Kanhoji Angre

Kanhoji was a great leader at sea.

He led a big navy. He had many fast boats. Some boats had many oars.

He built strong forts by the ocean. These forts helped him stay safe. He also grew trees for wood. This wood helped him build ships.

Kanhoji was very good at his job. He was a famous leader in India.

Do you like the ocean?

Kanhoji Angre was a great leader of the Maratha Navy.

He was born near Ratnagari in 1669. His father worked at a sea fort. Kanhoji learned to sail from local sailors. He was very good at sea. At age 18, he took control of a fort. This showed his great skill.

Kanhoji built a very strong navy. He used teak wood to make ships. He built ship factories near the coast. His fleet had many types of boats. Some were large warships called grabs. Others were smaller boats called gallivats.

He controlled much of the western coast of India. He built many forts to protect his land. He also collected taxes from merchant ships. This made many European traders angry. The British and Portuguese tried to stop him. But Kanhoji was too strong to catch. He stayed a powerful leader until he died in 1729.

Kanhoji Angre was a famous leader of the Maratha Navy.

He was known as a skilled admiral. He controlled the waters along the western coast of India. Many people call him the most skilled Indian navy chief in history. He was very good at protecting his land and sea. His work changed how people traded in the Indian Ocean. He was a very important figure in the Maratha Empire.

Kanhoji used many clever ways to run his navy. He built a large base at Vijayadurg to make his ships.

He built dockyards to fix boats and mount heavy guns. His fleet had many different kinds of vessels. He had ten large warships called grabs. He also had fifty smaller boats called gallivats. These boats used forty to fifty oars to move through the water. He even used teak wood from local trees to build them.

His life began at the Suvarnadurg Fort near Ratnagari.

He was born in 1669 to parents named Ambabai and Tukoji. His father worked at the fort under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Kanhoji grew up learning to sail from Koli sailors. When he was only 18 years old, he took control of a fort. This showed his early strength and loyalty to his leaders. Later, he became the official admiral for the Maratha ruler.

Kanhoji held power over a huge area of the coast.

He controlled the land from Sawantwadi all the way to Mumbai. He built many strong forts at places like Sindhudurg and Bankot. He also collected a tax called Chouth from merchant ships. This made many European traders, like the British, very unhappy. In 1707, he even attacked a British ship named Bombay. He continued to be a strong force until he died in 1729.

His navy was made of many different kinds of people. He worked with Koli, Bhandari, and Kharvi sailors.

He also had Muslim staff members on his team. Because some sailors could not read, he hired Europeans to help. He even hired a Jamaican pirate named James Plantain. This shows how he used many different skills to build his power. His navy was a very organized and diverse group of people.

Kanhoji Angre was a powerful admiral of the Maratha Navy.

He lived from August 1669 until July 1729. As a naval leader, he controlled much of the western coast of India. He is often called the most skilled Indian navy chief in maritime history. His leadership changed how European traders interacted with the Indian Ocean. He was a master of sea warfare and coastal defense.

Angre's naval power relied on a sophisticated system of ships and bases.

His fleet included ten large warships known as grabs. These vessels could weigh up to 400 tons. He also commanded fifty smaller boats called gallivats. These boats were lighter, weighing less than 120 tons. Gallivats were propelled by forty to fifty oars. They were often armed with light swivel guns or small cannons.

He also utilized a ship type called the Pal. The Pal was a three-masted vessel armed with cannons.

To build these ships, Angre encouraged the growth of teak trees. Teak wood was essential for making durable vessels. He built specialized shipbuilding factories at several locations. These included Kolaba fort, Sakharkhadi, Suvarnadurg, and Vijaydurg. This ensured his navy always had high-quality materials for repairs and construction.

Angre established several strategic naval bases along the Konkan coast.

One of his primary bases was Vijayadurg, also known as Victory Fort. This fort had a special entrance hollowed out for ships. He also used the fortified islands of Kolaba near Alibaug. He built coastal fortifications at many creeks and harbors. These included Bankot, Anjanvel, Jaygad, and Sindhudurg. These bases allowed him to monitor and control maritime traffic.

His career began with a display of great courage and loyalty. At age 18, he took control of Suvarnadurg Fort. He did this after the fort commander tried to defect. This act impressed the Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Later, Angre became the Sarkhel, or Admiral, of the Maratha fleet. He eventually swore allegiance to the ruler Chhatrapati Shahu. This partnership helped him develop even more naval facilities.

Angre's actions often caused conflict with European powers.

He captured many East Indiamen, which were large merchant ships. He collected a tax called jakat from these vessels. Europeans often viewed this as a way to ransom their crews. He also collected a levy known as Chouth. These activities made the British, Dutch, and Portuguese very unhappy. Despite their attempts to stop him, he remained a dominant force.

His navy was a diverse group of people from many backgrounds.

The crews included indigenous seafaring communities like the Koli, Bhandari, and Kharvi. He also employed Muslim staff members. Because many sailors were illiterate, he hired Europeans to command certain vessels. He even hired a Jamaican pirate named James Plantain as a chief gunner. This diversity helped his navy function with high levels of skill.

Kanhoji Angre's legacy is tied to his ability to defend Maratha interests.

He managed a massive territory from Sawantwadi to Mumbai. He even issued his own silver currency called the Alibagi rupaiya. His ability to negotiate and fight made him a central figure in Indian history. He successfully balanced diplomacy with military strength until his death in 1729.