New Delhi: India has put forward the “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” as its nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the years 2024-25. This nomination comprises twelve significant components, including forts such as Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. These forts, spread across diverse geographic regions, represent the strategic military prowess of the Maratha rulers.
Developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, the Maratha Military Landscapes reflect an exceptional fortification and military system conceived by the Maratha rulers. This network of forts, varying in hierarchies and features, showcases the integration of landscape, terrain, and physiographic characteristics unique to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau, and the Eastern Ghats.
Out of the more than 390 forts in Maharashtra, twelve have been selected for the Maratha Military Landscapes nomination. Eight of these forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, while the remaining four are under the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra. The nomination includes hill forts, hill-forest forts, hill-plateau forts, coastal forts, and island forts.
The Maratha Military ideology, dating back to the 17th century during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, continued through subsequent rules until the Peshwa rule in 1818 CE. This nomination falls under the cultural criteria, specifically criterion (iii) for bearing testimony to a cultural tradition, criterion (iv) for being an outstanding example of a type of architectural ensemble illustrating significant stages in human history, and criterion (vi) for being directly associated with events, traditions, ideas, beliefs, and artistic works of universal significance.
India currently has 42 World Heritage sites, with Maharashtra hosting six, including Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, and the Western Ghats. The Maratha Military Landscapes of India marks the sixth cultural property from Maharashtra nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List.