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Forts of Maharashtra

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Forts of Maharashtra

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 H£KI»£ 41 Forts of Maharashtra
Author: Gunakar Muley

“fj3? ff3t4 fttt 4 54" (w$?\ ff?t m fitf I ^4) “Forts are the chief protection of a kingdom.”
-The Ajnapatra, an early 18th century treatises on
-3)l5fiq5| : TFT3T FFTFTT qr 1715 4- 4 BT3sTTFT
3RTFT SRI Rlfel JFFFFl Maratha polity, written by Ftamachandrapanta Amatya

5'KIN'Tf Introduction
Maharashtra is a land of forts. Nowhere in the country one would
Mf?i<i^ §4! Tt ^f4 li % (441 4t ■?Rt 44?t 4 f?r4 341 wit 4
encounter such a profusion and variety of forts. The network of forts
oftr f44 tfftf % ^4 4t4 4t tII (h?icii irt 44?t 4 (4<sR gr gtl 4 ttft 4 ttt
throughout its territory has shaped the character of its people. Maj.
% 4l4t % qRq 4 PinWi 4 4ft R-hi |i 4tf tuft 4 '3Tii4I Rtfi4 4 Ri<ai Graham in his Kolhapur Report says, “a stronghold upon every hill as if
| : “t4fF M6l4) TF F^TrfSfFT j4 TFT % 41% % 35FFTT -3H T5FTT I f=P 3TTFT35 34 inviting the inhabitants to depend upon themselves instead of upon the
egHai % =Miy ftt tf onf^FFT Ftr, oftF tRff 44-44 ftfttf 4 41 ttit sovereign’s support and encouraging in each petty chieftain that spirit of
independence, which is so striking a characteristic of the natives of the
4ft ttfftt I, 4r 4441 tftffs % Rwii44i tt Rtfw 53 4i”
southern Maratha country.”
FFF TjjTTT FTFT5TF 4 4t '3Tq4t WTTFT f>(4 Rpfpft -3#F dTW WPf 4 350 Similar view is expressed by Sir Jadunath Sarkar in his 4 «41h mi<11 14m
f4f FTFF % RT3TF TFgFT f4q t : “h<|5| 4 Wld>T oftF 333313 % f4T 4l T^FSTTcT monumental work Shivaji and his Times: “The Maratha people’s inborn Gova fort close to Harne
love of independence and isolation was greatly helped by Nature, which
4r I, 34 qff4 4 4t q4t hff (441 tl w-jRi 4 t% ff4t 41 44 34-3tit oflF
provided them with many ready-made and easily defensible forts close
FOTSFF ^4 MF f4r I, 3FT 4 33T3 % f4q 3F41 4 T135F ^TFT % FFf4 t 4lF
at hand, where they could quickly flee for refuge and whence they could
-FFT 4 4 icpdi 4 yFMdl 35F FT354 tl TFT =4 Tit) 41 d<5 TFT 44?! =4 335 4 offer a tenacious resistance. Unlike the Gangetic plain, this country could
3TF % Reidll F3% 4 -3T33T FTTFT TF =4 4 4tcFFF 3>4f 4 35F ?HI 433 Tift not be conquered and annexed by one cavalry dash or even one year’s
sill 3134 4 35!?t -34435 dl-=txl3< % KamTi 4% FT3T FFF FRPf 3>f4 FF3T oftF, campaigning. Here the natives had the chance of making a long struggle

4fTT f4 3T3FTF s|3TT I, SHdlldli % 335 Tl4 % 3T3 TH'-Hl d4H =4 JJ3: 5l(4dl 35F3T against superior numbers and, as often happened, of recovering their
own when the invader was worn out.”
tft % (431(44 % Rtt 4tt «fti ”
The 350 odd forts of Maharashtra stand as silent sentinels to
hfki^ % 35%-4?t 350 (44 fft4 % fRtftft, (44tt5f 3t4 174 ft4 the history and success of the Marathas, particularly during the 17th

% ffcIFTFT, #F 033d f4r4 % 4tF FTRft 4t FTFF Il TFT0T ?Tf4FT 4t F^FTF, 0F1% century. The forts played a paramount role in the foundation, expansion
and preservation of Maratha power. They served as strategic posts and
f4?iTF #r 4FOT 4 f44i 4 fp#tf 41 ^Rfft 41 ti t4i4 fiffRt
their peculiar constructional features as weapons of warfare. Grant Duff
€f|fo4i qq qqq f%3T t #F TF4t f4f5T^ f^FIT 'MRt 4 5STF4 41 ^Rfft 3RT 41
(1789-1858), the first comprehensive historian of the Marathas, wrote :
li 44 535, 4f44 q?4t 3R fff4 351 Rr^fi ftera uf^ft f43T, Rra4 I : “4f4r “There is probably no stronger country in the world than the Deccan
^fstt 4t 4 3wf-4fit 4?r 5R131 4 4i| alt li ” from the military defence point of view.”

'dlf^cil Forts in Literature and Sculpture

The fort as an important organ of the body politic has been
qr#T 35TFT 4 4 3¥ 3FFTFT fdFIT W SIT (4 §4 FF*T 35T F35 d5^yui SFT recognised since ancient times. The Kalika Purana warned : “Kings must 3T313F 144 41 4ftf
li chifRnchi 5?m 4f Ram I : “fitt 4t ancrwr 351 Rtr4t tfft ^nftri ” construct adequate forts. The Agni Purana enumerated seven limbs for Wall of Balapura fort
arPa rjFm 4 ff*t 4 bift ot Pttff ar I : fftt, aniFT, fi^, §4, 4ia, fka #f the body of any sovereign realm as : the king, the minister, the nation,

f43l BFFFT 'JTRT 4 M afHfpT 4 ^4 OTSTcTT 3f4|4 4 44 |F FFWBK-53FT the fort, the treasure, the army and the friend. The Durga-Vidhana chapter
of the Matsya Purana relates to the subject of Durga or the king’s fortified
•FTF 35T ffRt |l ^Fl4 0? IFFTF 4 |4f 41 FTH35T4 4 a| I; W -
city including the royal palace. It describes six kinds of forts as below :

1. - w*rf4 3Fi3Fff ^f4 TF 33T 5* 1. Dhanva Durga - A fort having a desert or marshy area for its
defence.
2. 3T44T &Piff - FTFTF3FT: ^14 TF 33T jtl 2. Mahi Durga or Sthala Durga - Fortress built mostly on the
ground.
3. vltfg'l — 34 4T b4tF 4 53FT 4 (4ft §33 jll T5TFF5 4 35| 41354
3. Jala-Durga - A fort surrounded by some river or lake. There
-31431 FFj4 tl
are many Jala-durgas or marine forts in Maharashtra.

4. — 35 Rib4 3t4 4tf 44 -TTFT tri 4. Vana-Durga - A fort built in the midst of a forest.
5. Giri-Durga - A fort having mountainous defences. This was
5. fifty - 3443 jrf| 5% FFf4 3tH ^4 HMI T3T 3TI T5TFF5 4 siRffRt considered the best of all. Most of the forts of Maharashtra are
54 f4f4|4 II Giri-durg type.
 6. 5<§'f — %% tiled! °4i%15l %t 5[%15l % Rrt jj%, % -jksici % H55 <MI 6. Nara-Durga - A fort in the midst of brave people who could
serve the king in good stead in times of need.
5% dei^ai 5T H%l
The subject of forts has received great attention in the
%rf%55 % araf ^tttt % 5% % f%qh %r f%%5 f?5t frr w li %rf%iq Arthasastra of Kautilya. The author states that the defence of the state
5>5d t f% <1^ 5% TSlf ys5d: jj% 3?)T (%5l) 51 3nf%cl iMt I ■3flT T5 %%f is based on the fort (durga) and the army (danda), and of these two

% 5% 55 HBM 3lf%5) tl %)R?5 % 3|j,dK, jj% 55 31% f - 5l%k-^5M

durga is more important. The durga, according to Kautilya, represents
the fortified capital of the state, where the king, if hard pressed by a
5‘K, 561 91jJ SKI %% did 55, <MI 315% H'! yifsiTT 1515 51 U5MI 1? 3%1 5<I5%I
strong enemy, can entrench himself and withstand a siege over a long
55 %% M55 cf=F> 555555 555 51555 ll 55%9/7?T% 5T5 5555 % Tl dddO f%51
period.The Arthasastra mentions four types of fortresses, with protection
551 I - 5^, q^% #5 55jj%l 5%fc5 % 555^ #5 %1 555% secured by water (jaladurga), mountain (giridurga), desert (dhanvadurga)
56M^ui 55551 I #5 !>5% p(^[u| % cf% % ^dd5t %1 tl 5¥ %t 5555T 55T I f% or forest (vanadurga). Kautilya considers the first two types of forts the
1 lc<5i ftd 5) <;<qc3| 555311 jj% % 3555555 55g%t 551 55^5 %5¥ Il31 dlBn 3ffl dtstd 53% 55 jj% % f%555f most important and gives details about their construction. It is also stated
Balconied window, Naranaja gateway that the fort should have plenty of supplies stored in it and that there
5lJM % f%5 J5T 5T5 lf% 5lfi?5l
should also be secret means of escaping from it in case of need.
551135% 551 %tf%Tff5, %1 %1%55H % 515 f%m 551 5555 551 55 I, 5F5 The NTtisara by KamandakT, a post-Mauryan treatise narrating
% 555 3%t[ % jj% %T 91lf%5 5555T f, 3515 55155 I : “<jj% % f%51 5M1 535ft 55515 the elements of polity, includes durga in the seven elements of state,

3151515 f, f%5 555T5 <J4>M 5151 5515 51% 51% 51551 555 3TE% <j% % 55 3%! and states : “A king without a fort is as helpless as clouds driven by
storms. A fort worth the name should have sufficient arrangement for
1515 55J3% 551 5%5 5515, t?f%5TT 3ftl f5ftt ^51-dlHiil 55 *15^5 5155, 5flJ5
water and provisions as well as abundant stocks of weapons and other
%f%%t 1% 5Tf3 5555%51 3%1 9155555 551 5131 PHd% % 51% #1%
implements of war, strong garrisons of heroic soldiers and adequate
5lfl5l ”
secret shelters and outlets.”
The word ‘fort’ is from the French ‘fortis’ which means ‘strong’.
31%3ft % f%% % f%T j%5 '%!%’ 9R 551 5515 6151 I 5F 55IlMf 5151
According to the Amarakosa, the Sanskrit words for fort are : pura, durga
% ‘%lf%'9T^ % 551 I, f%51551 31% | - ‘fS’l 3HK<tAq % f%% % f%5 f%5 55
and kotta. The word pura occurs even in the Vedas and stands for a sort
U6=t?cl 91^ f ‘ 55, 5% 3%5 5%£l ‘J5’ 3551 t 3?t5 5ft 6Uchl 31% of fortified settlement. However, the most appropriate word for fortification
‘55i%% % 55%f’ ll 55cJ 515% OTJtrl 955 (5|5% % Tf%5) is durga from durgamam, meaning inaccessible. Durgas are mentioned
% 55T 955 ll 55 HrH'HKd, >!I5I5UI 3%5 iTJFjfo % %f 3551 in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Manusmrti. Also, there exist

tl 555 %% %t 55 t, f%5% 3fk 35% 151515 % 5% % 51555% 5f tl a number of treatises which describe the types of durgas and their
architecture. Among them the most important are: Mayamata, Manasara,
%% ygisT 55 t - 5515 5H5R, HK'tl Jl ul-5J5fCm 3f[T 1M %15-%%5
Samarahgana-Sutradhara, SukranTti and Yukti-Kalpataru of king Bhoja.
^f%d-<l>etld't>l ib5%I 3ftT 51131 915555551 % %t %% 55 f%% 55 f%5% f%%!
Some works describing forts were also written in the BahamanT and
% 5% % 51551% f%5R% tl % 55 t : 3TT5iT?r%T553e5, ^ET*JWT, f^NKlxld Maratha periods. They are : Akasabhairavakalpa, Budhabhusanam,
3fR aiTWTTI ?5% stfrR 3H151, %I 1F15S55 3R55 % 1715 t- % TH%t % Sivabharata, and Ajhapatra, the last one, written by Ramachandrapanta
f%#, Tll^t % 5% %1 UHJH % f%5 3R55 3551%] tl Amatya in 1715 AD, being the most important for understanding the
Maratha forts.
Walled towns are also depicted in several ancient sculptures
from places like Bharhuta, SaficT and Amaravatl. At SancT, a strong wall
made of bricks or well-cut stones is shown running round the city. It has
battlements on the top. Persons carrying bows and arrows, clubs and
swords, are clearly seen at Sahel. Fort towers can be observed in the
sculptures from Mathura and SaficT. Also shown are gates or gate-houses.
The gateway of Kusinara was fairly high and could provide a passage
for an elephant with its rider. A Sane! scene shows a woman coming to
take water from the moat (parikha). The Arthasastra lays down that
crocodiles and lotus plants should be grown in the parikha, so that no
enemy may swim across them with impunity.

