Battle of Vijaydurg

After the death of Kanhoji Angre, there were two short tenures of Sarkhoji and Sambhaji Angre. Following it, the two brothers Manaji and Tulaji started fighting for the post of Sarkhel. The Peshwa had intervened in the disputes between Manaji and Tulaji. This created two spheres of influence, Manaji in the north at Kulaba and Tulaji in the south at Vijaydurg.^[1] Tulaji was brave and a much more skillful seaman than Manaji. In a brief span, he had surpassed the record of his predecessors in the number of English ships captured: Charlotte of Madras, William of Bombay, Svern of Bengal and, Darby, Restoration, Pilot, Augusta and Dadabhoi of Surat. He had also captured Anjanvel from the Siddis of Janjira.

Tulaji Angre's tenure was marked by frequent raids into the territories under the Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur and Maratha nobles like the Peshwa, the Pratinidhi, the Sawants of Wadi, etc. These raids led to a feeling of insecurity among the common people and traders of Maharashtra. Tulaji also allied with the Portuguese against the Marathas. Due to Tulaji's actions, the Peshwa, Balaji Baji Rao, was allied with the British to defeat Tulaji Angre. A treaty was signed according to which a ground force under command of the Peshwa and a naval force under command of the company would attack and destroy Tulaji. Among other articles, the treaty provided that Fort Vijaydurg, when captured, would be given to the Peshwa.^[1]

In 1755, Commodore James of Bombay attacked the fort Suvarnadurg while the Peshwa's army started capturing land and other coastal forts of Angre. This isolated Suvarnadurg from landward. Commodore James first bombarded the fort from the west. 800 shots and shells were expended at a range of 100 yards, but the walls did not collapse.^[2] He then entered the channel between the fort and the coast and fired on the eastern face as well as the main gate. Both gave way. Some of the garrison tried to escape from the fort by a tunnel running into the sea, but were discovered and killed.^[3] Considerable damage had been caused inside the fort by the bombardment and the garrison, finding no hope of relief or reinforcements, surrendered. Commodore James returned to Bombay for the monsoons.