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{{Short description|Fort in Vasai, Maharashtra, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{No footnotes|article|date=February 2008}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = Fort Vasai
| partof =
| location = Vasai Fort
| image = [[File:Vasai fort building2.jpg|300px]]
| caption = Fort Vasai (''Vasai Killa'')
| map_type = India Maharashtra
| map_size = 300
| map_caption = Shown within [[Maharashtra]]
| type = Seaside fort
| coordinates = {{coord|19|19|50.4|N|72|48|50.8|E}}
| built = 1184
| builder = [[Seuna (Yadava) dynasty|Yadavas of Devagiri]]
| materials = Stone
| height =
| used =
| demolished =
| condition = Ruins
| ownership = Government of India
| open_to_public = Yes
| controlledby = {{noflag}}[[Yadava dynasty]] (-1432) {{noflag}}[[Gujarat Sultanate]] (1432-1533) {{flagcountry|Portuguese Empire}} (1534-1739) {{flagcountry|Maratha Confederacy}} (1739-1818) 
{{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-) Archaeological Survey Of India
| garrison =
| current_commander =
| commanders =
| occupants =
| battles = [[Battle of Vasai]]
| events =
| image2 =
| caption2 =
}}

'''Fort Vasai''' (Fortaleza de São Sebastião de Baçaím) is a ruined fort of the town of [[Vasai (Bassein)]], [[Maharashtra]], India. The structure was formally christened as the Fort of St. Sebastian in the Indo-Portuguese era. The fort is a monument of national importance and is protected by the [[Archaeological Survey of India]].<ref>Monument #110, Mumbai Circle, ASI: http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_maharashtra_mumbai.asp</ref>

The fort and the town are accessible via the [[Naigaon railway station|Naigaon Railway Station]] which itself is in the city of [[Vasai-Virar]], and lies to the immediate north of the city of Mumbai. The [[Vasai Road railway station|Naigaon Railway Station]] is on the [[Western Railway zone|Western Railway]] line (formerly the [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway|Bombay-Baroda railway]]) in the direction of the [[Virar railway station]].

== History ==
[[File:Chimaji Appa Statue 01.jpg|thumb|Statue of Chimaji Appa]]
[[File:Main entrance to the Citadel at Vasai Fort.jpg|thumb|Main entrance to the Citadel]]

===Pre-Portuguese Era===
The [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] merchant [[Cosma Indicopleustes]] is known to have visited the areas around [[Vasai]] in the 6th century and the [[Tang dynasty|Chinese]] traveller [[Xuanzang]] later on June or July 640. According to historian [[José Gerson da Cunha]], during this time, [[Vasai]] and its surrounding areas appeared to have been ruled by the [[Chalukya dynasty]] of [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{harvnb|Da Cunha|1999|p=129|Ref=dc}}</ref>
Until the 11th century, several [[Arabian]] geographers had mentioned references to towns nearby [[Vasai]], like [[Thane]] and [[Nala Sopara]], but no references had been made to [[Vasai]].<ref>{{harvnb|Da Cunha|1999|p=130|Ref=dc}}</ref> [[Vasai]] was later ruled by the [[Silhara dynasty]] of [[Konkan]] and eventually passed to the [[Seuna (Yadava) dynasty|Seuna dynasty]]. It was head of district under the Seuna (1184-1318). Later being conquered by the [[Gujarat Sultanate]],<ref>{{harvnb|Da Cunha|1999|p=131|Ref=dc}}</ref> a few years later [[Duarte Barbosa|Barbosa]] (1514) described it under the name '''Baxay''' (pronounced Basai) as a town with a good seaport belonging to the [[Muzaffarids (Gujarat)|king]] of [[Gujarat Sultanate|Gujarat]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/Thane/places_b.html|title=Chapter 19: Places|date=20 December 2006|website=Thane District Gazetteer|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref>

===Portuguese Era===
{{Main|Treaty of Bassein (1534)|Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein|Portuguese conquest of Goa}}
The [[Portuguese Armadas]] first reached the west coast of [[Indian subcontinent|India]] after the [[Portuguese discoveries|discovery]] of the [[Cape route]] by [[Vasco da Gama]], he landed at [[Calicut]] in 1498. For several years after their arrival, they had been consolidating their power in north and south [[Konkan]], in and around the present-day Bombay and Goa. They had established their capital at [[Velha Goa]] captured from the [[Adil Shahi]] dynasty of [[Bijapur]] in 1510. According to historian [[Manuel de Faria e Sousa]], the coast of [[Bassein (Vasai)]] was first visited by them in 1509, when [[Francisco de Almeida]] on his way to [[Diu, India|Dio]] captured a ship off [[Bombay Harbour]], with 24 citizens of [[Sultan of Guzerat]] aboard it.

