Bot at 23:05, 2 August 2022

2022-08-02T23:05:08Z

New page

{{short description|Maratha Navy leader}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Patil (title)|Sarpatil]]
| name = Laya Patil
| honorific_suffix = Chief of Maratha Navy
| native_name = लाय पाटील
| image = File:Diorama showing maratha naval tactics, National Museum, New Delhi.jpg
| caption = [[Maratha Navy]]
| birth_place = [[Alibaug]], [[Maratha Empire]]
| nickname = Daryasarang
| allegiance = [[Maratha Empire]]
| branch = [[Maratha Navy]]
| serviceyears = 10 years
| rank = Daryasarang
| unit = [[Mavala]] fleet
| commands = [[Siege of Janjira (1682)|Siege of Janjira]]
| awards = A warship named Palkhi, title of Sarpatil
}}
'''Laya Patil''', ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]: लाय पाटिल) also spelled as '''Lai Patil''', was the leader of a naval unit of the [[Maratha Navy]] of the [[Maratha Empire]] at the time of [[Chhatrapati]] [[Shivaji]] [[Bhonsle]]. He was born in a Son-[[Koli people|Koli]] family in [[Alibag]], [[Maharashtra]], which was the traditional head of the Kolis and used to maintain order among them. Shivaji had built a [[warship]] in the honor of Laya Patil, which was named Palkhi and honoured with the title of [[Patil (title)|Sarpatil]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Khandpekar|first=Neeta|date=2018-09-23|title=India's Maritime History: Sea-faring groups and Maritime Icons|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327829489}}</ref>

He was made the chief of the [[Navy|Naval]] fleet in the Maratha Navy to capture the [[Janjira State|Janjira]] island by [[Peshwa]], after which Patil served in the Maratha Empire for ten years.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Desāī|first=Raṇajita|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N5mIVt_Zd-0C&dq=Lai-Patil&pg=PA818|title=Shivaji the Great|date=2003|publisher=Balwant Printers Pvt. Ltd.|isbn=978-81-902000-0-4|language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
In 1675, [[Shivaji]], founder of [[Maratha (caste)|Maratha]] Empire, wanted to include Janjira Island in the Maratha Empire, for which Patil received the order of attack on Janjira. The [[Prime minister|Prime Minister]] of the Maratha Empire [[Peshwa]] [[Moropant Trimbak Pingle|Moropant Pingle]] planned that under the leadership of Laya Patil, the Maratha navy would hang ropes for the climb on Janjira and later Peshwa will attack Janjira with [[Maratha Army|Maratha army]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Institute|first=Deccan College Post-graduate and Research|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YINDAAAAYAAJ|title=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute|date=1978|publisher=Dr. A. M. Ghatage, director, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute|year=1978|location=[[New Delhi]], [[India]]|pages=53|language=en}}</ref>

According to the plan, Patil hung 500 ropes around Janjira island in midnight with the help of [[Koli people|Kolis]], while avoiding Janjira's [[Siddi]] soldiers and got ready to attack.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thakur|first=Pradeep|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BRZkDwAAQBAJ&dq=%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88+%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2&pg=PT73|title=Shivaji Ke Management Sootra|date=2020-02-01|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|isbn=978-93-87980-04-4|language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Institute|first=Deccan College Post-graduate and Research|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YINDAAAAYAAJ|title=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute|date=1978|publisher=Dr. A. M. Ghatage, director, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute|year=1978|location=New Delhi, India|pages=53|language=en}}</ref> But there was no trace of the Peshwa. Patil waited for Peshwa and Maratha army till morning but no one came and Patil also could not attack Janjira because Maratha navy was very less if war had happened then Siddi would have defeated Marathas in less time, so Even before rising morning sun, 500 ropes pulled back and rolled back in frustration.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Deopujari|first=Murlidhar Balkrishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iF8MAAAAIAAJ|title=Shivaji and the Maratha Art of War|date=1973|publisher=Vidarbha Samshodhan Mandal|year=1973|location=New Delhi, India|pages=263|language=en}}</ref>

Seeing the courage and bravery of Patil, Shivaji called him to [[Raigad Fort|Raigad]] and honored him with the title of [[Patil (title)|Sarpatil]] and built a special warship name Palkhi for him.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Karandikar|first=Shivaram Laxman|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qI9AAAAMAAJ|title=The Rise and Fall of the Maratha Power|date=1969|publisher=Sitabai Shivram Karandikar|year=1969|location=New Delhi, India|pages=200 - 201: Moropant's calculation that he would secure more than a thousand desperate men had failed. Though the enterprise had failed, Shivaji appreciated what Laya Patil had done. He wished to honour the Patil by presenting him a grant of villages and title of Sarpatil with a warship named Palkhi|language=en}}</ref>

== Titles ==
* [[Patil (title)|Patil]], his family was hereditary Patil (chief) of Son Kolis of [[Alibaug]].

* [[Patil (title)|Sarpatil]], he received the title of Sarpatil for his daring services for [[Maratha Empire]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{MarathaEmpire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patil, Laya}}
[[Category:Maratha Navy]]
[[Category:Admirals]]
[[Category:People of the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:Indian military leaders]]
[[Category:People from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Naval history of India]]
[[Category:Warriors of the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:Koli people]]

Laya Patil - Revision history

Bot at 23:05, 2 August 2022