Harappan Forts

In the Indian subcontinent, the earliest traces of fortifications

belong to the Indus civilization, dated between c. 2600 BC to c. 1800 BC.
About a dozen Indus towns have yielded evidences of town-walls. The
major Indus cities, such as Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and KalTbangan,
consist of two distinct elements : on the west a ‘citadel’ mound built on a
high podium of mud brick, and a ‘lower city’ consisting of the main
residential area. In some cities, such as Harappa, only the citadel was
fortified, while in others, such as KalTbangan, lower city also had a town-
5KgftR%f % ^7f-^«5l 55 3M5M wall. Not only for their residential structures but also for their fortifications
Representations of fortifications in sculpture the Harappans used mainly bricks - both of the sun dried as well as
baked variety. The walls were very thick and gates were flanked with
 Riy^y % qH ^RipT, EfMt #E qTRfHt % H1R f§|frMj=h^i bastions. The ramparts served a dual purpose - local security and
’t ’ft tfrT ll fHt *f H 3R[E[T -JtH fRi? cRT^T 4T qtqfr % HH rR^d Hr protection from flood.

qlf EfT^t H RR ^y Hi §T fHldl W ll qrH % IjqR 4dcfi|d H fHl4l Ancient Indian Forts
W ll EfHt % RpW if ?R(q ■3ftT #E, 3KT I5RT qRR f%ir gir Tj^ff c£y
After the fall of the Harappans, fortified cities re-emerge in the
WJ MfidMI R RTcTT IlHfspT afft rH % fHqjqH if t^j % 3f^RRf (jsf) H
country roughly around 600 BC. Rajagrha (present Rajagfra in Bihar),
1% RT flcbd |l qjHfR qq q%3T-5R ^pyy HfT sq f% fjqir % fysff, ;Ry ir rc[r the earlier capital of Magadha, had a rubble wall of considerable height
H5ldd RftrT, Ef% ly^y if J3R RERyy qy| rH % iRq if tpyy eH c£y qf^y Jy running atop its surrounding hills; today it is only partially preserved at
% qpft Hi gr R<aidi w ll atsHi'ei ir rehr wife qfHr Jf rrtres #p the base. The fortification here was essentially for defensive purpose.

'hHel 4Md Rlieq, dlR) ?Tg [ddl H qiq Hf HqR RR R qR R%| Then in the 4th century BC the site was deserted in favour of Pataliputra
(modern Patna). Megashthenese, the Greek ambassador to the court of
6'SU-II <£ <£rf Chandragupta Maurya, states that the capital Pataliputra was protected qRfiajqr fM qq qqpq itr
by wooden ramparts that had 64 gates and more than 500 towers. Actually Main gate of Ballalapura fort
4RcH 3Md?ldill-l if *\j\\ % RdR Mldld i'f^ldf ofqH fffsj RT'^dI (qFRFT these wooden ramparts might be wooden parapets erected over the
2600 f.^. ^f RWT 1800 f.'J.Rqi) % ll ftftg RCfcd % qtH TT Hr earthen walls.

% yidlii % ffdri fl% ll tpr<ii % F^qqr, dildi-dli oftr qqtHRT Hr qrjrq

R# % ll 'JSRf W\ E% I : qf§E[R 4 H fifft q5f % 35% Eyqpff qr fRfH

‘g’f’, aftr 'jf q5t Hr gtsq RnHt rri ‘fHrai sife’i f^qr Hr qis rHt if Hr
I’f E^T It Hr 1 Iri w I, RRT <=hldfl=jJ li H 3PT Rq# if fHt% STfE q5f H

spHrr <jrf qr %|JH|=yy|c,|

Ruins of Akola fort

Plan of fortification at Ujjain

Most of the important towns in North India were situated on the

bank of perennial rivers. These towns were enclosed with huge ramparts
THildo (did,) He 5SHI dJl<f qff HRqTR qH-liq Hr gqf qq RITR
consisting of heaps of earth and bricks. Ujjain and KausambT had such
Plan of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, showing township and citadel
gigantic defences. At Ahicchatra the earthen wall was topped by a 3-
metre high brick wall. Other places like VaisalT and Rajghata (Varanasi)
had earthen ramparts around them. Sisupalagadha in Orissa had a
HH q?t q| ll ftfgHr if sjq if Tfsnf #e Hr if qqqi Hr ^ wit 4 l^i
rampart defensive in purpose. It was built in the 3rd century BC. Roughly
qtr :Hhm fHT I - q %qR spH qqfpr spnif if, srfH jl-fipfW if Hi ql square in plan, the rampart had a tower on each corner and two gates in
Hil qH Ht H H qif§f-gR % Hi erti H §q ^1 each side.
Fortified towns and cities in South India are of slightly later in
date than the Gariga valley fortifications. In Andhra Pradesh a number of
places have revealed town walls. Nagarjunakonda on its southern side
Rig Ef«f?rr % ■sicRfH % =ik ^tect if 5^ H tH qq 600 i.\. %
had a fortified‘citadel’trapezoidal in area. The southern side was protected
■3TR1W gq: sqq frar ll qqq H wiH treH TR^f (qHfrq tr%, fHr)
by a hill and there were two gateways, one in the western side and the
e|t TTf% djRqi q| qeifsdi % uqR % ^<d qiRl Ifl-qfH % fqfHr qqt qqql other in the eastern side. It is observed that the ramparts in the southern
qq^rt Hr % Ht w h ot Htt % qfTqR-qpT ^1 3t?fct: H Ht r qqqtT cities are smaller in size.
li q? fHH qgiqq: w-tw % fH ql q| sfri Im 'j# Ht if trjf ^ The Satavahanas ruled over Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh dt?'i<4 ^ qH-gRt qff 3iTk41
RfFfqR qiHnpf (sfT^Pid) Hddi) H qqR q5f ersHi qqiqi ddll iffTRiHt, H from c. 200 BC to c. 240 AD. The Greek writer Ptolemy (2nd century AD) E^-TERT
Efqyq H % qfEfR if Ejqyqf er^t sit, ddidi I f% qTHrjq qqH ^ widk If tells that there were thirty walled towns in their empire. The history of Intricate pattern of the doorways of
some of the hill-forts around Junnar, such as the Sivanerf fort, birthplace Lohagadha hill fort
 ffttT §3U 4T #( TRft 64 gft?T5R 44T 500 fft ftl 4R]rT: 4144ft 4ft 4¥ 4T#f of Shivaji, can certainly be taken back to the Satavahana period.
In the Gupta-Vakataka age, the political climate being
fftlft 4ft ^t4R (44) % 34R 44T^ ’if tpftl
comparatively peaceful, fortification seems to have become less
Trlff Wet % 3lfft4TR 447 4Ks?Mlt)l ^ % 44 <R 4% gT ftl ft 447 important. It is only after the disintegration of the Gupta empire, when a
number of region-based kingdoms were established in the country, that
jftft #f fft ft fftftftr Rrm artrft % ftft §q ftl t#t #7 4ft?nftt ft ftft Rrtm
the construction of various types of forts received fresh impetus. In the
<R^lft ftl 3#ES3tT if fftft 4ft ftftR % 34R fft 4ft #T ftl47 Tftft ft4R eft I tsipft
Deccan a new era of fort-building activity started in the 7th-8th century
#7 7M4T4(4RRTftt) tft 3R4 44ft % 4fftR fftft 4 ft4ft sftl ^ ftftlft 7lftt
AD. The early Calukyas built a hill-fort at their capital Badamf in Karnataka.
ft (3|tRT) if ft[ 7514445 ftt4R 441^ 4f ftt 4? 4444 RlfoR eft #7 Then the Yadavas and the Silaharas, who ruled over Maharashtra and
Fisft qvqelH ^ %cTT

A tiger trampling on an elephant, 3714> 4414) 4)1% if 44) 3^ 4T 3ftR yr44) ^J4T if ft "SR ftl the adjoining areas in the 11th-12th century, gave much prominence to
Ahamadanagarfort hill-forts. The Yadavas selected the impregnable Devagiri fortress as their
capital and the Silaharas established their capital at the Panhala hill-fort
near Kolhapur.
The Devagiri fort was captured by Ala-ud-Din Khilji in 1294 AD,
marking the first Muslim invasion of the Deccan. Nearly half a century
later, in 1347 AD, the Bahamanf rule was established in the Deccan.
They introduced several new elements in the traditional fort architecture.
The BahamanTs were followed by the Marathas, who renovated and
strengthened the existing forts and also built some new ones of various
types. These are the “Forts of Maharashtra” we have to discuss in some
detail. But before that it would be worthwhile to have a look at the physical
features of Maharashtra and its history.

Maharashtra : Physical Features

The State of Maharashtra, with its total area 3,06,345 sq. kms,
extends between 22.1 and 15.8 degrees north latitude and 72.6 and
80.9 degrees east longitude.The present population of the state is nearly
nine crores and Marathi" is the most widely used language.
Physiographically, Maharashtra consists of two main divisions : (1) The
Deccan Plateau, and (2) the Konkana plain. The plateau is one mass of
basaltic lava which erupted and spread over the ancient land surface
some 100 million years ago. A long period of denudation and weathering
have given a characteristic topography to the land. Residual hills, often
towering high into series of terraces, and punctuated by peaks, and basins
forming river valleys, have sprung up. The eastern drier parts of the
plateau have developed into the famous ‘black cotton soil’.
RqH % ftRT 44 f^TWTRRTS % 744tfft4 ft 4?# 3ft ftt 3[fiF4RT Tm-II
The coastal strip of Konkana is believed to be a platform of
Aeriel photograph of Sisupalagadha showing the plan of its fortification
marine denudation raised to form a narrow plain nowhere more than
about 85 kms wide. It is neither uniformly level nor straight, nor equally
ft^FT 4R7T % Ml4l<^4d SIF7 441 PR 4414lft % yiftU^M 44ft % 4jS
fertile. At times the western spurs of the Sahyadri reach up to and
4K % ll Hl'll^dfel % ftftftf 414 if UlftR % fftTI §34 f494-4fj£414T7 §ft «HI
sometimes into the sea.
5444 ftftftt 414 441 4Flft % ^ftftH «If PR 37lft ft 4ft97-5R ft - 441 4f?44 fell
The most dominating feature
qft ftqR if #7 §7171 §ft fell 4ft ft4R ftl ftll W I ft ft5T4 4174 % 4‘KI of Maharashtra is the Sahyadri range
% 474)11 3441R if Ml 4 1?l or the Western Ghatas, running north-
south, close to the western coast. Its
4ldc|f^f ft 45RFg #7 aim 47 4444 200 ft 71444 240 ?. length is about 640 kms and the height
ST7714 fftRffI §4141 $R44f TTlftftt (^74 4ft §77ft Tift) 44174 I fft) 34% dlHIP if varies from 900 to 1660 metres. The
ftqrft ft fftft ftn PR ftl §f47 (pRlP ftMf) % 4171 % 415 fftftgft 44 ftftlTO, width varies from 10 to 20 kms. One

ftft f% Rfqiftt % 3447244 fftftftft 44, T47T4154 41M 7141 ftft 3474 ll striking feature of the Sahyadri is the 3744 44 33344
large plateau on hilltops at many Distant view of Purandara
3^-414)144) 34 if TIpftftl4) 4#4f 3fif?fffcf ?lild‘t4 4T, 5Rftm jjftf points. In olden times, these became

?fT44 44f 45f4 fft4f Pffl JP fflffl-P % Rldcn % 414 3(4 if Mt4 flPI the famous hill-forts which played an important role in the history of
Maharashtra, and also in the history of India.
44 344 §Pf, 44 jft^fp 444T % Pf jftf ^ RffPff Iftf^ iR°114 ftf^tl 44fpf
Formed of steep and successive ranges, the Ghatas (also called
if ^RT 4ft R144t-PRf4t if jft-ftFffa 44 445 PTf IfT pi |Pfl PRfif45 4ff4^I
ghatamatha in Marathi) are almost impassable except through some well-
if Tfippft 4Kl4l (4)4id4>) if 44) RlR^'1 44 ftPfW R)4ll Pf% 4f4 T4Rf4t-4RF^t ff^t
defined gorges which have formed the passes (called ghatas in Marathi)
if HijKI1^ m Pft4 % ftp P ?fRRf 4Rft 4lft 4f4ftf #f fimieid ft PlRj'H fftftP connecting the Deccan plateau and the Konkana. In historical times, every
71443 % PP44RT f^qrl qRftj ft ftpfftft % pftp ^ Pfftl fMPfftt % ftl4 pf 3|fT Rl4l5KI ruler had to have a fort to control these passes. This area, therefore, has
Ruins in Rayagadha ft % p)fftt4) % 4PIa5T RlR^'l % Ppft fMPfftt 4414fl a large number of hill-forts.
 54 1294 ^1 3-1 <413^14 if %q[%R % Another physical feature of Maharashtra is that the transverse
§% 47 4wi1 417- f%4TI qf ?Wf IT 4531 §%35 ranges of the Sahyadri are shooting eastward, in between the river valleys.
'3Tf5TTRTIf 411 371% q)%q 37T% 5131% 4R, 1347 % if, The main ranges are : the Mahadeva ranges between the Krishna and
the BhTma, the Bajaghata ranges between Bhtma and the GodavarT,
74743 if 455% 5H54 T4lf%3 §3111 3%i% 4T4TF13
and the Satamala-Ajanta ranges between the TapT-Purna valleys and
741474 if 41^ 4^ %% %%l 45Hpl% % 514 571% 44
the GodavarT basin.
51144 §7s §341 571% if 45% % %5J3 §% 44 ^PinRl
Between the Sahyadri and the Plateau there is a narrow strip
Rb4l, 4% 44^4 44141 3ftT t%f%4 44117 % 44 §% % 4>315T %4§% 44 %%% 517
called Mavaja (literally, the land of the setting sun) in Marathi. This belt is
4#4f f%5l 4ft I “551T11? %.§%’, Rh%) 5% 410 neither as high as the Sahyadri ranges on the west, nor as flat as the Southern gate of Kulaba sea fort

