Kanhoji Angre, the legendary Maratha Admiral, focused on challenging the naval dominance of European powers—the British, Portuguese and Dutch—along the Konkan coast. By establishing a string of coastal forts and utilizing agile “Galbats” and “Gurabs,” he successfully protected Maratha waters, levied taxes on foreign merchant ships and ensured that no European power could claim total control over the Arabian Sea. ANSWER: (B) Counter European naval powers
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Kanhoji Angre is often called the “Father of the Indian Navy” for his defiance of colonial maritime powers. His primary objective was to assert Maratha sovereignty over the western coastline. He developed a sophisticated naval strategy that used coastal fortifications in tandem with a mobile fleet. By attacking European vessels that refused to pay for Maratha “permits,” he crippled their monopoly on trade. His naval prowess was so great that for decades, the British and Portuguese were unable to defeat him, securing the Maratha Empire’s maritime frontier during its formative years.