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Maratha military landscapes nominated for UNESCO heritage sites
The military landscapes built by the Maratha rulers stood as a fortification and strategic military system
Suvarnadurg Fort, part of the Maratha Military Landscapes nominated for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list / Press Information Bureau
India has officially nominated the Maratha Military Landscapes of India for the UNESCO World Heritage Site List 2024. The Maharashtrian site was nominated under the “cultural” category.
Developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, the military landscapes stood as a fortification and strategic military system built by the Maratha rulers.
About the Maratha Military Landscapes
The Maratha Military Landscapes are a network of forts, a synthesis of landscape, terrain, and physiographic characteristics unique to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, the Deccan Plateau, and the Eastern Ghats.
The forts vary in hierarchies, scales, and typological features to create a comprehensive system strategically positioned across different terrains in the Indian Peninsula.
Out of Maharashtra’s 390 forts, only 12 are selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes. Eight of the 12 forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The forts include Shivneri, Lohgad, and Suvarnadurg, spanning from hill forts like Raigad and Gingee to coastal fort Vijaydurg, and island forts Suvarnadurg and Sindhudurg.
The landscape dates back to the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and continued through rules until the Peshwa rule in 1818 CE.
Press Information Bureau / Suvarnadurg Fort, part of the Maratha Military Landscapes nominated for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site listCriteria of Nomination
The nomination of the landscape falls under the “cultural” category, specifically under criteria (iii), (iv), and (vi). This category emphasizes unique testimony, outstanding examples, and tangible associations with cultural traditions, architecture, and significant historical events.
India’s Present Heritage Sites
India currently has 42 World Heritage Sites, with Maharashtra hosting six, including Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, and the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai are under the “cultural” criteria. The Western Ghats, on the other hand, fall under the “natural” criteria.
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, included in the Tentative List in 2021, is the sixth cultural property from Maharashtra nominated for inclusion in the prestigious World Heritage List.
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