Rltqa 4# 44ft fl 547 44% 44% 55KI'? 4)1 %f%41 Plateau on the east. This area formed Shivaji’s main base. The people of

f%%431%1 3ffT 571% 5t%515 47 44) 547 5M %4f the Mavaja area, called Mavajes, became Shivaji’s faithful companions
and brave soldiers.
34%1% tPffl
qiq 41-i k, <tq|%R §rf Towards the east of the Mavaja strip there is the gently sloping
Canda Minara, Devagiri fort flatfish land - the Plateau, called Desa (plain) in Marathi. It is interspersed
by rivers and hill ranges. These, however, proved no barriers to the
invaders from the North. True, the plains were richer and happier to live
in, but they were also exposed to the dangers of invasion and many
55175? 44 Tt§51 %45171 3,06,345 5%l%rMk< fl 5545 f%7317 3xT% battles were fought on them. Almost all ruling dynasties of ancient
31%5T 15.8 % 22.1 44) 3TfT §% %5I137 72.6 % 80.9 441 fl 551TF? 4% 4%4f4 Maharashtra had their capitals in the Plateau. It was only Shivaji who
34717541 4444 ft 41%? f 3ftT 451 % 4§7I 4141 55% fl §3341 % % established his capitals, first at Rajagadha and then at Rayagadha, in
the Sahyadri.
55175? % % 4§t4 f=T4T4 f : (l) 54754 44 4377, 3%T (2) %(444 44 %414l 4377
4!%3 44 41%5 4% 45% % ^4141^%% % Pl4>% 4T515% 4141 % 4T%4 §f% 47 %%% Maharashtra is watered by many rivers -Tapi, GodavarT, BhTma,
Krishna, Wardha and Wainaganga. Other rivers are smaller streams
% 441 fl %% 444 441 % 44T 3%T 5tT1% 441% % 4444 31M %t T4311ff% %f
ultimately merging into one of the main rivers. The TapT, with the Purna
5444 t%f5F3 7354 473 §34 fl f%4 45lff% 44 RPfH §34 f, 34% %%-%% 41317
pouring into it, flows westward into the Arabian Sea. The TapT rises in
f, %5-4t3 % 3xj3 f?M f 3%T 4%% % 4lff% 44 §34 t%4f fl 4447 % 37%S7f3 the eastern Satpudas and the Purna in the Gavilagadha hills. The basin,
7jj% 4T% if 4f%75 “44%t 41414 §31” 44 Rl%ul §34 fl comprising part of Vidarbha and Khandesh districts, has a number of
forts on either side of it.
%t444 %t 71§% 4ft, 4141 4141 f f%, 4§5 % 3T41444 % 344 §34
GodavarT, the most important river of Maharashtra, rises at
5§37T t 3?lT 43 41% 47 % 85 f%.%. % 3ff%4! %51 4% fl 45 4% 4 % 441- Tryambakeshwara, runs across Maharashtra and ultimately empties into
% 4434 f, 4 7%% f, 4 ft 541-7% 344131 fl 4%-41% 45Jlff % 4f53% 4114 the Bay of Bengal. The GodavarT basin stands out prominently in the
3§3 341 3ft7 41%-4i% 34% %3T % 4§3 31% fl religious, cultural and political history of Maharashtra. Wardha and
Wainaganga rivers, before meeting the GodavarT, between them water 4745 §7
S f%% % 41=n <

53157? %t 714% 4§75 41ff%41 f%%431 f, 4f?3% 7T§4dd % 7T%4 347 the Vidarbha and the south-east region of Maharashtra. Rampart of Ballajapura fort

% %%4 %% §f 4Uff% 443-%% 4441 4f%5% 4141 45 4%3-%% 4444 640 f%. The Krishna river rises in the Mahabajeshwar hills. It has two
%. 77% f 3117 544f %3lf 900 % 1660 %3T 341 33%-43% fl 54%t major tributaries - the BhTma and the Pancagariga. Embracing Satara,

10 % 20 f%.%. % %3 fl TfUlff 4% 541 HITT f%%33T f §7f%t %f%% 47 4% Kolhapur, SariglT and Sholapur districts, the Krishna basin, though not all
fertile, formed the strong, fighting and conquering arm of Shivaji. In the
4)14)1 f%5J3 53141 mi4H 444 % % f%HT-43 yRlta R|R§'1 44 44 % 3ftT 54%%
last quarter of the 17th century when the powerful Mughal army led by
53177? % 3ft7 4173 % 5f%315 % 5373 4% §f%411 3131 4%
emperor Aurangzeb in person, descended on the Deccan to destroy the
Maratha kingdom, it was the Krishna basin that came to the rescue of
<4% 41417 3Tf7 4lt%41 %f%% % 4% % 414 (f%% 471% % 434747 415%
Maharashtra.
f) 414: 3T%4 f; ^5 f%51^ 4I%% % %(414 3ff7 44H4 % 43fT %T %If% %
The climate in Maharashtra varies a great deal. Whereas Western
f%4 4% 4% (f%% 471% % 473 415% f) % ft 417 f%41 41 Tf4!3T fl 54 5% 47
Maharashtra has a temperate climate, the Deccan Plateau has a more
f%444 774% % f%4 %f%5lf%41 444 % 4f%41 5117141 4% §f 44 RihRi 41741 45TI varied one - quite cold in winter and very hot in summer. The general
57lt%4 54 %4 % 4§3 71% RlR§% fl 55173? 4% §JT% 41ff%41 f%%331 45 f f% climate along the Konkana coast is hot and humid. Four centuries ago,
TIUlff 4% 34% %f%4t 4%-4lR% %%3^%r%R%%§ffl §731 %f%4t f : when the forest cover was much denser, the rainfall was much greater
and temperature much lower. In the monsoons, the forts of the Sahyadri
§741 3%7 %51 % #3 55%4 %%, %41 3ft7 %414% % %3 4141413 %% 3%7 31%-
were almost unapproachable and remained isolated.
%% 4lf%% 3%7 %514% 4% %% % %4 7435M-3lt%3T %%l
History of Maharashtra
TTUlff 3%7 43T7' % %5 441 7141% §^-4% f, f%% 571% % 417a3 41%
The history of Maharashtra is of great antiquity. For our purpose,
%%T3 44 4%51’ =45% fl 45 ^-4% 4 % 5^ 4f545 %t %17 % TRlff % 71514
however, it is unnecessary to go beyond the occupation of Maharashtra
3)41 f, 4 ft 55% 4f 3%7 % 4317 %t 375 71413 fl 4% 5143 4%51 f514T%
by the Mauryas, some 2300 years ago. The terms maharathi (male) and
44 §737 34417-%4 751 f I 514S 4%51 % <%4, f%% 474% 4151 3131 41, f%41% % mahatathini (female) occur in the inscriptions from the caves at KanherT
444317 3%7 451§7 7tf%41 4%l and Bedasa assigned tentatively to the 1 st century BC. The land occupied
or controlled by the maharathismay have come to be called Maharashtra.
5143 4% % §% % 55%t 33TT4 41% % %4T% %% f, 3% 571% % f?7 It should also be noted that the name Vidarbha (Berar) is very old. It was 5lf%4)Jlcp ^if 44 *44 4%41-SR
415% fl 45 %3-%cf if 4%% 3?R 45lff% % 7453 fl 547 % 4f%41 3%7 45llsqi one of the earliest settlement of the Aryans in the South. Ruined gateway of Manikagadha fort
 The appellation‘Deccan’, apparently based on'Dakhan’, derived
3frr ft tpraqft % fftq rirr qftt rr raftti rf raftt I fft ft w fttRR Rft Tjra-
from Daksinapatha (meaning ‘the southern road’), can claim a higher
^fcrqisft ft qHH ft, RR RFT FHdIRft RR W^T Fftra RRT TFRI RTI TR fttlRi 'R
antiquity. From about 500 BC, Daksinapatha seems to have been a
R|R % fg R% RRI RffttR RT7R % R1R: Ttftl TMraft ftt TMRlfftRi fftt ftnftt ftftsi general name for the country south of the Narmada up to Kanyakumari.
ft T^t || %Rq fftRlftt % ft rahftt TMqifftRT Wlfft ft TRlfftR ftt - RWft TIRR? Later this term of wider significance began to be replaced by the name
it, PtR RRRS %tl ‘Maharashtra’.
The earliest dynasty to claim Maharashtra as a part of its empire
ift spy Rlftra f - Riftt, j1km{I, fra, yra, Rqf rap RRftrai was that of the Mauryas.The Nandas seem to have extended their sway
qFft ftrft Rfftra i, % fftftt-R-fftfti yra qft ft rarar fftraft fi raft, fftftft (H to the Deccan, and Chandragupta Maurya (circa 324-300 8C), who
qft raiRP Pratt f, rRrr Rtf Rift |q ram qm ft rirp fftraft fi raft rat supplanted the Nanda dynasty, may be presumed to have held parts of
3sH y) qqyi ft tra t #r yit rr jiiRirits ftt Rrafftftt fti raftt raftt ft fftRft the Deccan. Mauryan rule over the Mumbai and Kohkana region comes
only during the time of Asoka (circa 274-232 BC). A fragment of Asoka’s
% ffttft rr #r raratsi % fft#i rr Traftsi trail yt raft ft ftfti tftr rt
Rock Edict was found at Sopara (ancient Surparaka). At that time Sopara
rat fftft ti
and Caula (CampavatT) - now on the outskirts of Mumbai - were the
most flourishing coastal trade centres and seats of Buddhist learning. A
traqft Haiti's ftt RRffftra Hrarjft Rft li RiRftsRT ft trr trft % rir
Maurya dynasty ruled in Kohkana as late as the 7th century AD.
q? hfkfs f ftftra-'jft ftt ftp raci gq ran ft rrtr ftt wit f rirp PPftf ti
The successors of the Mauryas in the Deccan were the
qrarag % iM-tltftra #raR ftp qft qra raffit ft ftraRft ftt raft ft r% hftr
Satavahanas, who described themselves as Daksinapathapati (Lords of
jft ran ftt |l Rqf ftp WH RtftH, ftlRIRft % fftftft % RFft, fftP-yRP Daksinapatha). Before them Nahapana, the Saka-Ksatrapa, had occupied
fftraft ftp Haims % RfSpi-'jft ftra ftt Rpftt li the Mavaja region and the Nasika area in Maharashtra. The Satavahanas
recovered these territories from Nahapana around 124 AD under
^sjjt Rft rai rrr hfir%9RT ftt RFifftftr ft Ira li graftt It raraira -iRqi Gautamiputra Satakarni. The Satavahanas rose to power in the last
ft% ft jftr raft ctft, ftftftft | - fra ftp twin yrar raft, tftraft hrpi, waiy raraft ftp fray fftfti quarter of the 3rd century BC, soon after the death of Asoka. Later, they
Gun with ram's head, Devagiri ^ qq^T Ira I, aidllft qftR rarara RT?t I, RRT RF ftlHlftl % ftrat ftp 'J'lftl extended their rule into Andhra. Their rule in parts of Maharashtra
fftratfr ra raray raq Tft li qq?ft qft % fffq rw f, rr raf rafMq % continued till about the first quarter of the third century AD. The history
of some of the forts in the Satamaja range north of Nasika certainly
f^rR f siffranft yra fqi rtrt trr ^r ffsi If % ffl f f ®ft«
goes back to the period of the Satavahanas. This range and the region
rat frai =ft Rift It rrara5 iraraift rr qf fti around has one of the densest concentration of formidable hill-forts.

hsh.i^ rft rairaj Rnft f^iqRT li Tf^raft Hem1?; Rft rairaj sMrar The AbhTras were the successors of the Satavahanas. According
to inscriptions from KanherT and Nasika, the Abhfra king Iswarasena
|( mm mrar % t^r it rt# zz I ■afR tftra ^ RfR RRfti
seems to have established his dynasty around 250 AD. The AbhTras or
% raRift Sir trr q4 aftr tirt ti rr rr rrr arfSiRi ’Rf
AhTras or GavajTs (i.e. cowherds community) ruled northern Maharashtra
if, RR RRT SlftTr M *ft 3fR RTWR RRT RII RR RH^I ^ RWt % gft RWI (Khandesh and part of Vidarbha) for some time. The fort of Anjaneri,
3RRR RR Rlrt Si afk qrqRft If Rlrt Sfl near Nasika, was their capital. Their name is also associated with the
strongholds of Gavilagadha in AmaravatT district, Asiragadha near
Burhanpur and Thalaner on the bank of-TapT.

HriHIRf RR ffcffiq RTlft TRH ll Rt^ FRft % f?m RjftR 2300 The next important dynasty to rule over parts of Maharashtra
was that of Vakatakas, contemporaries of the imperial Guptas. The
qjq 5RT RfRI^ R7 mfSlRIR RRl^I % RfSl RIT ffrlfRI •sraRSRRI ?l
dynasty split into two branches with the main branch ruling in the Nagpur
ra%ft % rrt) #7 SrpiT (^tirrit % rtr) Rft ^ ^ RRR area and the other with its centre in Vatsagulma (modern Vasima in
q^t % a### *r ktiife (yr) 'sftr (T^t) ll qrai Vidarbha). Being peaceful time, they do not seem to have constructed
| fR 5RI aiTRTR 3TRRT ?IlfRR R^?I ^ftl 45KI^ RTR % RM RRI til new forts. However, a part of Ajanta was begun under the Vakataka
rij sft crh St RIRI tlRT RTF ’ft 3tfSra yi4M ll RF RfSlH if rulers of the Vatsagulma branch and inscriptions in Cave 16 and 17
mention this dynasty
an^! qft yi^HRR rIkiri % tri ll
Upon the decline of the Vakatakas, the centre of political power

my jif ra raft rtrirt

mq ’ft, ^i rrt T7 aqqiftR I afR zftrww ( apftR, RfSrft raft) shifted to the Calukyas of Badarru. Later, at the time of Pulakesina II
Hath! Darawaja, Mahura fort % ayra I, RfR yra li rwi 500 |. ^ raki % Rfrai % rara^raft rri (619-42 AD), practically all of Maharashtra became Calukya territory.
% sft?r % rararaR: zftmm rar r%i tra tft Ii rir ft raran raft But the Rastrakuta king Dantidurga overthrew the Calukyas around 752
AD and established his dynasty which soon, under his successors, Krishna
Rift pi RR 7RH 4e7 <1% ft ft fftRII
I, Govinda II and Dhruva, became an imperial power. The matchless
qqft raftH 7IRR5T rftftt RR t fftR% ^ ^ ^ Kailasha temple at Verula (Ellora) and the superb hill-cum-land fort at
^%Xpqralft7RKRR^®tiraTraiRpF^(^ 324-300 t^.) Devagiri, at least its scraping, came into being at the time of the
% mS ^ mra? *RR aftT ftRRR: RR^RT % is ^ ^ ^ fftRI Rll Rastrakutas.

