Britain and Portugal, capturing numerous vessels of the British East India Company and extracting ransom for their return.

On 29 November 1721, a joint attempt by the Portuguese Viceroy Francisco José de Sampaio e Castro and the British General Robert Cowan to humble Kanhoji failed miserably. Their combined fleet consisted of 6,000 soldiers in no less than four Man-of-war besides other ships led by Captain Thomas Mathews of the Bombay Marine. Aided by the Maratha naval commanders Mendhaji Bhatkar and Mainak Bhandari, Kanhoji continued to harass and plunder the European ships until his death in 1729.

 

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Kanhoji intensified the attacks on colonial naval powers like Great Britain and Portugal on the western coast of India. On 4 November 1712, his navy even succeeded in capturing the armed yacht Algerine of the British President of Mumbai, William Aislabie, killing the chief of their Karwar factory, Thomas Chown, and making his wife a prisoner, not releasing the captured yacht and the lady until 13 February 1713 for a ransom of 30,000 Rupees. He seized EastIndiamen, Somers andGrantham, near Goa as these vessels were on their voyage from England to Bombay. In 1712, he disabled thirty-gun man-of-war which was conveying Portuguese "armado" and captured it.

Angre eventually signed a treaty with the East India Company President Aislabie to stop harassing the Company's fleet. Aislabie would eventually return to England during October 1715.

After the arrival of Charles Boone as the new Governor of Mumbai on 26 December 1715, Boone made several attempts to capture Angre. Instead of succeeding, in 1718 Angre captured three ships belonging to the British leaving them to claim that he a pirate. Angre blockaded the port of Mumbai and extracted a ransom of 8,750 pounds from the East India Company.

The British launched a fresh campaign in 1720, when shells from floating batteries burst in vain against the rocks of Vijaydurg fort. The attempt to land inside the fort ended in disaster, and the British squadron soon retired to Mumbai.

On 29 November 1721 a joint attempt by the Portuguese (Viceroy Francisco José de Sampaio e Castro) and the British (General Robert Cowan) to humble Kanhoji also failed miserably. This fleet consisted of 6,000 soldiers in no less than four of the European's largest Man of war class ships led by Commander Thomas Mathews. Aided by Maratha warriors includingMendhaji Bhatkar and his navy, Angre continued to harass and plunder the European ships. Commander Matthews returned to Great Britain, but was accused and convicted of trading with the pirates in December 1723. Also, during 1723, Governor Boone returned to Great Britain. After Boone's departure, relative calm prevailed between the British and Angre, until Angre's death in 1729.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanhoji_Angre

 

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A British-Portuguese-Indian naval force attacks the fort of Geriah

 

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Kanhoji cannot be classified as a pirate : legal scholar William Hall
Kanhoji Angre stands alone in the list of early freedom fighter of Bharat as the one person who stood undefeated and inflicted many casualties on colonial powers. However, the English and other shipping powers who were heckled by Angre claimed that he was a pirate, forgetting that he was the appointed admiral of the Maratha Navy.

As an agent of the Maratha state, Kanhoji cannot be classified as a pirate according to legal scholar William Hall because, A pirate either belongs to no state or organised political society, or by the nature of his act he has shown his intention and his power to reject the authority of that to which he is properly subject. So long as acts of violence are done under the authority of the state, or in such way as not to involve its suppression, the state is responsible, and it alone exercises jurisdiction.

 

