How Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj And The Marathas Built India’s Most Formidable Defence Network Using Forts Like Raigad, Shivneri,...

The

story of the Marathas is, in many ways, a story written in stone. Between the late 17th and early 19th centuries, the Maratha empire rose not only through battlefield victories but through an extraordinary network of hill forts, sea forts, and inland fortifications that turned geography into a weapon. Built, rebuilt, expanded, and perfected under visionary rulers like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj, and later the Peshwas, Maratha forts became the backbone of Swarajya, an idea that focussed on self-rule based on land, people, and strategic intelligence.

Today, this legacy has global recognition. In 2025, a selection of Maratha Military Landscapes, twelve iconic forts, largely in Maharashtra with one in Tamil Nadu, were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, acknowledging their unmatched military planning, environmental adaptation, and historical significance.

The Maratha Military Landscape: Of Hill And Sea Forts

Unlike large imperial powers that relied on massive standing armies, the Marathas built power through defensive architecture and mobility. Their forts were never isolated structures. They functioned as administrative centres, military bases, supply depots, shelters for civilians, and watchtowers over trade routes. Each fort was positioned to communicate with another, forming a layered defence system across the Western Ghats and the Konkan coast.Crucially, these forts allowed smaller Maratha forces to outlast and outmaneuver larger Mughal and Deccan Sultanate armies. Narrow approaches, steep climbs, concealed gates, zig-zag paths, rock-cut steps, and hidden escape routes were all designed to exhaust invading forces before a single weapon was raised.

Raigad Fort: The Capital Of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Carved Out Of A Mountain

Raigad Fort was the political nerve centre of the Maratha empire. Chosen by Shivaji Maharaj as his capital and coronation site, Raigad was fortified with natural cliffs on all sides, making direct assaults nearly impossible. The fort housed royal quarters, granaries, water reservoirs, and marketplaces, evidence that Maratha forts were designed for long-term governance, not temporary refuge. Its inclusion in the UNESCO-listed Maratha Military Landscapes underscores Raigad’s role as both a military stronghold and a functioning capital.

Shivneri Fort: Built For Survival

Shivneri Fort reveals how deeply fort culture shaped Maratha life. Designed to withstand prolonged sieges, Shivneri features perennial water tanks, fortified residential zones, and layered defences. This fort credits its popularity to being the birthplace of the legendary Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which is why it bears a deep emotional connection for the people of Maharashtra. When you’re here, you can see the room where Shivaji Maharaj was born, statues of Jijabai and a young Shivaji, and seven massive gates.

Pratapgad Fort

Built under Shivaji Maharaj’s supervision, Pratapgad Fort demonstrates the Maratha understanding of topography-driven warfare. Dense forests, steep slopes, and limited access routes allowed Maratha forces to dictate the terms of engagement. The fort was not massive, but it was intelligent—proof that Maratha fortification relied on planning, not scale.

Sindhudurg Fort: Mastering The Sea

The Marathas were among the few Indian powers to understand the strategic importance of naval defence early on. Built between 1664 and 1667, the fort was hard to conquer and kept invaders at bay. Shivaji Maharaj’s army subsequently built smaller forts in the vicinity to support the main fort and protect the seas. Its concealed entrance, massive stone walls, and freshwater sources inside the fort highlight the Marathas’ advanced coastal engineering. Sindhudurg’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list confirms that Maratha military vision extended far beyond hills, it dominated coastlines too.Other forts such as Rajgad Fort, Sinhagad Fort, and Salher Fort formed critical links in this defence chain. Signal systems, messengers, and visual sightlines allowed rapid coordination across vast distances. This meant Maratha commanders could retreat, regroup, and strike again, often frustrating far larger enemy forces.

Vijaydurg Fort

A marvel of maritime architecture, Vijaydurg stands strong on the Sindhudurg coast. Built in the 12th century, this fort was later seized by Chhatrapati Shivaji in the 17th century. Legend has it that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja renamed it Vijaydurg, signifying the 'fort of victory', and it served as a crucial naval base, showcasing his strategic prowess at sea.The twelve UNESCO-recognised forts together represent mountain forts, plateau forts, island forts, and inland strongholds, showcasing how the Marathas adapted fort design to every kind of terrain.

Forts That Shaped The Maratha Empire

These forts enabled the Marathas to protect trade, secure revenue, shelter populations, and expand territory deep into the Indian subcontinent. When Mughal authority weakened, it was the Marathas’ control over forts that allowed them to fill the power vacuum, not through brute force, but through preparedness. Even during periods of crisis, after Shivaji Maharaj’s death, under Sambhaji Maharaj’s resistance, and during Rajaram Maharaj’s campaigns, forts ensured continuity of rule.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The UNESCO recognition of the Maratha Military Landscapes is not just about architecture. It acknowledges a home-grown system of defence, governance, and resistance, designed specifically for Indian terrain and political realities. These forts stand today not as ruins, but as reminders of how the Marathas built an empire by reading the land better than anyone else.