mm hr| ratT Sir rt ftift awtra % RRR {^vm 274-232 i*) The Rastrakutas had ceased to exist by about 975 AD. Then
followed the rule of three Silahara families, all feudatories of the
It TRifftR ti rrri Rra|%rara%ftiraR(rafttR trr ft ra^ira rar
Rastrakutas. One family ruled over North Kohkana, another over South
rgflR firaftra ftra li ot teir ftram aftr (rairaft) ft raw y
Kohkana and the third one over the Kolhapur and Satara region. The last
qf | - ^ alft ftt^ ft ts ftl fttft THR^T ft ^ tRT
and greatest ruler of the third line was Bhoja II who ruled from Panhala
cjft qiRftt raft rri wttr fftrai fort from c.1175 to c.1215 AD. From an inscription dated 1191-92 AD,
 1404 % %% % 337Tf%44% % 3T44T53, f%3?T% -34% %T rffrwrwifcr Bhoja II constructed at least 15 forts around Satara-Kolhapur, which
(#IW, 4T% % 741%) 4151 || 33% 45% §141-344 354H % H5KI4( % included among others, Ajinkyatara-Satara, Bavada and Visalagadha.
Panhaja fort, perhaps, was an earlier construction. Ultimately, Singhana,
hmco aftr TiiRieh %4 47 3if%447 417 f%4T sm 3514154 §117141 '(in 4) 54 3T441M %
the mighty Yadava king of Devagiri, invaded the Silahara kingdom,
124 i. % 333413 33 %4 %1 35413 % 53: 4T4 417 (%4TI 3T§%41 % %5%T %
captured Panhala fort, and taking Bhoja II captive, threw him Into prison
3%T 413, ^73 5% %7T% 71% % 3%%3 473 % 3134153 §T%3 44 344 g<3TT 4TI 413 on the same fort.
% 33%% 3%4 % 5ft 34% 7R4 44 f%73T7 f%4TI 3517F5 % 41S d7%T % 3444 §333 The early Yadavas were feudatories of the Rastrakutas. Bhillama
^711 4ft %3% 7% % 444 4V'JI 441 4444 7511 41(445 % 37T7 4% 4lrl4|o5| '-|4d- II (c. 975-1005 AD) is the earliest Yadava ruler so far known from his own
%% If (%13 410 RlR<(% 44 %%5I3 71ld4l53 4113 341 %% 313T ll 53 %% 3?f7 grant. However, it was the powerful Yadava king Bhillama V (1185-93

54% 3371413 % %4 % §3(4 RlR^lf 44 4444 34% ^TKT |l AD) who founded the city of Devagiri and having got himself crowned
there in c. 1187 AD, made that city his capital. Devagiri was more centrally
711343?% % 3rTTlf%44% % - 31T%7I 44%% 3%7 3lf%41 % 443 3#[%%T situated and was in the heart of Maharashtra. By the end of the 12th

% 431 4<4dl I f% 3TT*ftT 7MI ^§47%3 % 250 % 31T34T3 31431 7M4§T 74lf%3 century, north-western Deccan also had come under the rule ofYadavas.
It was during the reign of king Singhana II (1210-46 AD) that the Yadava
f%4T 411 34%%-, 31%7 4T 34a% (541%) 333Tf% % 410 344 441 33% 35171^
empire reached the zenith of its power and prestige.
(<sU34§r 3%7 f%4% 44 441 4Ft) 43 3434 f%41l 3lf%41 % 34%4> % 344%% <£% %
About the authorship and date of the Devagiri fort, there is
33%t 7M4T% %l 3lf%335 (313714% f%3l), 317%T33 (fJTifHJJt % 4T3) 3%7 413%7
difference of opinion among scholars. Stuart Piggot attributes‘this colossal
(dlfl % 34 4T) 5% % 734 % 34% 413 -)J% 1|T tl piece of work’ to Bhillama V, who made Devagiri his capital. But
construction of such marvellous and impregnable fort must have taken a
351735 % 410 31% 44 §434 43% 413T 33T3T 354(1% 7734§T 41 -
long time. It is likely that the fort was constructed during the reign of
4(44441, % y3 34T4T % 77344%3 %1 45 3343 % §3741-3% % f%3l(%d tf 441 Singhana II. Later, when the fort fell into the hands of Muslim rulers, they
4TI 834 §1341 % 414y %4 % §434 f%4T aft7 f7T% §434 % 33533 (f%3% % introduced many changes into it.
3T5fdm 4T§ft3) %l 45 444% 54 341 §1%% 44 334 41, 57%%4 343T t f% 4T443%f Another significant fort of the Yadava period is at Ankaf in the
Nasik district. The fort rises 274 metres above the plane. As in the case 4TTT4%, cURR 4%
% 43 jj% Tl f%3%3 4% (%4Tl 4T7J 41443%! 4% 413543 §TMf % §43%I % 334
of Devagiri fort, the rock was scarped on its four sides making them Baradari, Devagiri fort
% 3#f3T (31%3l) 4% 410 5^^ Tl f%3%3 §44, 45 4T3 4. 16 ^flT 4. 17 4%
smooth and inaccessible. The accent to the fort is very difficult. At one
544# % 343P34 34% 3#T%7% % MHlRld tf% ll
time it had seven lines of fortifications, perhaps the maximum among the

41444%! % 314314 % 414 4141% % 417p4 7M%f%41 §lf%T % %4 44 431 Deccan forts. About a kilometre north-east of AhkaT is the satellite fort
Tarikai which was used as storehouse for the main fort. The forts of
414 %, yi%(§13-(fidl4 % 334 (619-42 |.) % 3434 35% 3517T5 47 4134% 44
Tryambaka and Harihara near Nasik, in all probability, belong to the
3%%447 tl 4411 475 71^4 §4341 %%§% % 752 f. % -343413 4FJ4% %f 31413
Devagiri category and thereby of the Rastrakufa-Yadava origin.
%44 3117 31441 7I34§1 74lf%3 f%41l 33% \3rT7lf%44% =(43-443, %f%4-[fidld -%7 5^
The first attack by the armies of the Delhi Sultans on the territory
§lf%T§4dft §47141 145 71^g% % 334 % ft %7>3 (3%Rl) 44 3RJ43 4)31§1 3%7 3%7 to the south of the Narmada was made in 1294 AD by Ala-ud-dTn KhiljT,
%%%ff 34 743-f%% 5%, 413-%-413 ?344 1331 41417, 3lf%44 % 3441 who captured Devagiri and compelled Raja Ramachandra, the Yadav
ruler, to surrender. The end of the Yadava kingdom came in 1318 AD,
3434 975 i. 341 7T^|% 44 314744 tl 4411 33% 4T4 Tl^gtt % and it was followed by a series of Muslim dynasties.
3133 7% f§Mlf?l% % %4 qRc||?j 44 ?U33 353 |34l 341 4%4R % 33% %I444 47 After the fall of the Yadavas, two new powers were established
§4714 f%41, |3f % 4dl3 %1444 % 3%7 %7% 4f%47 % %ldfl57-74313 %4 % §4714 in the Deccan : the Vijayanagar empire in 1326 AD and the BahamanT
f%4TI %7T% §441 44 3#3 3%7 714% §lf43§4%1 §3341 41 - %3-fMt4, f%3% kingdom in 1347 AD. RayarT fort, later named as Rayagadha by Shivaji,
finds mention in the 14th century Vijayanagara records. However, it is the
4^131 54 3 3434
BahamanT dynasty which is more important in the context of our theme -
1215 341 §4714 f%4TI 1191-92 %
the forts of Maharashtra. The BahamanTs, who later were split into five
33 3%%%H % 31444% f33% I f% %3-
branches - NizamshahT of Ahamadnagar, AdilshahT ofVijapur, ImadshahT
>444) PlRj'l 44 555^
(acild % T4rlT3-%[3?157 %4 % 413-%-413 of Ellichpur (Vidarbha), Kutbashaht of Golkunda and BarTdshahTof BTdar
A distant view ofTryambaka hill fort
15 f%% 44413 %l f4%, 334 1%3I % - built and renovated many forts in the Deccan.
313141, 3lf%444T3-74rtl3, 41451 -%7 f%§ll346 The BahamanTs introduced many changes in the style of fort
f%% 44 331%§1 tl3T ll 33131 5% 3344: architecture based on the Turkish and Persian styles. It was in this period
3ff5f4£RTRT-314T3 3t that gunpowder came to be used in warfare in Europe and Central Asia.
44% % It 3RJ4 4TI 314 % %4%lft %
Ajinkyatara-Satara fort Its introduction in India made several
§lf%4§4# 4144 4%§T f%43 % 4^4134 47
changes necessary in the construction
-344133 f%41, 33 47 3lf%447 417 3%7 %3-fMt4 %T 4415417 37% 5% % %4 of ramparts, parapets, bastions,
417 Rml barbicans, etc. Fortified towns rather
than the hill-forts became the pivots
33%%41 4144 §117141 % 7434 %l f%733-fMt4 (3333 975- of the new defensive system. The
1005 |.) 4531 4144 §117141 I, f%3% 4% % 33% 4134% % 31344% f%3% ll BahamanTs established new towns on
475 f%733-443 (1185-93 $.) 45 §!%4§Tl%t 4144 §117141 4T, f%3% %4f%ft §157 open plain land and got them

%t 311431 4% 3%7 451 3333 1187 % 3133T 7F4lf%%41 41741% 3% 314% formidably fortified. Fortified towns like 4334437 f%% 4% %4T7
Ahamadnagar, BTdar, Vijapur and Wall of Ahamadanagartort
3331% 4314TI %4f%ft 35T71^ % 3333 %43T3 % f%14 I, 57%%3 45 341 4447
 Gulbarga acquired great importance during the BahamanT period. The
% Hs?KI^ 43 554744 4TI 4175# 4# % atcT
BahamanTs did not pay much attention to the hill-forts, the exceptions
44! 3cl7-4f54# 54734 T7 # 415# 43 5M4
being Mahura, SivanerT and Sirhhagadha. ShivajT took advantage of this
44lt%71 tl 44T 4TI f%44-fM4 % 5II7H4)M
very situation and built his new kingdom mainly with the help of the
(1210-46 i) % 4T54 WST^t 314% %44 % Sahyadri hill-forts.
f5T737 47 4j4 44T 411 It should also be noted that not all the forts of Maharashtra are
the creation of the famous dynasties and the Marathas. Quite a number
%4f%ft 5% % f%#iT #t PtrH-
%#tft 5% of them, particularly in northern Khandesha, Vidarbha and the Chanrapur-
Devagiri fortress 434 % 4% % f%Sl# % 43# 47T%5 ll 7531% Nagpur region, were constructed by tribal rulers, such as the GavalTs
fCFTR ‘54 f%713 f%#nT-43%’ 44 %4 %4f%ft % 314# 7R4I# 441% 41% 51144! and the Gondas.
f^rrFT-WT % %% |l 447 %% 34^J4 3ft7 31%4 <3% % f%4#l % 43#
Shivaji Bhosale
444 44T t[4Tl 3%%4! 444 4ft 414 W1 I f% 54 jj% 43 ft1#! f%44-fMt4 %
In the last quarter of the 16th century western Maharashtra
51104444 % |311l 414 % 44 54 47 gf%T4 554# 44 3lf%437 tl 44T, # 54%
witnessed the rise of the Bhosales, the Maratha family in which Shivaji
4>f 4%4%4 f#t 441 was born. Maloji, the grandfather of Shivaji, was holding the jagir (fief)

4144 444 44 441 #4 4f?c4yui jj% 314# (4lf%41 f%4l) fl 45 §% #514 around Pune and command of the forts of SivanerT and Cakana, under
the NizamshahT. Shahaji, the son of Maloji and father of Shivaji, initially
% 274 #37 3#T f I %4%lft ;j%#57545T#4T%'3%7# 451# 41517 # #3417
acted as the chief defender of the NizamshahT and then shifted his services
4% f%4!4T 3%7 5%E4 441 f%4T 441 fl 5% 57 4f4% 44 4# 4!|3 4lj%4 fl 441
to the Adilshah of Bijapur, serving the Mughals for a short period in
444 54 % 415 57#% %, # 44144 % f%# f%% % f%4 4443: 45714 %l between. Adopting fort-oriented military strategy, Shahaji fought many
%44f % 4!%4 445 f%##37 341-^ % 34# 41445 41#-5% f, f%443 34#4 gS4 battles employing the guerilla technique of warfare. This strategy was
% 4517(15 % 44 % t%41 4141 411 4lf44! % 43#4! % 5444! .3ftT 5%57 §f further improved by his son Shivaji, who created a new Maratha kingdom

43# 55 445 %4#R # 4X5 % f, 54f#t % 71^4-4144 4514 % % 445% fl based mainly on forts.
Shivaji, indeed, was a fort-native. He was born at the fort of
SHMftd f#4# f## 411 4541 7)31314 41, #4# #4 1294 %. % 4441 SivanerT on 19 February 1630. Sir Richard Temple in his book Shivaji and
Riq# #
Image of Shivaji, Sindhudurga fort % 5f#4 % #5T % if# sfll 44% %4P1R 47 41541 417% 4144 4%5T 7T44S # 5174 the Rise of the Marathas writes of SivanerT: “You will see what a rugged
% 311% % f%4 f%45T f%4TI 1318 t. % 4144 7P4 451 %4 % 441 #7 371% 414 precipitous place this is and what a fitting spot it was for a hero to be
born!” Shivaji was coronated (1674 AD) and breathed his last (1680 AD)
gf#3 71445% % 511714 411 RldRldl 5J4 §331
at the Rayagadha fort. His two sons, SambhajT and Rajarama, were also
414% % 4147114 % 414 54734 % % # 5lf%3# # 741441 §f - 1326 born at forts, the first one at Purandara and the second at Sirhhagadha.
f. % 1%'jHH'K 4T5F4 4% 3# 1347 f. % 454# 7F4 #1 f%% 414 % #4# Out of his 50 years’ (total 18,306 days) not-so-long life, Shivaji spent at

