The origins of the fort are unclear, but it occupies a strategic location that has been frequently contested.

The fort is currently in disrepair, suffering from administrative neglect, encroachment of slums, and exposure to tidal erosion.

In 1661, the Portuguese ceded the island of Mahim as dowry to Charles II of England.

After the English gained control of the fort, it was strengthened by Sir Thomas Grantham in 1684,[2] and became a strategic watchtower against possible Portuguese attacks, and later from the Marathas.

[1] Large boulders are strewn on the sand and crevices as high as three metres (fifteen feet) are visible.