Kanhoji Angre

Kanhoji Angre
Born	1669 At-Harne District-Ratnagiri, India
Died	4 July 1729 KOLABA FORT Alibag Maharashtra, India
Allegiance	Maratha Navy
Years of service	1698–1729
Rank	Admiral

Kanhoji Angre (Marathi: कान्होजी आंग्रे) or Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angre (Sarkhel is a title meaning Admiral of the Fleet) (August 1669 – 4 July 1729) was the first notable chief of the Maratha Navy in 18th century India. He fought successfully all his life against the British, Dutch and Portuguese naval interests in the Indian Ocean during the 18th century, and hence was alleged by them to be a pirate. Similar work was carried out against the colonial powers by the Kunjali Marakkars in the 16th century. Despite the attempts of the British and Portuguese to subdue Angre, he remained undefeated until his death.

Origins

Born in the village Harnai in Ratnagiri district of Konkan in the year of 1669, he was born into a Sankapal family(i.e bhilare family now), whose original name was Kadu. They were guardians of small state named 'Vir Rana Sank' and therefore became known as Sankapal. His mother's name was Ambabai and his father's name was Tukoji. The couple did not have a child for many years, so Ambabai worshiped Kaniphanath, and said to Kaniphanath, "If I become a mother of a child by the blessings of your angara (burnt ash of holy wood) I will give your name to the child and change the surname to Angare," which later became Angre. Little is known about his early life except that he was involved in daring exploits at sea and that his father was Tanoji Angre, a commander under Maratha Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shivaji. He spent much of his childhood in the fort at Suvarnadurg Fort, of which he would later become governor.

He was originally appointed as Darya-Saranga by the chief of Satara in 1698 [1]. Under that authority, he was master of the Western coast of India from Mumbai to Vingoria (now Vengurla) in present day state of Maharashtra, except for the property of the Muslim Siddis of Janjira who were affiliated with the powerful Mughal Empire.

Kanhoji initially started by attacking merchant ships of the British East India Company and slowly gained respect from the sovereign and notoriety with the colonial powers. 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.

He also played a role in the Maratha conflicts against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who was campaigning in the Deccan.

Bases

• In 1698, Angre located his first base at the Maratha fort of Vijayadurg ('Victory Fort') (formerly Gheriah) located about 425 km from Mumbai. The fort which was originally built by Maratha ruler, Shivaji is located on the coast, and has an entrance hollowed out in it to accommodate entry of a vessel from the sea.
• Angre created a base on 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.
• Angre established a township called Alibag towards the end of the 17th century. 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.
• Angre even established a base in the Andaman Islands, and is credited with attaching those islands to India.^{[citation needed]}

Campaigns

Kanhoji intensified the attacks on colonial naval powers like Great Britain and Portugal on the western coast of India. On 4 November 1712, his navy even succeeded in capturing the armed yacht Algerine of the British President of Mumbai, William Aislabie, killing the chief of their Karwar factory, Thomas Chown, and making his wife a prisoner. The yacht and the lady were released on 13 February 1713 for a ransom of 30,000 Rupees. 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 Mumbai on 26 December 1715, Boone 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 Mumbai, and extracted a ransom of 8,750 pounds from the East India Company.

The British 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 British squadron soon retired to Mumbai.

On 29 November 1721 a joint attempt by the Portuguese (Viceroy Francisco José de Sampaio e Castro) and the British (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 Mathews. Aided by Maratha warriors Mendhaji Bhatkar and Maynak Bhandari in his navy, he continued to harass and plunder the European ships. Commander Matthews returned to Great Britain, but was accused and convicted of trading with the pirates in December 1723. Also, during 1723, Governor Boone returned to Great Britain. After Boone's departure for a few years for some unknown reasons relative calm prevailed among the British and Angre, until his death.

