Information AboutKanhoji Angre |
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Kanhoji Angre or Conajee Angria or ''Sarkhel'' Angre (? – 1729) was the first notable chief of the Maratha Navy in 18th Century India . He harassed British , Dutch and Portuguese naval interests in the Indian Ocean during the 18th century, and hence was known to them as a Pirate . Similar work was carried out against the colonial powers by the Kunjali Marakkar s in the 16th Century . Angre had a number of contemporaries like Englishmen William Kidd and John Taylor . Despite the attempts of the British and Portuguese to subdue Angre, he remained undefeated until his death. ORIGINS Hailing from the Town of Alibag , little is known about his early life except that he was involved in daring exploits in the Sea and his father was Tanoji Angre, a commander under Maratha Chhatrapati (King) Shivaji . He was originally appointed as ''Darya-Saranga'' by the chief of Satara in 1698 {Link without Title} . Under that authority he was master of the Western coast of India from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Vingoria (now Vengurla) in present day state of Maharashtra , except the property of the Muslim Siddis of Janjira who were affiliated with the powerful Mughal empire. NOTORIETY Kanhoji initially started by attacking Merchant Ships of the British East India Company and slowly gained notoriety and power. When Maratha Chattrapati Shahu ascended the leadership of the Maratha kingdom, he appointed Balaji Viswanath Bhatt as his ''Senakarta'' ('Commander'), and negotiated an agreement with Angre around 1707 . This was partly to appease Angre who supported the other ruler who claimed the Maratha throne, Tarabai. Under the agreement, Angre became head of the Maratha navy. Later, Angre broke away from the Marathas and continued his harassment of all vessels. BASES
CAMPAIGNS With official Maratha backing Kanhoji intensified the attacks on colonial naval powers like England and Portugal on the western coast of India . On November 4 1712 , his navy even succeeded in capturing the armed Yacht ''Algerine'' of the British President of Bombay, Mr William Aislabie, killing the chief of their Karwar factory, Mr. Thomas Chown, and making his wife a prisoner. The yacht and the lady were released on 13 February 1713 for a ransom of Rupees 30,000. He also signed a treaty with the President Aislabie to stop harassing the Company's fleet. Mr. Aislabie departed for England during October 1715 . After the arrival of Charles Boone as the new Governor of Bombay on 26 December 1715 , Charles made several attempts to capture Angre. But instead in 1718 Angre captured three ships belonging to the British leaving them to claim that Kanhoji Angre was a Pirate . Angre blockaded the port of Bombay, and extracted a ransom of 8,750 pounds from the East India Company. The English launched a fresh campaign in 1720 , when shells from floating batteries burst in vain against the rocks of Vijaydurg fort. The attempt to land inside the fort ended in disaster, and the English squadron soon retired to Bombay. On 29 November , 1721 a joint attempt by the Portuguese ( Viceroy Francisco Jose de Sampaio e Castro) and the English (General Robert Cowan) to humble Kanhoji also failed miserably. This fleet consisted of 6,000 soldiers in no less than four Man Of War ships led by Commander Thomas Matthews. Aided by maratha warriors Mendhaji Bhatkar and Mainak Bhandari in his navy, he continued to harass and plunder the European ships. Commander Matthews returned to England, but was accused and convicted of trading with the pirates in December 1723 . Also, during 1723, Governor Boone returned to England. After Boone's departure for a few years for some reason relative calm prevailed among the English and Angre, until his death. BATTLES
DEATH By the time of his death in June 1729 , Kanhoji Angre had emerged as a master of the Arabian Sea from Surat to south Konkan . He left behind two legitimate sons, Sekhoji and Sambhaji; three illegitimate sons, Tulaji, Manaji, and Yeshaji. After Kanhoji, his son Sekhoji continued Maratha exploits at sea till his death in 1733 . After Sekhoji's death, the Angre might was split between two brothers, Sambhaji and Manaji, because of divisions in the family. With the Marathas neglecting the navy the British soon found it easier to defeat the remnants of the kingdom. The Angre reign over the Western coast ended with the capture of Tulaji in a joint English/Maratha attack on the fort of Gheriah (now Vijaydurg) in February 1756 . LEGACY Kanhoji Angre stands alone in the Indian list of early freedom fighters as the one person who stood undefeated and inflicted many casualties on colonial powers. However, the English and other shipping powers who were heckled by Angre tend to view him more as a Privateer on the lines of Sir Francis Drake . Kanhoji is also credited with the foresight that a navy's role is to keep the enemy engaged away from the shores of the land. At one time he was so successful that he even employed certain Europeans in his fleet, including making one Dutchman his Commodore. Kanhoji's harassment of British commercial interests (who hence called him a pirate) and the Battle Of Swally led them to establish a small naval force that eventually became the modern Indian Navy . Angre's tomb is situated at the city of Alibag, Maharashtra . TRIBUTES
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