Chimaji Appa
| Chimaji Appa | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1707 India |
| Occupation | General of Maratha forces |
| Known for | Great warrrior and younger brother of Baji Rao I |
| Title | Peshwa |
| Spouse(s) | Rakhmabai, Annapurnabai |
| Children | Sadashivrao Bhau |
| Parent(s) | Balaji Vishwanath |
Shreemant Chimaji Ballal Peshwa (aka Chimaji Appa) (Marathi: चिमाजी अप्पा) (1707–1740) was the son of Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa of Maratha Empire. He was an able military commander who liberated the western coast of India from Portuguese rule. The high watermark of his career was the capture of Vasai fort from the Portuguese in a hard fought battle.
While Portuguese naval supremacy had been weakened by the British, French and Dutch Navies, they still maintained a strong presence on the western coast of India, from the Gujarat coast, through the Konkan, down to northern Malabar. They maintained well defended fortresses all along the coast located in islands and harbour mouths. From their headquarters in Goa they ran a theological Christian state all along the western coastal region from Daman and Diu down to Mangalore. To further the spread of Christianity, Inquisition was promulgated throughout the Portuguese possessions in India, and a program to annihilate Hindus through conversion or massacre commenced. Hindus were subjected to torture frequently surpassing even the barbarity of contemporary Islamic rulers.
It was in this milieu that the Marathas arose, ignited by the call of swaraj given by Shivaji, to restore the land of India to the sons of the soil. While Bajirao was waging war against the Mughal Empire, Chimaji Appa concentrated his energies towards the Western Ghats. Vasai (formerly known as Bassein) was the ultimate objective of the war, as this was the capital of the provincial government of Portugal's northern Indian possessions.
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