Battles

• 1702 - Seizes small vessel in Cochin with six Englishmen
• 1706 - Attacks and defeats the Siddi of Janjira
• 1710 - Captures the Kennery (now Khanderi) islands near Mumbai after fighting the British vessel Godolphin for two days
• 1712 - Captured the yacht of the British President of Mumbai, Mr. Aislabie, releasing it only after obtaining a hefty ransom of Rs. 30,000 [2]
• 1713 - Ten forts ceded to Angre by British
• 1717 - British ships bombard Kennery island and Angre signs treaty with Company paying Rs. 60,000
• 1718 - Blockaded Mumbai port and extracted ransom
• 1720 - British attack Vijaydurg (Gheriah), unsuccessfully
• 1721 - British and Portuguese jointly attack Alibagh, but are defeated
• 1723 - Angre attacks two British vessels, Eagle and Hunter

Death

By the time of his death on 4 July 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.

His son Tulaji Angre in 1755 looted Shri Anantheshwar temple of Gowda saraswat brahmins at Manjeshwar, Kerala.

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 British / Peshwa attack on the fort of Gheriah (now Vijaydurg) in February 1756.

Legacy

Kanhoji Angre stands as one of the most notable admirals of the Maratha Navy who inflicted many casualties on colonial powers. However, the British and other shipping powers who were heckled by Angre claimed that he was a privateer, purposely forgetting that he was the appointed admiral of the Maratha Navy.

Kanhoji is also credited with the foresight that a Blue Water 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. At the height of power, Kanhoji's commanded hundreds of warships and the British Navy could do little to combat the Maratha Navy.[3]

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 samadhi (a place where he cremated) is situated at the city of Alibag, Maharashtra.

A statue of Angre stands tall in Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The fort which overlooks the Naval Docks may not be there but the boundary wall is still intact and within it lays the Headquarters of Western Naval Command and is called INS Angre ( Indian Naval Ship Angre).

The samadhi(mausoleum) of Kanhoji Angre at Alibag, Maharashtra

Tributes

• The Western Naval command of the Indian Navy was named INS Angre on 15 September 1951 in honour of the valiant sea commander. A statue of him exists at the old Bombay Castle located within the enclave located at the Naval Dockyard, South Mumbai.
• During April 1999, the Indian Postal Service released a Rupee 3 stamp showing a ghurab of Kanhoji Angre's fleet as depicted in a c. 1700 AD painting
• The old Kennery Lighthouse, on Khanderi Island which marks the southern boundary of the Mumbai Port, was renamed as Kanhoji Angre Light House
• The huge residential colony of Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers at Alibaug is named as " Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre Nagar".
• During the Malwani Jatrotsav festival in 1995 at Parel, Mumbai, a simulation of the naval battle between Angre and the British fleet led by Charles Boon was conducted using remote-control wooden boats in an open tank (70' x 30'). Radio Controlled boats carved out of Teak wood and powered by high torque motors were constructed by Vivek S. Kambli and Vishesh S. Kambli. A thrilling soundtrack complemented this Audio Visual 3 Dimensional depiction of an important chapter from Maratha Naval history. The show lasted 10 days and was witnessed by thousands of eager Mumbai citizens.
• The 2007 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End depicts a "Sri Sumbhajee Angria" as one of the nine pirate lords. This character seems likely to have been inspired by Kanhoji's son Sambhaji, who was contemporary to the film's setting. He is portrayed as a diminituive man with a falsetto voice, which may be the reason why he mainly lets his men speak for him ("Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee").

See also

• Battle of Colachel
• British India
• Angre-Global Security, Kanhoji Angre

References

• Global Security

• Biddulph, Colonel John. The Pirates of the Malibar and an Englishwoman in India Two Hundred Years Ago. London: Smith, Elder & Co, 1907
• Saletor, Rajaram Narayan, Indian Pirates from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 1978
• Malgonkar, Manohar The Sea Hawk: Life and Battles of Kanhoji Angrey, Orient Paperbacks, c. 1984
• Risso, Patricia. Cross-Cultural Perceptions of Piracy: Maritime Violence in the Western Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf Region during a Long Eighteenth Century, Journal of World History - Volume 12, Number 2, Fall 2001, University of Hawai'i Press
• Ketkar, Dr. D.R. Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre ....Maratha Armar, Mrunmayi Rugvedi Prakashan, 1997