Maratha Navy
| Maratha Navy | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Active | circa 1650-1750 |
| Country | India |
| Allegiance | Maratha Empire |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | Peak Size - Around 60 warships; 5,000 men |
| Commanders | |
| Daria Sarang (Admiral of the Mahratta Fleet) | Supreme commander |
| Notable commanders |
|
The Maratha Navy refers to the naval wing of the armed forces of Maratha Empire, which existed from around mid-17th century to mid-18th century in India. The founder of Maratha Empire Chhatrapati Shivaji is considered as the Father of Indian Navy.
The legendary Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, was the founding father of the naval arm of the Maratha Armed forces.
Historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar noted:
Nothing proves Shivaji’s genius as a born statesman more clearly than his creation of a navy and naval bases.
In medieval India, the Muslim Rulers (such as Deccan Sultanates and Mughal Sultanate) mostly ignored the naval arm of their militaries, probably the reason was that they came from North and won decisively in land battles. This scenario however changed when the Portuguese arrived in India and started monopolizing and controlling trade on the western coast of India. Chhatrapati Shivaji realized the importance of a strong navy and the first keel of the Maratha naval vessel was laid down in a creek near Kalyan circa 1654.
Shivaji took up the task of constructing multiple naval bases across the coast of present-day Maharashtra. He organized two fleets – one under the command of Admiral Mainak Bhandari and the other under Daulet Khan. The Maratha Navy consisted mostly of the native Konkani sailors, however it was commanded mostly by mercenaries including Siddis and Portuguese. Circa 1659, the Maratha Navy consisted of around 20 warships. Hiring mercenaries was something not uncommon to the Maratha military culture and the Navy was not an exception to it. Shivaji hired a Portuguese naval officer named Rui Leitão Viegas to command his fleet; the Marathas wanted to get an insight into the Portuguese naval technology and capabilities. Probably that was the reason of employing Portuguese officers; further, the Marathas were fully aware of the Portuguese naval capabilities. It is worth mentioning that the Portuguese managed to convince their mercenary officers to discontinue the service of the Marathas, however the Portuguese allied with the Marathas when the latter were engaged in a war with the Mughals.
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Wikipedia