Prøve GULL - Gratis
DEFENDERS OF SWARAJYA
The Daily Guardian
|October 04, 2025
Across hills, plateaus, and islands, twelve Maratha forts fuse ingenious architecture with guerrilla tactics, turning terrain into a living syllabus of swarajya and strategic independence.
India marks a heritage high point this year with UNESCO inscribing the Maratha Military Landscapes.
In July 2025 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Maratha Military Landscapes of India to its World Heritage List.
This serial site - designated entry 1739 - consists of twelve forts stretching from Raigad in Maharashtra to Gingee in Tamil Nadu. They were built, adapted or expanded by the Marathas between the late seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries. Their strategic placement on hilltops, plateaus and sea islands created a defence network that supported Maratha military dominance, trade protection and territorial control. For history students and heritage lovers, this designation is an invitation to revisit the rise of the Maratha state, understand its fortification technologies and appreciate the ongoing challenges of conserving vernacular military heritage.
POLITICS, STRATEGY AND IDENTITY
Shivaji built his kingdom by leveraging the rugged topography of the Western Ghats. Forts served as operational bases for ganimi kava, the Maratha doctrine of guerrilla warfare. Instead of engaging large Mughal armies head-on, Maratha troops used mobility and local knowledge to raid supply lines, quickly retreating to their hilltop strongholds. The near-impenetrable forts offered safe storage for grain, weapons and treasure. For example, Pratapgad’s dense forest and hidden paths allowed Maratha soldiers to lure Afzal Khan into a fatal ambush in 1659, while Salher in 1672 witnessed a rare open-field Maratha victory. These episodes illustrate how fort architecture and military strategy were intertwined.
Swarajya and cultural memory
Denne historien er fra October 04, 2025-utgaven av The Daily Guardian.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Daily Guardian
The Daily Guardian
One Indian student dead, two injured in accident in Kazakhstan
The Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan on Tuesday said that 11 Indian students from Semey Medical University were involved in a road accident in Oskemen while returning from an excursion to the Altai Mountains in East Kazakhstan.
1 min
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
Rajnath addresses joint services multi-speciality camp in Lakshadweep
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday addressed the inaugural ceremony of the Indian Navy's Joint Services Multi-Speciality Medical Camp in Lakshadweep through video conference.
1 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
KEJRIWAL SHOULD HAVE ASKED ATISHI TO APOLOGISE: MISHRA OVER HER ALLEGED REMARK
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday criticised AAP leader Atishi over her alleged remarks on Guru Tegh Bahadur, saying AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal should have asked her to apologise.
2 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
STOCK INDICES SETTLE LOWER IN VOLATILE TRADE; SENSEX DECLINES 250 POINTS
Indian stock indices settled marginally lower on Tuesday, due to persistent subdued market sentiments and profit booking by investors.
1 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
CIVIC POLLS: AJIT PAWAR REPEATS CHARGE AGAINST BJP OVER CORRUPTION IN PCMC
With the campaigning for the Maharashtra local body polls set to conclude on Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar has repeated the charge of being large scale corruption in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), decrying how one of the richest corporations is having so much graft, with the basic facilities not reaching the people.
2 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
FROM FULL TO COMFORTABLE: STOP BLOATING AFTER BIG MEALS
Bloating is a common digestive problem that occurs when the gastrointestinal tract is filled with air or gas.
2 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
India's BRICS chairship will seek to bring global welfare: EAM at logo, website launch
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday attended the launch of the official website and logo of India’s BRICS Presidency 2026.
2 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
INTERNET ACCESS TO REMAIN RESTRICTED UNTIL NORMALCY RESTORED: IRAN GOVT
Iran's top cyberspace authority on Monday announced that access to the global internet will remain restricted in the country until officials are satisfied that full security has been restored amid widespread anti-government rallies driven by soaring inflation, economic hardship and mounting public anger over governance, Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported.
2 mins
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
Delhi HC issues 10-point health reform roadmap, seeks time-bound compliance
The Delhi High Court has issued a comprehensive set of directions to strengthen public healthcare delivery in the Capital, mandating immediate implementation of welfare measures, time-bound recruitment of medical staff, and urgent reforms in diagnostic and digital health infrastructure.
1 min
January 14, 2026
The Daily Guardian
High alert in Kashmir ahead of Republic Day; security intensified across valley
A high alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Republic Day as security forces step up surveillance and area domination exercises to ensure a peaceful and incident-free celebration on January 26.
1 min
January 14, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
