Murud, a municipality of Raigad District located approximately 42 kilometers from Alibag in the state of Maharashtra is rapidly developing as a popular tourist destination today. This coastal town bordered by the majestic Arabian Sea that relentlessly collides against the littoral has registered its name with golden letters in the history of the mighty Maratha Empire. Particularly exalted for its invincible Murud Janjira Fort whose colossal walls are haughtily standing intact till date, Murud is a picturesque vacation locale much thronged by tourists, voyagers, historians and archeologists these days. Blessed with the plethora of scenic beauty featured by the vast shoreline of dazzling sandy beach skirted with coconut and betel nut trees Murud is a fishing village laid down on the enchanting twin islands. The ever impregnable Murud Janjira Fort, the age old Palace of Nawab, several antiquated temples and churches, safe to bathe seashores, towering mountains, adventurous kattamaran boating, a number of luxurious beach resorts, the tranquil and pollution free atmosphere and the delectable Malvani cuisine beckon zillions of tourists to this land of beauty and bravery.

The word Murud is believed to have derived from a Konkani word ‘Morod’. Earlier Murud region was known as ‘Habsan’ or Abyssinian's land and if you have guessed it right, the province was inhabited by Habshis who were called Siddis. The term ‘Siddi’ is commonly used in North Africa as an expression of a courteous address while here in Murud, it was used for the ruler of this Habshi state. In 16th and 17th century the Siddis of Murud came under the dominion of the Bahamani Sultan of Ahmednagar in whose court a Habshi minister named Malik Ambar enjoyed a prominent rank. Before the rise of the Maratha Kingdom, the Bahamani Sultanate was the battlefield of the Indian Muslims and the foreign Muslims. This resulted into the Sultans patronizing the Marathas as a mighty force which directly or indirectly promoted the constitution of the ‘Hindavi Swarajya’ by the hands of Shivaji Raje Bhonsle.

With the Ahmednagar Domain being conquered by the joint army of Bijapur and Mughals, Siddis shifted their allegiance to the Sultanate of Bijapur and later to the Mughal Empire when they had overpowered Bijapur. Siddis of Murud who had built the behemothic fort of Murud Janjira defended interior Muslims Territories from the naval assaults and also aided them in the access to Hajj and Umrah by sea. In return, Murud was protected from enemies by the interior Muslim States. Even though Siddis of Murud were feudatories, they behaved as if they were independent. Their major income came from the piracy on the coastal shipping. Marathas, Portuguese, Dutch and English tried hard to suppress the Siddis yet the ever impenetrable Murud Janjira Fort always guarded the Siddi establishment.

In the year 1676, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj sent his Prime Minister Moropant Pingle to conquer the Siddis and end their piracy but they were unsuccessful in their endeavor. Shivaji Maharaj could never surmount Siddis and they remained his formidable foe forever. Even the British east India Co was ineffective to abolish the Siddis of Murud. Siddis even seized Bombay for a day but they were driven out by the Parsis from Surat. With the decline of Muslim power in India, Siddis willfully submitted to England as a Subsidiary Alliance. The last ruler of Murud was HH Nawab Sidi Muhammed Khan II Sidi Ahmad Khan. With the Independence of India, Murud was annexed to the Bombay Presidency which later became the state of Maharashtra.