Kanhoji Angre (Marathi: कान्होजी आंग्रे, [kanʱod͡ʒiː aːŋɡɾe]), also known as Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré (August 1669 – 4 July 1729) was a chief of the Maratha Navy in present-day India. Kanhoji became known for attacking and capturing European merchant ships and collecting jakat (known to locals as taxes), seen by Europeans traders and colonists as ransoming of their crews. British, Dutch and Portuguese ships often fell victims to these raids. Despite attempts by the Portuguese and British to put an end to his privateering activities, Angre continued to capture and collect jakat from European merchant ships until his death in 1729. Kanhoji's naval prowess in capturing dozens of European trading ships and avoiding capture has led to many historians to appraise Kanhoji as the most skilled Indian navy chief in the maritime history of India. Early life Angre was born on the fort Suvarnadurg, near Ratnagari in the year 1667 to mother, Ambabai and father, Tukoji. His father served at Suvarnadurg under Shivaji with a command of 200 posts. Kanhoji's family background attracted much wild speculation amongst European Merchants, travelers and writers in the 18th century, and later. In 2009, modern Dutch Historian, Rene Barendse, specializing in South Asian history as well as history related to the Indian Ocean, summarises that Kanhoji Angre's origin is highly controversial. He writes: Other sources, mainly Indian, on his family background go into details of each opinion. As per Rajaram Narayan Saletore, his surname "Angre" is derived from Angarwadi; the family's original name was Sankpal, and the family members before Kanhoji were known as Sankpals. Historian Sen believes that Angre's origin is "obscure and he certainly did not belong to the nobility of the land". Citation of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (historical archives of the Portuguese empire) is given to show that Kanhoji started his life as a humble servant of some Hindus in the island of Versova. According to his family history, he was a "Kshatriya" Maratha. Historian V. G. Dighe, in 1951, cites G. S. Sardesai's Selections from the Peshwa Daftar, and calls them "blue-blood Marathas" who "would spurn to marry in families lower than those of Deshmukhs, Jadhavs, Jagtaps and Shitoles." However, S.R.Sharma seems to agree with the Portuguese opinions and believes him to have been a "Maratha Koli captain". Little is known about his early life except that he was involved in daring exploits at sea with his father.