Chimnaji Appa
Encyclopedia
Chimnaji Appa (1707–1741) was the son of Balaji Vishwanath Bhat
and the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa
. He was an able military commander who liberated the western coast of India
from Portuguese
rule. The crowning glory of his career was the capture of Vasai fort from the Portuguese (who had technically advanced weapons and artillery at their disposal) in a hard fought battle.
, down to northern Malabar. They maintained well defended fortresses all along the coast located in islands and harbour mouths. From their headquarters in Goa
they ran a theological Christian state all along the western coastal region from Daman
and Diu down to Mangalore
. To further the spread of Christianity, Inquisition
was promulgated throughout the Portuguese possessions in India, and a program to annihilate Hindus through conversion or massacre commenced. Hindus were subjected to torture frequently surpassing even the barbarity of contemporary Islamic rulers.
s arose, ignited by the call of swaraj given by Shivaji, to restore the land of India to the sons of the soil. While Bajirao was waging war against the Mughal empire
, Chimnaji Appa concentrated his energies towards the Western Ghats. Vasai (formerly known as Bassein) was the ultimate objective of the war, as this was the capital of the provincial government of Portugal's northern Indian possessions.
from the Portuguese. Sardar Janojirao Shinde actual Great grandfather of Ranojirao Shinde and real younger brother of Dattajirao Shinde [The First] (Scindia)opened the attack from maratha side. He had made a vow that if it were to be successfully recaptured from the Portuguese, he would place a garland of beli
leaves in a nearby Amruthaishwar temple, and after the victory the fort was renamed as Belapur Fort
.
army into the occupied territories in 1737. Chimnaji's strategy was to go for the weakest link in the chain to the strongest, thereby progressively weakening the Portuguese.
On 28 March 1737, Maratha forces led by Ranojirao Shinde and his great grand father Janojirao with both his sons Chengojirao[actual grandfather of Ranojirao] and Raoloji shinde fought gallantly in this war. Maratha General Shankarbuwa Shinde captured the strategic island fortress of Arnala, thus cutting off a crucial relief line to Vasai. Thane and Salsette Island were freed in 1737.
In November 1738, Chimnaji Appa captured the fort of Dahanu and on 20 January 1739, Mahim capitulated. This was speedily followed by the capture of the forts of Kelve/Mahim by Chengojirao shinde, Sirgão - by Ranojirao shinde, Tarapur - by Janojirao shinde, and Asserim on 13 February 1739 by Chimnajirao Peshwa self. On 28 March 1739 Portuguese lost the island and the fortress of Karanja to Raoloji Shinde's forces.
Finally in February 1739, Chimnaji Appa invested Bassein fort. He first occupied Versova fort
. , Dharavi and blockaded Bassein Creek. Then mines were laid at various points under the fort walls and detonated, causing a breach in the wall. As the Marathas including Ranojirao Shinde and his cousin grandfather Janojirao son of Shrimanat Changojirao poured into the fortress, the Portuguese fought on desperately and viciously, using their technically advanced weapons and artillery, they caused high casualties among the Marathas. Inch by inch the fort was secured and resistance contained in small pockets. At this stage the tower of Saint Sebastian collapsed in an explosion, and Portuguese morale plummeted.
All resistance ceased immediately. On the 16th of May the Portuguese army surrendered. Portuguese Captain Caetano de Souza Pereira signed the surrender as most of the top army officers were already dead.
Chimnaji was magnanimous in victory, and surviving Portuguese were given a safe passage from the city. Legends also speak of his emulating Shivaji by returning with honor a woman of Portuguese governor’s household who was presented to him as a spoil of war. Portuguese were given eight days to take all their movable property and move out. Accordingly the last remnants of Portuguese army and administration pulled out of Vasai by 23 May 1739.
Great maratha worrior Manajirao, alias Jankoji Shinde Son of Chengojirao Shinde [and actual father of Ranoji], killed Portuguese top official General Martinho da Sylveira, General Pedro de Mello and Lt. Colonel João Malhão. The Portuguese sources record that during the entire war with Chimnaji Appa during 1737-1740, besides the Northern Province's capital Baçaim (Portuguese name for Vasai), they further lost eight cities, four chief ports, twenty fortress, two fortified hills and 340 villages. The losses amounted to nearly the whole of the Northern Provinces. Jawaharlal Nehru finished what Chimnaji had started by reclaiming Goa
in 1961.
