Sewri Fort

Sewri Fort is a historic hill fort located in Sewri, Mumbai, India, constructed in 1680 by the East India Company. Built on a quarried hill overlooking Mumbai harbour, the fort served as a strategic watchtower and defensive structure during the early period of British colonial expansion in India. The fort was constructed using basalt and lime mortar and features high stone walls with an inner defensive ring, a stone doorway entrance, and perpendicular inner passages designed to prevent frontal assaults. Originally garrisoned with 50 sepoys and armed with eight to ten cannons, the fort stands atop a 60-meter cliff.

The fort was built in response to relentless attacks by the Siddis, African-descended naval forces allied with the Mughals who opposed British expansion from their base in Surat. In 1689, Siddi general Yadi Sakat attacked Mumbai with 20,000 men and successfully captured Sewri Fort before moving on to other fortifications. The fort later participated in repelling a Portuguese attack in 1772. After regional powers declined, the fort transitioned from military use to housing prisoners and eventually served as a godown for the Bombay Port Trust.

Today, Sewri Fort remains open to the public but is in dilapidated condition and is now owned by the Government of India. Despite its deteriorating state, the fort continues to represent an important chapter in Mumbai's colonial history and architectural heritage, showcasing the strategic military design of seventeenth-century British fortifications.