Savantvadi

Sawantwadi lies in the southern Konkan between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. It became the seat of the Sawant Bhonsle family, whose chiefs carved out a principality amid the rival powers of the coast. Khem Sawant II established his capital at Sundarwadi, a settlement later known by the name of its rulers. The state’s fortunes were shaped by its relations with Bijapur, the Marathas and the Portuguese.

The Sawants faced shifting alliances and repeated pressure from their neighbours. In 1778 the ruler of Kolhapur invaded their territory, captured Gandharvagad fort and compelled Khem Sawant to surrender part of his revenues. Khem Sawant Bhonsle, who ruled from 1755 to 1803, built the palace at Sawantwadi. The town remained the centre of a small coastal state whose rulers negotiated for their survival among larger powers.