Gingee Fort in TN is among the 12 Maratha military landscapes that have been nominated from India for UNESCO World Heritage List recognition for the year 2024-25. The other Forts include Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Khanderi Fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay Durg, and Sindhudurg Fort in Maharashtra. These structures, distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, showcase the strategic military powers of the Maratha rule.
The Maratha military landscapes, developed between 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers. This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats in the peninsular India.
Out of a total of more than 390 forts in Maharashtra, only 12 have been selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes of India. Of these, eight forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
While the Salher Fort, Shivneri Fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad and Gingee Forts are hill forts, Pratapgad is hill-forest fort, Panhala is a hill-plateau fort while Vijaydurg is coastal fort. The ones in Khanderi, Suvarnadurg and Sindhudurg are island forts.
The inception of the Maratha Military ideology dates back to 17th century during the reign of the Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by the 1670 CE and continued through subsequent rules until Peshwa rule till 1818 CE.
The inception of the Maratha Military ideology dates back to 17th century during the reign of the Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by the 1670 CE and continued through subsequent rules until Peshwa rule till 1818 CE.
World heritage sites are classified in two categories of nomination- cultural and natural — and the Maratha military landscapes have been nominated in the category of cultural criteria. There are six criteria (i to vi) for cultural sites and four criteria (vii to x) for natural sites for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
The Maratha military landscapes of India are nominated under criterion (iii): To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization that in living or which has disappeared, criterion (iv): to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that illustrates significant stage(s) in human history and criterion (vi): To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
In Maharashtra there are six World Heritage Sites, five cultural and one natura including Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and western Ghats of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala is serial property in natural category (2012).
At present in India there are 42 World Heritage sites, out of which 34 are cultural sites, seven are natural sites whereas one is mixed site. In Maharashtra there are six World Heritage Sites, five cultural and one natura including Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and western Ghats of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala is serial property in natural category (2012).
The Maratha military landscapes, included in the Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2021, are the sixth cultural property nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List from Maharashtra.