A Regional Overview of India’s Maritime Heritage
Prithwiraj Gupta
Research intern at MRC
Key Highlights
- India’s maritime heritage is not restricted to the seas but has been equally impacted by our river systems
- This article attempts to provide a brief introduction to the maritime heritage and capabilities of India, from its northwestern coast to the eastern coast
- The fort of Vijaydurg was one of the primary fortresses on the Konkan coast while Shivaji developed the Maratha navy.
- The Coromandel coast was at the centre of the Chola naval dominance in the 11th century
- Bengal has had a long maritime tradition and has a variety of boat types, from riverine to sea-going
In the first of a series of essays, Prithwiraj Gupta provides an introduction to the country’s often ignored maritime heritage.
India’s maritime heritage stretches back more than three millennia but is only now being given serious consideration . With the growing prominence of the Indian Ocean region over the last decade or so, knowledge of India’s maritime contribution to the history of the Indian Ocean Region, and consequently to global history, has grown significantly and is being assessed from several different perspectives. The very fact that such a development has only occurred now is testament to the land centric view of our history from at least the colonial period, which has shaped much of the way in which we perceive our own history. India’s maritime heritage is not restricted to the seas but has been equally impacted by our river systems.
"India’s maritime heritage is not restricted to the seas but has been equally impacted by our river systems."
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Prithwiraj Gupta
Research intern at MRC
Mr. Prithwiraj Gupta currently works with Sahapedia as a Junior Project Coordinator and has been associated with the Maritime Research Center, Pune since 2019. He is interested in researching the naval and maritime history of South Asia and situating it within the broader maritime history of the Indo-Pacific. Apart from this, his other research interests include military history, geopolitics and international relations.