List of forts of Shivaji Maharaj

                                          

The list of forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is given below. It includes hill forts, earthworks and sea forts , as well as forts in the present states of Maharashtra , Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa.

Of these, about 111 forts are recorded as having been built by Shivaji Maharaj in a Bakhri . He also repaired 49 forts and made necessary changes to them, making them impregnable.

This list of forts includes the forts (conquered/built by Shivaji Maharaj) that were under the jurisdiction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The purpose of this list is to show information about Shivaji Maharaj and his work. Another purpose is to show how far he reached.

Shivaji Maharaj started his Swarajya from the region of Bara Maval. Although this region was small, it was surrounded by forests , mountains and rivers . There were eight forts there . This region was militarily invincible. Shivaji Maharaj's tendency was to build forts on invincible terrain. He adopted the policy of building a fort on every ghat . These forts were a kind of check posts. No one could enter from there. Once entered, there was no guarantee of returning.

Ghats and forts built there-

Ambaghat - Rasalgad

Kamthaghat - Kangori

Kundighat - Maujgad

Kumbharli Ghat - Jaigad

Kusur Ghat - Bhiwagad, Takgad

Pipri Ghat - Sudhagad

Mataghat - Bhawangad

Rantondi Ghat - Pratapgad

Vishalgad Ghat - Vishalgad, Machalgad

Shevala Ghat - Mangad

These forts were a kind of watchtower. They also secured the coastline to prevent attacks from the sea. They built a sea fort every 10 to 12 miles. They had 52 forts in Ratnagiri district alone. Pune had 32 forts, 30 hill forts and 2 earthen forts. More forts were built along the route where the enemy was likely to come.

To ensure that Swarajya remained invincible, he built a ring of forts. The 8 forts in the Bara Maval region were protected by the outer ring forts like Asheri Fort, Vishalgad, Sinhagad, Purandar, Vajragad, Raigad, Torna, Tala, Ghosala and Sudhagad. To complement this, he also built ring forts like Salher, Mulher, Rohida, Rangana outside them. Along with this, he also built a chain of sea forts. Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg, Padmadurg, Khanderi, Kolaba, Suvarnadurg kept Swarajya impregnable.

Once Pant Amatya appealed to him, "The forts are very old. Money is being spent unnecessarily on them."

Maharaj's reply was - "Just as a Kunbi protects a field by garlanding it, forts are for the protection of the state. Just as a ship is strengthened by driving nails, forts are the strength of the state. A man like Aurangshah may live to see his age, but he will not be able to defeat us. If he invades us, he has eight hundred and three hundred and sixty old forts. Even if he fights for one fort each, it will take him 360 years."

Forts in various provinces under the control of Shivaji Maharaj

Maval Province-

(Present Maval, Saswad, Junnar and Khed talukas.) They had a total of 19 forts here.

1) Kunwari Fort,2) Kelana Fort, 3) Tikona Fort, 4) Tung Fort, 5) Torna Fort, 6) Dategad Fort, 7) Daulatmangal Fort, 8) Narayangadh Fort, 9) Purandhar Fort, 10) Morgiri Fort,11) Rajgad Fort, 12) Rajmachi Fort, 13) Rudramal Fort, 14) Rohida Fort, 15) Lohagad Fort, 16) Visapur Fort, 17) Shivneri Fort, 18) Sinhagad Fort.