Maynak Bhandari was one of the first chiefs or Admiral of the

Maratha Navy The Maratha Navy was the naval wing of the armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from around mid-17th century to mid-18th century in India. Formative years Historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar noted: In medieval India, the Muslim rul ...

under

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilsh ...

, and helped in both building the Maratha Navy and safeguarding the coastline of the emerging

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 ...

. Under his leadership, Maratha navy won the battle at Khanderi fort near Alibaug against the British and Dutch combined troops . Along with Daria Sarang and Daulat Khan, another admirals who served Shivaji, Bhandari commanded a naval fleet of 200 ships. Their official titles of Mai Nayak Bhandari and Daria Sarang translate to Water Leader and Sea Captain, respectively. The Maratha Navy was the forerunner of India's present-day Indian Navy. A memorial has been built to Ram Nayak Bhandari at Bhatye Village, close to Ratnagiri town.

References

* Maratha Navy People from Maharashtra People of the Maratha Empire Naval history of India Admirals Indian military leaders {{India-mil-bio-stub

See also

References