Kanhoji Angre ([kanʱod͡ʒiː aːŋɡɾe]), also known as Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré (August 1669 – 4 July 1729) was a Maratha Navy admiral. Kanhoji became known for attacking and capturing European East Indiamen and collecting jakat (known to locals as taxes), seen by Europeans traders and colonists as ransoming of their crews. British, Dutch, and Portuguese ships often fell victims to these raids. Despite attempts by the Portuguese and British to put an end to his privateering activities, Angre continued to capture and collect jakat from European merchant ships until his death in 1729. Kanhoji's naval prowess in capturing dozens of European trading ships and avoiding capture has led to many historians to appraise Kanhoji as the most skilled Indian navy chief in the maritime history of India.
Titles
In 1713, Shahu dispatched a formidable force led by the Peshwa, Bahiroji Pingale, to protect the region's inland territories and curb the expanding influence of Angria. However, upon learning of the Peshwa's advance, the seasoned warrior Kanhoji swiftly mobilized his forces, confronting and decisively defeating the Peshwa, taking him captive. Expanding his conquests, Kanhoji seized strategic forts like Lohagad and Rajmachi near Khandala, poised to advance towards Satara. In response, all available troops were rallied under the command of Balaji Vishwanath, recognizing the magnitude of Kanhoji's prowess and ambition. A negotiation ensued, wherein Balaji proposed terms: if Kanhoji released the Peshwa, severed ties with Sambhaji, pledged allegiance to Shahu, and relinquished his conquests except for Rajmachi, he would be granted ten forts and sixteen fortified posts, crowned as the admiral of the Maratha fleet with the prestigious titles of Vizarat Mal and Sarkhel.
Early life
Angre was born on the fort Suvarnadurg, near Ratnagari in the year 1667 to mother, Ambabai and father, Tukoji. His father served at Suvarnadurg under Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with a command of 200 posts. Kanhoji family background attracted much wild speculation amongst European Merchants, travelers and writers in the 18th century, and later. In 2009, modern Dutch Historian, Rene Barendse, specializing in South Asian history as well as history related to the Indian Ocean, summarises that Kanhoji Angre's origin is highly controversial. He writes:
Other sources, mainly Indian, on his family background go into details of each opinion. As per Rajaram Narayan Saletore, his surname "Angre" is derived from Angarwadi; the family's original name was Sankpal, and the family members before Kanhoji were known as Sankpals. Historian Sen believes that Angre's origin is "obscure and he certainly did not belong to the nobility of the land". Citation of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (historical archives of the Portuguese empire) is given to show that Kanhoji started his life as a humble servant of some Hindus in the island of Versova. According to his family history, he was a "Kshatriya" Maratha. Historian V. G. Dighe, in 1951, cites G. S. Sardesai's Selections from the Peshwa Daftar, and calls them "blue-blood Marathas" who "would spurn to marry in families lower than those of Deshmukhs, Jadhavs, Jagtaps and Shitoles." However, S.R.Sharma seems to agree with the Portuguese opinions and believes him to have been a "Maratha Koli captain". Little is known about his early life except that he was involved in daring exploits at sea with his father. He spent much of his childhood in the Suvarnadurg Fort. Kanhoji grew up among Koli sailors, and learned seamanship from them. 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 Murud-Janjira who were affiliated with the Mughal Empire. Under his leadership, the activities of European trading companies were checked along the western coast of India. Kanhoji later swore allegiance to supreme Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shahu and his prime minister Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath. He gained their support to develop naval facilities on the western coast of India, or Konkan. Angre was also placed as chief of 26 forts and fortified places of Maharashtra. Another ship type used was the Pal (Maratha Man-of-war), which was a cannon-armed, three-masted vessel. The grabs had broadsides of 6 and 9-pounder guns, and carried two 9 or 12-pounders on their main decks. These guns pointed forward through port-holes cut in the bulkheads. The gallivats were mostly armed with light swivel guns, but some also mounted six or eight cannons, either 2 or 4-pounders. These boats were propelled by forty to fifty oars. Even during the reign of Kanhoji Angre, the Maratha Government signed a treaty of friendship with the Portuguese in 1703. As per the treaty, the Portuguese agreed to supply cannon and gunpowder to the Maratha, supplies which they needed as they had only a few cannon foundries producing their own armaments. The Marathas signed a treaty with the Siddi as well, thus concentrating all their naval forces to contest Indian waters with the Europeans. By the beginning of the 18th century, Kanhoji Angre controlled the entire coastline from Sawantwadi to Mumbai, which is the entire coastline of present-day Maharashtra. He built coastal fortifications on almost all creeks, cove, and harbours, such as a fortress or citadel with navigational facilities. The main naval bases were at Bankot, Anjanvel, Jaygad, Vijaydurg and Sindhudurg. Any ship sailing through Maratha territorial waters was to pay a levy called Chouth, which expressed Angre's dominance. Curgenven would be imprisoned for 10 years.
