Chakan

History

Chakan has a long history. The fort at Chakan played an important role in the history of the Bahmani sultanate (1347–1527), later of its successor states, the Deccan sultanates. In 1595 or 1599, Maloji Bhosle, the grandfather of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was given the title of "Raja" by Bahadur Nizam Shah II, the ruler of the Ahmednagar Sultanate.On the recommendation of Nizam's Vazir, Malik Ambar, Maloji was granted the jagir (fiefdom) of Pune and Supe parganas, along with the control over Shivneri and Chakan forts. Later the fort was captured by the Adilshahi but young Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took control of the fort in 1647, and named it Sangramdurg. In 1660, the fort was the site of an epic 54 days of stiff resistance by the Maratha general Firangoji Narsala against Mughal general Shaista Khan. The fort withstood heavy Mughal attacks until the Mughals breached the walls using high explosives. The attack on the fort was repulsed by the Maratha forces but short on supplies, Firangoji counterattacked and cut his way deep into the Mughal encampment where he was finally subdued and captured.

Geography

Chakan is about from the centre of Pune, on NH 50 between Pune and Nashik cities. It is also on the roads that connect the Mumbai-Pune Highway to the Pune-Nashik Highway, and to the Pune-Ahmednagar-Aurangabad Highway. It is about from Mumbai, from Ahmednagar and from Nashik.

Most-observed species

• House Crow

  Corvus splendens Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  1,203
• Red-vented Bulbul

  Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,203
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  1,064
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  1,024
• Common Myna

  Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,023
• Asian Koel

  Eudynamys scolopaceus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  958
• Rose-ringed Parakeet

  Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  934
• Purple Sunbird

  Cinnyris asiaticus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  829