Bajirao I authorized the historic campaign to liberate the northern Konkan coast from Portuguese colonial control, leading to the capture of Salsette and Bassein. Under the direct military command of his brother, Chimaji Appa, the Maratha forces launched a determined assault on the strategic Bassein Fort in 1739. Despite facing superior Portuguese artillery, the Marathas’ persistent siege and tactical mining forced a surrender. This triumph was a major milestone, as it expelled a European power from their coastal strongholds, secured the western frontiers and showcased the Maratha Empire’s growing ability to challenge sophisticated foreign fortifications during the mid-eighteenth century.