Mazagon Fort
Encyclopedia
The Mazagaon Fort was a British fort in Mazagaon
, Mumbai
, in the India
state of Maharashtra
, built around 1680. The fort was razed by the Siddi general, Yakut Khan
in June 1690. The fort was located at the present-day Joseph Baptista Gardens, atop Bhandarwada Hill outside the Dockyard Road
railway station.
when she married Charles II of England
. The harbour proved eminently apposite, and the British planned to shift their base from Surat
to Mumbai
. The Siddi
s, who were of African descent and noted for their navies, had allied themselves with the Mughals. The British, through the East India Company
, and the Mughals were constantly waging war on each other. As allies of the Mughals, the Siddis also viewed the British as enemies.
Faced with relentless attacks by the Siddis in 1672, The British constructed several fortifications in Mumbai, and in 1680 the Sewri fort was complete. It stood on the island of Mazagaon, on a hill overlooking the eastern seaboard.
In 1689, the Siddi general, Yakut Khan, with an army of 20,000 men, invaded Mumbai. The fleet first captured the Sewri Fort
, then the Mazagon Fort, before sacking the town of Mahim
. In April 1689, the Siddis laid siege to the British fortification
to the south. The British governor Sir John Child appealed to the Mughal Aurangzeb
to reign in Sakat for a price. In February 1690, the Mughal emperor agreed, on the conditions that rupees 1.5 lakhs (150,000) (over one billion USD at 2008 conversion rates) be paid, and Child be sacked. Child's untimely death in 1690, however, resulted in his escaping the ignominy of being sacked.
Enraged at barter, Sakat withdrew his forces on 8 June 1690, after razing the Mazagaon Fort.
In 1884, the British developed Bhandarwada Hill as a major water reservoir
. It supplies water to South and Central Mumbai. A popular recreation ground, the ground is named after Joseph Baptista
, a freedom fighter and close aide of the Indian freedom movement activist, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
.
Mazagaon
Mazagaon, also spelled Mazgaon and Mazagon , and pronounced by the Catholics as 'Mazgon' or 'Maz-a-gon' and the Marathi-speakers as Mazhgav. It is one of the seven islands of Mumbai. It is part of South Mumbai and can be reached by Byculla Station on the Central railway line and Dockyard Road...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, built around 1680. The fort was razed by the Siddi general, Yakut Khan
Yakut Khan
Yakut Khan was a Siddi Naval Admiral and administrator of Janjira Fort who first served under Bijapur Sultanate and later under the Mughal Empire. His real name was Siddi Qasim Khan but was given the title of Yakut Khan by Emperor Alamgir...
in June 1690. The fort was located at the present-day Joseph Baptista Gardens, atop Bhandarwada Hill outside the Dockyard Road
Dockyard Road
Dockyard Road is a railway station on the Central Railway of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is the stop closest to the Mazagon Dock Limited....
railway station.
History
Up to the eighteenth century, Mumbai consisted of several small islands. In 1661, seven of these islands were ceded by the Portuguese to the British as part of the dowry of Catherine of BraganzaCatherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza was a Portuguese infanta and queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of King Charles II.She married the king in 1662...
when she married Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. The harbour proved eminently apposite, and the British planned to shift their base from Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. The Siddi
Siddi
The Siddi, Siddhi, or Sheedi , also known as Habshi, are an Indian and Pakistani ethnic group of Afro-Arab and/or Black African descent. The Siddi population is currently estimated to be 20,000–55,000, with Gujarat and Hyderabad in India the main population centre. Siddis are mainly Sufi Muslims,...
s, who were of African descent and noted for their navies, had allied themselves with the Mughals. The British, through the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, and the Mughals were constantly waging war on each other. As allies of the Mughals, the Siddis also viewed the British as enemies.
Faced with relentless attacks by the Siddis in 1672, The British constructed several fortifications in Mumbai, and in 1680 the Sewri fort was complete. It stood on the island of Mazagaon, on a hill overlooking the eastern seaboard.
In 1689, the Siddi general, Yakut Khan, with an army of 20,000 men, invaded Mumbai. The fleet first captured the Sewri Fort
Sewri Fort
The Sewri Fort is a fort in Mumbai built by the British at Sewri. Built in 1680, fort served as a watch tower, atop a quarried hill overlooking the Mumbai harbour.-History:...
, then the Mazagon Fort, before sacking the town of Mahim
Mahim
Mahim is a neighbourhood in Mumbai. It is also the name of a railway station in Mahim area, on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway railway line. In ancient times, the area was known as Maijim, Mejambu, Mahikawati....
. In April 1689, the Siddis laid siege to the British fortification
Dongri Fort
The Dongri Fort or the Dongri Hill Fort is a fort in Mumbai , India. It is located in the Dongri area. It is in a dilapidated condition and is declared 'endangered'.-References:* *...
to the south. The British governor Sir John Child appealed to the Mughal Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
to reign in Sakat for a price. In February 1690, the Mughal emperor agreed, on the conditions that rupees 1.5 lakhs (150,000) (over one billion USD at 2008 conversion rates) be paid, and Child be sacked. Child's untimely death in 1690, however, resulted in his escaping the ignominy of being sacked.
Enraged at barter, Sakat withdrew his forces on 8 June 1690, after razing the Mazagaon Fort.
In 1884, the British developed Bhandarwada Hill as a major water reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
. It supplies water to South and Central Mumbai. A popular recreation ground, the ground is named after Joseph Baptista
Joseph Baptista
Joseph "Kaka" Baptista was an Indian politician and activist from Bombay , closely associated with the Lokmanya Tilak and the Home Rule Movement. He was elected as the Mayor of Bombay in 1925. He was given the title Kaka that means "uncle".-Early life:Joseph Baptista was born on 17 March 1864 in...
, a freedom fighter and close aide of the Indian freedom movement activist, Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Tilak –, was an Indian nationalist, teacher, social reformer and independence fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The British colonial authorities derogatorily called the great leader "Father of the Indian unrest"...
.
See also
- MazagaonMazagaonMazagaon, also spelled Mazgaon and Mazagon , and pronounced by the Catholics as 'Mazgon' or 'Maz-a-gon' and the Marathi-speakers as Mazhgav. It is one of the seven islands of Mumbai. It is part of South Mumbai and can be reached by Byculla Station on the Central railway line and Dockyard Road...
- Mazagaon Gardens
- Sewri FortSewri FortThe Sewri Fort is a fort in Mumbai built by the British at Sewri. Built in 1680, fort served as a watch tower, atop a quarried hill overlooking the Mumbai harbour.-History:...