% 7144S 451 414 f%41 41, 377 714% §% 411 t%34447 % 5741%%t % 3#K3 t%3131 least 8557 recorded days at one or the other fort.

|| rpj7 - 0£Klcg % 5% - % 714% % 454# 714451 411 3%%5) 4514 Shivaji grew up amidst the hills and valleys of Pune district. The
western belt of the Pune district, running along the Western Ghatas for a
fl 414 % 45#%# 411 414 514315% % f%4T34 tl 441 41 - 31544447 4% f%41451lft,
length of about 150 kms and a breadth of 20 km to 35 kms, is known as
#5457 4rt 3tlff45Ilft, 4f%457 (t%4%) %t 5415511%, %f^51 4rt ^4511% #7 %47
Mavaja, the Sunset Land, and the hardy people living there as Mavajes.
4rt 4fl451lftl 54 454f%% % 54H4 % 4^ f%%! 411 f%4W 347 %HfelX f%141l Extremely rugged, the Mavaja strip has a series of table-lands cut on
every side by deep winding valleys. Each valley boasted of a high hill
454f%% % 3%7 fxpf 51# % 34J45T4 47 §%-741414 % 4lf iRhrtd
crowned by a fort or fortress, providing good defence to the people. The
feT| 4? 4f %7 41, 44 ^%4 #7 4^4 #5141 % 41415 411 57%4M g#t % tl% 4411
Mavaja belt became the cradle of Shivaji’s activities and the Mavajes
4174 % 571411 4%5T |31T # 41451%, 154)1%, |%f, 444# 31lf% % f#1!# % 4# 475 formed the backbone of his army.
% lRc|%4 417% 311454^ fr 441 RlRjJlt % 4414 f%%43 5157 4f 741-441# 4% Young Shivaji had developed passionate attachment to this
44 441 4i?HRl%l % ^# %51# #% 47 44 447 4744 #7 34# H4^ol % f%%4% Mavaja country. Initially with Dadoji Kondadeva (Shivaji’s guardian and
Rill# % 4% %T WT, f%§3% f%4T
#1 454# 434 % 31545447, #57, #41J7 3fR 344# % f%%43 44% % 5% 44lf% manager of his Pune jagir, who died in March 1647 AD) and afterwards
Shivaji's palm-print, Sindhudurga fort
independently, he trekked the Mavaja territory widely and became familiar
4M #1 454f%# % f%R3# 47 f%%4 «H4 4% f%4; 314415 % 41|7, f514%% 3%7
with its every nook and corner. Barthelemmy Carre, the Director General
f%545 ffRjfl Rl41# % #45 5# f%%% 43 414 35141 3%7 4^34: 715%% % f%R#f
of the French East India Company during 1668-73, wrote, “Geography of
% 44 47 31441 441 TF4 74ltld f%141l which he (Shivaji) has mastered and to such an extent as to know not
merely all the towns including the smallest villages of the country, but
f^NIvjD
even the land and the bushes of which

%14f# 71# % 3#R 55141 % 4^4# 45171^ % #71# 43 354 |34l 471# he has prepared very exact charts.”

% 5# #71% IRIK % f5141# 43 4^4 |34l f5141# % 5151 41## 4)1 2% iRol % The desire to possess forts
and establish his Swarajya must have
4f#7 # 3%7 f%41451lft % 3irFtcl 45 Rl4%% 541 41434 f%# % f%%517 %l 41##
occurred to Shivaji around 1645 AD,
% %% 3%7 f%4# % f#l 545# % 3474 % f%41454# % 441 TTO14! # ^#43 3151
when he was barely fifteen-years old.
4)1, 447 415 % 45 %#J7 % 31lf#15115 4)1%41%4%44;#4%^5 444 441 45 He chalked out his strategy. In 1646
gr# # %41 % # 7%I 5# 47 34## 744R4I 314741 #1 314414)7 3#% #f#73T AD, young Shivaji with a small
(milMIl) 4#% % 4lf 735I54T 4#l 34% %% f514# % 54 ‘llRevll 4#% % 3%7 3lf%41 following silently occupied theTorana f%545 ^rf ^75[54
fort, about 40 kms south-west of Pune. A distant view of Sirhhagadha fort
g4I7 1%4T 3%7 gts44: g# % 44 47 314% 44 47153 7134 # 741441 4%
 %T41# 4733: 445 ^ftqr# aftftTT ftl fftqftft 3ft 47 19 4)74(1, 1630 %1 This first capture was followed by Kondana, which was renamed as
34451 544 334 stti 777 fftqift ft47i 374# 37445 ffrrNft a#7 wu^i m aidm ft f#gft Sirhhagadha in 1647 AD. Then Shivaji took possession of the forts of
Purandara and Murumdeva, the second one later renamed as Rajagadha
^ : “3714 ftisift f% 45 T4T4 l=hcMl >3^Yt *i)4l-#41 1? 3ff7 ^ 4744144} % 47-4
which remained his capital till 1670 AD.
% f#r [%cHI 34344 I !” f%41# 451 n»4|[ftft45 (1674 %) 3717 ft51471H (1680
Thus, well set on the career of a brilliant and determined warrior,
ft.) WK fftfftjft 47 §3711 34% % 3% - 7T4T# 3# 7HI7IH - 44 4^7 % 5%
Shivaji concentrated his energies on capturing the existing forts,
47 ftt §377 - 45% 44 3747 47 3fl7 5# 44 7l4'l<i 471 374ft 50 4% (4j71 18,306 renovating and strengthening them wherever necessary and building new
%4) % 41%#ft #44 ft % #41# % 454-77-454 8558 f%4 f%#-4-Ml §ft 47 ones when occasion arose. The Bahamants had erected a chain of forts
3#ft| fft5T# 44 4444 §ft fft% 4ft 451%% #7 41%% ft #411 3% %f% 4ft 4%4# on the borders of their kingdom to protect it from the Mughal power in the

4#, # 4%4# 414 % 774147 4#4 150 f%.#. 4# #7 20 ft 35 f%.#. 445 north and the Vijayanagara empire in the south. Shivaji also took great
care in choosing the location of a fort for a definite strategic purpose. The
#ftf t, WfcB (41% 7J%74 44 %#) 45541#
chains of forts that Shivaji created formed his lines of defence.
I #7 4FT % fft4T7ft 474# 3R##I5 35#-
## 577 41445 4# % 45# 3414417 41%% % Types of Forts
fftft §4 4§4 71% 4317 tl 4%45 41# ft 445 During the early Maratha period there existed about 350 forts in
3#1 451# t #7 3TT 47 4T7T % 4ft?T %1 741 Maharashtra. In most of the contemporary documents they have been
4414 457ft 4141 445 3ft 4l^J4 tl 41475 4# classified into three types : (i) Sthaladurg (Ground fort), (ii) Giridurga
(Hill fort), and (iii) Jaladurga (Marine fort). The Ajnapatra also mentions
f?M# % 44ft4441% 451 §7s4 #4 4# 3#7 451 ^,44? ^
only these three types of forts. But Poet Paramananda, a contemporary
% 414% 414 34%1 THl % 3714177774 4ftl A distant view of Pratapagadha fort
of Shivaji, in his Sivabharata added one more type - Vanadurga (Forest
fort).
d7ul %141# %1 H 1*400 4ft?T ft 4571 41414 tl 441 4TI ■3TT7'*T ft 41%#
Forest Forts
%ftft4 (f?14T# % T17S145 3117 3% ‘ft 5347ft 4lftk % 744741445, f#T451 4# 1647
ft ftflTT 334) % 744 #7 4K ft 7444 ^4 ft 3#ift 414® 4ft?l 4ft 41414 4ft #7 Forest fort did not mean a fort constructed in the forest, but
41^7 3ft
ITT 7175 37T% 4#-4# 45T 4%44 4M f%41l 1668-73 ft. # 4517fl4%[ ft %4 ftTT ‘forest’ itself. The dense forests in the Sahyadri provided shelter to the
Mahura Fort
Marathas and also assisted them in conducting forays and assaults. The
$%4I 45441 % 5147407 ’4474 7% 4lftft13 ‘tTT ft f#9T t : “3714 (%4I# ft) '(jftjT'T
forest trees with their dense foliage were very important both in defence
7151 454 34444 f%4T 41 - §7141 454 f% 45 4 %47T 374ft ftftST % 4%45 3157 ftft
and offence. For example, the way to Visalagadha was through a dense
#%-#% #% ft 4%f#l 41, 4%45 77T# #ft #7 371% ftg-#% ft # 4%f#T 41, forest along the narrow gorge known as Ghoda or Pavana khinda (pass).
ftk 534% f§141# ft ol4)-ol4) 474ft 4417 f%4 ftl ” It was this forested pass that helped Shivaji in his safe escapement from
Panhala to Visalagadha. In 1661, when the Mughal army entered the
densely forested Umbarakhinda, Shivaji by secret and rapid marches
f?14T# % 44 ft 3% 47 37%145T7 457% 74754 74lfft4 457ft 4ft 554 1645
came up with them, and cutting off their lines of advance and retreat,
ft. % >371774171 44 4# tl#, 44 ft #44577 ft 455 77M % ftl 34?% 374# 74#%
forced the Mughal commander Kar Talab Khan to surrender. Ajnapatra
714 %fl 1646 ft. ft 4T>ul f%4T# ft 314ft %ft ft 77lfft% 4)1 44)7 3% % 4)(Id 40 emphatically equated the defence of the fort with the preservation of the
f%.#. 4fft°T-4%44 ft f#T4 47741 f%ft 47 f4% ft 37%45T7 477 fftpnl 444 44171 forest round it and warned that, ‘conscious efforts should be made to
% 414 3#jft %i5lull 47 7T5S3TT f%77T, fftft 1647 t- ft fft?45 414 %41 4411 377% grow this thicket and not a single stick from it be allowed to fell’.

414 3#ift 3757 3#7 3754ft4 3# 47 7f5541 f%4TI 5#1 37771 jft, fftft 3#ift 7M4S
Ground Forts
414 fft41, 1670 t- 445 34%t 7R41# 44T 7511
As we have mentioned earlier, the ground forts were given more
importance in the BahamanTperiod. But Shivaji did not pay much attention
^TT 44517, 441 441# 3T17 3<s!ft?44l dlistl 451 #44554 $J7? 457ft % 414 to them. The main reason was that he concentrated on acquiring and
%141# ft 374# SlffttT 45J4T 3# 47 45ETT 457ft, ^771 % 3737717 34%1 H'«W 45# constructing hill-forts in the narrow Mavala and Kofikan strips. Another
3717 44 3# % fft4#l ft 7F1T #1 454%% ft 37T7 # 344 ^lf#T ft 3ff7 #%T4 % reason was that most of the ground forts of Maharashtra, such as Paranda,
Naladurga, Solapur, Ahamadnagar, etc., were in the firm control of the
%44447 771454 ft 7STT % f#7 374ft 7F4 # 7T14T% 47 3% %t 445 ^TITIT 741%7T
Muslim rulers. Kalyana and Cakana were important ground forts, but
%t #1 %141# ft # fftf#4 77T4fT45 ft 3ft % T4T4 451 444 457ft 47 fft#4
they were in the hands of the Mughals. Shivaji understood the significance
74T4 %41l %T41# ft 3% 4)1 # 74lf44 4)1, ft 34# 7?7T-4fft44T 44 #1 of Cakana as a guarding fort for Pune, acquired it in his early career, but
lost it to the Mughals in 1660 AD. Shivaji did not possess many ground
forts. 44744 3ft 44 *#4-957
Main gate of Nagaradhana fort
Hill Forts
3717fft45 47131 45171 ft 45171# ft 45(t4 350 3% 451 3T%7!74 751 tl
The Bahamanfs did not attach much importance to the hill forts
3lfft457T7 7744517114 474lft# ft 3% #4 445T# ft fft4lf#T f%41 44T t : (l) 7443%
and treated them as mere outposts. Shivaji, on the other hand, considered
(2) RlRj't, 3%7 (3) 443# 377I?7W ft # %471 #4 445Tft 451 37#4 tl the hill forts of crucial importance for his programme of Swarajya. And,
473 %14T# % TT445J7fl4 45% 474145 ft 374ft /?14417tT ft 445 3#7 445R %T 4ISI Sahyadri offered the most suitable natural topography for this type of

t - 443^1
forts. “The whole of the Ghats and neighbouring mountainous often
terminate towards the top in a wall of smooth rock, the highest points of
 which, as well as detached portions on insulated hills, form natural
fortresses, where the only labour required is to get access to the level
RR<|ft RR 3T«} RR ft fftfftrT <|ft R^f f, RjftT RR ‘RR’ ll Wife % Rft space, which generally lies on the summit. Various princes at different

R% % HTI4I ftft R %RTT RTTRTR USH f^RTT, RlRl^ Will HI<ft iftlT 5*WI RMH ft ’ft times have cut flights of steps or winding roads up the rocks, fortified the
entrance with a succession of gateways, and erected towers to command
HRR ftt ll WI Hulkrft Rl% RRcffl RURRFT #T TRTFT, ftftf % fftR HBH'jft ftl
the approaches; and thus studded the whole of the region about the
v)'tl5tul % fftq, Rift % fftfR ^g- zjf lyc/H /<3S HIH'h Rft RR 'ft TIWI I",
Ghats and their branches with forts.” (Quoted in J. Sarkar’s Shivaji).
rf qft rrr ft jrtrt |i 1660 f. ft fftRiftt q^fM 5ft ft rjTRTR fftqRft % rtr
Hill forts played a pivotal role in the establishment and protection
HR,s<l SR, RTrf fftt RRRSlfftTT Rft ft tlRR fftSTlRFlT TJTfftcl RjR RR ftl RPJ 1 661 ft RR ’J'lR ftlRT of the Maratha kingdom. At the young age of fifteen, Shivaji launched a
Sea gate, Vasai fort vwRss % Rft ft'ltf ft v)cH ’ll, ft fRlHlft dft ft ollT JR TKft ft RR TIR> MgR movement of capturing the hill forts of the Deccan. These he repaired
rri fftr vj'lift vwhji -Rift Rijft rr fttr fttft ftftft rr Hift ,jok smi >3fK fn rrrt and strengthened, and also built several new ones. Being well acquainted

