Mazagaon Fort

The fort was built by the British East India Company in the late 17th century as a defense against the Siddis, a powerful naval force. They had allied themselves with the Mughals, who were in constant conflict with the British. This Mazagaon Fort was a strategic location, standing on a hill overlooking the harbor, its cannons ready to defend Bombay from attack. But the fort’s fate was a tragic one. It was demolished by the Siddis in 1690, after they captured it from the British. They destroyed the fort in retaliation for a deal that had been made. It is said that Sir John Child, the British governor of Bombay at that time, had bribed the Mughal emperor to stop the invasion. Today, only remnants of the fort remain, the hill now covered in lush greenery and a popular recreation ground called the Joseph Baptista Gardens. The fort is a reminder of the turbulent times when the British were carving out their empire and building their power in India.