Kanhoji Angre


Kanhoji Angre, also known as Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré was a Maratha Navy admiral. Kanhoji became known for attacking and capturing European East Indiamen and collecting jakat, seen by Europeans traders and colonists as ransoming of their crews. British, Dutch, and Portuguese ships often fell victims to these raids. Despite attempts by the Portuguese and British to put an end to his privateering activities, Angre continued to capture and collect jakat from European merchant ships until his death in 1729. Kanhoji's naval prowess in capturing dozens of European trading ships and avoiding capture has led to many historians to appraise Kanhoji as the most skilled Indian navy chief in the maritime history of India.

Titles

In 1713, Shahu dispatched a formidable force led by the Peshwa, Bahiroji Pingale, to protect the region's inland territories and curb the expanding influence of Angria. However, upon learning of the Peshwa's advance, the seasoned warrior Kanhoji swiftly mobilized his forces, confronting and decisively defeating the Peshwa, taking him captive. Expanding his conquests, Kanhoji seized strategic forts like Lohagad and Rajmachi near Khandala, poised to advance towards Satara. In response, all available troops were rallied under the command of Balaji Vishwanath, recognizing the magnitude of Kanhoji's prowess and ambition. A negotiation ensued, wherein Balaji proposed terms: if Kanhoji released the Peshwa, severed ties with Sambhaji, pledged allegiance to Shahu, and relinquished his conquests except for Rajmachi, he would be granted ten forts and sixteen fortified posts, crowned as the admiral of the Maratha fleet with the prestigious titles of Vizarat Mal and Sarkhel.

Early life

Angre was born on the fort Suvarnadurg, near Ratnagari in the year 1667 to mother, Ambabai and father, Tukoji. His father served at Suvarnadurg under Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with a command of 200 posts. Kanhoji family background attracted much wild speculation amongst European Merchants, travelers and writers in the 18th century, and later. In 2009, modern Dutch Historian, Rene Barendse, specializing in South Asian history as well as history related to the Indian Ocean, summarises that Kanhoji Angre's origin is highly controversial. He writes:
Other sources, mainly Indian, on his family background go into details of each opinion. As per Rajaram Narayan Saletore, his surname "Angre" is derived from Angarwadi; the family's original name was Sankpal, and the family members before Kanhoji were known as Sankpals. Historian Sen believes that Angre's origin is "obscure and he certainly did not belong to the nobility of the land". Citation of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino is given to show that Kanhoji started his life as a humble servant of some Hindus in the island of Versova. According to his family history, he was a "Kshatriya" Maratha. Historian V. G. Dighe, in 1951, cites G. S. Sardesai's Selections from the Peshwa Daftar, and calls them "blue-blood Marathas" who "would spurn to marry in families lower than those of Deshmukhs, Jadhavs, Jagtaps and Shitoles." However, S.R.Sharma seems to agree with the Portuguese opinions and believes him to have been a "Maratha Koli captain". Little is known about his early life except that he was involved in daring exploits at sea with his father. He spent much of his childhood in the Suvarnadurg Fort. Kanhoji grew up among Koli sailors, and learned seamanship from them.

Naval career

Angre's career as a naval commander began in 1685 when the Killedar of Suvranadurg tried to defect to the Siddi of Janjira, an 18 year old Angre took control of the fort and captured the Killedar. When this news reached the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, he was pleased with Kanhoji's loyalty. As a result, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj made Kanhoji the Killedar of Suvarnadurg. After the death of Admiral Sidhoji Gujar around 1698, the Maratha Navy survived because of the extensive efforts of Kanhoji Angre. He was originally appointed as Sarkhel or Darya-Saranga by the chief of Satara in c. 1698. Under that authority, he was master of the Western coast of India from Mumbai to Vingoria in present-day state of Maharashtra, except for the property of the Muslim Siddis of Murud-Janjira who were affiliated with the Mughal Empire. Under his leadership, the activities of European trading companies were checked along the western coast of India. Kanhoji later swore allegiance to supreme Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shahu and his prime minister Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath. He gained their support to develop naval facilities on the western coast of India, or Konkan. Angre was also placed as chief of 26 forts and fortified places of Maharashtra.
Kanhoji started his career by attacking merchant ships of European East India companies and slowly gained the enmity from all European powers in the region. In 1702, he captured an Indian merchant ship from Calicut with six English sailors onboard and took it to his harbor. In 1707, he attacked the British East Indiaman Bombay which blew up during the fight. In time, the Europeans thought that he could capture any merchant ship except large, heavily armed ships. When Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu ascended the leadership of the Maratha Empire, he appointed Balaji Viswanath Bhat as his Senakarta and negotiated an agreement with Angre around 1707. This was partly to appease Angre who supported the other ruler, Tarabai, who claimed the Maratha throne. As per agreement, Angre became head of the Maratha Navy.

