Maratha Military Landscape

Posted 19 Aug 2025

Updated 21 Aug 2025

5 min read

Why in the News?

Maratha Military Landscapes of India added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as the 44^th site from India.

About Maratha Military landscape

It was placed on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2021.
Geographical Spread: States of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Diverse and Strategic Locations: Situated across varied terrains, from coastal fortifications to hilltop strongholds, including the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, the Deccan Plateau, and the Eastern Ghats.
Evolution: 17^th century during the reign of the Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and continued through subsequent rules until Peshwas in 19^th centuries as strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire.

Forts in Maratha Military Landscapes (12)	Key Features
Salher Hill fort	Witnessed an important battle in 1672fought between theMarathas and the Mughals.
Shivneri Hill fort	Birth place of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Lohgad Hill fort	Located near the Buddhist cavesat Bhaje.
Raigad Hill fort	Selected by Chhatrapati Shivaji for hispermanent capital.
Rajgad Hill fort	Recognized as the first political base of 'Hindavi Swarajya'; Rajgad, formerly known as Murumdev (name based on the mountain Murumbadev, on which it was built). Capital of the Maratha Empire. It was one of the 17 forts that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kept when he signed the Treaty of Purandar in 1665.
Gingee Hill Fort (Tamil Nadu)	It has threedistinct hilltop citadels and a massiveboundary of thickwalls and cliffs.
Pratapgad Hill Forest Fort	Major fight withAfzal Khan tookplace near this fort.
Panhala Plateau Hill Fort	Became Maratha statecapital under Tarabai.
Sindhudurg Island forts	Occupies an isletin the Arabian Sea.
Suvarnadurg Island forts	Presumably built by the rulersof Bijapur in the 16th century CE.
Khanderi Island forts	Built during the reign of the Maratha king Shivaji in 1679 CE to keep a check on the Siddhis at Murud-Janjira fort.
Vijay durg Coastal Fort	Shivaji captured this fortfrom Adil Shahof Bijapur and renamed it as "VijayDurg". It was calledthe "Eastern Gibraltar".

About Maratha Empire

Foundation: With the rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1674.
- Carved out an independent Maratha kingdom from various Deccan states in the 17^th century. It dominated a large portion of India during the 17^th and 18^th century.
Capitals: Raigad Fort, Gingee, Satara, and Pune.
Reigned: At its peak, the Maratha Empire extended from Peshawar in the north to Thanjavur in the south.
Administration: Known as 'Ashtapradhan' was formed by Shivaji. It consisted of a council of eight ministers.
- The eight ministers were Peshwa (Prime Minister), Amatya (Finance Minister), Sachiv (Secretary),Mantri (Interior Minister), Senapati (Commander-in-Chief), Sumant (Foreign Minister), Nyayadhyaksh (Chief Justice), and Panditrao (High Priest).
Revenue Policy
- Sardeshmukhi: 10% tax imposed upon the revenues of the entire Maratha kingdom.
- Chauth: 1/4^th of the total revenue from the neighbouring chieftains whose territories did not form part of the Maratha Empire.
Decline: With the defeat of third Battle of Panipat (with Ahmad Shāh Abdali, 1761).

Conclusion

India shows a strong commitment to preserving its rich cultural and natural heritage, with 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and an active Tentative List of 62 properties for future recognition.

About UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS)

It is any of theareas or objects inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, designated as having outstanding universal value under the World Heritage Convention of 1972.
- These sites are selected under three categories: Cultural, Natural, and Mixed.
India's position: 6^th globally and 2^nd in the Asia-Pacific Region, in terms of the number of World Heritage Sites.
- India has a total of 44 WHS (36 cultural, 7 natural, and 1 mixed).
International Body to protect and preserve such sites: World Heritage Centre (Paris, France).
- Established in 1992, the World Heritage Centre is the focal point and coordinator within UNESCO for all matters related to World Heritage.
Criteria for Selection of World Heritage Sites:
- Sites must possess outstanding universal value and meet at least one of ten selection criteria- Masterpiece of human creative genius, exhibiting an important interchange of human values, etc.
- Each year, every State Party can nominate only one site for consideration by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion.
- Evaluation of nominations: By the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Final decision: Made by the World Heritage Committee (India is a member from 2021-25).
Nodal agency in India: Archaeological Survey of India.