![Janjira-Bhor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Janjira-Bhor.jpg)
Janjira State was a
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
during the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
.
Its rulers were a
Siddi
The Siddi (), also known as the Sheedi, Sidi, or Siddhi, or Habshi are an ethnic group inhabiting India and Pakistan. They are primarily descended from the Bantu peoples of the Zanj coast in Southeast Africa and Ethiopia, most whom arrived to ...
dynasty of
Habesha
am, ሐበሻ, አበሻ, translit=Häbäša, 'äbäša ti, ሓበሻ, translit=Ḥabäša
, regions =
, languages = Ethiopian Semitic languages
, religions = Predominantly Oriental Orthodox Christianity (Orthodox Te ...
descent
[ and the state was under the suzerainty of the ]Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
.
Janjira State was located on the Konkan coast
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
in the present-day Raigad district
Raigad district (Marathi pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːjɡəɖ, previously Colaba fort, Colaba district, is a district in the Konkan division of Maharashtra, India.
The district was renamed to Raigad fort, Raigad after the fort that ...
of Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
. The state included the towns of Murud and Shrivardhan
Shrivardhan (also spelled Shriwardhan) is a taluka, city and municipal council in the Raigad district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has developed into a seaside resort, along with the nearby town of Harihareshwar, which also has a Shi ...
, as well as the fortified island of Murud-Janjira
Murud-Janjira () is the local name of a famous fort and tourist spot situated on an island just off the coastal town/city of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India.
Origins of the name
The word Janjira is a corruption of the ara ...
, just off the coastal village of Murud, which was the capital and the residence of the rulers. The state had an area of 839 km2, not counting Jafrabad, and a population of 110,389 inhabitants in 1931. Jafrabad, or Jafarabad state was a dependency of the Nawab
Nawab (Balochi language, Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi language, Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian language, Persian,
Punjabi language, Punjabi ,
Sindhi language, Sindhi,
Urd ...
of Janjira State located 320 km to the NNW.
History
Establishment
According to one legend, in the year 1489 the Ahmadnagar Sultanate sent its Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Piram Khan (of Ethiopian descent) with orders to capture the Murud-Janjira
Murud-Janjira () is the local name of a famous fort and tourist spot situated on an island just off the coastal town/city of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India.
Origins of the name
The word Janjira is a corruption of the ara ...
castle from Ram Patil
The Raja Ram Rao Patil or Itbarrao Koli was an Admiral of the Ahmadnagar Navy and Koli ruler of Janjira. Patil built and fortified the Janjira Island.
History
He was Admiral of the Ahmadnagar Navy and built the Janjira with permission ...
. Owing to the castle's fortifications, the Admiral could not attack conventionally.
He and his team disguised themselves as merchants and asked Ram Patil to safeguard their three hundred large boxes containing silks and wines from Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...
. As thanks, Piram Khan threw a party with wine. Once Ram Patil and his soldiers were intoxicated, Piram Khan opened the boxes, which contained his soldiers, and used the opportunity to capture the castle and the island on which it stands.
In the century that followed the rulers put themselves under the overlordship of the Sultanate of Bijapur
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's ...
. During the seventeenth and eighteenth century Janjira successfully resisted the repeated attacks of the Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
.
Cooperation with the Ottomans
According to Ottoman records, a combined force from the Ottomans and Janjira routed a Portuguese fleet in 1587 at Yemen
Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
. From this moment onwards Janjira played an important role in resisting Portuguese influence in the region.
There's further record of Cooperation with the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
when the Ottoman fleet first arrived in Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
prior to Ottoman expedition to Aceh
The Ottoman expedition to Aceh started from around 1565 when the Ottoman Empire endeavoured to support the Aceh Sultanate in its fight against the Portuguese Empire in Malacca. The expedition followed an envoy sent by the Acehnese Sultan Alauddin ...
has included 200 Malabar
Malabar may refer to the following:
People
* Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India
* Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion
Places
* Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
sailors from Janjira State to aid the region Batak and the Maritime Southeast Asia
Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. Maritime Southeast Asia is sometimes also referred to as Island Southeast Asia, Insular Southeast Asia or Oceanic Sout ...
in 1539.
Cooperation with the Mughals
According to one records at one time Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
supplied the Siddis of Janjira state with 2,000 men, provisions, ammunitions along with two Frigates
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
and two large Man-of-war
The man-of-war (also man-o'-war, or simply man) was a Royal Navy expression for a powerful warship or frigate from the 16th to the 19th century. Although the term never acquired a specific meaning, it was usually reserved for a ship armed wi ...
battleships. The ship arrived at Bombay harbor under the commands of Siddi Kasim and Siddi Sambal in 1677. The largest Mughal ship named Ganj-I-Sawai which was equipped with 800 guns and 400 musketeer type soldiers also stationed in the port of Surat.
Another record from East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
factory which written 1673 has reported the Siddis fleet which wintered from Bombay has five Frigates and two Man-of-wars beside of fifteen ''grabs'' vessels. It is because the formidable naval warfare skills of Siddis in Janjira that Aurangzeb granting annual payment of 400.000 Rupee for the maintenance of their fleet.
Relations with the Marathas
Rivalry with the Marathas
The main competitor of the Sidis was the Angrias, a Maratha family with sea forts and ships, based in southern Konkan.
Treaty with Marathas
In 1733, Peshwa Bajirao
Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul-M ...
of the Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
launched a campaign against the Siddis of Janjira. Bajirao's forces, however, did not take Janjira fort, though they captured much of the surrounding area; a favorable treaty gave the Marathas indirect control over virtually all of the Sidi's lands.