[[File:Vasai Fort Panorama 01.jpg|thumb|Panoramic view from inside one of the buildings]]
[[File:Bassein Fort entrance.jpg|thumb|Vasai Fort Entrance]]

==== Treaty of Vasai (1534) ====
The [[Treaty of Vasai (1534)]] was signed by [[Sultan Bahadur of Gujarat]] and the [[Kingdom of Portugal]] on 23 December 1534, while on board the [[galleon]] ''São Mateus''. Based on the terms of the agreement, the [[Portuguese Empire]] gained control of the city of [[Vasai (Bassein)]], as well as its territories, islands, and seas. The Bombay islands under Portuguese control include [[Colaba]], [[Old Woman's Island]], [[Mumbai (Bombay)]], [[Mazagaon]], [[Worli]], [[Matunga]], [[Mahim]]. [[Salsette]], [[Diu district|Diu]], [[Trombay]]& [[Chaul]] were other territories controlled and settled by the Portuguese.

At the time, the cession of [[Mumbai (Bombay)]] was of minor importance, but retroactively it gained a place on the world map when the place passed from the Portuguese to the [[East India Company]] in 1661, as part of the [[dowry of Catherine Braganza]]. It became a major trade centre, the treaty's most important long-term result.

Vasai (Bassein) became the northern territory's headquarters after the [[Treaty of Bassein (1534)|16th-century treaty]] with the [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat]]. In the [[Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein|Portuguese era]], the fort was styled as the Northern Court (''Corte da Norte''), second only to the Portuguese viceroy of the East in the city of [[Velha Goa]]. For over 150 years, the Portuguese presence made the surrounding area a vibrant and opulent city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Forts/Forts.aspx?strpage=VasaiFort.html|title=Vasai Fort|website=Maharashtra Tourism|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150917163134/https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Forts/Forts.aspx?strpage=VasaiFort.html|archive-date=17 September 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/treasures/fort/vasai-fort|title=Vasai Fort|website=Maharashtra Tourism|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref> The Bassein and its surroundings were the largest Portuguese territory, including places such as [[Chaul]]-[[Revdanda]], Caranja, the Bombay Archipelago, Bandra Island, Juhu Island, [[Salsette Island]] including the city of [[Thane]], Dharavi Island, the Bassein archipelago, [[Daman and Diu|Daman]], [[Diu, India|Diu]]

The community known as the "Bombay East Indians" were called ''[[Norteiro]]s'' (Northern men) after the Court of the North, based in the fort.

[[File:Vasai fort building.jpg|thumb|One of the few standing structures]]

[[File:Vasai fort facade.jpg|thumb|Church ruins within the fort]]

===Maratha Era===

In the 18th century, the Bassein Fort was taken over by the [[Maratha Empire]] under [[Peshwa]] [[Baji Rao I|Baji Rao's]] brother [[Chimaji Appa]] and fell in 1739 after the [[Battle of Vasai]]. The fort was taken by [[East India Company|British]] in 1774 and returned to Maratha in 1783 under the [[Treaty of Salbai]]. The [[East India Company|British]] in 1818 attacked and again took over the territory from the Marathas. The fort also played a strategic role in the [[First Anglo-Maratha War]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Battles of the Honourable East India Company: Making of the Raj|last=Naravane|first=M. S.|publisher=APH Publishing Corporation|year=2014|isbn=9788131300343|location=India|pages=60}}</ref>

=== British Era ===

==== Treaty of Vasai (1802) ====
The [[Treaty of Vasai (1802)]] was a [[pact]] signed on 31 December 1802 between the [[East India Company|British East India Company]] and [[Baji Rao II]], the [[Maratha]] [[Peshwa]] of [[Pune]] in [[India]] after the [[Battle of Poona|Battle of Pune]]. The treaty was a decisive step in the dissolution of the [[Maratha Empire]].

