AAZAMAZEEM at 03:04, 25 January 2026

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{{Short description|Land fort in Chakan, Pune, Maharashtra, India}}
{{Infobox military installation
|name = Sangram Durga
|native_name =
|partof = the [[Maratha Empire]]
|location =
|image = Chakan Fort- Sangram Durg (7637611332).jpg
|caption =
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|built =
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|used =
|demolished =
|condition = Protected Ruins
|ownership =
|open_to_public = Yes
|controlledby = {{noflag}}[[Bijapur Sultanate|Bijapur]] {{flagcountry|Maratha Empire}} (1647-1818) {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg}} [[East India Company]] (1818-1857)
* {{flagicon image|British Raj Red Ensign.svg}} [[British Raj]] (1857-1947)
{{flagcountry|India}} (1947-present)
|garrison =
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}}

'''Sangram Durga''' is a land fort situated at [[Chakan, Maharashtra|Chakan]], [[Pune]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. The original area of the fort was 65 acres, currently it is only 5.5 acres.

==History==
The exact details of the builders of the fort is not known but it was built by a muslim ruler who sacrificed a man by burying him in the foundations. Per Kosambi, the unknown man is honored even in modern times by a cult.<ref>Kosambi, D. D. (1967). Living Prehistory in India. Scientific American, 216(2), 104–115. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24931409</ref>

During the [[Bahmani]] rule, the mainly Muslim courtiers belonged to two camps, foreigners who came from [[Persia]] or [[Central Asia]] to join the Sultan's service, and the Deccani who were of indigenous heritage. The two groups had an intense rivalry and a massacre of thousands of foreigners was carried out by the Deccanis at the fort in 1457.<ref>Mate, M. S. (1996). Urban Culture of Medieval Deccan (1300 AD to 1650 AD). Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, 56, 161-217.</ref><ref>Siddiqi, M. S. (1990). Sufi-State Relationship under the Bahmanids (AD 1348-1538). Rivista degli studi orientali, 64(Fasc. 1/2), 71-96.</ref><ref>Haig, W. (1907). Historic Landmarks of the Deccan. Printed at the Pioneer Press.</ref>

The Bahmani sultanate disintegrated into five different kingdoms in 1490. Chakan, and Junnar at that time became part of [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shyam |first=Radhey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5C4hBqKdkEsC&dq=tughlaq+khilji+chakan+&pg=PA1 |title=The Kingdom of Ahmadnagar |date=1966 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-2651-9 |language=en}}</ref> In 1590s, the Nizamshahi sultan conferred upon [[Maloji Bhosale]], the grandfather of Shivaji, the Jagir or fiefdom of Pune and Supe.The fief included the forts of [[Shivneri]] and Chakan.<ref name="Sardesai1957">{{cite book | author=Govind Sakharam Sardesai | title=New History of the Marathas: Shivaji and his line (1600-1707) | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zG1DAAAAYAAJ | access-date=8 October 2012 | year=1957 | publisher=Phoenix Publications | page = 58 | isbn=9788121500654 }}</ref> In 1630s the fort was captured by the [[Adilshahi]] but young Shivaji took control of the fort in 1647, and named it Sangramdurg.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sardesai 1946 |first1=G.S. |title=New history of the Marathas. Vol. I: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his line (1600-1701) |date=1946 |publisher=Phoenix Publications |location=Bombay |page=102}}</ref>

During [[Shivaji]]'s times (1630-1680), the fort was attacked by [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] general [[Shaista Khan]] with a force of 20,000 men with artillery on 23 June 1660. At that time, the elderly Kiledar (fortress commander) Firangoji Narsala with a force of only 320 Mavala soldiers resisted the Mughal siege for 56 days. Sarkar describes the fort as a square structure with bastions and towers at the corners with a 15 feet wide and 30 feet deep [[Moat]] surrounding the structure.<ref>Sarkar, J. (1920). History of Aurangzib: based on original sources (Vol. 4). Longmans, Green and Company.|url=[https://books.google.com/books?id=M3NHAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22maharashtra%22+preservation+historical+forts+chakan&pg=PA1]|page=45</ref>

The last battle at the fort was that between the forces of the British [[East India Company]] and the Marathas under the [[Baji Rao II|Peshwa]] on 25 February 1818 with the Marathas losing the fort.<ref>Blacker, V. (1821). Memoir of the Operations of the British Army in India: During the Mahratta War of 1817, 1818, & 1819 (Vol. 1). Black.[https://books.google.com/books?id=E2JNAAAAcAAJ&dq=Memoir+of+the+Operations+of+the+British+Army+in+India%3A+During+the+Mahratta+...+By+Valentine+Blacker&pg=PA1]</ref><ref>Bombay (Presidency). (1885). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency (Vol. 18, No. 1). Government Central Press.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ILYBAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22chakan+fort%22&pg=PA122]|page=122</ref>

==Present condition and preservation efforts==
In 2017 the government of Maharashtra granted protection status to Chakan and other six forts in the state.<ref>{{cite news |last=Madaan |first=Neha |date=September 2017 |title=protection-status-for-7-stray-forts-in-maharashtra |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/protection-status-for-7-stray-forts-in-maharashtra/articleshow/60704735.cms |work= |location= |access-date=15 December 2023}}</ref>
The Maharashtra department of archeology spent R 1.0 crore on repairs to the wall of fort in 2013. However due to shoddy work by Arun Lanjewar, the contractor appointed by the department, the wall collapsed in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last=Phadnis |first=Ashish |date=July 18, 2017 |title=Pune's mighty Chakan fort collapses due to shoddy repair work
|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/pune-news/pune-s-mighty-chakan-fort-collapses-due-to-shoddy-repair-work/story-GO0QyaZgvmHfSxwJwoyiKN.html |work= |location=Pune |access-date=15 December 2023}}

</ref>

==See also==
{{commons category|Sangram Durg}}
*[[List of forts in Maharashtra]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Forts in Maharashtra}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:Forts in Pune district]]

Chakan fort - Revision history

AAZAMAZEEM at 03:04, 25 January 2026