Maharashtra presents an unparalleled geographical setting with about 740 kilometres of the Konkan coastal stretch, Western Ghats along with the Sahyadri Hills recognised globally as World Heritage Site for its biodiversity, and the Deccan Plateau moving from the western to the eastern edge of the state. This extraordinary cultural landscape was judiciously used for defence through centuries of its history. The fortifications of Maharashtra, largely unknown and unexplored are spread as a guarded network of a defence system across the panoramic natural setting, while each fort exhibits extraordinary individualistic planning and distinctive style pertaining to its typology.

This book is one of the first to document and showcase the fortified cultural landscape of the state of Maharashtra. The book not only narrates the military strategy of the Maratha Kingdom and the extraordinary contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji to guerrilla warfare and naval forces, but also outlines the range of forts typology in the state, including complete documentation, technical analysis and recommendations of specific forts for promoting this exceptional heritage of Maharashtra