Maratha Invasion of Goa (1683)

Maratha Invasion of Goa (1683) or Sambhaji’s Invasion of Goa refers to the planned but failed surprise Maratha attack of Portuguese controlled Goa and the Konkan region. The battles were fought between the Maratha Empire and Portuguese India. By the late 1600s, in breach of the peace agreement, a number of military encampments were constructed by the Marathas along their borders with the Portuguese. This was accompanied by constant raids by the Marathas on the undefended villages. As a retaliation, the Portuguese viceroy Francisco de Távora ordered an attack on one of those encampments – the Ponda Stronghold, in 1683. This was used as a justification by the Maratha King Sambhaji in attempting an all out attack on Goa, as the Maratha army was preemptively mobilized for this event. Sambhaji stayed in the region for over a month, pillaging the countryside and torching villages, but retreated from Goa and the Konkan on 2 January 1684 to avoid the large Mughal army under prince Muazzam (later Bahadur Shah I) as well as hearing news of the arrival of Portuguese reinforcements.

Background

The Portuguese Empire was a powerful naval empire in the 17th century. They had established several enclaves on the west coast of India. The Portuguese territories of Daman, Chaul, Bacaim, Goa and several others, bordered the Maratha Empire. The Marathas, under Shivaji had maintained relatively good relations with the Portuguese. His successor, Sambhaji howerver, breached this friendship by wanting to checkup the Portuguese by constructing forts over the strategically located regions, one being Anjediva Island off the coast of modern-day Karwar, and another on Parsik Hill in modern-day Navi Mumbai. The Portuguese, alarmed at the mobilization of the Maratha naval and military presence in the regions attempted to stop the construction of the forts in 1683. In August 1683, as a retaliation, the Portuguese allowed the Mughal army to pass through their northern territories against the Marathas. When Sambhaji received information about Mughal-Portuguese cooperation. He adopted an aggressive strategy by attacking the villages of Chaul, Bacaim and Daman. The Marathas then plundered Portuguese controlled villages in Dahanu, Asheri and Bacaim. In response the Portuguese arrested the Maratha envoy Yesaji Gambhir. Sambhaji’s Peshwa Nilopant waged aggressive war against the Portuguese. He devastated, plundered and captured 40 miles of Portuguese territory including the villages of Chembur, Talode, Kolve, Mahim, Dantore, Sargaon. The Portuguese retaliated by arresting Maratha merchant ships. They also attacked the newly built fort on Parsik Hill. All these events took place in April–May 1683. The Marathas also besieged Revdanda fort and plundered its village in July 1683. The Portuguese Viceroy Francisco de Távora, disappointed in this breach of friendship, wanted the capture of Sambhaji. Desai Bhahmins of Sawantwadi sided with the Portuguese in this conflict, as they lost most of their political privileges under the Maratha rule.

Battle of Ponda Fort

The Portuguese viceroy marched towards the Fortress of Ponda, with 3,700 soldiers. Viceroy camped at the border village of Agaçaim on 27 October 1683. They crossed the river and reached the villages west of Ponda on 7th November. Veteran Maratha general Yesaji Kank and his son Krishnaji were stationed at Ponda with a force of 600 soldiers. The Marathas resisted the initial Portuguese infantry charges. In one of these skirmishes Krishnaji Kank was wounded heavily, he died a few days later. However The Portuguese heavy bombardment managed to broke through the walls of the fort, severely damaging it.

By 9th November Maratha reinforcements, which included Sambhaji himself, arrived from Rajapur to rescue the fort. He had 800 cavalry and 2,000 infantry with him. Viceroy thought that Sambhaji will attack him from the rear and cut his line of communication with Goa. On 10 November, he called for a general retreat towards the Durbhat port. The Marathas routed the retreating Portuguese by attacking them from a hill near creek. The viceroy was wounded during this skirmish. On 12 November most of the Portuguese army reached Goa. This victory of Sambhaji has been praised by the Portuguese and they described Sambhaji as a war like prince.

