| Summary/Abstract |
At the beginning of the seventeeth century, power equations on the West coast had undergone a major change. The Siddi of Janjira, though undefeated and surviving, was much weakened due to the losses suffered by his patrons, the Mughals, in their war against the Marathas. The Portuguese were on the decline, holding on percariously to their possessions in India by attempting to befriend the British. The Marathas and the British were thus the main powers left in the fray for the mastery of the Western coast. After Shivaji's death, while the Maratha were fully engaged in fighting the Mughals, the Maratha navy continued to grow thanks to a remarkable Maratha Admiral, Kanhoji Angre. The history of the Maratha navy is synonymous with the history of the Angres till the first half of the eighteenth century.
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