The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c9.2

c9.2

SHIVAJI’s name has been associated with almost all the old forts of his country. Some he had obtained by deliberate use of bribes, others by clever stratagem, and the rest by well planned assaults. Not content with the possession of the old fortresses, he had built new ones and the hills of Maharashtra offered him excellent sites for them. Not a pass was left undefended, not a peak was left unfortified, and every Taluka¹ was provided with one or more strongholds, and the whole country was secured by a network of forts. As one drives today by the high road from Poona to Satara through the pass of Katraj, through the mango groves of Shivapur and the ancient town of Shirwal, one sees on the right and left no less than ten famous hill forts well known to the Maratha ballad singers; Sinhgad, rendered famous by Tanaji Malsure, Purandar, and Vajragad that once witnessed the heroism of Murar Baji; Sajjangad, hallowed by the memory of Saint Ramdas; and Satara, once the capital of the Maratha empire. Shivaji was famous for his forts, as a popular Maratha writer informs us, and well did he deserve his fame. The military architecture of the Marathas had not attained a high standard in Shivaji’s time, and he does not seem to have made any attempt to improve it. Indeed, no such effort was called for. His enemies possessed but poor artillery, their knowledge of mining did not go very far, an inaccessible site and a massive wall defended by a few resolute men even with primitive arms and crude missiles could defy for months the utmost efforts of the strongest besieging force. Only hunger and bribery could reduce a fort. All that was needed therefore was a good site, a strong rampart, sufficient provision, and plenty of military stores.