In News
- Recently, the President of India visited the Raigad Fort in Maharashtra and paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
- The Maharashtra government is now seeking the World Heritage Site tag for the Raigad fort, along with 13 other sites related to the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
About Raigad Fort
- Location: Raigad is a hill fort situated about 25 km from Mahad in the Raigad district and stands 2,851 feet above sea level.
- The fort was known to early Europeans as the Gibraltar of the East. Its decisive feature is a mile and a half flat top which has adequate room for buildings. In its prime, the fort had 300 stone houses and a garrison of 2,000 men.
- Historical link :
- The fort, which was earlier called Rairi, was the seat of the Maratha clan Shirke in the 12th century.
- Many dynasties ruled the fort from the dynasty of Bahaminis to the Nizam Shahis and then the Adil Shahis.
- In 1656, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured it from the More’s of Javli who were under the suzerainty of the Adilshahi Sultanate.
- The fort’s name was changed to Raigad by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1662, and he also added a few structures.
- The Raigad fort became the seat of Chhatrapati’s government by 1664.
- The fort not only helped Shivaji challenge the supremacy of the Adil Shahi dynasty but also opened up the routes towards Konkan for the extension of his power.
- The Raigad fort became the seat of Chhatrapati’s government by 1664.
Source: IE
