Draft:Koli (piracy)

The Koli is a native caste group in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Shial Koli and Baria Kolis were the prominent pirates along the southern coast, while Other Kolis made their names known to merchants in the Gulf of Cutch and around Dwarka and Porbandar from an early date.

Background
Ghogha and Piram Islands In 1326, Ghogha and Piram Islands of Gujarat was stronghold of Koli pirates and they often lavied or attacked the ships of traders passed by nearby sea. But Koli pirates were defeated by the Mokhadaji. Later in 1340, Mokhadaji was defeated by Sultan Mohammad Bin Tughluq of Delhi Sultanate and Koli pirates raised again and captured an English ship named ”’Morning Star”’ of big cost and loaded with cargo.

Shial bet Island
In 1531, Koli pirates of Shial island of South coast of Kathiawar in Gujarat captured the Shial island from Portuguese India and defeated the Portuguese Indian Navy. After that Chanch also became the stronghold of Koli pirates.

Sultanpur
The Kolis plagued Gujarat's coast in 1734, and from their stronghold at Sultanpur on the Kurla River in Kathiawar, they caused significant trouble for British ships. They were encouraged to continue their nefarious operations by the sponsorship of some affluent Kolis who participated in their booty. The British government dispatched the British Indian Navy under Captain Radford Nunn and Captain Daniel Inchbird, who captured five of their armed vessels and burned fourteen more. Nunn set fire to approximately 50 small Koli pirate ships to prevent others from suffering the same fate. About six months later, ten more of their boats were set on fire, and these tactics effectively silenced them for the time being. A letter from the Bombay Castle diary dated Sunday, January 21, 1739, states that the Kolis had seized many boats, including the "Tiger Gallivet" (returning from Persia), in whose possession the Kolis were major pirates. A few years later, in 1749, their resumed actions came to light again when they captured a "Bengal Ship" carrying rupees 60,000 cash and an equivalent amount of cargo. To combat against Koli pirates, the Dutch India, joining hands with the British India in Surat. in December, 1750, both navy forced illegal activities of Koli pirates on the Kurla river. In this campaign, 23 of vessels were captured and this attack again compelled the Kolis to be inactive for a longer period.

Talaja
The Talaja coastline The Koli pirates from Kathiawad in Gujarat infested Bhavnagar State. They took British commerce ships and the Bhavnagar State. The British Navy, with the assistance of Bhavnagar ruler Akherajji, battled and conquered the Koli pirates in 1771. However, after Akherajji's death, Kolis resumed collecting taxes from ships, capturing two British and one Bhavnagar ship. In 1807, Wakhatsinji Akherajji Gohil joined up with the British government to suppress the Koli piracy under the "Walker Settlement" contract for peace in the Saurashtra ocean and again fought the Koli pirates, and the Bombay administration congratulated him on his bravery against the Kolis.