Travel Tales 4

Daulatabad Fort

On the way back from Ellora, I visited the Daulatabad Fort. I was exhausted with the long day at Ellora no doubt but the opportunity to see this heavily guarded fort was too much to resist. Daulatabad fort has a special history. It has been occupied by eight kingdoms, viz., Yadava, Khilji, Tughlaq, Bahamani, Nizamshahi, Mughal, Asafjahi and Marathas before it became a part of independent India.

Amberkot

This place was known as Deogiri (the abode of Gods) and ruled by the Yadavas in the 12^th century. Then followed three invasions by the Khiljis which ended the Yadava rule and began the rule of the Sultanate of Delhi.  Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq decided to make this his capital when he shifted the capital from Delhi. He named it Daulatabad. It’s another matter that he had to return back to Delhi very soon.

With the Sultanate growing weak, a power struggle in the Deccan led to Hasan Gangu, a General with the Sultanate, establishing the Bahamani kingdom. This kingdom broke up into five and Daulatabad came under Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar. The Mughals came and Shah Jehan captured this fort. His son, Aurangzeb made it the capital of the Deccan. After the power of the Mughals dwindled, it passed on to the Nizam of Hyderabad, founder of the Asafjahi dynasty. The Marathas occupied the fort for two years during the Nizam’s rule. In 1948, along with Hyderabad, this fort too became a part of independent India.

Ramparts

The fort stands atop a hill, the sides of which are so smooth that it is impossible to climb the fort from the sides. The fort has two moats, one which surrounds the fort and is dry, while the other surrounds the citadel at the top which is filled with water. There are three huge gates or ramparts you have to cross to enter this fort. The rampart, known as Kot are named Amberkot, Mahakot and Kalakot. Each one was heavily guarded.  As you walk from Amberkot towards Mahakot, you cross the area which was once Daulatabad town.

The moat full of water

 You then reach Mahakot, the entry to the citadel and there are 8 gates to cross. These gates are strategically designed so that the enemy cannot simply break open the barrier using elephants. Then you come across the moat filled with water. 

A Cannon guarding the fort

If you do cross the moat and Kalakot, you encounter the dark passage or Andheri. This passage is in complete darkness and the stairs are not symmetrical. More often than not, the enemies slipped and caused a stampede. Light filtering into the cave misled the enemy into thinking that this was the much sought after opening and led them straight into the moat infested with crocodiles. For those looking for another way out, stones were pelted from above. Still others who found their way out, stepped right on to a huge hot pan kept outside the exit. Besides these tactics, there were canons placed strategically. The enemy had no way of escaping. It is said that the fort fell into enemy hands only because of treachery. 

Chand Minar

The Hathi haud (tank)

The fort has several water tanks to look after the water supply which is scarce in this region. The Chand Minar commemorates the rule of Hasan Gangu and is seen rising majestically just before the entry to the citadel.

Tughlaq

I was mesmerized with Tughlaq - the character and the play. It is an immortal piece of work because it speaks of human folly that repeats itself again and again. The ambience of the play at the Ferozshah Kotla was magnetic. It simply drew me in and it was as if I was seeing the past events of Delhi unfold right there in front of my eyes as if it were today. I became one of Tughlaq's subjects. Yashpal Sharma wearing the mantle of Tughlaq was just right. His mannerisms, his talk and his pathos pulled at the heart strings. I felt helpless along with Tughlaq at the collapsing situation around him. His lonliness at the end engulfs me too. That is the magic of good theatre!! Thank you Girish Karnad, for recreating this imperfect ruler so perfectly. The production crew with the perfect lighting, music and costumes was spot on. Bhanu Bharti, you deserve the accolades!

Tughlaqabad Fort - a walk

On Jan 30, 2011, I had the opportunity to visit the Tughlaqabad fort in the Tughlaqabad area of Delhi. This came about when I registered for one of the heritage walks organized by IHC and the guide was journalist, Sunil Raman, who seemed quite at ease with the surroundings. It was quite a big group and most of us were interested in the historical drama of the place. The fort spreads over 6.5 kms and is in ruins. In fact, it is said that there is no historical record describibg the city within the walls as a thriving place. Early travelers have also described this place as a ruin. The founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq rose from the ranks of the Khilji army and took over from his masters and constructed this fort as a protective measure from Mongols attacking from the south. Unfortunately or fortunately, no wars took place in the five years that the fort was occupied. After the death of Ghiyas-ud-din (some say he was murdered by his son, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq), the fort was abandoned and turned into a ruin.
As we took the walk, the administrative area and the residential area could be demarcated. Interestingly, there are quite a few water reservoirs within the fort. Some excavation work conducted by ASI has left its mark. Across the Mehrauli-Badarpur road, lies the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din. Before the road was built, the fort connected directly with the causeway over an artificial reservoir. The causeway still stands though there is no trace of water. The tomb is a beautiful sloping squarish structure with a single dome. The outer walls of the tomb are made of red sandstone. Inside are three tombs with the central one belonging to Ghiyas-ud-din. The two other are said to belong to his wife and son. Within this complex lied the tomb of Zafar Khan, a favoured general of Tughlaq. Another interesting tomb is that of Tughlaq’s dog. The entire structure is quite bereft of elaborate carvings or inscriptions.
As the fort walls and the mausoleum catch the rays of the setting sun, it is not difficult to imagine the beauty of the place with water filling the reservoir and serenity emanating from the forest area around.