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I am proud of my heritage - hopefully for the right reasons!

"The Maratha Military Landscapes of India have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as India's 44th World Heritage property."

That simple announcement from UNESCO filled me with immense pride. It is not every day that the world pauses to recognize a part of our collective history, and this recognition is long overdue.

As someone who now lives in Mumbai, and proudly traces his roots to Maharashtra, these forts are not just monuments on a map. They are familiar silhouettes on the Sahyadri skyline, stories narrated by grandparents, and enduring symbols of courage and resilience. They have shaped the identity of this region for centuries.

Yet, alongside that pride, I feel a sense of disappointment.

Within hours of UNESCO's announcement, social media and political discourse had reduced this achievement into yet another contest of identity and ownership. Instead of celebrating India's layered civilizational heritage, the conversation quickly became one-dimensional: "Maratha pride", political point-scoring, and attempts to appropriate an achievement that is, in truth, far richer and far older than any single dynasty.

The irony is that these forts themselves tell us exactly the opposite story.

A Heritage Built Across Centuries

The Maratha Empire occupies a glorious chapter in Indian history. Emerging in the seventeenth century under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Marathas challenged what was then the most powerful empire in the Indian subcontinent, and more importantly challenged an unjust opportunistic emperor who not only was unfair to his subjects, but a disgrace to the ethos and heritage of his own dynasty. Having bled the Mughal empire with a thousand cuts, the Maratha empire (led by Peshwas subsequently) expanded across much of India over the following century, eventually replacing the Mughal Empire as the dominant political power until the British conquest.

Nevertheless, the forts that UNESCO has recognized did not suddenly appear during the Maratha period. Many of them existed centuries earlier. Their origins stretch across successive dynasties including the Shilaharas, the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Bahmani Sultanate, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmadnagar, the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, and perhaps even earlier hill fortifications whose precise origins remain archaeologically uncertain. Over hundreds of years they were expanded, rebuilt, repaired, abandoned, recaptured and strengthened. What UNESCO has recognized is not simply a collection of forts, but a military landscape that evolved over nearly a millennium before reaching its strategic zenith under the Marathas.

Fort

Likely Original Builders

Pre-Maratha Use

Maratha Period Role

Rajgad

Possibly Satavahanas (2nd century BCE–Early 3rd century CE) / Yadavas

Minor hill fort

Shivaji's capital (1648–1670)

Torna

13th-century Yadava fortification

Under Adilshahi control

First fort captured by Shivaji (1646)

Raigad

Originally called Rairi (Bahmani / Ahmadnagar era -1347–1527)

Adilshahi garrison

Shivaji’s coronation site (1674)

Sinhagad

Likely Yadava [1187–1317] or earlier (called Kondhana)

Controlled by Mughals and Adilshahis

Captured by Tanaji Malusare in 1670

Pratapgad

Built by Shivaji in 1656

—

New fort, site of Afzal Khan encounter

Lohagad

Satavahana-period [2nd century BCE–Early 3rd century CE] caves nearby indicate antiquity

Used by Bahmanis & Mughals

Used by Shivaji to store loot

Purandar

Yadava period [1187–1317] origin

Fortified by Mughals & Adilshahis

Crucial in Treaty of Purandar (1665)

Sindhudurg

Built by Shivaji (1664)

—

Naval base and sea fort

Vijaydurg

Shilahara [800–1212] / Bahmani [1347–1527] origin

Used by Portuguese briefly

Fortified into a naval stronghold

Kolaba (Alibag)

Possibly pre-Shivaji coastal watchpost

—

Built/expanded by Shivaji (1680)

Kasa (Padmadurg)

—

—

Built by Shivaji as a check on Janjira

Suvarnadurg

Possibly Yadava [1187–1317] / Bahmani [1347–1527] 

Strategic coastal fort

Captured and strengthened by Shivaji

The Forgotten Builders

One unfortunate aspect of public discourse is our tendency to remember the last great occupants of a monument while forgetting those who first imagined and built it. Long before Shivaji Maharaj, rulers across the Deccan had already mastered the art of mountain fortification. Constructing a hill fort in the rugged Sahyadris was no ordinary feat. Massive basalt cliffs had to be carved by hand. Rainwater harvesting systems were engineered to sustain thousands of inhabitants through prolonged sieges. Granaries, reservoirs, escape passages, watchtowers and defensive gateways were integrated into the natural terrain with astonishing precision. These were engineering marvels.

