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Arnala Fort

 



Arnala Fort, also known as Jaldurg (sea fort) or Janjire-Arnala, is a historical fort situated on Arnala Island, off the coast of Arnala village in the Palghar district of Maharashtra, India. Located approximately 13 kilometers north of Vasai, this island fort holds significant historical and strategic importance due to its commanding views of the Arabian Sea and the mouth of the Vaitarna River.   

History

The fort's history spans several centuries and multiple rulers:  

  • Sultanate of Gujarat: Originally constructed in 1516 by Sultan Mahmud Begda, a local chieftain from Gujarat, the fort was strategically placed at the mouth of the Vaitarna River.  
  • Portuguese Era: In the 1530s, the Portuguese captured the island and rebuilt the fort, naming it "Ilha das Vacas" (Isle of Cows). They recognized its value in controlling shipping and navigation along the northern Konkan coast and held it for nearly two centuries.  
  • Maratha Conquest: In 1737, the Maratha forces under Chimaji Appa, brother of Peshwa Baji Rao I, successfully seized the fort from the Portuguese after a surprise attack. The Marathas further fortified it by adding three bastions: Bhairav, Bhavani, and Bava. They called it Janjire Arnala.  
  • British Control: During the First Anglo-Maratha War, the British captured the fort in 1781. Although it was briefly returned to the Marathas under the Treaty of Salbai, it eventually fell back into British hands during the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817
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