Naval strategy and resources

Under the leadership of Kanhoji, the Maratha developed a naval base at Vijayadurg featuring dockyard facilities for building vessels, mounting guns, and making the ships seaworthy. Their naval fleet consisted of ten gurabs/grabs and fifty gallivats. A gallivat had a displacement lower than 120 tons, while a grab could go as high as 400 tons. Another ship type used was the Pal, which was a cannon-armed, three-masted vessel. The grabs had broadsides of 6 and 9-pounder guns, and carried two 9 or 12-pounders on their main decks. These guns pointed forward through port-holes cut in the bulkheads. The gallivats were mostly armed with light swivel guns, but some also mounted six or eight cannons, either 2 or 4-pounders. These boats were propelled by forty to fifty oars. Even during the reign of Kanhoji Angre, the Maratha Government signed a treaty of friendship with the Portuguese in 1703. As per the treaty, the Portuguese agreed to supply cannon and gunpowder to the Maratha, supplies which they needed as they had only a few cannon foundries producing their own armaments. The Marathas signed a treaty with the Siddi as well, thus concentrating all their naval forces to contest Indian waters with the Europeans. By the beginning of the 18th century, Kanhoji Angre controlled the entire coastline from Sawantwadi to Mumbai, which is the entire coastline of present-day Maharashtra. He built coastal fortifications on almost all creeks, cove, and harbours, such as a fortress or citadel with navigational facilities. The main naval bases were at Bankot, Anjanvel, Jaygad, Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg. Any ship sailing through Maratha territorial waters was to pay a levy called Chouth, which expressed Angre's dominance. To develop a strong navy Angre encouraged shipbuilding. Most of the vessels were built with teak grown near Bombay. Angre also encouraged cultivation of Teak on the western coast to ensure a supply of timber for the boats. to the Angre forces. He built ship building factories at Kolaba fort, Sakharkhadi, Suvarnadurg, and Vijaydurgh. The design of these ships and their durability had been of high quality. Kanhoji also utilized shipbuilding on modern European or more specifically English designs.
Between 1717 and 1720, the British East India Company made at least two unsuccessful attempts to put an end to Maratha Navy attacks on their ships. In response to a EIC merchant ship being captured by Kanhoji's seamen, the British attempted to capture Vijayadurg and Khanderi, but were unsuccessful. In 1720, Angre captured the EIC vessel Charlotte along its owner, a merchant named Curgenven who had been bound for China from Surat. Curgenven would be imprisoned for 10 years.

Naval crew

Crew on Maratha belonged to diverse communities. They included seafaring indigenous communities such as Koli, Bhandari and Kharvi.
He also had Muslim staff. Since most of these people were illiterate, Angre employed Europeans, generally Dutch, to command his best vessels. He also employed a Jamaican pirate named James Plantain and entrusted him with significant responsibilities such as the chief gunner post. Angre employed Manuel de Castro, a Portuguese employee of the EIC who was about to be punished for his failure in capturing Khanderi Island, which was controlled by Kanhoji Angre.

Bases

  • In 1698, Angre located his first base at Vijayadurg , Devgad Taluka, located about 485 km from Mumbai. The fort which was originally built by king Bhoj and strengthened by Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is located on the coast and has an entrance hollowed out in it to accommodate entry of a vessel from the sea.
  • Angre created an operating base from the fortified islands of "Kolaba" at Alibaug. Khanderi and Underi off the coast of Thal, Alibaug, and attempted to levy a tax on every merchant vessel entering the harbour.
  • He established a township called Alibaug on seashore at southern tip of Mumbai. The main village at that time, was today's Ramnath. Kanhoji even issued his own currency in the form of a silver coin called the Alibagi rupaiya.
  • In 1724, Angre built a port at Purnagad, located in Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra. Seven guns and 70 cannonballs were found in the port. The port was also used for limited trading activities.