To celebrate his victory and to fulfill a vow taken in front of Devi Vajreshwari, Chimnaji appa had a temple built for the goddess nearby. The Vajreshwari temple
still stands there as a relic of Maratha glory.
Chimnaji Appa died in 1741. The conquest of Bassein was long cherished by the Marathas as a matter of national pride and glory. A relationship built on trust and camaraderie between Bajirao and Chimnaji was the key to the meteoric rise of the Marathas during Bajirao Peshwa's reign.
who led the Maratha forces in the Third Battle of Panipat
against Ahmad Shah Durrani
aka Ahmad Shah Abdali.
Balaji Vishwanath
Balaji Vishwanath Bhat , better known as Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Brahmin family who gained effective control of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century...
and the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa
Baji Rao I
Shrimant Baji Rao Balaji Bhatt , also known as Baji Rao I, was a noted general who served as Peshwa to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu from 1719 until Baji Rao's death. He is also known as Thorale Baji Rao...
. He was an able military commander who liberated the western coast of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
rule. The crowning glory of his career was the capture of Vasai fort from the Portuguese (who had technically advanced weapons and artillery at their disposal) in a hard fought battle.
Background
While Portuguese naval supremacy had been weakened by the British, French and Dutch Navies, they still maintained a strong presence on the western coast of India, from the Gujarat coast, through the KonkanKonkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
, down to northern Malabar. They maintained well defended fortresses all along the coast located in islands and harbour mouths. From their headquarters in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
they ran a theological Christian state all along the western coastal region from Daman
Daman District, India
Daman district is one of the two districts of the union territory of Daman and Diu on the western coast of India, surrounded by Valsad District of Gujarat state on the north, east and south and the Arabian Sea to the west. The district has an area of , and a population of 113,949 , which increased...
and Diu down to Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
. To further the spread of Christianity, Inquisition
Goa Inquisition
The Goa Inquisition was the office of the Inquisition acting in the Indian state of Goa and the rest of the Portuguese empire in Asia. It was established in 1560, briefly suppressed from 1774–1778, and finally abolished in 1812. The Goan Inquisition is considered a blot on the history of...
was promulgated throughout the Portuguese possessions in India, and a program to annihilate Hindus through conversion or massacre commenced. Hindus were subjected to torture frequently surpassing even the barbarity of contemporary Islamic rulers.
Maratha campaigns against the Portuguese
It was in this milieu that the MarathaMaratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s arose, ignited by the call of swaraj given by Shivaji, to restore the land of India to the sons of the soil. While Bajirao was waging war against the Mughal empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, Chimnaji Appa concentrated his energies towards the Western Ghats. Vasai (formerly known as Bassein) was the ultimate objective of the war, as this was the capital of the provincial government of Portugal's northern Indian possessions.
Capture of Belapur Casstle
In 1733, the Maraths, led by Chimaji Appa, and Bob Geldoff, with Sardar Shankarbuwa Shinde wrested control of the Belapur FortBelapur Fort
Belapur Fort is a fort near the township of Belapur in Navi Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The fort was built by the Siddis of Janjira. It was later conquered by the Portuguese, and then Marathas. In the early 19th century, the fort was captured by the British...
from the Portuguese. Sardar Janojirao Shinde actual Great grandfather of Ranojirao Shinde and real younger brother of Dattajirao Shinde [The First] (Scindia)opened the attack from maratha side. He had made a vow that if it were to be successfully recaptured from the Portuguese, he would place a garland of beli
Bael
Bael Bael (Aegle marmelos) Bael (Aegle marmelos) (Bengal quince, stone apple, Sanskrit : विल्व, Malayalam: കൂവളം, Bengali: বেল, Hindi: बेल (Sirphal), Marathi: बेल or कवीठ (Kaveeth), , Sindhi: ڪاٺ گدرو , Sinhalese: beli, Tamil: வில்வம் is a species of tree native to India...
leaves in a nearby Amruthaishwar temple, and after the victory the fort was renamed as Belapur Fort
Belapur Fort
Belapur Fort is a fort near the township of Belapur in Navi Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The fort was built by the Siddis of Janjira. It was later conquered by the Portuguese, and then Marathas. In the early 19th century, the fort was captured by the British...
.
