Sawantwadi

During the Bijapur rule in Konkanpath, around 1554, a local chieftain Mang Savant revolted against the Bijapuri rule with the help of Vijayanagara. He made Hodavda his base and held on till 1580 when he was killed in a fight with Bijapur. However, after his death, Bijapur retaliated and took back the area. For the kind of resistance he put, Mang Sawant was deified and prayed to. His successors continued as vassals of Bijapur till Khem Savant declared himself independent. Lakham Savant made the Kudal Desai captive in a raid, killed him and seized his lands. Legends tell that the vengeful spirit of the dead Brahmin always troubled the Sawants who propriated it by always using a Brahmin to affix the royal seal. Lakham Savant submitted to Sivaji who confirmed him as the Sardesai of the whole of South Konkan. But when the Marathas asked him to share half the revenues of the newly assigned lands and garrisoning the forts, he simply switched to Bijapur. In 1660, a Maratha Army under Baji Phasalkar clashed with a Vadi commander Kay Sawant and in the ensuing battle, both the commanders were killed. Sivaji followed up the attack by overrunning Vadi forcing Lakham to submit. Lakham was restored under the condition that he would live at Kudal and won't repair his forts or maintain a large troop. But when the Mughals entered the area, Khem Savant switched sides and using the Mughal shield, seized considerable lands from Goa. And when he supported Shahu against Kolhapur, he was allowed to keep his lands. Contemporary records, however, note that he is a pirate chief with two ships and 7000 men under him.

In 1730, severely harassed by Kanhoji Angria, the British formed an alliance with the Savants. Around the same time, a younger son Nag Savant of his captured Hera and Chandgad, and built the fort of Gandharvagad. Phond Savan't eldest son Nar Savant rebelled and was killed in a skirmish. Broken, he appointed his grandson Ramchandra Savant under the regency of his uncle Jayaram and abdicated. Jayaram's regency lasted till 1753. The early days of the regency was a disaster - Angrias took Bagvantgad and Bharatgad and defeated Jayaram at Bambardi capturing his brother Shivram and compelled Vadi to cede two fifths of it's revenue. At the same time, Portuguese attacked and seized five districts including the fort of Yashvantgad. By 1745, Vadi was able to take back the lands lost to the Portuguese. In 1748, Tulaji Angria was defeated at the Kudal river, pursued as far as Sangva and his estates ravaged. All lands till Garnar river were taken. Soon after, Jayaram quarrelled with his nephew, the king, and retired from political life. Ramchandra Savant too died two years later. Khem Savant who succeeded his father is easily considered the greatest of the rulers of Vadi. By this time, Vadi seems to have entered Maratha mainstream possibly by allying with the Peshwas against the Angrias as we see Khem Savant marrying Lakshmibai, a daughter of Jayappa Sindhia of Gwalior. Through the Sindhia influence, he received the title of Raje Bahadur from Delhi. In 1765, the British attacked Vadi and captured Yashvantgad. Khem Savant bought peace by ceding lands between Karli and Salshi rivers, pay a war indemnity and keep no navy. The treaty was broken soon and in 1776, another treaty was made. This time, the hostages surrendered to realize the terms escaped and in 1780, when the British refused to hand over Vengurla which was surrendered as a part of the treaty for thirteen years, Vadi attacked and took it by force. In 1778, Kolhapur overran Vadi and seized Gandharvagad. One third of the revenues in Maland and Varad were to be given to Kolhapur. In 1783, after learning the Mughals granted sovereign status to Vadi, an enraged Kolhapur attacked again but was defeated. Kolhapur attacked again in 1787 and this time, it was more successful. Narsinggad, Nivti, and Vengurla fell to Kolhapur and Vadi surrendered Sidhgad to Marathas and Phonda to Portuguese for help. In 1793, Marathas returned Sidhgad and through the influence of Sindhias, Kolhapur was coaxed to return Bharatgad. In 1803, he would see a Portuguese invasion which overran a considerable tract in the South.

