The Khanderi Expedition

The Khanderi Expedition
Date	November 1718
Location	Khanderi Maharashtra, India
Result	Maratha Empire victory
Belligerents
Maratha Empire Maratha Navy;	East India Company
Commanders and leaders
Kanhoji Angre; Mankoji Suryawanshi	Charles Boone ; William Foster; Richard Gosfright
Strength
300–500 Maratha troops	20,000 troops of British

The Khanderi Expedition was a British military expedition launched to combat Maratha piracy. It targeted Khanderi, Colaba, and the Indian fort Gheria. It was officially declared on June 17, 1718, though the conflict had actually begun earlier. The British expedition ultimately failed.

The operation was led by Charles Boone, the British Governor of Bombay. An initial attempt to besiege Vijaydurga failed, leading to a retreat to Bombay on June 18th, 1719. Boone was criticized for the failure. Boone framed Rama Kamat, a Bombay merchant, for the failure, and Rama Kamat was imprisoned. A subsequent campaign against Khanderi, which was launched on November 3rd, 1718, also ended in failure. The English retreated to Kolaba and returned to Bombay by November 24th. The blame initially fell on Manuel De Castro and Kamath, but it was later revealed that Boone had framed Kamath.

Prelude

Grand Sarkhel of the Maratha Navy

For eleven years, the Siddi maintained peaceful relations with the Marathas. However, Kanhoji Angre now shifted his focus to the English and the Portuguese. The treaty between the English and Kanhoji Angre signed in 1713 soon fell apart. In 1715, Kanhoji complained to Governor Boone, who took charge of Bombay on December 26, 1715, about the poor treatment he received.

Kanhoji captured three ships and timber from English vessels. The English, attempting to evade paying Kanhoji's passes, began freighting their ships with goods from others. In response, he captured the English ship Success. The English claimed the ship belonged to their middleman, but Kanhoji disagreed. The English decided to later negotiate secretly and eventually agreed to restore the ship in exchange for gifts.

However, Kanhoji captured another English ship, Robert. The Bombay Council warned him of his action through a letter. Kanhoji refused to return the Robert or release the Englishmen, claiming the ship belonged to the Moors. Kanhoji then seized another British ship, the Ottay, prompting the council on April 5, 1716, to advise the Governor to order English frigates to capture and destroy Kanhoji's vessels if encountered. The conflict escalated with the confinement of a Shibar at Angre's port, Alibag. Kanhoji wrote a letter to Governor Boon, stating, "Our friendship is now over, and from this day what God gives, I shall take." Kanhoji Angre captured three more ships. Although the ships did not belong to the English, their cargo did. Captain Cornwall was negotiating with Kanhoji on behalf of the English. Kanhoji then wrote a letter to Captain Cornwall stating that the ships belonged to Bombay, Bengal, or Madras.

Expedition

On June 17, 1718, the English declared war on Kanhoji Angre, although hostilities had already begun six weeks earlier. English expeditions targeting Khanderi, Colaba, and Gheria were unsuccessful. In October 1718, the English attempted to negotiate a treaty with the Portuguese against Kanhoji.

Early attacks

Governor Boone tried to reduce Kanhoji's strength by laying siege to Kanhoji's stronghold of Vijaydurga. Despite Clement Downing's account of the expedition, the date he provided was incorrect. During the rainy season, Kanhoji's fleet took refuge in the port. Boone and Major Vane, the chief engineer, reviewed the fleet, which included around 2,500 men and newly arrived English merchandise ships. The squadron reached Gheria after a 12-hour journey, but the high walls of the fort made a direct assault impractical. Plans to set fire to the Maratha fleet were abandoned because the Marathas had secured their ships inside a creek with a strong boom. The English ships avoided the bombardment attempts on Khanderi. The English decided to land and set the ships on fire, but this plan was not successful. The English fleet returned to Bombay on June 18, 1719, to repair their frigates and tend to their wounded.

Governor Boone attributed the failure of the expedition to his own rashness. To appease public opinion, Rama Kamath was falsely accused of treachery and made a scapegoat. Boone further planned a future campaign focusing on the island of Khanderi. Chhatrapati Shivaji had fortified the island Khanderi, and Kanhoji Angre acquired it in 1713 through a settlement with Shahu Maharaja and the Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath.

Attacks

Boone had a floating fortress named "Phram" constructed. The vessel has a low draught and was armed with twelve 48-pounder guns. On November 1, 1718, Boone took command of the expedition on the Addison, which started on November 2. The bombardment of Khanderi began on November 3, but the English discovered that Kanhoji's gallivats outnumbered them, leading to a strategic shift to attack from two sides. Despite heavy bombardment on November 4, the English believed the fort's ammunition was critically low. The next day, an attempt to land troops was thwarted.

An attack planned for November 7 was carried out by a force of grenadiers, marines, and a few volunteers. The assault failed to make significant progress, and a council of war decided to retreat to Kolaba, leaving only minimal forces near Khanderi. The English continued sporadic shelling but ultimately returned to Bombay on November 14 and 24 after exhausting their ammunition. The expedition's failure was initially blamed on the Portuguese officer Manuel De Castro, who was accused of allowing Kanhoji's fleet to resupply. Castro was imprisoned and sent to St. Helena. The English authorities also scapegoated Rama Kamath, a Bombay merchant, accusing him of treachery based on forged letters. Kamath was sentenced to life imprisonment and his property was confiscated. He died in Bombay jail in 1728. Years later, it was revealed that the incriminating letters were forgeries, and Boone was held responsible for the wrongful trial of Kamath.

Kanhoji eventually ended negotiations with the English.

References

Tathare, Amita. History Of The Angres Of Kolaba (1640 to 1840 A. D.). pp. 28–97.
Manohar, Malgonkar (1959). Kanhoji Angrey Maratha Admiral. Asia Publishing House. pp. 211–233.
Surendra, Nath Sen (1941). Early Career Of Kanhoji Angria And Other Papers. Delhi University Library. pp. 12–20.
Sharma, Shripad Rama (1964). The Founding of Maratha Freedom. Orient Longman. ISBN 9780842615242.