^JRRf ft HIlift SIR RRR tsIH R>T HH'l’H % fvPI HR'JT SR fftSTI 3UIT/W ft jft Sft with fort architecture, Shivaji paid great attention to their location,
construction of defences and establishing their chains in and around his
RUT % fftq RTt% HcjRR) % SR Sft TJTS1T SI fftftf SR fftST SSI I, #T fftRIRR It
kingdom. A foreign biographer of Shivaji has pointed out that he
R^ I fft 'ftft RR ft fftRRTf ST fftfts ESTR fftsi R1RT RlftR #T RTlft ft RRT ft
understood the art of fortification better than the ablest engineers. Shivaji
tft ftfft ftl hrtH ftft sftlsi’ had two able architects to help him in fort construction - Moropanta
Pirigale and HirojT Indulakara. He was also prepared to employ foreign
rsfNjrf
experts by paying them higher wages than usual.

ftRT fft TFfft Rlftf SS1S1 I, SBRftt SIR ft TSRjjftf ftl ftftRT RsTR fftST Shivaji’s ideas about forts are well reflected in the Ajnapatra of
Amatya. Forts were generally built on strategically important hills of
RSI RTI RRT fftRTft ft T% fftfts RTTR Rift
considerable height and not easy of access. Shivaji is said to have said :
fftSTI SSRR Sf ST fft Rftftft RTSR ftl
“The fort’s approach should be easy for friends and impossible for foes.”
iisul sft TTRlft tllsi % jjft ST ST^ST SRft
The approach to some of the
ftflT SHS)I H<*Hd STft ST ,JSISI TSTR Rsil |JUI
Deccan forts was very difficult. The
<t)K“l RTF t fft RtfftSTRT TSR^ft, ftft fft hill forts of Devagiri, Dhodapa and
Sffel, RcRjft, ftlRTJT, RlfRSRRT Rflfft, ^ItRH Hatagadha were provided with
RTRSft % StfftSST ft ftl RTRFT <3?tT R1RRR subterranean passages. In some
RTS'S fftft sft RfR fttSR forts, such as Pracitagadha and
% TSR^ft RTtR'jft ft, RTTJ ft jj/MI %
Ruined wall of Cakana fort Bahirugadha, summits could be
ftftRRT ft ftl ISTSRfl ft jft % TSfS> % RS
approached only by means of a
ft ?nsR TSRjft ST RfiS TTRR fftST ST#TgR%fttTftlllft flfftlR SR fftST
ladder. Some hills forts had naturally
ST, RRT 1660 |. ft ^TT ST ^Rt?l SR SRST If RSTI fftSlftt % ST^T ft “STST TSRjft scarped summit, but some, such as
Rlt ftl Satara-Ajihkyatara and Panhaja, are
Hlftlftc-dl SR, jJTRT built on artificially scarped sides. RRTTaR RR RftqT-STT
Citadel gate, Purandara hill fort A gateway of Panhala fort
“There should not be a
higher point near the fort amongst the surrounding hills,” stressed Amatya.
SFRfftftt ft PlRjfti RlfftST RfTS Rff fftSI TtITT R% RWR ftlHIslIftsi
If there was a high hill near a hill fort it was generally destroyed. But at
% RS ft 5T%R1R fftlSTI 5Tf% fftsftrT, f^NI'll ft TSTRS Sft RISftf ftlRRT % ffts
some places the adjacent hills were converted into smaller forts. Examples
"ft RRSTT HBrsyui TTRRTI -3%!, HSIlift Sft TSRFffft fR STf % % fftR are the Lohagadha-Visapura and Purandara-Vajragadha fort-pairs.
TTStfftST RSJSTT fttl “TRjft STS -3R1T TffttR % sftftl Sft ftlfftST STS: Iftsftl Sffftl STTft The most important part of a fort is its fortification wall. In the
cftsKl ft Rtl^rl ll RR% TTSft Srft TSTR, TRS It ^SST HBllftsi % RTRR Hlft case of hill forts, the necessity of curtain walls was always determined
ftl, yields SIT fftsW SRft ll ft ftl fftlfft ft TTSft sift TSTR ST ftl STS' TTTIi by the nature of the hills. Some hill forts had additional fortification walls

RR¥ Ml I S5T Rlsft % IftlR %SR Rfft SRlft SIT It SRR SISft T¥ Rldl ll fftfft’R called cilakhata or ‘armour’ from inside running along the fortification
walls of their macfs. Such double walled cilakhatas can be seen at
ssfti ft fftfft^r ?TiTiftr ft rtst tist sfsft % ffts sfiftr ft fttlftsi silt I, ^rissr
Pratapagadha and Rajagadha. Parapets, one to two metre high, were
TTTft SRIR I, Sl| qftR-SR SRS1SR Rift Sit Rift ft ll Sft I ofttr ltft?T-RTft ST Pl'Klftl
built along the edge of a rampart to protect soldiers from the fire of an
RSft % M", ^ftt SIT Pih1uI [ft)SI ll 5T1 d<5, SR RftT RRSft RfTSfftt Sift TRjft enemy in front. Parapets were provided with loop-holes, merlons and
ftR ft RlRtjftl SR RTR rlSK ll RSI It ” (SJRTS TTTSR % ft S^d) embrasures.
The gates are generally arranged at strategic points on the steep
RTRT TRS ftf TS1SRT #T T# ft RlR^lf ft MSST ^fftSR 31ST Sft ll
and winding path of ascent of a hill fort. Amatya lays down certain norms
RSW sft Sit Will RR ft f?ISlftl ft SSTSR % RlR^ftl ST S)°RI SRft SR '3lfftsM -3TRR regarding the construction of gateways. According to him, the gates of a
SR fftST STI S'lift fR ^ftt Sft HT*Hd =ftt, 5^ H'R'Jd SR1S1 >3tR Sl| RR ^ft ftt fort should be built in such a way that they are not in the way of
SR1RI jft % TS1STS ft RifttRifft sRFftd lift % SRTR tSlSlftl ft RRSR TSTR fftstfftT bombardment from below. He warned that to have one gate to the fort is
SRft ST, RR% T^R-TRSRt % fftRlR ST ^fR R'lft TT^R % fttTTT TTST fttSTlftf ST a great drawback. The single entrance to the Devagiri fort was its strength
as well as its great drawback. Amatya, therefore, suggested that according
vHSit 'flSRlft TSlfftR SRft ST fftfts srh flSTI f^ISlftl % RSI fftftstt sftSlfttSRT ft
to needs of the fort, one, two, or three gates and similarly small secret
fftTST I ffti R% jft-TSTRRf Sit Mt It |4lfftST ft ft?RT RlRSRft sjtl |ft % fRRh
passages should be provided. The suggestion closely resembled the
rypR SR, RfftsSSRT-RTSRT % fftR filSlsft % ll ftFS RR1SST TSSfft ft - ftlftftR fftRft #T HM IjTTSRI S? principle followed by Shivaji. There are four gates to the Rajagadha fort.
Main gate, Ajinkyatara-Satara fort RlfftST ftrTR ftSR fftft^ft fftftssll ^lf Rislt ftsi ft TTSft % fftR ftsR <Bft ftl Sirhhagadha had two and Purandara was provided with four.
 jft ft ftftfftrt fsiroftt % fftroftf ftr rwt ft stqft ■smm ft Rroft rf
RJcf fftTO ll jft tflHRTO jfft ft HFH'f) ftftt Rrfftft R RTT77 TOlft ft ftf TOlftt

ftft 3?tT TOfft-l *151^ TOftt tlftt fttl fftroftf TOT TORT SIT ftjjft TOT Tltdl fft=T %

3^1 fttT TOJ % fftT jftr el'll TOftR"

RTTRT ftf5 j! ft tftRT-TOft WJTO R|rT TOftn ftl ftftftfft ftR #T

FTRTS % PlRjft R TOpft % fft77 jfftRT TO7! RITP TO7 ftl yfftcTT? RR ftftTTOS
ftft 3?0 jftf ftt ftlRro R fftft Tpfti ftt fttftf ft iff TOTR TO TITOR ll 3p5 PlRjj'lf
% TOTft TOffrtTO TOTOT I, RJ TTTTOTT-TlfftTOITOTT #T WIST f5 jft ft TOTOT
fffth TTO ft fftfftcl |l

“jjft % 'i^ftro ft) ftr ft Rift ftftt fti^ Heil) TO?t eift) toRt,” totto
ftir ftror TOFft ll RiR^ft ft) 'M<5)to ftft 'ftl ft ftt Heil) tr ftr Rf tumpR r tot
TOT fft^TT ^TTcTT SJTl RTT 310 TTOftl R 'mTIto 3)f Hell) 3)1 TTO ftfft jft ft HRnRfa ^jf-srft r ftrft to! sift fftfftw rir ft fttroftter
3?T fftro rrt ll vieie^i I - ftm'ia-Rmiji aflT jtr-rrtto ft) TjfTO-jftl jft tt Various types of spikes used on fort gates.

TOtft Hs?HJu) ft7! I, RI3ft mfttT TO ftTOTI RlRjftf % TO7#! ft ftTOT ftf TOcRWIT Sometimes the gateways of the forts are wide and high enough
ftftr wilt % trtot ft Rraffftr lift) ftfi 3?s fftftjftf ft few totto sifciRw ftroft to provide passage for elephants with their howdahas. Usually the doors
3)f TO3TTO 3)f TOrff ftfl ft ro/ftro ft) fftp Rlfftd DqRl ft) TURTTOT =ht| Dhk were made of thick timber, and fitted with long iron spikes. There were

ftftt ftti ftftt ftroft #ror roft Rwfeid yciiHji<j aftr titor? ft ft% to Tiroft ll rfRt guardrooms on both sides of these doors. A strong timber bar was used
to keep the doors closed.
% TO| 3ft ftMMft ft ftftftft 3ft TTO % fft77 TOTOTT ft? TOFft fftroft % TRT-Tira RP
Some fort gates had sculpture decorations on the frontal side.
TO ft ftteT RTO PTO^T RTOTO ^TRTT TOl RftlT ft f&3 (TORT), TOlfftTOI #11 apfcl
A common motif, called Gajasardula, shows a tiger pr lion trampling on
RfPT -did ftl
elephants. In another motif, the Gandabherunda, shows a lion or tiger
standing with small elephants under each of its hind feet and a two-
fftftjft % JHI33K aftr
headed eagle under its front feet. Although these motifs can be seen on
73lt 5TTT 3ift d*l| ft) TRft ft
the gates of many forts, their origin and purpose is not clearly understood.
tthRh) % Rnft R tm: Some of the fort gates constructed during the BahamanT period have
ftft?T-5TT RTFT ^ ll 5lft?T-5Tft ft) Arabic inscriptions on their arches.
RlHlul % ftft ft '3THM ft 3i0 Rihh Bastions or towers, the
fftqtfftr ft?77 ll ft fftrgft | : “5ft projecting parts of the fortification,
were built along the entire perimeter
ft) 3R fRf RfR ?jTR fft) fttft
and invariably on either side of the
ft RT R ftldNlI) R ^ RT Rf%l ”
gateway. Great care was taken in
Rlfft R ftidel Rf) It ftft^T-SR
^rff ft RftT-SI<1 ftt dldl'H ftddI
strengthening the ramparts and the
Typical Gateway
R3ft ft? ftft RSfSTFT fft?3T ll ftdRlR gates with massive bastions,
R ft?RT Rf? 5ft?T-STT ^ Ri? iftR RT jft ftl jft7? RRTT I, ft 'jftft ftlT uft generally semicircular in shape. Tift) sR, WIS
ft) RTT ftcTT ll 3R: RRR ft gSRIT I fft? RFf^Wn % OftpT gft ft? fftt Another feature of a hill fort Pall gate, Rajagadha hill fort

RI?, ft RRTT ftft Sift ft) RR«TT R(ft STfftt #7 uftt TOT JR R7) ft Rift was the macT - a level ground near the top or between the top and the
foot of the fortress. A long and specious ground on the hill, macT has
Rflftl TIWTS ft? TOT ift^T-SR ll Rie'15 ft? ft ftft JTR % TOT ?ft?T-SR ll
been described as the trunk of the fort. Being well fortified, macT was as
Rft-Rjt jftf % ?ft§T-51T ?dft ft% #T ftft I fft? Rift ft wift, Rift? good as an independent fort.

