6. Nature has endowed Odisha with many rivers, which provide easy passages to the boats & ships in the coastal plain.
Though its sea coast isn't sufficiently deep,the tidal water rises from 2 - 2.8 mtrs high, which was tolerably good for the size of any ship in pre-modern period
7. The south-west, as well as north-east monsoons played important role in Odia seafaring. The Kalinga ports at numerous river-mouths derived their strength from the rich hinterlands not far from the coast.
8. In the ancient Odisha, multiple types of ships were manufactured. The diversity, & the ship sizes give us the idea of advancement in ship-building technology achieved in Odisha.
9. The ports of ancient Kalinga are shown in the map below (⭐️)
The ancient port Dhamra is still in use today, by the Indian Navy!
Palur was known as ‘internationally important maritime emporium’ in 2nd-3rd cent CE. Dantapura was the Kalinga capital since Mahabharat-3rd cent BC
10. The European traveller, Caesar Frederick resided in Odisha between 1560-68. He praised the reigning Hindu Odia king, Mukundadeva, very highly, on account of excellent law & order in Odisha.
11. Bali Jatra festival is observed in Odisha every year on Kartika Purnima. This festival commemorates the maritime history of Odisha & marks the day when ancient seafarers set out for their overseas journey.
It coincides with the favourable wind pattern timing as well!
12. We should learn & cherish such ancient maritime traditions like that of Odisha, and celebrate them, like the Bali Jatra in Odisha.
2. Maratha & Mysore armies started modernising in the 1760s & 70s. British accounts state, that Marathas had rocket technology before Mysore's Tipu Sultan.
Maratha rockets 'annoyed' the British in the First Anglo-Maratha War (1775), whereas British faced Mysore rockets in 1792.
3. Modern manufacturing processes, training and logistics required a substantial financial cost.
In the 1780s, Mahadji Scindia consolidated his hold over north India. He hired Benoit de Boigne, a Frenchman, to reorganize his finances and training.
2. The earliest recipes of burning mixtures are from ~800 CE China, India. The first explosives made their appearance ~1200 CE.
The Mongol invasions of China carried this technology west across the Steppe into Central Asia and north India.
3. We have a record from the time of the Delhi sultan Jalaludin Khilji (late 1200s) about the ‘hawai’, a rocket that could only be powered by gunpowder.
The other route into India is seaborne. Chinese were using cannons on ships since the early 1400s & traded with Indian ports.
3. The Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻa was formalised at the time of coronation, although, there exist instances where Chhatrapatī Śivājī used to consult several such ministers on earlier important occasions as well.
1. #Thread on the occasion of Battle of Lakhnauti's 776th anniversary.
This battle was fought on 14 March,1245 between Izzuddin Tughral Tughan Khan (Delhi Sultanate's Bengal Governor), & Narasimhadeva-I (Orissa King of Eastern Ganga dynasty)
2. Feb 1 :- Shaikh Nizam Haidarābādi (aka Muqarrab Khan) captured Chhatrapati Saṃbhājī & Kavi Kalash. He captured them at Sangameshwar in Konkan.
Kavi Kalash was the Chaṃdogāmātya ( छंदोगामात्य ), a close adviser of Chhatrapati Saṃbhājī
The 40-day-ordeal started.
3. Feb 15 :- Aurangzeb’s army marched from his camp at Akluj, to Bahādurgad (now renamed Dharmaveergad – Fort of Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Saṃbhājī Maharaj).
Akluj -> Dharmaveergad: Green line
Sangameshwar -> Dharmaveergad: Saffron line