He also had Muslim staff. Since most of these people were illiterate, Angre employed Europeans, generally Dutch, to command his best vessels. Angre employed Manuel de Castro, a Portuguese employee of the EIC who was about to be punished for his failure in capturing Khanderi Island, which was controlled by Kanhoji Angre.
Bases
- In 1698, Angre located his first base at Vijayadurg ('Victory Fort') (formerly Gheriah), Devgad Taluka, located about 485 km from Mumbai. The fort which was originally built by king Bhoj and strengthened by Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, 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.
- In 1724, Angre built a port at Purnagad, located in Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra. Seven guns and 70 cannonballs were found in the port. The release was done along with the return of previously captured territory, with Kanhoji hoping that the British East India Company would help him in his other wars, but later Angre made an alliance with Balaji Viswanath and continued fighting the EIC. He subsequently captured the British East Indiamen Somers and Grantham, near Goa as they were on a voyage from England to Bombay.
- 1707 – Attacked the East Indiaman Bombay which blew up during the fight.
- 1718 - A British squadron attacked Khanderi, but were driven off with heavy loss.
- 1720 - Kanhoji repulsed a joint Anglo-Portuguese attack on Vijaydurg.
- 1722 - A second Anglo-Portuguese attack on Kolaba under admiral Thomas Mathews was repulsed.
- 1724 - A Dutch attack on Vijaydurg was repulsed by Kanhoji.
- He seized East Indiamen Somers and Grantham, near Goa as these vessels were on their voyage from England to Bombay. The Peshwa's half brother Shamsher Bahadur commanded the Maratha forces.
Seals of Kanhoji Angre
Three seals have been known to be used by Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre. One during the reign of Chhatrapati Rajaram, and two during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu.
The three seals, along with their inscriptions and meaning are given below.
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Reigning Chhatrapati
!Inscription
!Meaning
|-
|thumb|Seal of Kanhoji Angre during Chhatrapati Rajaram Era
|Chhatrapati Rajaram
|॥श्री॥
राजाराम चरणी
सादर तुकोजी सुत
कान्होजी आंगरे
निरंतर
|Shri<!-- An auspicious invocation. -->
Kanhoji, son of Tukoji, Angre is forever present at the feet (service) of Rajaram.
|-
|
|Chhatrapati Shahu
|॥श्री॥
राजा शाहू चरणी तत्पर
तुकोजी सुत कान्होजी आंगरे
सरखेल निरंतर
|Shri
Kanhoji Angre Sarkhel, son of Tukoji, is forever eager at the feet (service) of Shahu.
|-
|thumb|Seal of Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre
|Chhatrapati Shahu
|॥श्री॥
श्री शाहू नृपती प्रि
त्या तुकोजी तनुजन्म
ना कान्होजी सरखे
लस्य मुद्रा जय
ति सर्वदा
|Shri
King Shahu's favoured, Tukoji's son, Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre's seal is always victorious.
|}
Legacy
thumb|The Samadhi (mausoleum) of Kanhoji Angre at [[Alibag, Maharashtra.]]
Kanhoji Angre stands as one of the most notable admirals of the Maratha Navy who caused significant troubles to the European trading companies. Kanhoji is credited with the foresight that a Blue Water Navy's ultimate and strategic role is to keep the enemy engaged far from the shores of the homeland. At one time, Kanhoji was so successful that he attracted enterprising Europeans in his fleet as mercenaries, including one Dutchman, whom he appointed to the rank of Commodore. At the height of his power, Kanhoji commanded hundreds of warships and thousands of sailors at a time when the Royal Navy had little in the way of naval resources in far-away India that could significantly offset the growing strength of the Maratha Navy.
Kanhoji's harassment of British commercial interests and the English victory over the Portuguese at Swally led them to establish a small naval force that eventually became the modern Indian Navy. Today, a statue of Angre stands in Indian Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. While the original fort built by Angre that overlooked the Naval Docks has vanished, its boundary wall is still intact and within it lays the Headquarters of Indian Western Naval Command and is called INS Angre (Indian Naval Station Angre).
The end of Angre family influences
The descendants of Angres continued to live in Kolaba till the 1840s and in 1843, the city was annexed to East India Company as per a despatch to Governor General of Bombay dated 30 December 1843.
Publication of family history
Chandrojirao Angre, a descendant of Kanhoji Angre, and his distant cousin, Jijabai Angre (later Parvatibai Puar, of Dewas Junior) supported the publication of History of the Angres in 1939 at Alibag Mumbai.
- The Western Naval command of the Indian Navy was named INS Angre on 15 September 1951 in honour of Kanhoji Angre. Other important naval offices are also located at INS Angre.
- The 2007 Hollywood film Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End portrays a character named Sri Sumbahjee, a purported reference to Sambhaji, Kanhoji Angre's son.
- Aniruddha Pimpalkhare of Pune built a 17 footer gaff rigged wooden boat in 2021 and named it SV Angré as a tribute to Sarkhel Angre. She is currently moored at Colaba, Mumbai in front of Gateway of India.
See also
- Kunjali Marakkar
- Laya Patil
- Battle of Colachel
- British India
References
Notes on family background
Citations
Bibliography
- 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.