In 1713, the
Suvarnadurg fort, which had once been under the command of
Kanhoji Angre, was formally handed over to Tulaji by
Shahu I and became a major base for piracy by the Angre family in the coming years. Tulaji and his brother Manaji started competing for the post of sarkhel (admiral) of the
Maratha Navy. Manajai was supported by the
Peshwa (prime minister)
Balaji Baji Rao while the former was supported by the
Maratha monarch Shahu I. Tulaji's elder step-brother Sambhaji Angre died in 1742. In 1743, Tulaji succeeded his brother Sambhaji Angre as sarkhel of the
Maratha Navy through the support of the
Maratha monarch Shahu I, who recognized Tulaji's talent and skill at seafaring. In addition, Tulaji also became ruler of the
Colaba State. In 1749, Tulaji attacked
Commodore James' fleet, and after a fierce battle he retreated to
Gheria. Next year, in spite of his defeat, Tulaji attacked
Commodore Lisle in command of a fleet of several ships, including HMS Vigilant, 64 guns, and
HMS Ruby, 50 guns. Again, in February 1754, he attacked three Dutch ships of fifty, thirty-six, and eighteen guns, burnt the two large ones, and took the third. The power of Tulajii Angre was so great that it cost the
East India Company Rs. 5,00000 a year to protect their trade. By 1749, Tulaji had become so powerful that his ships navigated the coast from
Cutch to
Cochin fearlessly, without any power including the
East India Company hindering their journey, considered even bolder than what his father Kanhoji had achieved. In a brief span, he had surpassed the record of his predecessors in the number of English ships captured: Charlotte of Madras, William of Bombay, Svern of Bengal, Darby, Restoration, Pilot, Augusta and Dadabhoi of Surat. He had also captured
Anjanvel and
Gowalkot fort from the
Siddis of Janjira in 1745. Tulaji refused to admit the
Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao as his superior, maintaining that both were equal servants of the
Chhatrapati. He refused to pay revenue contribution and even annoyed the Peshwa by raiding his territory. Nanasaheb could not afford to counterattack as long as Tulaji's benefactor
Shahu I was alive, but after the latter's death in 1749, the
Peshwa was free to wreck his vengeance on him. The
Peshwa had requested the
East India Company on several occasions to join hands and crush Tulaji to serve their mutual interests. In 1755, the
EIC joined hands with
Balaji Baji Rao and in early 1756, British forces captured
Suvarnadurg while the
Peshwa captured the other land and coastal Angre forts such as
Gowalkot. In a short span, Tulajii was only left with
Vijaydurg, which was attacked by a large force under
Admiral Watson and fell. ==Imprisonment and death==