==Present==
The fort is a major tourist attraction in the region .
The ramparts overlook what is alternatively called the [[Vasai Creek]] and the Bhayandar Creek and are almost complete, though overgrown by vegetation. Several watch-towers still stand, with safe staircases leading up. The Buildings inside the fort are in ruins, although there are enough standing walls to give a good idea of the floor plans of these structures. Some have well-preserved [[façade|facade]]s. In particular, many of the arches have weathered the years remarkably well. They are usually decorated with carved stones, some weathered beyond recognition, others still displaying sharp chisel marks.

Three chapels inside the fort are still recognisable. They have [[facade]]s typical of 17th-century Churches. The southernmost of these has a well-preserved barrel-vaulted ceiling. Besides all the structures, tourists often also observe the nature that has taken over much of the fort. Butterflies, birds, plants and reptiles can all be observed.

The fort is also a popular shooting location for [[Bollywood]] movies and songs. The [[Bollywood]] hit ″[[Kambakkht Ishq]]″ from [[Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya]], [[Poster Lagwa Do]] from [[Luka Chuppi]] are Bollywood songs short at the fort. Movies such as [[Josh (2000 film)|Josh]], starring [[Shah Rukh Khan]], and [[Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega]] have a number of scenes from the fort. Other films shot here include [[Khamoshi (1970 film)|Khamoshi]] and [[Ram Gopal Varma|Ram Gopal Verma's]] [[Aag (2007 film)|Aag]].
The fort was also one of the shooting locations for the international hit song '[[Hymn for the Weekend]]' by British band [[Coldplay]]. The fort showcased at the start and in between is the Vasai Fort.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BBGXbEzEYPv/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BBGXbEzEYPv |archive-date=26 December 2021 |url-access=registration|title=Ben Mor on Instagram|last=Mor|first=Ben|date=29 January 2016|website=Instagram|access-date=25 July 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BBGgH5lvi8Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BBGgH5lvi8Y |archive-date=26 December 2021 |url-access=registration|title=Black Dog Films on Instagram|date=29 January 2016|website=Instagram|publisher=Black Dog Films|access-date=25 July 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The video features [[Beyoncé]] and [[India]]n actress [[Sonam Kapoor]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Sonam-and-Beyonce-feature-in-new-Coldplay-single/articleshow/50755490.cms|title=Sonam and Beyonce feature in new ‘Coldplay’ single|last=Lohana|first=Avinash|date=28 January 2016|website=The Times of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016074605/https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Sonam-and-Beyonce-feature-in-new-Coldplay-single/articleshow/50755490.cms|archive-date=16 October 2017|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref> The video has over 960 million views on [[YouTube]] as of July 2018, becoming the second most-viewed music video for [[Coldplay]] (after "[[Something Just like This]]").

The [[Archaeological Survey of India]] has started restoration work of the fort, although the quality of the work has been severely criticised by "conservation activists".{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}

[[File:Chimaji Appa Memorial 01.jpg|thumb|Chimaji Appa Memorial]]