Unlike castles in Europe built upon relatively accessible plains, many Deccan forts were literally sculpted into mountains. Every approach route was designed to expose attackers. Every gateway forced invading armies to slow down. Every bastion commanded strategic views across valleys and trade routes. This knowledge did not emerge overnight. It represents centuries of accumulated engineering experience passed from one generation of builders to another, irrespective of who happened to rule the region at any particular time.

When we admire Rajgad, Lohagad, Raigad or Panhala, we should also spare a thought for the anonymous architects, masons, military engineers and labourers whose names history has forgotten but whose work continues to endure after almost a thousand years. Their legacy deserves remembrance no less than that of the kings who later occupied these forts.

The Genius of Shivaji Maharaj

Recognizing that these forts predated the Marathas does not diminish Shivaji Maharaj's greatness. If anything, it enhances it. History often celebrates those who build monuments. It should equally celebrate those who understand how to use them.

Shivaji's greatest military innovation was not constructing hundreds of forts from scratch - it was recognizing that the existing network of hill forts, if systematically restored, interconnected and supplied, could fundamentally change the nature of warfare in India. Against the vast armies of Aurangzeb, conventional battle would have been suicidal. Instead, Shivaji transformed geography itself into a weapon. The forts became supply depots, administrative centres, intelligence hubs, communication networks and secure refuges from which highly mobile forces could strike and disappear.

This was military thinking of extraordinary sophistication. The Mughal Empire possessed larger armies, greater wealth and superior numerical strength. The Marathas possessed terrain, mobility, logistics and strategy. They changed the rules of the game.

UNESCO's recognition itself emphasizes this aspect - the forts represent a sophisticated military landscape whose strength lay not merely in individual fortifications but in the strategic network they collectively formed.

That achievement belongs squarely to Shivaji Maharaj and the generations of Maratha commanders who followed him. It deserves every bit of admiration it receives.

Pride Does Not Require Historical Simplification

Modern politics often seeks simple stories but History rarely provides them. Every civilization inherits from those before it. The Marathas inherited forts from earlier dynasties. The British inherited administrative institutions from the Marathas and Independent India inherited institutions from both. [Its no coincidence that the cradle of the India's defence establishment, the National Defence Academy (NDA), is located right within the annals of Sahyadris - but  more on this subject in a different blog post.]

Civilizations progress through continuity, adaptation and innovation - not by beginning from scratch every few centuries. When we insist on attributing every stone of these forts exclusively to the Marathas, we unintentionally diminish both the earlier civilizations that built them and the Marathas themselves. Shivaji Maharaj's greatness does not depend on whether he personally commissioned every fort. His greatness lies in something arguably even more remarkable: his ability to recognize strategic potential where others saw only ancient fortifications, and to build an empire through vision, organization and military brilliance. That is an achievement that requires no embellishment.

What Should Make Us Proud?

History, like these forts, is built layer upon layer. As I reflect upon UNESCO's recognition, I realize there are at least two reasons every Indian should celebrate.

The first is the extraordinary engineering heritage of the Deccan. These forts demonstrate centuries of innovation in architecture, hydrology, military engineering and landscape design. They remind us that India possessed sophisticated civil engineering traditions long before modern technology.

The second is the military genius of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Marathas. Shivaji Maharaj and his successors transformed inherited fortifications into one of history's most effective defensive networks, enabling a regional kingdom to challenge and eventually eclipse one of the world's greatest empires.

