Shivaji's Navy at Khanderi: The Island Fort That Stared Down the Siddi

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna dive into a lesser-known but pivotal chapter of Shivaji Maharaj's maritime struggle: the battle for Khanderi, a tiny island fort off the coast of Maharashtra. After decades of the Siddi of Janjira dominating the Konkan coast with their superior fleet, Shivaji's newly built navy, led by Admiral Darya Sarang, seized Khanderi in 1679. This sparked a fierce year-long siege by the Siddi, backed by Aurangzeb's Mughals, who saw Shivaji's naval expansion as a direct threat. Lucas walks through the daring nighttime capture of the fort, the brutal blockade that followed, and the Marathas' ingenious use of land-based artillery to protect their prize. The episode also explores the diplomatic chess game that followed, with the English East India Company at Bombay playing both sides, and how Khanderi became a symbol of Maratha naval ambition. Lucas unpacks the strategic importance of this rocky outcrop, the roles of figures like Daulat Khan and Suryaji Malusare, and how the battle for Khanderi foreshadowed later naval conflicts on the subcontinent. It's a story of courage, cunning, and the high stakes of controlling the sea. #ShivajiMaharaj #MarathaNavy #Khanderi #SiddiOfJanjira #DaryaSarang #BattleOfKhanderi #MarathaEmpire #MughalEmpire #KonkanCoast #IslandFort #NavalHistory #17thCentury #IndianHistory #HindaviSwarajya #EastIndiaCompany #FortWarfare #History #FexingoHistory #RaigadFort #PratapgadBattle Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo