Laya Patil

Laya Patil, also spelled as Lai Patil, was the leader of a naval unit of the Maratha Navy of the Maratha Empire at the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhonsle. He was in Alibag, present-day Maharashtra. Shivaji had built a warship in the honor of Laya Patil, which was named Palkhi and honoured with the title of Sarpatil.^[1]

Sarpatil Laya Patil
Maratha Navy
Nickname(s)	Daryasarang
Born	Alibaug, Maratha Empire
Allegiance	Maratha Empire
Service / branch	Maratha Navy
Years of service	10 years
Rank	Daryasarang
Unit	Mavala fleet
Commands	Siege of Janjira
Awards	A warship named Palkhi, title of Sarpatil

He was made the chief of the naval fleet in the Maratha Navy to capture the Janjira island by Peshwa, after which Patil served in the Maratha Empire for ten years.^[2]

History

In 1675, Shivaji, founder of Maratha Empire, wanted to include Janjira Island in the Maratha Empire, for which Patil received the order of attack on Janjira. The Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire Peshwa Moropant Pingle planned that under the leadership of Laya Patil, the Maratha navy would hang ropes for the climb on Janjira and later Peshwa will attack Janjira with Maratha army.^[3]

According to the plan, Patil hung 500 ropes around Janjira island in midnight with the help of Kolis, while avoiding Janjira's Siddi soldiers and got ready to attack.^[4][5] But there was no trace of the Peshwa. Patil waited for Peshwa and Maratha army till morning but no one came and Patil also could not attack Janjira because Maratha navy was very less if war had happened then Siddi would have defeated Marathas in less time, so Even before rising morning sun, 500 ropes pulled back and rolled back in frustration.^[6]

Seeing the courage and bravery of Patil, Shivaji called him to Raigad and honored him with the title of Sarpatil and built a special warship name Palkhi for him.^[7]

Titles

• Patil, his family was hereditary Patil (chief) of Alibaug.
• Sarpatil, he received the title of Sarpatil for his daring services for Maratha Empire

References

1. Khandpekar, Neeta (23 September 2018). "India's Maritime History: Sea-faring groups and Maritime Icons". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. Desāī, Raṇajita (2003). Shivaji the Great. Balwant Printers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-902000-0-4.
3. Institute, Deccan College Post-graduate and Research (1978). Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute. New Delhi, India: Dr. A. M. Ghatage, director, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute. p. 53.
4. Thakur, Pradeep (1 February 2020). Shivaji Ke Management Sootra (in Hindi). Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 978-93-87980-04-4.
5. Institute, Deccan College Post-graduate and Research (1978). Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute. New Delhi, India: Dr. A. M. Ghatage, director, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute. p. 53.
6. Deopujari, Murlidhar Balkrishna (1973). Shivaji and the Maratha Art of War. New Delhi, India: Vidarbha Samshodhan Mandal. p. 263.
7. Karandikar, Shivaram Laxman (1969). The Rise and Fall of the Maratha Power. New Delhi, India: Sitabai Shivram Karandikar. pp. 200 - 201: Moropant's calculation that he would secure more than a thousand desperate men had failed. Though the enterprise had failed, Shivaji appreciated what Laya Patil had done. He wished to honour the Patil by presenting him a grant of villages and title of Sarpatil with a warship named Palkhi.