Post Maratha-rule
When the British came to the Konkan area, the repeated attacks of the Marathas against Janjira ceased. Janjira State was administered as part of the Deccan States Agency
The Deccan States Agency, also known as the Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency, was a political agency of British India, managing the relations of the British government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of princely states and ...
of the Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...
, founded in 1799. In the nineteenth century the rulers maintained a military force of 123 men.
Following the independence of India
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
in 1947, the state was merged with India.
Rulers
The royal family of Janjira were Sidi
''Sidi'' or ''Sayidi'', also Sayyidi and Sayeedi, ( ar, سيدي, Sayyīdī, Sīdī (dialectal) "milord") is an Arabic masculine title of respect. ''Sidi'' is used often to mean "saint" or "my master" in Maghrebi Arabic and Egyptian Arabic. Wi ...
s, also known as 'Habshi', assumed to be from Abyssinia
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...
. Initially the rulers of the state held the title of 'Wazir', but after 1803 the title of 'Nawab
Nawab (Balochi language, Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi language, Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian language, Persian,
Punjabi language, Punjabi ,
Sindhi language, Sindhi,
Urd ...
' was officially recognized by the British Raj. They were entitled to an 11 gun salute
A gun salute or cannon salute is the use of a piece of artillery to fire shots, often 21 in number (''21-gun salute''), with the aim of marking an honor or celebrating a joyful event. It is a tradition in many countries around the world.
Histo ...
by the British authorities.[Janjira Princely State (11 gun salute)]
/ref>
Wazirs of Janjira
* Siddi Fattekhan
*1676 - 1703 Kasim Yakut Khan
Qasim Yakut Khan also known as Yakut Shaikhji, Yakub Khan and Sidi Yaqub was a naval Admiral and administrator of Janjira Fort who first served under Bijapur Sultanate and later under the Mughal Empire.The African dispersal in the Deccan: from ...
II (d. 1703)
*1703 - 1707 Amabat Yaqut Khan II
*1707 - 1732 Surur Yakut Khan II (d. 1732)
*1732 - 1734 Hasan Khan (1st time) (d. 1746)
*1734 - 1737 Sumbul Khan
*1737 - 1740 `Abd al-Rahman Khan
*1740 - 1745 Hasan Khan (2nd time) (s.a.)
*1745 - 1757 Ibrahim Khan I (1st time) (d. 1761)
*1757 Mohammad Khan I (d. 1757)
*1757 - 1759 Ibrahim Khan I (2nd time) (s.a.)
Thanadars of Jafarabad and Wazirs of Janjira
*1759 - 1761 Ibrahim Khan I (s.a.)
*1761 - 1772 Yaqut Khan (usurper to 6 Jun 1772) (d. 1772)
*1772 - 1784 `Abd al-Rahim Khan (d. 1784)
*1784 - 1789 Jauhar Khan (d. 1789)
** - in dispute with -
***1784 - 1789 `Abd al-Karim Yaqut Khan
*1789 - 1794 Ibrahim Khan II (d. 1826)
*1794 - 1803 Jumrud Khan (d. 1803)
Nawabs
*1803 - 1826 Ibrahim Khan II (s.a.)
*1826 - 31 Aug 1848 Mohammad Khan I (d. 1848)
*31 Aug 1848 – 28 Jan 1879 Ibrahim Khan III (b. 1825 - d. 1879)
*28 Jan 1879 - 2 May 1922 Ahmad Khan (b. 1862 - d. 1922) (from 1 Jan 1895, Sir Ahmad Khan)
*28 Jun 1879 – 11 Oct 1883 .... -Regent
* 2 May 1922 – 15 Aug 1947 Mohammad Khan II (b. 1914 - d. 1972)
* 2 May 1922 - 9 Nov 1933 Kulsum Begum (f) -Regent (b. 1897 - d. 1959)Princely States of India
/ref>
See also
*Jafarabad State
Jafarabad, or Jafrabad State, was a tributary princely state in India during the British Raj. It was a dependency of the Nawab of Janjira State and located in the Kathiawar Peninsula on the Gujarat coast. The state had formerly been part of the ...
*Murud-Janjira
Murud-Janjira () is the local name of a famous fort and tourist spot situated on an island just off the coastal town/city of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India.
Origins of the name
The word Janjira is a corruption of the ara ...
*Sachin State
The Sachin State ( gu, સચીન રિયાસત; ur, سچن ریاست) was a princely state belonging to the Surat Agency, former Khandesh Agency, of the Bombay Presidency during the era of the British Raj. Its capital was in Sachin, ...
* Gowalkot and Anjanvel
*Political integration of India
After the Indian independence in 1947, the dominion of India was divided into two sets of territories, one under direct British rule, and the other under the suzerainty of the British Crown, with control over their internal affairs remaining i ...
*Deccan States Agency
The Deccan States Agency, also known as the Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency, was a political agency of British India, managing the relations of the British government of the Bombay Presidency with a collection of princely states and ...
References
External links
*
Janjira State coat of arms
A Trip to Murud Janjira Fort
{{coord, 18, 18, N, 73, 00, E, region:IN_type:landmark_source:kolossus-svwiki, display=title
Koli princely states
Bombay Presidency
Siddhi people
Muslim princely states of India
Konkan
Raigad district
African diaspora
15th-century establishments in India
1489 establishments in Asia
1948 disestablishments in India
City-states