JRT Rfft |l RIRflT R HWM ftftt RUlt ft? Rift ft ftR RI R ftft Hill forts were also equipped with metas-a small observational

ft% Rift ftl RTOft ft? ftft RT? Mefteift ftt Rftfftro Tfftt fttl R3?lt ftt post on the slope of a fort. There were often more than one meta on the
way leading to the fort. These watch-posts were without fortifications.
RI? RlfT 3?lt ft RTOft ftl R T731 RITO
The crown of the hill fort was the ‘citadel’, called bala-e-killa in
RI 3?0 jft-STft ft? TIFlft ft? TO7! R RT1R
Persian and balekilla in Marathi. Perched on the highest spot of the hill,
ft fttT R fiTRIffftft ftllft ftl fftnftt ll
citadel was the inner fortified area where the king or the fort commander
RI? RFI RfftTOS I RTVI^T, fftnft RI? TOST stayed. The most famous example of a well fortified citadel is that of
rstto ffts frfftftt fti ^Rift i77 fftai! ftro Rajagadha.The citadel there had a state office (sadar), residential quarters
|i jtrt arfftros I w^rts, fftnft ri? tost for the royal personages, a small market and ample supply of water from
the Brahmarsi tank. The hill forts of Purandara, Torana, Pratapagadha,
TO fft? ftl Rift lift fftjft ftft ft? Itft ^lft‘
etc. also had their well protected citadels. Some land forts also had their
iftft Slfftft ftl #T TTFlft ft ftft ft? ftfft ft
inner enclosers where the palace of the king was protected by walls and
jf to% R?f fti 3ft% |tr fftroro rh Ii
bastions.
eidifft ft RfftnFT to| jftf ft sift r ftroft WIRT? jf TOT JTFTT Tlftn-TOrf
A fort could not be called formidable if it was not provided with
ftl Ifteld I, TTJ ?RI?1 JTT '3ftT HHIdd Old gateway of Pratapagadha fort
RTTRTS <jft TOT Rf? TftST copious supply of water and food. Amatya has rightly emphasised the
A spur of Pratapagadha fort
 'gtRC ll RRft R7I % RfR R 37S <0-51% % %RT#T R 3Rt 3#f^M %73% importance of water supply on a fort, as he says, “after first finding out if
there is water in the place, then a fort should be built.... Tanks should be
^T pMcf tl ^ R OHgM'tJ, % tfrlT TT yiR< if RTT; eft $iK PH=b$1 (|q Rf%
made on the cliffs of forts in places where there is black rock having no
cracks. If there is even a small crack,
it should be seen that by applying
cOnam (lime mortar) no leakage takes
place. Highest priority was given to the
construction of tanks, wells, cisterns
and store houses for grains, and they
were often cut out of rock. The
Garigasagara reservoir at Rayagadha
and the rock-hewn Gahga-Jamuna
vn^ei r Rirni^'i, KfliH'ii RlRj^f jisff *f-s r Rich|cm, JiiReuico Ricii cisterns at Sivanerf are still in good
Sardula motif, Pratapagadha hill fort Gandabherunda motif, Gavilagadha fort condition. The three huge granaries
(ambarakhanas) at Panhala are still
intact; the largest among them, called
RT tl% t, efft HFT: '3%?T-'5R % tf% RTIT RTcf %l yiWI 3?f7
Ganga KothT, covers nearly 950 sq. 'srarc RV, W13T jrf
5f=T5T-ST^T =ft f%R7T RTFIT lt!T sffl 5% RyaK R
metres space and is 10.7 metres high. 'Andhara Bava' step-well, Panhala fort
R%%RTR #1% tfl
Marine Forts and Maratha Navy
RlRjj'l =ft tRj ^?R fcf%RTT t - *77^1 ^ ^ %I%f R 3TRTT Flil RIT
Situated between Sahyadri ranges on one side and the Arabian
if Hl4l «ft RTcR *]j% tldl tl HMl % %% 3^7 fcR^fcT *)>;M jj’f
Sea on the other, the narrow Kohkana strip stretches from Daman in the
R 7RT R?T RRT tl hMT Rt -373% Rf? Reft sff, Rff^R R? Wf> Wf north to Goa in the south. Though Kohkana is a rugged and hilly area,
% RRT jjt ft tiff) «Stl historically it had always been associated with the Deccan Plateau. It
has numerous creeks, rivers and bays, and there was ample supply of
RlRjifl if =ft ft RRR Tfeft
teak for shipbuilding. Therefore, right from the early historic period we
sftI % 'idl'l R 'l?M % feR RfR Rf have records of some flourishing seaports on the Kohkana coast, the
RTF Fif iR R?% %l jjt R t^ii % two most famous being Sopara (ancient Surparaka) near Vasaf and
ReT if 3TRTT qF> % 3fRR7 %% eft RcjRT eft Bharuch (ancient Bharukaccha) on the mouth of the river Narmada.

RTrft sftl fT if^t Fff ^ft fexrHfl Ftt M sftl In the medieval period, much of the Kohkana sea trade passed
into the hands of the Arabs. With their superior navy they captured the
=//e)fteW/ fftftj'f R gf? tlR Rl Rift if
overseas trade in this area. Then in the early fourteenth century a group
3^pxT F? ‘=ll?lRt)TCll’ SIR RRft % ‘“TMf-tf-
of daring Abyssinians, who had embraced Islam, captured the island
Rbrrll’ % RTT t (‘yidl’ R 3?sJ t ‘Rf% vSR
rock of Janjfra (from the Arabic word JajTra meaning 'island') guarding
tlWlffe f%eTT, RTW R’)l Rfft % tt'fd ijfft RFf R RTT tftf % the mouth of the Rajapurf Creek. They fortified Janjfra and made it their
Sarajyakota fort, Kulaba rrt cfiftfevf % ft 7MT 3RcjT PbeKK R capital and naval base. They were supported by the Sultans of Bijapur
Pltltt fldl Sffl yidlRbr^t R 7M% yfe<& and Ahamadanagar and the Mughals, as and when the occasion arose.
TW>R PlRjf R r; RR The Abyssinians, called Siddis, helped these powers but always opposed
RtlRT f 7TRT5I cRt % =ll$liWl if TR#?
A spur of Rayagadha hill fort' the Marathas.
RTR (WX), 7M-qf%R % Rf^T % f^R
The overseas trade from Arabia to Indonesia was a monopoly
RRTR, tR7 dff «fRR RtT W^Rtfif rlMW % if 'ddl^Rl =ft ifrR RRSff fft
of the Arabs till it was broken by the Portuguese. In 1510 AD, Albuquerque
tl JJTR, dl<ull, yaiy'is Riff RiR^yt R ft R^ft Rf ^JTTffTrT sndRbddi ^ft RR^Il
conquered Goa. Soon after the Portuguese occupied Chaul, Vasai
sftl f ft ftrrtt PlTR tlrf f, RR TMf % H6d fR[T RR ^tt (Bassein), Daman and other strategic seaports. The overseas trade
% ^RIT RFT ^ft Rift sftl between Europe and south-east Asia became Portuguese monopoly.
Then, in the seventeenth century came the English, the Dutch and the
French who erected their warehouses on the west coast of India.
jjf =tl Rf flR ^Sfq r ^TRTT sjy^ Rl Rfif RJl Rft fftT
The Mughals were a land-based power.They neglected building
WTST-tflHifl sff 3TRSJT rr fyl 3R1R f if Rft % RTE| R fR> ft Rf ffR |l
up a navy. The Sultanates of Bfjapur and Ahamadnagar were gradually
R R?f t : “Rdf R RT RHR7 f% RT RTf Tift t, rift Rt RIFff Rfftf
becoming powerless. In the coastal strip of Konkan the Portuguese were
... % ddlfl R Rf R? RUf 'tllftf, RT tRU Rltf R# Rft RTR til a well established sea power, and the Dutch and the English had their
§lft-ft ft R1T Roi^ f ff 13% ^RT-Httld % Rsff d<5 R fRT qiffRI ” dldldl, trading centres. The Siddis of Janjira were playing havoc with sea
Raft, afx qTR-ct!ioKi % fddRl sfl 3R% ^RIR RR Rsfl RTrfT SJT, ftT 5% communication and the people of the Konkan coast.
UFf: ^gNI ff sfjIRR RMT dldl SJTI r.iy'is, R 'iy|f|id< dldld afK filddd % RIT- It was under such circumstances that Shivaji thought of
sppi arft ff arsft f%iff f tl wist % #R ff?M qw-stiRT (awwif) conquering the Konkan and extend and establish his sovereignty over
the sea. He launched a programme of shipbuilding and capturing sea
fl a?ft ff% |tr || ^ryf j[5y ‘Jj7|j cj5|<il’ dlHdi ^M-yjIdK 10.7 ftR 3RT
forts. Ships were built at Kalyan and Panavel. He had several
t afR Rif 950 Rt-ftR WH tl
engagements with the Portuguese and the English. But Shivaji, in spite
Rif frfcf t fRT PTRIR
Ruined church in Vasaf fort of his several attempts between 1658-78 AD, failed to capture the island
fort of Janjfra of the Siddis.
VFjrf gV 3fk *NT3T wfrtiWT Shivaji spent huge sums on
the construction of ships and naval
feiRRR iff, ffeRifet tri Rfer wife MfeiHMi I -affr ^rtf ■feR to rtftr, forts. He constructed at least a dozen
TtTR fe 'tR-1 % RlRH 5%°! fe %TT RTRT fe^ff gf |l Rqffe =bl'=tiul fet ^jffe 35Sff‘-IIMS' coastal forts. Sindhudurg, close to
Malavana coast, was the most
fetR wfe I, TTR yfesifRlRi gffe % A? Rlfet <tA<sH % WI % -git Rife tl Ttrfe
formidable of Shivaji's new
AgRT Rift rRai feflR yilsRi t, ^flT fetRRfetT % PihH % tferf RTTfefeT Rfe TA^RT ARwIl
constructions. Other important sea forts
OTRTES} |l 5RfeR aiTRffeAI ^rrlglRlcb AIM fe fetARR RM RR RT^T ATRAT? tlfe
which received his attention were wpt rrrtwt, rwtm fewgl
fe Alfe fe ffe AHRlfl ffeRifet tl T^fe ^ RTAfe RffelR few? fe - ARlf % RRlfeAT Koaba, Suvarnadurga and Vijayadurga. Mah§ DaraWaja, Kulaba sea fort
felRKI (UlfeH ^feRAl) 3fR Rtfel % ggffe RR AftA (yifel-1 ariate0)i These were renovated and their
fortifications strengthened. However, Shivaji had not the means and leisure
A«AfJA if feiRRR ^ aiffeWR RTgfef EA1RTR SIRfet % j?T«tt if EMI RAT ATI to build bigger ships and look beyond the coast to the open sea. What is
BHR-ll fefRTR fet-Rltfef fe ART RR U-ttfe ^RI feA % ffefefet EATRTR RR 'h^l AIR ffel-MII important is that he founded the Maratha navy. Shivaji can well be

few #??fet Rfef % 3ITRA fe aRRIR fel fefetAITR AIR <3r4|RhPH-M|4 Alffefei % RAT acclaimed as the father of the Indian navy.

RTTfRfe RRA fe RMTgff RJlfef % gtfefe % RTRT % Afekl % Ejcqfet fetR RR STtfeARR ATR When Sambhaji, Shivaji's son, also failed to capture JanjTra he
built an island fort, called Kamsa, just 9 kms north of JanjTra. But Karhsa
fePTT (-STR^f $MT trftV Efw 3lfe I ‘fetR’)l ufeife fefetRT fet ffefefefet Afe, W 3TRfef
did not play any important role in the Maratha history. Sambhaji's efforts
RMATfet RATfRRT Afe #R 3% UPTTT fetfeffeAI 3RfT AATATI RTRII^RTR fetTlgR Rim
to check the Portuguese were not successful.
3HJRFR % Rj^dlfe #R g’lfef fe AAAfe d(?IA<1l Afel fA 3T#feffeATTfe fe, ffefe ATRRT
Maratha navy blossomed
fe ffttt ttt rat, rtra-rtaa rr ta Rftfei sifferfe Afe rrr Afe, rrrj wfe ait ifesm under the leadership of KanhojT Angre
ffefeq Rb-MI I (1667-1729 AD). Recognising
KanhojT's talents, Shahu, Shivaji’s
gfeAllfefe % RTFTTR RT=f> RTrRrT fe feAIR IfefefeTRT RTAT % ffefefet EATRTR RR grandson, put him in charge of the
RRRfer AIT RAAffeAITR R1RI 1510 fe -ATRgRIAi fe %RI RR AlffeAITR ATR ffeATl felR Maratha navy. KanhojT built a strong
ARfe If gfenffefe fe #A, RRl|, RRT #R 3TR WRfjfe RTglt RRRRltf RR If RRRT fleet and strengthened several sea

^W feRTl ^tlR #R RfelRT % Ifef % fefelff ®ITRTR RR I life'll RR forts. Vijayadurg and Kolaba near
Alibag were his main bases. KanhojT
RRRffeRRR RSJlfeRT tf RRTI few RTRflt Rife fe R^R, RRTfRTt #R SEf 3ITR, fer#T
repulsed several attacks of the
RTRRT % RfeEpff RTS RR JIRfe-RIRfe llRIR R«IlfeRT felRI
European sea powers. However, he
could not contain these foreign
yifei fef differ 3I#R RTRI If RftffeR Itl irtife RffeRT % ffeRfeT RR fell
powers. His control over the coastal
s-RTR Rif feRTI fewrjR #R RTFRRRRR % RpRRTTR ?Tfe:-?Tfe: ?|[felllR life 3fl Rl fel
waters did not extend north of
fefeWT R?f Rig5-Rff fe JRfRlfet Riglf differ % WR R -REjff RfRf RRlferf If RR fel RREfesjf 3im (1667-1729 f)
Mumbai.
sfei #R ofefei fe -3RRfe EZURTfr Ife R«#IRT RrR ffeR fel fefefel fe fefef Rigfe RTR1TRTRT lanhojT Angre (1667-1729 AD)
KanhojT’s successors failed
fe RRTSI jRKRft fe fe?T 3IT R| I #R fefRRR RTS fe PlRlIfeli fel ^S-HfelS r| fel to have cordial relations with the Peshwas. The Peshwas, in return, took
the help of the East India Company to destroy the Ahgres. The result
feRff RfefMfe fe feTRlfef fe feiRIW fel life WJS RR 31RRT 5ITRIR was the decline of the Maratha navy.
R«JTfeRT Rwfe RR feREfR ffeRTI ufefe feRR-fen#! #R sfevilli RR RT^RT Rlfer RR The Peshwas, being busy in their northern adventures, were
RRfefRT OTR1*! R1R feRTI RwRiW #R Rsfer I felRRR RRfe RTfel JRfenffell #R fefefel dependent mainly on their cavalry. The forts of Maharashtra, particularly
fe RTTR Rl| RTR URRfe 5^1? g|l WR 1658-78 |. % IfR RR RRRR r^rr RR the hill forts, were not of much use to them. In the Peshwa period, the
forts were mainly used as administrative headquarters and also as feRlfet RTtR, RRRTR5T Rfe
feTRTfef ffefelf fe fefefel IfR^I RR aifeRRR Rif RR RTR !
prisons. In the later Peshwa period they were also used as safe resorts NaugajTgun, Naranala

ffeRTfef fe RfRR# #R Riglf gif fe feRRI RR Riff ^RT nfe ffeRTI -R^tfe for hiding from the British forces.