Invasion of Goa

In the North the Peshwa kept pressure on Revdanda. The Marathas also captured some territory around Bacaim and Daman. The viceroy’s assumed that Sambhaji would quit the heavily damaged Ponda and leave, to the inland Panhala Fort.

On 24 November 1683 at night, when the tide was low, Sambhaji’s full force attacked the unsuspecting fort and village on Santo Estêvão island. They captured the fort and plundered its village. A battalion of 200 men marched from mainland Goa in order to recapture the island. Seeing the size of the Maratha army, and the devastation caused by them, the battalion retreated to the capital City of Goa.

After the fall of Santo Estêvão, and arrival of the retreating army, the Portuguese broke the bunds of rice fields on the outskirts of the City of Goa. This inundated the fields with river water, thus in effect, increasing the width of the river. Sambhaji had intended to attack Goa on this occasion, but was prevented by rising tide. The Marathas later retreated from the island due to the probability of a Portuguese naval attack.

News reached both Sambhaji and the Viceroy, that a Mughal prince, Muazzam, had entered into Maratha territory with a 10,000 strong force. The Mughals took advantage of Sambhaji’s war with the Portuguese as a distraction. Sambhaji tried to bribe Muazzam, in order to use his army against the Portuguese before the they could reach South Konkan. With this failing, Sambhaji continued storming the northern parts of the colony, attacking poorly defended villages. By December 1683, the Maratha army had been reinforced and totaled to 6,000 cavalry and 8,000 – 10,000 infantry units. They attacked the regions of Salcete and Bardez and plundered town of Margão. The Portuguese successfully defended the inner territories of Ilhas de Goa and Morumugão from the onslaught of Marathas, and were preparing for a general offensive. All the other villages and forts were captured by the Marathas. French factor of Surat Francois Martin has described the poor condition of the Portuguese, he said the viceroy was completely dependent on Mughal aid now. After having laying waste to the outer districts of Salcete and Bardez the Marathas and had started closing in to the Islands of Goa. The viceroy was concerned that if the things remain unchanged, Sambhaji would soon lay siege to the island of Goa. During this time, Muzzam was pillaging through the Maratha territory, as he made his approach towards Sambhaji. When Sambhaji learnt of Muazzam’s arrival to Ramghat, he withdrew all his forces to Raigad on 2 January 1684.

It is believed that the viceroy went to the body of St. Francis Xavier, in the Bom Jesus church in the City of Goa, and placed his scepter on the dead saint’s hand and prayed for his grace to avert the Maratha threat. D The belief that St. Xavier had saved the Portuguese led to the celebration of this occasion annually in Goa.

Aftermath

Sambhaji wanted peace with the Portuguese, as he was unable to fight a war on two fronts. He sent Prince Akbar and Kavi Kalash to negotiate with the Portuguese. After long negotiations final treaty was approved at Mardangad, between 25 January and 4 February.

Due to the arrival of Portuguese reinforcements in Goa and the Konkan, the Marathas realized that they were not going to be able to continue their conquest against the Portuguese, or keep any of their territories. The Marathas retreated from all their new possessions, in order to concentrate their forces against the Mughals. The campaign was a reality check for Portuguese aspirations in the Konkan. On 12 January 1684, the viceroy called a meeting of the state council to shift the capital Goa to Mormugao fortress further West. This proposal was rejected, and the Capital of Goa continued to be the City of Goa The viceroy did not expect hostile actions from the Marathas, until he met Sambhaji on the battlefield. The envoy, Akbar had told viceroy that Sambhaji’s legions were full of cowardly mercenaries, as they practiced guerilla warfare. In spite of the fact that Goa was well fortified and the Portuguese had a fine navy. The conflicts between the two powers continued in the following years, as Marathas continued raiding the borders. However the Portuguese did not make any significant campaigns against the Marathas.