Both achievements deserve recognition. Both are part of India's story. Both are reasons to feel proud. Perhaps that is the lesson these forts continue to teach us. Stone walls survive not because they belong to one ruler, one dynasty or one political ideology. They survive because generation after generation chose to preserve, strengthen and build upon what they inherited. Maybe our understanding of history should do the same.

If UNESCO has honoured these forts, let us honour the truth they embody - not a convenient version of history, but the richer, more fascinating story of a civilization whose greatest achievements were often collective, cumulative and shared across centuries.

That, to me, is something worth being proud of!

Appendix - history of UNESCO-listed Maratha forts

1. Salher Fort (Nashik)

Original Construction
  • The exact date of Salher's first construction is unknown.
  • Most historians attribute its earliest fortifications to the Bagul rulers of Baglan (c. 14th century), although the hill itself may have served as a lookout much earlier.
  • It later became part of the Gujarat Sultanate and subsequently the Mughals.
Rebuilding and Expansion
  • Successive Islamic rulers strengthened the fort with stone ramparts, gates and water reservoirs.
  • The Mughals considerably reinforced it because it guarded the important Surat–Burhanpur trade route.
Maratha Period
  • Captured by Shivaji's forces in 1671.
  • The Battle of Salher (1672) became one of the largest open-field victories of the Marathas over the Mughals.
  • The Marathas repaired and maintained its defensive works rather than fundamentally rebuilding it.
Later History
  • Captured by the British after the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
Sources

2. Shivneri Fort

Original Construction
  • The hill has been occupied since ancient times, with nearby Buddhist caves dating to around the 1st century BCE–3rd century CE.
  • The present fortifications were likely constructed during the Yadava dynasty (12th–13th century).
  • It later came under the Bahmani Sultanate, followed by the Ahmadnagar Nizam Shahis.
Rebuilding
  • Strengthened by the Nizam Shahis, who added gateways, water reservoirs and defensive walls.
Maratha Period
  • Best known as the birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj (1630).
  • Unlike Rajgad or Raigad, Shivneri was not significantly rebuilt by Shivaji because it remained strategically important under changing political control.
Later History
  • Passed through Mughal, Maratha and British hands.
Sources

3. Lohagad

Original Construction
  • One of Maharashtra's oldest surviving hill forts.
  • Exact builders remain uncertain.
  • The earliest fortifications may date to the Satavahana or early medieval period, although no definitive archaeological evidence confirms this.
  • Most visible early fortifications are generally attributed to the Yadavas of Devagiri.
Rebuilding
  • Strengthened successively by:
    • Bahmani Sultanate
    • Nizam Shahis
    • Adil Shahis
Maratha Period
  • Captured by Shivaji in 1648.
  • Used as a treasury, especially after the Surat campaigns.
  • Additional storage structures and defensive repairs were carried out.
Later History
  • Changed hands several times before British occupation.
Sources

4. Khanderi Fort

Original Construction
  • Unlike most forts in this list, Khanderi was built almost entirely by the Marathas.
Construction
  • Construction began in 1679 under Shivaji Maharaj.
  • Intended to counter British and Siddi naval influence near Bombay.
  • Construction continued despite opposition from the British East India Company and the Siddis of Janjira.
Engineering Features
  • Island fort
  • Freshwater reservoirs
  • Lighthouse
  • Heavy artillery emplacements
Later History
  • Became an important naval base under Kanhoji Angre.
Sources

5. Raigad Fort (formerly Rairi)

Original Construction
  • Originally known as Rairi.
  • Probably fortified during the 12th–13th centuries, possibly under local chiefs or the Yadavas.
  • Later occupied by the Bahmani Sultanate and the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.
Rebuilding
  • After capturing the fort in 1656, Shivaji completely transformed it.
  • Architect Hiroji Indulkar redesigned it into a royal capital with:
    • palace complex
    • royal court
    • markets
    • reservoirs
    • granaries
    • Jagdishwar Temple
    • strengthened fortifications
Maratha Period
  • Capital of the Maratha Empire.
  • Shivaji's coronation took place here in 1674.
Later History
  • Captured by the Mughals in 1689.
  • Fell to the British in 1818.
Sources

