New History of the Marathas v1.c16.59

v1.c16.59

5. Forts on land and sea.—Of all measures of defence the most prominent that was devised and persistently developed by Shivaji was his system of forts. These became a necessary adjunct of the guerilla method which he developed from his father’s example. There are three distinct lines of such forts which can be recognised even at the present day, although all these forts were either purposely dismantled during the British regime or fell into decay through neglect, as the method of warfare has now been completely revolutionized. The main forts are on the tops of the Sahyadri range; there are two more lines of them, one on the eastern and the other on the western spurs of the mountain range. In addition, there are some built by him on difficult rocks on the sea-coast. Some towns in the plains had also been strongly fortified long before Shivaji, such as Ahmadnagar and Sholapur. Sindhudurg of Malvan, Vijaydurg, Suvarnadurg and Kolaba were the main naval fortifications which even today inspire awe and admiration for Shivaji’s ingenuity. Of all his forts Raigad, his capital, reveals the great importance which Shivaji attached to these forts and the lavishness with which he poured money on their construction. Almost the first fort constructed by him was Pratāpgad which was at first intended to be only a seat of the goddess Bhavāni whom he installed therein. For grasping the significance of Shivaji’s conception of defending his country by means of these forts, an actual visit to some of them today is indeed necessary. Visitors to Poona from all over India and abroad, hardly fail to visit Purandar and Sinhagad in the vicinity of that town.