MARITIME HISTORY OF INDIA

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MARITIME HISTORY OF INDIA

http://indiannavy.nic.in/maritime_history.htm

India's maritime history predates the birth of Western

civilisation. The world's first tidal dock is believed to have been

built at Lothal around 2300 BC during the Harappan civilisation,

near the present day Mangrol harbour on the Gujarat coast. The Rig

Veda, written around 2000 BC, credits Varuna with knowledge of the

ocean routes commonly used by ships and describes Naval expeditions

using hundred-oared ships to subdue other kingdoms. There is a

reference to plava, the side wings of a vessel which give stability

under storm conditions, perhaps the precursor of modern stabilizers.

Similarly, the Atharva Veda mentions boats, which are spacious, well

constructed and comfortable.

 

In Indian mythology, Varuna was the exalted deity to whom

lesser mortals turned to for forgiveness of their sins. It is only

later that Indra became the King of the Gods and Varuna was

relegated to become the God of Seas and Rivers. The oceans

recognized as repository of treasure, was churned by the Devas and

Danavs, the sons of Kashyap by queen Aditi and Diti, in order to

obtain Amrit, the nectar of immortality. Even today, the invocation

at the launching of a warship is addressed to Aditi. The influence

of the sea on Indian Kingdoms continued to grow with the passage of

time. North- west India came under the influence of Alexander the

great, who built a harbour at Patala where the Indus branches into

two, just before entering the Arabian sea. His army returned to

Mesopotamia in ships built in Sindh. Records show that in the period

after his conquest, Chandragupta Maurya established an admiralty

division under a Superintendent of ships as part of his war office,

with a charter including responsibility for navigation on the Seas,

Oceans, lakes and Rivers. History records that Indian ships traded

with Countries as far as Java and Sumatra, and available evidence

indicates that they were also trading with other countries in the

Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Even before Alexander, there were

references to India in Greek works and India had a flourishing trade

with Rome. Roman writer Pliny speaks of Indian traders carrying

away large quantity of gold from Rome, in payment for much sought

exports such as precious stones, skins, clothes, spices,

sandalwood , perfumes, herbs and indigo.

 

Trades of this volume could not have been conducted over the

countries without appropriate Navigational skills. Two Indian

astronomers of repute, Aryabhatta and Varahamihira, having

accurately mapped the positions of celestial bodies, developed a

method of computing a ship's position from the stars. A crude

forerunner of the modern magnetic compass called Matsyayantra was

being used around the fourth or fifth century AD. Between the fifth

and tenth centuries AD, the Vijaynagaram and Kalinga kingdoms of

southern and Eastern India had established their rules over Malaya,

Sumatra and Western Java. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands then

served as an important midway for trade between the Indian peninsula

and these kingdoms, as also with China. The daily revenue from the

western regions in the period 844-848 AD was estimated to be 200

maunds (eight tons) of gold. In the period 984-1042AD, the Chola

kings dispatched great naval expeditions which occupied parts of

Burma, Malaya and Sumatra, while suppressing the piratical

activities of the Sumatra warlords. In 1292 AD, Marco Polo described

Indian ships as "built of fir timber, having a sheath of boards laid

over the planking in every part, caulked with iron nails. The

bottoms were smeared with a preparation of quicklime and hemp,

pounded together and mixed with oil from a certain tree which is a

better material than pitch." A fourteenth century description of an

Indian ship credits it with a carrying capacity of over 700 people

giving a fair idea of both ship building skills and maritime ability

of seamen who could successfully man such large vessels.

 

Another account of the early fifteenth Century describes

Indian ships as being built in compartments so that even if one part

was shattered, the next remained intact, thus enabling the ship to

complete her voyage. This was perhaps a forerunner of the modern day

subdivision of ships into watertight compartments, a concept then

totally alien to the Europeans.

 

The decline of Indian maritime power commenced in the

Thirteenth century, and Indian sea power had almost disappeared when

the Portuguese arrived in India. They later imposed a system of

license for trade, and set upon all Asian vessels not holding

permits from them.

 

The piratical activities of the Portuguese were challenged

by the Zamorins of Calicut when Vasco da Gama, after obtaining

permission to trade, refused to pay the customs levy. Two major

engagements were fought during this period. First, the battle of

Cochin in 1503, clearly revealed the weakness of Indian navies and

indicated to the Europeans an opportunity for building a naval

empire. The second engagement off Diu in 1509, gave the Portuguese

mastery over Indian seas and laid the foundation of European control

over Indian waters for the next 400 years. TOP

 

Indian maritime interests witnessed a remarkable resurgence

in the late seventeenth century, When the Siddhis of Janjira allied

with the Moghuls to become a major power on the West Coast. This led

the Maratha King Shivaji to create his own fleet, which was

commanded by able admirals like Sidhoji Gujar and Kanhoji Angre. The

Maratha Fleet along with the legendary Kanhoji Angre held away over

the entire Konkan Coast keeping the English, Dutch and Portuguese at

bay. The death of Angre in 1729 left a vacuum and resulted in the

decline of Maratha sea power. Despite the eclipse of Indian kingdoms

with the advent of western domination, Indian shipbuilders continued

to hold their own well into the nineteenth century. The Bombay Dock

completed in July 1735 is in use even today. Ships displacing 800 to

1000 tons were built of teak at Daman and were superior to their

British counterparts both in design and durability. This so agitated

British shipbuilders on the River Thames that they protested against

use of Indian built ships to carry trade from England. Consequently

active measures were adopted to cripple the Indian shipbuilding

industries. Nevertheless, many Indian ships were inducted into the

Royal Navy, such as HMS Hindostan in 1795, the frigate Cornwallis in

1800, HMS Camel in 181 and HMS Ceylon in 1808. HMS Asia carried the

flag of Admiral Codrington at the battle of Navarino in 1827 the

last major sea battle to be fought entirely under sail.

 

Two Indian built Ships witnessed history in the making.

The Treaty of Nanking, ceding Hong Kong to the British was signed

onboard HMS Cornwallis in 1842. The national anthem of USA "Star

Spangled Banner", was composed by Francis Scott Key onboard HMS

Minden when the Ship was on a visit to Baltimore. Numerous other

ships were also constructed, the most famous being HMS Trincomalee,

which was launched on 19 Oct 1817, carrying 86 guns and displacing

1065 tons. This ship was latter renamed Foudroyant.

The period of 4000 years between Lothal and Bombay Dock,

therefore, offers tangible evidence of seafaring skills the nation

possessed in the days of sail. In the early seventeen century, when

British naval ships came to India, they discovered the existence of

considerable shipbuilding and repair skills, as well as seafaring

people. An ideal combination was thus available for supporting a

fighting force in India.