Devgad Fort

 Devgad Fort, also known as Janjira Devgad Fort, is a historic fort located near the town of Devgad in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, India. Situated strategically on a narrow strip of land jutting into the Arabian Sea, about 5 km from Devgad town, the fort is surrounded by water on three sides, with its southern side connected to the mainland.   

History

The construction of Devgad Fort is attributed to Kanhoji Angre, a renowned Maratha naval warrior of the Konkan coast, in 1705 AD. However, some historians believe that considering its strategic location, a fort might have existed here even during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Another account suggests that Dattajirao Angre built the fort in 1729. Regardless of the exact builder, the fort served as an important surveillance center due to its commanding position overlooking the Arabian Sea and the Devgad creek.  

Over time, the fort witnessed various attempts of capture. In one notable incident, Walter Brown of the East India Company, with the help of the Wadikar Sawants, tried unsuccessfully to seize the fort, suffering significant losses. After the decline of the Maratha Empire, the British eventually gained control of Devgad Fort in April 1818.