PLACES

UNDERI

Underi [Underi is sometimes written Hundry, Ondra, Hunarey and Henery, as Khanderi is written Kundra, Cundry, Cunarey and Kenery or Kenary.] (T. Alibag, 18°40' N, 72°50' E) is a small island near the entrance of Bombay harbour, due south of the Prongs light-house, 1,200 yards from the mainland and opposite the village of Thal. This and the island of Khanderi or Kenery, which is distant about a mile and a quarter to the south-west, forms one of. the land-marks for vessels entering Bombay harbour. Underi is smaller and lower than Khanderi and is nearly circular. Except for a small cove in the north-east side where boats lie, it is surrounded by rocks.

The earliest known mention of Underi is by Fryer in 1674, who calls it Hunarey and misplaces it putting it to the west of Cunarey. [New Account, 61.] The island was fortified by Sidi Kahim in 168C, and remained in his hands till the close of the seventeenth century. After working with the English for some time in blockading Khanderi, where Daulatkhan, Sivaji's admiral, had lately established himself, Sidi Kasim suddenly took possession of Underi in January 1680, and began to fortify it. [Orme's Historical Fragments, 87.] Two engagements followed between the Sidi and the Marathas. In the second fight Daulatkhan brought guns to a rising ground on the mainland opposite Underi, probably Khubladha, against which they fired, and were answered by the Sidi's ships as well as by the guns on the island. This cannonade lasted for several days. After about a fortnight, Daulatkhan again came out with his whole fleet and engaged the Sidi for four hours, until he had lost four grabs and four smaller vessels with 500 men killed and wounded, besides prisoners. The Sidi lost no vessels and had only ten men killed. The Maratha vessels were so damaged that they had to be taken to Rajapur in Ratnagiri to refit. [Low's Indian Navy, 1. 68.] Meantime the Sidi had made Underi the base of his operations, and was ravaging the coast, seizing Maratha merchantmen. On the 1st of August 1680 Sambhaji, who had succeeded Sivaji (April 1680), taking advantage of a dark night, landed 200 men at Under!. They got with-in the works before they were discovered; but the Sidi's men attacked them and either took or killed the greater number. The Sidi brought eighty heads to Mazgahv, and was preparing to fix them along the shore on poles, when he was stopped by the Council. [Low's Indian Navy, 1. 69.]

For nearly three quarters of a century, a period during which its sister fort Khanderi changed hands more than once, almost nothing is recorded of Underi. The only mention is that after the death of Manaji Angre in 1759, the Sidi invaded Kolaba, and that Raghuji Angre, with the help of the Pesva, attacked Underi, took it after a severe struggle, and presented it to the Pesva in return for the help his troops had given. In 1761, Raghunathrav Pesva granted Underi to the English; but the transfer never took place. [Aitchison's Treaties, V. 21. The text of the article regarding Underi in the 1761 treaty runs: The restoration of Underi fort, and the country appertaining thereto, is submitted to Madhavrav Pesva's generosity, in full expectation that he will deliver them likewise, or assign over in lieu thereof, such lands belonging to him as will prove as equivalent thereto.] In 1791, Underi is described as surrounded by a bad wall, very irregularly divided by palm-thatched towers, without embrasures or well-mounted guns. The island was covered with houses. It belonged to the Pesva, but was held by Raghuji Ahgre. There were frequent disputes between the commandants of the islands of Underi and Khanderi concerning the plunder taken by their boats. Raghuji made free with any vessel he could manage, except the English whom he feared and with whom he behaved civilly. At that time he had one ship, one snow, three ketches, and a number of armed gallivats. The topsail vessels mounted from ten to fourteen carriage guns and the gallivats carried from eighty to a hundred men, armed with lances, bows and arrows, whose business was boarding. [Lieutenant Mac Luer's description of the Coast of India in Moore's Operations, 8, 9. The gallivat was a row boat; the ketch a square rigged vessel with a large and a small mast; and the snow was much like a brig except that in the snow the boom mainsail was hooped to a trysail mast close to the main mast. Details are given in Bombay Gazetteer, XIII, 343 note 1, 724 note 3.] Underi fort was used by the Angres as a state prison. A hidden flight of steps led underground to a strong door, which gave entrance to a room seven feet high and twelve feet wide, a loathsome dungeon swarming with vermin. About 1836, on suspicion of being concerned in a gang robbery, fifteen persons were confined in this hole.

Mumcipality

In four months, for want of light, air and water thirteen of the fifteen died raving mad. In 1840 Underi lapsed to the British Government, and, till 1858, when the survey settlement was introduced, it continued to be the head of a sub-division of 130 villages.

TOP