Khem Savant died childless and the throne was contested by his two cousins Som Savant and Sriram Savant. Eventually, Som Savant was trapped in Vadi Fort and perished with all his sons including his nominee to the throne Jayram Savant but one in a fire. The surviving son Phond Savant who was in Reri fled to Kolhapur and returned back with an army. He occupied Kudal and pillaged the country. The regent Lakshmibai asked him to return. Sriram Savant received estates and retired. Two years later, he struck - he entered Vadi in triumph and forced Lakshmibai to adopt his son Ramchandra as the chief. Sriram Savant died the next year. Taking advantage of this chaos, Kolhapur invaded Vadi and seized Bharatgad and Nivti. Terms seems to have become normal as we see Phond Savant returning to Vadi by 1807. At that time, Vadi attacked Kolhapur and took back the lost lands. Kolhapur retaliated with the king leading it's troops in person - Vadi army was defeated at Chaukuli and put Vadi under siege. Vadi petitioned the Marathas and Appa Desai Nepanikar forced the Kolhapur troops to retire. The general, however, seized Vadi for himself, keeping the royal family in strict custody. Ramchandra was murdered and Lakshmibai died due to ill-treatment, and defeating the Nepanikar, Phond Savant seized the throne. These years of chaos led to a spike in piracy and British intervention forcing Phond Savant to surrender Vengurla and give up all vessels of war in 1812. The British tried a Subsidary Alliance but dithered at the anger of the Peshwa. He died soon after and was succeeded by his minor son Khem Savant.

When Vadi invaded Kolhapur to take back Bharatgad and Narsinggad, the British who guaranteed protection to Kolhapur against attacks invaded Vadi and seized Varad and Maland. At the same time, Sriram Savant's wido claimed Ramchandra Savant is not murdered and placed an impostor. This led to open chaos in the kingdom and many fled to the British territories. The British refused to help and in time, order was restored. In 1817, when Portuguese raided Usap, Vadi plundered Tirakol. Portuguese attacked Redi in retaliation but weren't able to achieve much. On the other hand, a weak centre meant that provincial governors plundered in all directions. This forced the British to invade Vadi in 1819. Yashvantgad and Nivti were taken and on the death of the regent Durgabai which happened at the same time, the other widows of Khem Savant III agreed to the British terms and distributed the regency between them. The whole coast from Karli to Portuguese territory was surrendered. By 1820, most of the lands except Redi and Nivti were returned back. Border disputes with Kolhapur were addressed and the kingdom was put under the charge of the Collector of Ratnagiri.

The regency ended in 1822 but Khem Savant turned out to be a weak king. Anarchy soon spread and in 1830 and 1832, British troops had to march in to restore order. There was another rebellion in 1836 and by 1838, the whole of Vadi customs became British property to control the troubles. The same year, Savantvadi rose into another insurrection and the British took direct charge of the government. Nothing changed and the nobility rebelled repeatedly. In 1839, taking advantage, Portuguese raided Vadi twice and the second time, the king himself was taken away as a prisoner. In time, the disturbances were sorted out byut by 1844, things were back to normal when Kolhapur erupted into rioting. When the British and Savantvadi troops closed in on Manohar Fort, the rebellion only spread in Savantvadi. Soon, most of the nobility including the Crown Prince Anna Saheb or Phond Savant joined the rebels. By 1848, the rebel leadership submitted to the British. Anna Sahib, who was actually coaxed to join the rebels by his step mother to ensure her son would become the king, forfeited his claims to the throne and was pensioned off. By 1850, peace was restored and the British deemed it prudent to take direct charge of government. However, the services of Savantvadi in 1857 redeemed the king and Anna Saheb while some rebels who were in Goa under surveillance caused disturbance all over the coast and towards Belgaum. IN 1861, Anna Saheb paid an indemnity and succession fee, and was accepted as the heir. But his feeble character and fondness for opium meant that the British decided on a minister to oversee the rule but he died before the modalities were completed. Raghunath who succeeded his father was a minor and British assumed direct charge of the government. Radhakrishna Savant went on a trip to England and lost his claim to the throne. He was succeeded by his brother Shivram Savant.

References

1. Census of India, 1941. Vol. III: Bombay Tables

2. Memoranda On The Indian States 1939

3. Ratnagiri Gazetteer

4. Memoir on the Sawunt Waree State W Courtney and JW Auld

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