Murud Janjira, the impressive fortress of the Siddis that could never be conquered

In the 7th century AD, the Siddis, an ethnic group of African origin, began their arrival on the Indian subcontinent.

Gadgada Fort, an ancient military position in India that is very difficult to access
The impressive Kalu waterfall, a hidden natural gem in western India

Many Siddis were brought from Africa to India as slaves, from what are now Ethiopia and Kenya. Many of them adopted Islam, the religion of their masters, and over time ended up serving as soldiers for the powerful lords of the Deccan Plateau in central and southern India.

The Siddis seized the rocky island of Murud Janjira in the 15th century in the service of the Sultan of Ahmadnagar, a kingdom located in western India. The island, where a fortress built by the Marathas already existed, held considerable strategic importance due to its proximity to what is now Mumbai, where the Portuguese Empire had built a fortress in what they initially called Bombaim.

Initially built as a wooden fort, the present-day Murud Janjira fortress was completed in the late 17th century. It consists of 19 cube-shaped bastions connected by sections of wall, with a large central reservoir (pictured above) that ensured a water supply in case of siege. The fortified enclosure was accessible only through a single gate, reachable only by boat. Enjoying considerable autonomy while remaining loyal to the Sultan of Ahmadnagar, the Siddis amassed considerable power in this fortress, using it as a base for their operations on the subcontinent and for piracy.

The importance of Murud Janjira grew over time. Its 12-meter-high walls, with foundations 6 meters deep, and its artillery pieces made it a difficult target for any enemy. Marathas, British, Portuguese, Dutch, and other peoples tried to take it without success. When the Mughals took over the Ahmednagar Sultanate in 1636, the Siddis of Murud Janjira continued to be autonomous thanks to their fortress, and simply swore allegiance to the new rulers of the sultanate.

In 1676, the Maratha Empire seized Padmadurg Island, located about 4 kilometers northwest of Murud Janjira, in an attempt to counter the Siddis. The Marathas built a six-bastioned fortress there, smaller than Murud Janjira itself, but failed to achieve their goal of countering the Siddis. The most significant attempt to storm Murud Janjira occurred in 1682, when Sambhaji, the second monarch of the Maratha Empire, sent one of his commanders, Kondaji Farzand, to pose as a deserter and blow up the Siddis' ammunition depot. Farzand failed in his operation, and his severed head was sent by the Siddis to Sambhaji as a demonstration of their power. This enraged Sambhaji, who organized a fleet of about 200 ships to take the fortress, but the Mughal Empire began a siege of the Maratha fortress of Ramsej, thwarting the capture of Murud Janjira.

Finally, the Mughal Empire fell under the influence of the British Empire at the end of the 18th century, and was finally dissolved in 1858, following the failure of the Sepoy Mutiny (the Indian soldiers of the British Army who declared their loyalty to the Mughals) which began on May 10, 1857. Murud Janjira, never conquered, remained a principality under British rule until 1947, when it was incorporated into the Union of India after its independence from the British Empire.

The fortress was abandoned and is now a major tourist destination, maintaining its proud walls and large cannons, weathered by time and vegetation, but never captured by an enemy force. You can see this fortress in more detail in this interesting video published by Unique World on April 8th:

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Main photo: Sanjaybhagwat.