== Accessibility ==

To visit the Vasai Fort,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUpC1BpKp9g |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/dUpC1BpKp9g |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Vasai Fort - How to go & history of Vasai Fort}}{{cbignore}}</ref> take a Western Railways train bound to Virar from Churchgate in Mumbai and alight at the Vasai Road Railway Station. If you are departing from the Central Railway or Central Railway Harbour Line, then you have to switch to the Western Railway line at either Dadar, Bandra or Andheri. Another railway line connects the Central and the Western Railways lines from Vasai Road Railway Station to Diva, a stop just beyond Thane city on the Central Railway line, and long-distance passenger trains travelling this route also carry commuters between the two lines. There is a railway station named Kopar between Diva and Dombivli. Passengers travelling from Thane or Kalyan can alight at Kopar and walk up the staircase and to Platform No. 3 where they can catch the Diva to Vasai train. The Vasai Road station is only an hour by train from Kopar station. Currently, there are 5 trains daily which goes to Vasai Road from Dombivli, Diva and Panvel and 5 trains from Vasai Road to Diva and Panvel. There is a State Road Transport Bus Terminus & Station adjacent and to the immediate west of the Vasai Road Railway Station in Manickpur-Navghar. The destination for buses going to the Vasai Fort is "Killa Bunder" or "Fort Jetty/Quay". There are buses every half-hour. Ticket cost ₹ 15 per person and you can alight at the last stop and walk around. Auto rickshaws are also available, which can be hired from the western entrance to the railway station but cost more per head and are regarded as unsafe in that they are usually congested. Auto rickshaws are also available, which can be hired from the main road outside the station but it is ₹ 40 per person.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.timetotravel.co.in/2010/01/vasai-fort.html|title=Vasai Fort - How to go, places to visit, things to do|date=1 January 2010|website=Time to Travel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205184833/http://www.timetotravel.co.in/2010/01/vasai-fort.html|archive-date=5 February 2018|access-date=25 July 2018}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
Some fauna and flora inside the fort:
<gallery>
File:Baobab Tree at Vasai Fort.jpg|Baobab tree at the seaside entrance
File:A grasshopper at the fort.jpg|[[Tettigoniidae|Katydid]] [[Grasshopper]]
File:Baby Caterpillers feeding on leaves at the fort.jpg|Baby caterpillars feeding on leaves
File:Wild Flowers.jpg|Some wildflowers
File:Spider having lunch.jpg|Spider from the family [[Araneidae]] feasting on a butterfly
File:Beatutiful grasshopper.jpg|[[Tettigoniidae|Katydid]] [[Grasshopper]]
File:Eurasian Hoopoe at the Bassein Fort.jpg|African Hoopoe
File:Unidentified Agamidae at Bassein fort.ext.jpg|Agamid Lizard
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Military history of Bassein]]
* [[Treaty of Bassein (1534)]]
* [[Treaty of Bassein (1802)]]
* [[Portuguese India]]
* [[Chimaji Appa]]
* [[Battles involving the Maratha Empire]]
* [[List of Maratha dynasties and states]]
* [[List of people involved in the Maratha Empire]]
* [[Marathi people|Marathi People]]
* [[Maratha Army]]
* [[Maratha Navy]]
* [[Maratha titles]]
* [[Military history of India]]
* [[List of forts in Maharashtra]]
* [[List of forts in India]]
* [[List of Jesuit sites]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040212213831/http://www.geocities.com/unitedit/vasai_hist.htm History of Vasai]
*[http://www.boloji.com/places/025.htm Mumbai - The Cosmopolitan City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114080658/http://boloji.com/places/025.htm |date=14 January 2010 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070222060157/http://www.mumbaicustoms.gov.in/history.asp Mumbai Customs - History]

==Bibliography==
* {{cite web|last=Rossa|first=Walter|title=Vasai Fort: Historical Background and Urbanism|date=2012|url=http://www.hpip.org/def/en/Contents/Navigation/GeographicToponymicNavigation/Place?a=567|publisher=Heritage of Portuguese Influence|access-date=29 July 2015}}
* {{cite web|last=Mendiratta|first=Sidh Losa|title=St. Sebastian Fort: Military Architecture|date=2012|url=http://www.hpip.org/Default/en/Homepage/Entry?a=323|publisher=Heritage of Portuguese Influence|access-date=29 July 2015}}
* {{cite web|last=Mendiratta|first=Sidh Losa|title=Dispositivos do Sistema Defensivo da Província do Norte do Estado da Índia (1521-1739)|date=2012|url=https://www.academia.edu/8707147/DISPOSITIVOS_DO_SISTEMA_DEFENSIVO_DA_PROV%C3%8DNCIA_DO_NORTE_DO_ESTADO_DA_%C3%8DNDIA_1521-1739|publisher=PhD Thesis, Coimbra University}}

{{Forts and fortresses of the Portuguese empire}}
{{Forts around Mumbai}}
{{Forts in Maharashtra}}
{{Forts in India}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|19|19|49|N|72|48|54|E|type:landmark|display=title}}
[[Category:History of Portugal]]
[[Category:Maratha Navy]]
[[Category:History of Vasai]]
[[Category:16th-century forts in India]]
[[Category:Portuguese forts in India]]
[[Category:Portuguese structures in Mumbai]]
[[Category:1530s establishments in Portuguese India]]
[[Category:1534 in Portugal]]
[[Category:Gujarat Sultanate]]
[[Category:Forts in Palghar district]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Kingdom of Portugal]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Palghar district]]
[[Category:Baroque architecture in India]]
[[Category:1534 establishments in the Portuguese Empire]]
[[Category:1534 treaties]]

Fort Vasai - Revision history

Bot at 11:12, 26 November 2022