6. Rajgad Fort (formerly Murumbdev)

Original Construction
  • Originally known as Murumbdev.
  • Exact construction date unknown.
  • Most historians attribute the earliest fortifications to the medieval period, possibly the Yadavas.
Rebuilding
  • Captured around 1647–48.
  • Shivaji rebuilt almost every major defensive feature:
    • Balekilla
    • fort walls
    • palaces
    • water systems
    • granaries
    • defensive gateways
Maratha Period
  • First capital of Shivaji for nearly 25 years.
Later History
  • Brief Mughal occupation before returning to Maratha control.
Sources

7. Pratapgad

Original Construction
  • One of the few forts built entirely during Shivaji's reign.
Construction
  • Constructed between 1656–1658.
  • Designed by Moropant Trimbak Pingle.
  • Built specifically to control the Par Pass between the Deccan plateau and Konkan.
Historical Importance
  • Site of Shivaji's famous encounter with Afzal Khan (1659).
Sources

8. Suvarnadurg

Original Construction
  • Probably constructed by the Shilahara dynasty (11th–12th century).
  • Later occupied by the Bahmani Sultanate and Adil Shahis.
Rebuilding
  • Strengthened by successive Deccan Sultanates.
Maratha Period
  • Captured by Shivaji around 1660.
  • Extensively strengthened.
  • Became an important naval fort under Kanhoji Angre.
Later History
  • Captured by the British in 1755.
Sources

9. Panhala Fort

Original Construction
  • Built between 1178–1209 CE by the Shilahara ruler Bhoja II.
  • One of the oldest and largest forts in Maharashtra.
Rebuilding
  • Expanded by the Yadavas.
  • Strengthened by the Bahmani Sultanate.
  • Further enlarged by the Adil Shahis of Bijapur.
Maratha Period
  • Captured by Shivaji in 1659.
  • Extensively repaired.
  • Famous for Shivaji's escape during the siege of Panhala (1660).
Later History
  • Served as the capital of Tarabai during the Maratha civil war.
Sources

10. Vijaydurg

Original Construction
  • Originally called Gheria.
  • Built by the Shilahara dynasty around 1193 CE.
Rebuilding
  • Enlarged by the Yadavas.
  • Strengthened by the Bahmani Sultanate.
Maratha Period
  • Captured by Shivaji in 1653.
  • Expanded with:
    • triple defensive walls
    • naval dockyard
    • massive bastions
    • famous underwater defensive wall
Later History
  • Headquarters of Kanhoji Angre's navy.
Sources

11. Sindhudurg

Original Construction
  • Entirely commissioned by Shivaji.
Construction
  • Built between 1664–1667.
  • Designed by Hiroji Indulkar.
  • Constructed on Kurte Island.
Engineering Features
  • Hidden entrance.
  • Massive sea walls.
  • Freshwater wells.
  • Maritime defence headquarters.
Later History
  • Continued to serve as a major naval base throughout the Maratha period.
Sources

12. Gingee Fort (Tamil Nadu)

Original Construction
  • The earliest fortifications date to the Chola period (9th century CE).
  • Major expansion was undertaken by the Kon dynasty and later the Vijayanagara Empire (13th–15th centuries).
Rebuilding
  • Extensively strengthened by the Vijayanagara rulers with massive granite walls, citadels and granaries.
  • Later occupied by the Bijapur Sultanate.
Maratha Period
  • Captured by Shivaji in 1677 during his southern campaign.
  • Further strengthened by the Marathas.
  • Served as the Maratha capital-in-exile under Rajaram Maharaj (1690–1698) during Aurangzeb's Deccan campaign.
Later History
  • Captured by the Mughals after an eight-year siege.
  • Subsequently occupied by the Carnatic Nawabs, French and British.
Sources
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