Atop Hatgad Fort, Saputara
History can be misty & fuzzy, depending upon whose version you read. On this Utrayan, we went to Hatgad Fort, about seven kilometers away from Saputara, the crowded hill station of Gujarat. Hatgad was a fort used by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, en route his couple of sieges to our home town Surat, circa 1660s. The contorted history had always given an impression that Surat was plundered & looted by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, where as the Ghajnis & Mughal were considered as noble Emperors in spite of massacring hundred thousands of Indians during their various invasions. After trekking atop the Hatgad Fort at sunset & seeing the partial remains of this historic place under a golden haze, we read about the other side of the story.
The fine print of history books mention that the Mughal army led by Shaista Khan, had been staying put in Shivaji Maharaj's kingdom of Deccan, with massive economic damages to the maratha state. To make matters even, Shivaji Maharaj took the bold step of attacking the faraway Surat, which at that point of time, was one of the richest ports controlled by Mughals. Shivaji Maharaj in spite of the smaller army strength had superior planning & ingenious guerrilla warfare methods to bamboozle the mighty Mughals & was instrumental in instilling a nationalistic fervor of Swarajya in the Mughal ruled India of the 17th century.
Jai Ho Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki!
Atop Hatgad Fort, Saputara
History can be misty & fuzzy, depending upon whose version you read. On this Utrayan, we went to Hatgad Fort, about seven kilometers away from Saputara, the crowded hill station of Gujarat. Hatgad was a fort used by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, en route his couple of sieges to our home town Surat, circa 1660s. The contorted history had always given an impression that Surat was plundered & looted by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, where as the Ghajnis & Mughal were considered as noble Emperors in spite of massacring hundred thousands of Indians during their various invasions. After trekking atop the Hatgad Fort at sunset & seeing the partial remains of this historic place under a golden haze, we read about the other side of the story.
The fine print of history books mention that the Mughal army led by Shaista Khan, had been staying put in Shivaji Maharaj's kingdom of Deccan, with massive economic damages to the maratha state. To make matters even, Shivaji Maharaj took the bold step of attacking the faraway Surat, which at that point of time, was one of the richest ports controlled by Mughals. Shivaji Maharaj in spite of the smaller army strength had superior planning & ingenious guerrilla warfare methods to bamboozle the mighty Mughals & was instrumental in instilling a nationalistic fervor of Swarajya in the Mughal ruled India of the 17th century.
Jai Ho Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki!