Vishalgad
Encyclopedia
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
. The name ‘Vishalgad’ meaning grand fort in Marathi, was given by Shivaji after annexing it for the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
in 1659.The fort is about 1130 meters that is 3630 feet.
Origin of the name Vishalgad
Khelna was in the control of Adilshah of BijapurAdil Shahi
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi dynasty ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur in the Western area of the Deccan region of Southern India from 1490 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate , before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518...
. Shivaji wanted to conquer the fort but the terrain of the fort was difficult; conquering the fort was easier said than done. Shivaji attacked the fort but the Adilshahi garrison at the fort was defending the fort valiantly. Then, Shivaji came up with a plan. Accordingly, a group of Marathas went up to the fort and convinced the Adilshahi commander (killedar) of the fort that they were not content with the rule of Shivaji and thus, had come to serve the Adilshah. The Marathas were successful and the next day, they revolted and caused total chaos inside the fort. Simultaneously, Shivaji attacked the fort from outside and in no time captured the fort. Shivaji renamed the fort as Vishalgad.
Location
The fort is situated in MaharashtraMaharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India. It is 76 kilometers North-West of Kolhapur, 60 kilometers north-west of Panhala fort
Panhala fort
Panhala fort , also known as Panhalgad, Pahalla and Panalla , is located in Panhala, 20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a major trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to...
and 18 kilometers south of Kolhapur Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri
Ratnāgiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east...
road. It is situated on the hills that divide the region into two parts viz Amba ghat and Anaskura ghat.
Since it is placed on the border of the hilly portion of Sahyadri ranges and the konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
region, it got great political significance in the historical times. It was regarded as a 'Watch tower' for both the region
Site Seeing
The fort has following sites nearly in ruins today except the Dargah.- Amruteshwar Temple
- Shri Nrusinha Temple
- Takmak Tok
- Sati’s Vrindavan
- The Dargah or tomb of Hazrat Malik Raihan. Thousands of Devotees visit the Dargah every year.
- Samadhis built in the memory of Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Phulaji Prabhu Deshpande, who laid down their lives to protect Chhatrapati Shivaji from the clutches of Siddhi Johar while escaping from fort Panhala to Vishalgad.
History
- The fort was constructed by the ShilaharaShilaharaThe Shilahara Dynasty was a feudal clan that established itself in northern and southern Konkan and southern Maharashtra during the Rashtrakuta period...
king ‘Marsinh’ in 1058 A.C. Initially, he named it as 'Khilgil' - In 1209, the then king of Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri defeated ShilaharaShilaharaThe Shilahara Dynasty was a feudal clan that established itself in northern and southern Konkan and southern Maharashtra during the Rashtrakuta period...
s and captured the fort - In 1309, Allauddin Khilji defeated King Ramchandra of the Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri and soon the fort was attached to the Khilji DynastyKhilji dynastyThe Khilji Sultanate was a dynasty of Turko-Afghan Khalaj origin who ruled large parts of South Asia from 1290 - 1320. They were the second dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India...
- In August 1347, the Mughal chief of the western India Hasan GanguHasan GanguAbu'l Muzaffar Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah , whose original name was Hasan Gangu or Hansan Kanku and also bore the title of Zafar Khan was the founder of the Bahmani sultanate.-Ancestry and early life:...
Bahamani became independent as a result of which the fort became a part of Bahamani Sultanat - During 1354 to 1433, the fort was under the rule of Vijayanagar Empire
- After the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire, it was captured by a local Maratha king Shankarrao More. Therefore, the Bahamani Sultan sent troops from BidarBidarBidar is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the north-eastern part of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Bidar District....
under the Generalship of Mahmood Gawan, his then prime Minister, to re-capture it. Gawan's officers Karnasinh Bhonsale and his son Bhimsinha captured the fort with the help of Ghorpad i.e. Giant monitor lizardMonitor lizardMonitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known...
. Thenceforth, Bhimsinha was conferred with the title Ghorpade. - In 1489, Yusuf Adil ShahYusuf Adil ShahYusuf Adil Shah , referred as Adil Khan or Hidalcão by the Portuguese, was the founder of the Adil Shahi dynasty that ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur for nearly two centuries...
separated himself from the Bahamani kingdom along with the area under his command and founded his independent sultanat at BijapurAdil ShahiThe Adil Shahi or Adilshahi dynasty ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur in the Western area of the Deccan region of Southern India from 1490 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate , before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518...
