Seige of Thane

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Seige of Thane

Part of Maratha-Portuguese War

Thane Fort
| Date| 1737-1738

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Location|

Thane

Result|  Maratha Victory[1][2]
Territorial
changes|  Thane, Dharavi and MahimCaptured by Marathas
Belligerents
Maratha Empire|  Portuguese Empire
Commanders and leaders
Chimaji Appa
Shankaraji Phadke
Mahadji Pant Phadke †
Malharrao Holkar
Venkatrao Ghorpade|  Pedro de Mello †
Count de Sandomille
Don Luiz Botelo
Strength
Unkonwn|  Unknown

In the early 18th century, there was a lot of tension between the Maratha Empire and the Portuguese in India. It all started when Count de Sandoville took control of the Portuguese territories in India in April 1732. He wasn't very friendly towards the Marathas, which made things worse.[1][2][3]

Because of this unfriendly attitude, the Marathas and the Portuguese started fighting almost right away. The Viceroy, who was in charge of the Portuguese in India, got worried about the Maratha threats. To protect themselves, they quickly built up defenses in a place called Thana. But in 1737, the Marathas managed to capture Thana. This was a big win for them because it made their position stronger against the Portuguese in Bassein. Even though the Portuguese tried to fight back, they faced a tough Maratha general named Chimnaji Appa. In 1738, Chimnaji Appa led a big attack on Thana, and during the fighting, the Portuguese commander Pedro de Mello was killed.[1][2][3]

With Thana under Maratha control, things got harder for the Portuguese. The Marathas also got more money from their northern expeditions, which made them even stronger. This meant that the Portuguese fortress of Baçaim was now pretty much alone[1][3][2]

## Battle[edit]

In April 1732, Count de Sandoville took charge of Portuguese possessions in India, adopting a hostile stance towards the Marathas, leading to immediate hostilities. Concerned about Maratha threats, the Viceroy hastily fortified Thana. In 1737, Marathas captured Thana, bolstering their position against Bassein. Despite setbacks, Chimnaji Appa launched a determined campaign of Thana in 1738, culminating in the death of Portuguese commander Pedro de Mello in an attempt of recapturing Thana . This event signaled the Portuguese decline and bolstered Maratha resolve, fueled by Chimnaji's strategic use of funds from Bajirao's northern expeditions.[2][1]

## Aftermath[edit]

The capture of Thana and Dharavi meant that even small boats could not reach Baçaim without being fired upon by Maratha cannons. Still, General Martinho De Silva decided to fight. Chimaji Appa now decided to bring down the fort itself.In 1739, the Marathas besieged Baçaim, cutting off Portuguese supply routes and capturing surrounding outposts. Chimaji Appa amassed a sizable force and initiated the siege on May 1st, using mines to breach the walls. Despite fierce Portuguese resistance, the Marathas breached the towers and ultimately forced a surrender on May 16th. The remaining garrison left with honors, and Baçaim fell to the Marathas on May 23rd[1][2][4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Jaques, Tony (2006-11-30). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity through the Twenty-first Century [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 1010\. ISBN 978-0-313-02799-4.
2. ^ a b c d e f Sardesai Govind Sakharam (1948). New History Of The Marathas Vol-ii 1707-1772 (1948). B. G. Dhawale, Bombay. pp. 170–172.
3. ^ a b c Bahu Virupaksha (2021-02-14). Portuguese Mahratta Relations. pp. 132–135.
4. ^ Grover, Verinder (1993). V.D. Savarkar. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 33\. ISBN 978-81-7100-425-6.