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The strength of Shivaji’s Fleet and ships
According to Krisnaji Anant Sabhasad, Shivaji’s fleet had two squadrons, each having two hundred ships of different class. Malhar Rao Chitnis mentions four to five hundred ships. The notices in English, Portuguese and Dutch records mention the number of Maratha ships on particular occasions but do not give the full strength of Shivaji’s Navy. As new ships continued to be built and added to the Navy, from time to time, it seems that Sabhasad’s figures of 400 ships is not exaggerated. The Maratha Navy had different types of fighting ships: Gurabs, Galbats or Gallivats, Pals and Manjhuas.
Of his Naval expeditions, four are more prominently mentioned. In February 1665 he himself set out for Basrur with his army in a fleet, which, according to English Factory Records had 85 frigates and three great ships. In November 1670, a fleet of 160 sail was assembled at Nandgaon (in Kolaba district) under Daria Sarang, the Admiral of the Fleet. In 1675 Shivaji sent 40 vessels full of war material by sea to be used in the capture of Phonda, which, along with Karwar, were two important posts south of Goa. Sometime later, his naval forces occupied island of Kenery, but all attempts to subdue the island Janjira, the stronghold of the Siddis, from where thry carried out plundering raids against the mainland, not successful.

 

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A painted scroll depicting different types of ships of the Marathan Navy including some captured English ships.

 

[salute]

On the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa, the New Year of Maharashtrians, the Indian Navy paid rich tribute to the great Maratha Warrior, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre by erecting a memorial at Alibaug. The 10 feet tall statue of Admiral Kanhoji Angre was unveiled by Vice Admiral Jagjit Singh Bedi, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. The ceremony was conducted with lot of pomp and show, with the Naval Band at its best. The audience consisted of all the renowned invited dignitaries of Alibag Nagar Parishad and more than 500 people witnessed and reminisced the history of the great Alibaug born Maratha Warrior.

On taking over the command of the Maratha Navy from Admiral Sidhoji Gujar in 1699 a tripartite coalition consisting of the Siddis, the Moghuls and the Portuguese strove in a combined efforts to put an end to the Maratha Naval power. However, in the naval action that ensued, Admiral Kanhoji emerged victorious and annexed Sagargod. He also exacted revenue from many principalities along the Konkan coast. Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre was an Admiral of outstanding ability, who had a great vision and challenged the British Naval power along the West Coast of India. His policy of recruitment was to take professionally best seamen irrespective of cast, creed or even nationality. Some Arabs and Persian nationals served loyally in his fleet. Kanhoji also developed his dockyard which was capable of building vessels, mounting guns and victualling the fleet.

Kanhoji Angre holds a special significance for the Navy since he reigned supreme in the Arabian sea for two decades. The Navy’s biggest establishment in Mumbai Indian Naval Ship ‘Angre’ has been named after this great Maratha who still remains a proud symbol of valour and fighting spirit. The statue has been made especially by the Indian Navy for the residents of Alibaug in the memory of the brave exploits of ‘Admiral Angre’ and the Great Maratha Navy.

The fibreglass sculpture made by the famous artist Sheyesh Khanvilkar, stands on a pedestal in the site housing the private cemetery of the Angre family. The site has been developed by Alibaug Nagar Parishad which involved repairing of the 22 Samadhis of various Angre family members.

Source : http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR273

===========================

Maratha ships attacking the sloop 'Aurora', of the Bombay Marine, 1812.

Artist: Thomas Buttersworth
Source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

nice,indian navy acknowledges the contributions of maratha navy and its admirals,

and why not maratha navy or shivaji is father of indian navy,

thats why vice admiral himself present there for the purpose.

 

[Dreamhunter]

nice,indian navy acknowledges the contributions of maratha navy and its admirals,

and why not maratha navy or shivaji is father of indian navy,

thats why vice admiral himself present there for the purpose.

Well, the father of Indian navy could also be the Chola Dynasty as it was the first Indian Empire which
used naval forces to invade foreign countries.

 

[salute]

Well, the father of Indian navy could also be the Chola Dynasty as it was the first Indian Empire which
used naval forces to invade foreign countries.

The Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is considered as the 'Father of the Indian Navy'.
Indian Navy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and the reason must be,

navy or army conquering small countries is not considered as a mighty or powerful,

so there is a difference,and that difference is the opponent,

cholas and marathas were known by their opponent,

cholas were against southeast asian countires,

and the Maratha naval power dominated the military scene in India for three centuries,
maratha navy ferociously fought and destroyed powerful european navies,
maratha navy dominated sea routes to china or southeast asia,
yeah maratha navy got cannons unlike cholas,
but again not to forget against whom maratha navy fought it was european powerful navies,

and indian navy or any other navy gonna respects this courage and power and leadership.

 

[Kshatriya87]

The Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is considered as the 'Father of the Indian Navy'.
Indian Navy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and the reason must be,

navy or army conquering small countries is not considered as a mighty or powerful,

so there is a difference,and that difference is the opponent,

cholas and marathas were known by their opponent,

cholas were against southeast asian countires,

and the Maratha naval power dominated the military scene in India for three centuries,
maratha navy ferociously fought and destroyed powerful european navies,
maratha navy dominated sea routes to china or southeast asia,
yeah maratha navy got cannons unlike cholas,
but again not to forget against whom maratha navy fought it was european powerful navies,

and indian navy or any other navy gonna respects this courage and power and leadership.

Yes, I think this is a powerful reason. Fighting against the technologically advanced, experienced & well trained navies of british and portugese. This was after all the reason why Indian kingdoms fell to the British and Portugese.

The fact that despite these challenges, Kanhoji fought and won against them and that too repeatedly, deserves all the respect & admiration we can give him and his forces.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

On the auspicious occasion of Gudi Padwa, the New Year of Maharashtrians, the Indian Navy paid rich tribute to the great Maratha Warrior, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre by erecting a memorial at Alibaug. The 10 feet tall statue of Admiral Kanhoji Angre was unveiled by Vice Admiral Jagjit Singh Bedi, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. The ceremony was conducted with lot of pomp and show, with the Naval Band at its best. The audience consisted of all the renowned invited dignitaries of Alibag Nagar Parishad and more than 500 people witnessed and reminisced the history of the great Alibaug born Maratha Warrior.

On taking over the command of the Maratha Navy from Admiral Sidhoji Gujar in 1699 a tripartite coalition consisting of the Siddis, the Moghuls and the Portuguese strove in a combined efforts to put an end to the Maratha Naval power. However, in the naval action that ensued, Admiral Kanhoji emerged victorious and annexed Sagargod. He also exacted revenue from many principalities along the Konkan coast. Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre was an Admiral of outstanding ability, who had a great vision and challenged the British Naval power along the West Coast of India. His policy of recruitment was to take professionally best seamen irrespective of cast, creed or even nationality. Some Arabs and Persian nationals served loyally in his fleet. Kanhoji also developed his dockyard which was capable of building vessels, mounting guns and victualling the fleet.

Kanhoji Angre holds a special significance for the Navy since he reigned supreme in the Arabian sea for two decades. The Navy’s biggest establishment in Mumbai Indian Naval Ship ‘Angre’ has been named after this great Maratha who still remains a proud symbol of valour and fighting spirit. The statue has been made especially by the Indian Navy for the residents of Alibaug in the memory of the brave exploits of ‘Admiral Angre’ and the Great Maratha Navy.

The fibreglass sculpture made by the famous artist Sheyesh Khanvilkar, stands on a pedestal in the site housing the private cemetery of the Angre family. The site has been developed by Alibaug Nagar Parishad which involved repairing of the 22 Samadhis of various Angre family members.

Source : http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR273

===========================

Maratha ships attacking the sloop 'Aurora', of the Bombay Marine, 1812.

Artist: Thomas Buttersworth
Source: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Beautiful.
I guess statue of Unity (tallest in the world) and Tallest temple in Vrindavan too is under construction. We have already completed tallest Statue of Bhagwan Mahaveer.
Make such more and more monuments and specially inside cities selected under Smart City Program.
In near future, these statues surrounded by numerous skyscrapers will look fabulous :biggrin2:
and I wish probably could affect our pathetic portrayal in British and US media.

 

[salute]

@Indx TechStyle ,off topic,

iskcon already built a lot of temples,

and they are doing 2 hugh temple projects,

they always mocked as hippies but looks like they want to change that and they are building their own vatican or something,

take a look at these projects,these are really hugh temples,

vrindavan temple




other temple project,
mayapur west bengal