The great Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj conquered a number of majestic forts across western India.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire, is regarded as one of the fiercest warriors ever lived in India. He developed numerous warfare tactics and went on to stand up against the Mughal Empire. Aside from all the other victories, he also succeeded in capturing numerous attractive as well as large forts in various areas. It's estimated that he took control over nearly 360 forts throughout his reign. Here, let's take a look at some of the significant ones amongst them.

Torna: Torna, a striking structure with a height of 4603 feet, is the first fort conquered by Shivaji. He took control over it at the age of 16 and later renamed it Prachandagad. He even built numerous monuments on its large area.

Vijaydurg: Vijaydurg, encircled by Waghotan creek, is considered as one of the most important conquests of Shivaji Maharaj. He captured it defeating Adil Shah in 1653. The Marathas then started using this fort as an anchor to their warships.

Rajgad: Shivaji Maharaj conquered this fort defeating Chandrarrao in 1656 and then changed its name from Rairi to Rajgad. He spent 26 years of his life here. This fort, located in the Sahyadri ranges, served as the capital of Shivaji's kingdom until 1672. Also, a number of major historic events took place in this fort.

Lohagad: Shivaji captured Lohagad in 1648 and lost it to the Mughals in 1665. Later in 1670, he again took control over this fort and started using it for some significant purpose. The Marathas considered the fort very important as they could guard the trade route of Bor ghat (present day Khandala ghat) from here.

Sinhgad: Sinhgad is a very significant fort located in the Sahyadri ranges. Shivaji Maharaj captured this fort through winning a devastating battle against the Mughal Empire. Tanaji Malusare lost his life in the battle, leaving Shivaji in deep grief. The king said, "Gad aala, pan Sinha gela", which means "We won the fort, but lost the lion".

Panhala: Shivaji took control over Panhala in 1659, after the death of Bijapur general Afzal Khan. Adil Shah II invaded the fort to win it back, but eventually got defeated by the huge army of Shivaji. The Marathas used to guard the trade route through Bijapur from here.

Suvarnadurg: Shivaji Maharaj captured Suvarnadurg from Ali Adil Shah II of Shilahar Dynasty in 1660. Then, he reconstructed this fort and started using it for defense purposes. The fort is located on a small island along the West Coast of India.

The above-mentioned forts are now considered as architectural masterpieces, offering an insight into the rich history of the Marathas.