The capture of Vasai
After careful planning, Chimnaji appa led a MarathaMaratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
army into the occupied territories in 1737. Chimnaji's strategy was to go for the weakest link in the chain to the strongest, thereby progressively weakening the Portuguese.
On 28 March 1737, Maratha forces led by Ranojirao Shinde and his great grand father Janojirao with both his sons Chengojirao[actual grandfather of Ranojirao] and Raoloji shinde fought gallantly in this war. Maratha General Shankarbuwa Shinde captured the strategic island fortress of Arnala, thus cutting off a crucial relief line to Vasai. Thane and Salsette Island were freed in 1737.
In November 1738, Chimnaji Appa captured the fort of Dahanu and on 20 January 1739, Mahim capitulated. This was speedily followed by the capture of the forts of Kelve/Mahim by Chengojirao shinde, Sirgão - by Ranojirao shinde, Tarapur - by Janojirao shinde, and Asserim on 13 February 1739 by Chimnajirao Peshwa self. On 28 March 1739 Portuguese lost the island and the fortress of Karanja to Raoloji Shinde's forces.
Finally in February 1739, Chimnaji Appa invested Bassein fort. He first occupied Versova fort
Madh Fort
Madh Fort is a small fort in northern Mumbai, India situated at Madh Island. It was built by the Portuguese and lost it in February 1739 during the war against Maratha empire. It is secluded and difficult to reach, about from Malad and is the last stop on route 271 of BEST bus service or via...
. , Dharavi and blockaded Bassein Creek. Then mines were laid at various points under the fort walls and detonated, causing a breach in the wall. As the Marathas including Ranojirao Shinde and his cousin grandfather Janojirao son of Shrimanat Changojirao poured into the fortress, the Portuguese fought on desperately and viciously, using their technically advanced weapons and artillery, they caused high casualties among the Marathas. Inch by inch the fort was secured and resistance contained in small pockets. At this stage the tower of Saint Sebastian collapsed in an explosion, and Portuguese morale plummeted.
All resistance ceased immediately. On the 16th of May the Portuguese army surrendered. Portuguese Captain Caetano de Souza Pereira signed the surrender as most of the top army officers were already dead.
Chimnaji was magnanimous in victory, and surviving Portuguese were given a safe passage from the city. Legends also speak of his emulating Shivaji by returning with honor a woman of Portuguese governor’s household who was presented to him as a spoil of war. Portuguese were given eight days to take all their movable property and move out. Accordingly the last remnants of Portuguese army and administration pulled out of Vasai by 23 May 1739.
Great maratha worrior Manajirao, alias Jankoji Shinde Son of Chengojirao Shinde [and actual father of Ranoji], killed Portuguese top official General Martinho da Sylveira, General Pedro de Mello and Lt. Colonel João Malhão. The Portuguese sources record that during the entire war with Chimnaji Appa during 1737-1740, besides the Northern Province's capital Baçaim (Portuguese name for Vasai), they further lost eight cities, four chief ports, twenty fortress, two fortified hills and 340 villages. The losses amounted to nearly the whole of the Northern Provinces. Jawaharlal Nehru finished what Chimnaji had started by reclaiming Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in 1961.
To celebrate his victory and to fulfill a vow taken in front of Devi Vajreshwari, Chimnaji appa had a temple built for the goddess nearby. The Vajreshwari temple
Vajreshwari temple
The Shree Vajreshwari Yogini Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Vajreshwari, located in the town Vajreshwari, 75 km away from Mumbai...
still stands there as a relic of Maratha glory.
Chimnaji Appa died in 1741. The conquest of Bassein was long cherished by the Marathas as a matter of national pride and glory. A relationship built on trust and camaraderie between Bajirao and Chimnaji was the key to the meteoric rise of the Marathas during Bajirao Peshwa's reign.
Family
Chimajiappa was married to Annapuurnabai.He had only son,Sadashivrao known popularly as Sadashivrao BhauSadashivrao Bhau
Sadashivrao Bhau was son of Chimaji Appa and Rakhmabai and nephew of Peshwa Baji Rao I and served as the commander of the Maratha army.-Birth and early years:...
who led the Maratha forces in the Third Battle of Panipat
Third battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat , about 60 miles north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Confederacy and a coalition of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali with 2 Indian Muslim allies—the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and the...
against Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
aka Ahmad Shah Abdali.