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Journalism of Courage
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled the Indian Navy’s new Ensign (Flag) at the commissioning of INS Vikrant in Kochi. The new Naval Ensign bears the seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose navy gave his enemies sleepless nights, and which the Indian Navy will now fly proudly in the sky and on the seas, the Prime Minister said.
The new Ensign has the national flag on the upper canton (top left corner), and a blue octagon encompassing the National Emblem sitting atop an anchor. The anchor, depicting steadfastness, has been superimposed on a shield inscribed with the Navy’s motto, Sam No Varunah, in Devanagari.
The octagonal shape represents the eight directions, symbolizing the Navy’s multi-directional reach and operational capability. The octagon, with a golden double border, has been inspired by the Raja Mudra — seal — of the Maratha emperor Shivaji, which was adopted when he was only 16 years old.
The new Naval Ensign has replaced the one that carried the Saint George’s Cross with the Tricolour in the canton. That Ensign was essentially a successor to the pre-Independence ensign of the Indian Navy which had the red George’s Cross on a white background with the Union Jack of the United Kingdom on the top left corner.
Marathas and Indian Navy
The Indian Navy has always acknowledged the sea-faring prowess of the Maratha empire under Shivaji and later. It has named a training establishment in Lonavla as INS Shivaji, and a shore-based logistics and administrative hub of the Western Naval Command, Mumbai, as INS Angre — after Kanhoji Angre (1669-1729), the celebrated Maratha naval commander.
The use of the octagonal design of the seal of Shivaji on the new Naval Ensign is a formal stamp on the umbilical ties of the Indian Navy with the navy of the Maratha empire. Says an Indian Navy document: “The navy under Shivaji was so strong that the Marathas could hold their own against the British, Portuguese and Dutch. Shivaji realised the importance of having a secure coastline and protecting the western Konkan coastline from the attacks of Siddis’ fleet”.
Shivaji’s empire reached the west coast after 1656-57, when his dominions touched Kalyan. In the same year, he decided to establish a navy in order to protect his territory from the Siddis, and to secure ports and merchant ships in order to ensure smooth maritime trading that brought in revenue and customs duty. His vision for establishing a naval wing of his military was based in his belief in “Jalameva yasya, balameva tasya”, which translates as “He who rules over the seas is all powerful”.
Between 1661 and 1663, the naval wing of the Maratha empire came into existence, and at its peak included 400-odd ships of various kinds and sizes. These included both battleships and other vessels of varying shapes and purposes, such as gurab, tarande, galbat, shibad, and pal.
According to B K Apte’s pioneering A History of the Maratha Navy and Merchantships, Shivaji’s navy tasted its first success when he used 85 ships to attack Basuru near Kundapura in today’s Karnataka, and returned with a huge booty. Shivaji also ordered the construction of the naval fort, the Vijaydurg, the twin to Sindhudurg fort, in 1653. Between 1653 and 1680, Shivaji built more naval forts such as Sindhudurg and Kolaba. Many of the forts remained unconquered and were used by the Marathas for strategic purposes, to keep a watch on enemies approaching via the seas. North Konkan’s Kalyan and Bhivandi, which were part of the Bijapur territory, came under Shivaji’s control by 1657.
The Maratha navy continued to be a formidable force even after Shivaji, led by admirals such as Angre. The Maratha empire fought the Mughals, the Dutch, and the English at sea, and held its own against all of them.