. Hence, the fort was attached to Adil ShahiAdil ShahiThe Adil Shahi or Adilshahi dynasty ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur in the Western area of the Deccan region of Southern India from 1490 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate , before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518...
sultanate. - In 1659, Shivaji captured the fort with the help of the officers on the fort.
- In July 1660, the fort witnessed Shivaji's escape from the Adilshahi blockade around fort PanhalaPanhalaPanhala is a city and a Hill station Municipal Council 18 km northwest of Kolhapur, in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Panhala is the smallest city in Maharastra and being a Municipal Council the city is developing rapidly. The city sprawls in the Panhala fort commands...
and the Battle of Pavan KhindBattle of Pavan KhindBattle of Pävankhind was a rear guard battle and a Last Stand that took place on July 13, 1660 at a mountain pass in the vicinity of fort Vishalgad, near the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha sardar Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Siddi Masud of Adilshah. The Marathas held the...
. Baji Prabhu DeshpandeBaji Prabhu DeshpandeBaji Prabhu Deshpande was one of the lieutenants of Chattrapati Shivaji, founder of the Maratha empire...
, Shivaji's experienced General and Rango Narayan OrpeRango Narayan OrpeRangnath Narayan Orpe, historically mentioned as ‘Rango Narayan’, was a warrior and administrative officer on Fort Vishalgad in the regimes of Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire and his son Sambhaji in the 17th century in India....
, Shivaji's young officer on the fort, defeated Adilshahi troops at Pavan Khind and Gonimooth respectively. - After Shivaji's death, Chhatrapati SambhajiSambhajiSambhaji Raje Bhosle was the eldest son and successor to Emporer Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire.- Early life :...
would spend most of his times on the fort. He took initiative in renovation and reconstruction of some parts of the fortresses and gates of the fort. - In 1689, Rajaram Chhatrapati fled to Fort GingeeGingeeGingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
in Karnataka (now Tamilnadu) from fort PanhalaPanhalaPanhala is a city and a Hill station Municipal Council 18 km northwest of Kolhapur, in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Panhala is the smallest city in Maharastra and being a Municipal Council the city is developing rapidly. The city sprawls in the Panhala fort commands...
and thus ‘Vishalgad’ became an un-official capital of the Maratha empireMaratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
. Ramchandra Pant AmatyaRamchandra Pant AmatyaRamchandra Neelkanth Bahutkar , also known as Ramchandra Pant Amatya, was the youngest member of the Council of Ministers to Emperor Shivaji dating from 1674 to 1680. He also served as the Imperial Regent to Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Rajaram, Shivaji II and Sambhaji II...
from Vishalgad and Rajaram Chhatrapati from GingeeGingeeGingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
made several moves and defeated AurangzebAurangzebAbul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
with the help of Santaji, Dhanaji, Parshurampant Pratinidhi and Shankaraji Narayan Sacheev. - During the times of Maratha EmpireMaratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
, Vishalgad was made capital of a large region consisting of ninety towns and villages in Kolhapur and RatnagiriRatnagiriRatnāgiri is a port city on the Arabian Sea coast in Ratnagiri district in the southwestern part of Maharashtra, India. The district is a part of Konkan.The Sahyadri mountains border Ratnagiri to the east...
districts. Sardesai and SarpotdarSarpotdarSarpotdar is a family name found mainly among the Maharashtrian people in India. It is derived from the Mughal title Sarpotdar. The Persian word "pota" which means "treasure": the treasurer in Mughal times was called "Potdar" and the chief treasurer would be "Sarpotdar"...
were officers on the fort since Adilshahi times. Some of the Havaldars (Military In Charge) on the fort during Rajaram Chhatrapati to Chhatrapati Shahu's times were :- Trimbakji Ingawale - 3 years
- Santaji Kathe - 9 years
- Khandoji Karanjkar - 3 months
- Umaji Gaikwad - 6 months
- Shamji Rangnath Orpe SarpotdarSarpotdarSarpotdar is a family name found mainly among the Maharashtrian people in India. It is derived from the Mughal title Sarpotdar. The Persian word "pota" which means "treasure": the treasurer in Mughal times was called "Potdar" and the chief treasurer would be "Sarpotdar"...
- 6 years - Vithoji Nimbalkar - 6 months
- Malji Dalvi - 2 months
- In 1844, as a result of mutiny by the Killedars, BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
army demolished the entire fort and dismissed the officers there
See also
- FirishtaFirishtaFirishta or Ferishta, full name Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah , was born in 1560 and died in 1620 and he was a Persian historian. The name Firishta means angel or one who is sent in Persian.-Life:...
- History of Ghorpades
- List of forts in Maharashtra