Harnai, Ratnagiri

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Harnai

Port in the Dapoli taluka of Ratnagiri District, Bombay, situated in 17° 49' N. and 73 6' E., 56 miles north-west of Ratnagiri town. Population (1901), 6,245, including about 400 Christians. The port lies in a small rocky bay, and is a shelter for coasting craft in north- west winds. In 1818 Harnai was a station for British troops. The ordinary trade is small, but there is a brisk fish market from September to Tune. In 1903-4 the exports amounted to 2 lakhs and the imports to 5 lakhs. ']"he island fortress f)f Suvarndrug, the 'golden fortress" or Janjira, is a little to the north of the port. This was built by the Bijapur Sultans in the fifteenth century, and strengthened by SivajT in 1660.

In 1698 it was a station of KanhojT Angria's fleet, and in 17x3 it was formally made over to him by Raja Sahu. Under Kanhoji's successor it became one of the chief centres of piracy on the coast. In 1755 Commodore James of the Bombay Marine co-operated with the Maratha fleet in attacking the fortress. After pursuing Angria's fleet to southward, he returned to the vicinity of Suvarndrug, bom- barded the garrison from the sea, and finally seized the fortress by a night attack '. It was then handed over to the Marathas, and was finally taken by Colonel Kennedy, after a brief resistance, in 181 8. Harnai promontory has a lighthouse, visible for 6 miles. The town contains one school, with 90 boys and 18 girls.