'Maratha Military Landscapes': All About India's Nomination For UNESCO Tag For 2024-25

In a significant move to recognise and preserve India's rich historical heritage, 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India' representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers will be the country's nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2024-25 cycle, the Ministry of Culture said on January 29.

Developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, the nomination comprises the 12 components of Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu, the statement said.

These components are strategically distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, highlighting the military prowess of the Maratha rule. The landscapes showcase the integration of landscape, terrain, and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, the Deccan Plateau, and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula.

Out of the more than 390 forts in Maharashtra, only 12 have been chosen under the 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India'. Eight of these forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, including Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg, and Gingee Fort. Salher Fort, Rajgad, Khanderi Fort, and Pratapgarh are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.

The inception of the Maratha Military ideology dates back to the 17th century during the reign of the Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, continuing through subsequent rules until the Peshwa rule of 1818 CE.