Salagiri

Salagiri is the mountain fortress of Salher in Baglana, high in the Sahyadri range. Together with nearby Mulher it guarded the routes between the Deccan and Gujarat. The steep approach made the fort difficult to attack, and its position gave it a prominent part in the struggles for the hill country.

The Mughals seized Salher and Mulher from the local Rathod rulers in 1638. Shivaji’s forces later took Salher, and in 1672 a Mughal army besieged it. Maratha commanders relieved the fort and defeated the besiegers in a major battle, then captured Mulher as well. Salher remained a contested stronghold during the long wars between the Mughals and Marathas, its height and approaches giving it enduring military value in the struggle for western India.