tT^ Riglf gif fef RRTRRT fefl RMRW RTS % RTRT fef% ffef^l f^TRlfel By 1818 AD, almost all the forts of Maharashtra were captured

5RT RSm RR RR SJSTglf R RTRfe SRI felRlfel fe ffeFT 'SFR Rigll gif RR fefeR by the British. Of what use were now these Maratha forts for the British
rulers? There were two alternatives. One was to preserve and garrison
s3rr feRT fe fe RiRim, gRfegl ^fe ffeRRgli ?rrI rrwrt rr% rr^r
them. The other was to destroy them. Mount Stuart Elphinstone, who
RRTI felRlfet fe RTRT ?Rfe RRSRR affR RRRRTRT RR ^RTRT RTRR slf «R ffe Rf sfet-Rlf
was an authority on the Maratha affairs, writes :" It is evident that these
■TfiRpf sHcjfe #R rldcfef Rigs fe 3{fe fe 1|fe Rigs % Rfe I llPcll H«rR Rl forts if kept up must be extremely expensive both in garrison and provision
RTRT Rf I ffe Tjfejfe WRIST RTRTRT Rl RSRRRT Rfel felRTlf fel RISR If RTRRffel felRHI and repair and if merely abandoned by us could be liable to be occupied
RR feRTT R)5I WT RTRIRR ll by insurgents and hill bandits, and being almost all exceedingly strong,
might require a regular army to reduce them. It seemed, therefore,
WR felERlf RR fesr RTRFfe If HfRT fef life I '3TRTRRR RfT, fe URlfe HfeT necessary to destroy them..."
fe 9 ffe.lt. 3RR fe RRRTT RTRRI ItRgl RRRIRII RRg RRR1T fe WRJST % ^fef?IRT fe Thus, most of the forts of Maharashtra were systematically
fell HgiR'jl gffeRR aisr slf rIi gfe'iilfeli fer feRife % fem Riwff fe rrtrt rtrtrr dismantled, their defences and approaches were blown up and their water
reservoirs destroyed.
rH rIi
The north Indian forts did not receive such treatment from the
RRT^ ffefe fe fetRTR RR TRR> *mT 5TR
WRIST IfepR RR 3RRRf RRfellf 'S# ( 1667-1729 |.) fe fegRR fe |3RI British. Why? Because the British finally took over the country from the
A ruined gate at Vasal fort
SRPIlfef Rfe fewRIT fer Rf?E[TWRjR feTRTfef fe Rfe ?TT^ fe Rife RRRR Hrhi RR RgiR RRT Marathas, and they feared them the most.
 fftRTI 'bl'llft ft RRT ^Tt^rT^TTvft RFTft Ml ?|RR fftRT aftT Tit Rjft jjft ftf <£$<? Today most of the forts of Maharashtra are in utter ruin. Still,
RRIRII Rrl drift % ^Mld 3lf=klRI % Ri| RHRI ftl Rw RR fftTT 8JTI W TpT SltftlRI much can be salvaged and preserved for history and posterity. The history
of these forts is the history of Maharashtra — of the last two thousand
RR Ril^ RTRT RRft RR Rft R1R Riff sftl rjR| % RrR ft deqft RJ5 RT Rrl’llft
years.
=f>T afttRiK Rtliftd dll f|3TT RTI

R>iftift % TcRrfMrft ^r^Tcn-^t % rft arfti rM rrr Raft ft

Til $Rft cKHi, Rift Rft ?lRkl ftl telcH RRft % fM ftTTRTTaft % |tR $[sai Rftlft
Rft RRR ft ! RRuIHd: RRRT ftfftRT RR RcRT #1 R^TTI

ft?TRT 'FTRTRR 3R|ft 3rft arfftRlft ft SRR Mf ft, ?t#R % gt5RR: 3TRft
rtrtM ftRT it anfftR fti h@ki^ % 5ft, trtrrr fftftraf, 3tr RRft fftftR RRftR
ft rH fti ftTiRT rtr ft 5ft rr ttM rrtrr % ^srmr afp; RRRRTftr ft rr ft
j|3TTI 3rR ftRRT RRR ft 5R jj# TT 3HRI‘I flrfe^T fttft % TFlft % RRTR RRft RTft
‘t«"M|U| SR, fft?RS <jif
TTRRRTfftft % RR ^ ft gaiTl 1818 %. RRT aft# % R5TTF5 % RRRR Rft
Kalyana gate, Sirhhagadha fort
RT Rj^RT RR fftRT RTI fftfeT 3IIRftl % fftR ft jjft 3TR [ftd aRal‘1 ft R? RR ft
? ft fftRTRT ftl TT - fR jft' ft RRRR R3RR TiflRTftRT R3RTI ^RT RT
- RF RR ftRTI Hlvic RTaft yffttitid, # RRRT RTF# RR aRSf RTRRRR RT,
ffttRRT | : “Re? RTF I fft fR <jft RiT R# RRRR RRT RR, ft fRftl RRRR Rift
ft affT $dft RRRiftRT Rslft cfRT TJRft Rl d RTR?ft 'jftft ft Rjlftf RR oft RRRT MS ■‘III
afR, R# fft ^ # RT# ftf fftlT RR, ft ft Rlfftft affR Rflft SFgft RR RftTT
RR RR# ll RRRR Rftt gft aRRR RR^T I, ^R#R fftftflft ft WT Rtft ft
fftt CR5 fftRfftR ftRT # RRft Ml RF RT ftRT ft T^rr RRRT I...I”

fR RRjR, R¥RI^ ft arfftft^T jft ft TRT-RIRft ft R1RRRRT ftfl RRI,

aaft ftft?T-HI‘H ft SRK1 RR fftRI RRT afty RRft RRRft
o ft RF RTR RTRT RRTI
TfR RRR ft §ftf ft RTR aftft ft ftRT R^fR> R# Mil Rft ? Rftfft afftft ft RTRT
Ril R^F aftlR: RR# ft RfftR fftRT RI #lT T% RR# ft # aifM RR RT I

3TR ft RTR: Rft jft ftSFf Rft |R ll M ft #ftfTR afpT Rift

ftfftft ft fftr RRftt RR1RT RT RRRT ll fR % iftftTR RR afft |, RfTR^
ft fftlR ft WRIT R# RR ftft^TR I

* » *
JfFRft ftM?, fftaftft Jif
KamanT mosque, SivanerT fort

cTt^TS % y3s#i-Hi4 SIT

One of the main gates of Lohagadha fort
 Fort Glossary
(Fort, Fortress) : q? si«i qjqfri % ‘5%’ sps Bf «FH t, faw a# I: Fortress : A very large construction specially designed for defence of a
‘RFI Mgtui tl'l <£>) % '3Tsf ?f 3PT y-'iIBid t - f%et[, 'Blct afR H3I place against enemy attack.
‘Pb<di’ aqq^t qq t, fat™ at?} I ‘qrrif % qrqq srqiq =fJT qq> firt’i Fort: From the French word fortis, meaning 'strong1. A small fortress.
% ‘I'bBinK’ afR ‘Riddel’ ^Br ?i^ hR tl h<io1 ‘fatii’ q>i ‘i'Btvii’ ct>eBi tl ‘'Bid’
Citadel : Called bala-e-kila in Persian and balekila in Marathi, it is the
31^ Utjcl % "'Big’ % 2RT tl fM % <IT5’ 3W % faq qtiol ^f qitq ‘q3’
highest portion of the works of a hill-fort. Citadel was the inner fortified
qq q%T tlrfT I; WT3, f^T5 atlftl f# Bl *Rltft qq 'qSqRf SR? «HT tl
area where the king or the fort commander stayed.
cRgd: RtfrT qq ?RT ,313’ ft t, falTRI 3T«J |: ‘Bra |3H qqRT’l ‘jf’ 3I5J qgtff
Rampart : A flat-topped defensive wall which surrounds the fort. The
rfe^T Bf tn-l =Bt Pldldl tl tfet =RTRr ‘jjq’ 31^ qq at?} ?tT - qqtffl
wide surface at the top can be used for patrolling or taking up positions.
<t I el HWel I (Citadel) : dddl Bf yqfad qf HiKdl % ‘dMI-q-fatll’ % aqs
Wall : A high defensive structure narrow and rounded at the top with no
IR qq spfT t I rRTRft % ‘qTdtl’ 3K qq at?} t: ‘TTR qq', ‘qfajfaerll’ =f5T
flat surface. It cannot be used for observation or patrolling.
aqsf |ati: ‘PiR^'l *t tidti 3?r q-TT fatti'i diRiRbwi if <mi arsiqi Pbei^K qq Piqiti
tlrfl «ni Cilakhata : Literally meaning 'body-armour1, indicated a closely set dou¬
ble line of curtain walls, the second line being higher than the first. Exam¬
yi<t>K (Rampart) : feBi =ft tRfr tRnq, fat™ atqft qqr qq^t 4l-si trl tBi
ples of cilakhata exist at Rajagadha and Pratapagadha.
qq^Brer qi qqftqi ■# qi?Br tl qiRpqq % qRftq M ^ RfeT t f% qiqqq qq tsqBt
qpT ftHT ^teT trqT diffq qqr qq qq> qq aqqtpft % d til'll ■ht r%i qiqqq qq Parapet : Also called Battlement. This is a 1 to 2 metre high wall built
along the edge of a rampart to protect soldiers from the fire of an enemy
TqBrq Mftdlfl % fetR tim sjti
in front.
urrftq. rfRnq (Wall) : BrB1 qsmRTR fRir faqt% tsqft wt qq %t m q trl
Loop-holes : Called jahgya in Marathi, they are made into the parapet to
^Bi q^Bra ‘ft q^Bi ti
enable the defenders to fire upon the enemy below.
(fad'iau (Cilakhata) : ^pri sulfas ar?} t - fan?, q<xK qi qqrql qiqf-qrcT qqif 3rqei^< q> RiBl qq qq> tm

qf tr q^iirH'R ftartr =Br Rid<gd 'Rfrt tl 'fid(I fldK Bt qifft fldir a#pR Merlons :The alternate high parts of a parapet between the embrasures A gateway of Acalapura fort
(see below). They afforded protection to the soldiers standing behind it
qMt Mt tl rM‘i«> aftr ydN'is. f [dd<ad foa =Br If aid tiat
and firing through the loop-holes.
M'Scfj'Is (Parapet or Battlement) : qpRR % OTT qT?ft f^Rqft % W8!
Embrasures : Openings made into the parapet for observation and firing.
qqif qf q^R Br ti ft^r q^R ®ft ftqrr, Rrrri qqfrq qiqf % ^ 4 qwidid
tr ^RqBi qt % faiq trai m Machicolations : Openings made in the floor of a projecting gallery on
(Loop-holes) : Msalid f qqqr qq ffeti 'Br qq^t f ‘aqqi’ qigd tl wqt the top the gateway for dropping solids or liquids on an attacking enemy.

% qq (jst) % ‘q'qi’ qqr ti aid % qq qididid qqf % feiq ^qqq qqfpr Bastions: A kind of tower at the angle of a fortification projecting outwards
fieri qn from the wall or rampart. Generally semicircular, they were built along
the entire perimeter and invariably on either side of the gateway. Their
arefdrei (Merlons) : qs=Bia f qiifepRi (ffeq ft%) % ftq f qqqqq f qqiq qq
main purpose was to provide continuous fire on any advancing enemy
35% qrqi f# wk ifqR IiPfr aiqft qqr qq qqci ^ atq m ft ^qqT f
line from end to end.
Bt qq qieiidifl ft qn ffrct ®ii
Moat : A deep trench round a fortified place, often filled with water. It
ipifeictJi (Embrasures) : qs^Brs f qqiq qq <ainrl qsqq, ffqqq aqfrq hr fof
was for keeping the enemy away from the fort walls.
aftq fnidiCl % feiq ftert qn
Glacis : A gently sloping earthen mound built round the outer edge of a
nft^T (Machicolations) : gf-SR % qqq qft tqrft % cm f ff fes, Rfqqq
moat.
qqfiq qq ^ra qr qqqr ffr ffqif % feiq tnq siti
qwjq fen
Traces of glacis can still be seen at the Ahmadnagar land-fort.
(Bastions) : feiq ftfcT qq jqqr ^ ‘aifieiq’ tl fffr q5t ftqq q Balapurafort
qrqqq f qq qi¥q ^Bt afq ffqqq §aq qnqq qrq, fT mq: arfBiqqqqq ti?q t, ft Gateway : An opening in a wall or rampart for communication. In hill-
qr ar^TePR ch^etlell tl fft qiqqq f afR tM: qcf?I-5R % flft fR qqTqT ^TTcTT forts there was usually one massive gate and an inner gate placed at

mi aqf qs qft qq qq> fBft Bt fFf fBfB qqt eiaidit rr qR d^a % fBq; right angle to the first. Often there were a succession of gates, as at
Sivanerf fort. The passage between the gates was generally crooked or
^qqq qqfrq fraT «qi
zigzag. In the case of hill-forts, like Rayagadha, the massive bastions
mR^i (Moat) : ft % ’q|atR qft ftft afR q?tt nfi ?if fr ft qtt ftqR Br flanking the gates replaced the right-angled or crooked gateways. The
f qnf % feiq iiif f utr: qpft qqi ^nqr afR qqft qqqqes fi% qqBr fi doors of the gate were made of thick timber, and fitted with iron spikes to
JcIRiqi (Glacis) : qfRqr % HTftt qq qq q|fR qqr ff^t qq si^; fteni BtBt ftR counter the battering of elephants.

% arqtrq ai^qqqqq % ffiei f aq RqBi ti Barbican : A projecting watch-tower over the gate of a fort.
ff-ST? (Gateways) : ft f aqf-aia % feiq qiqqq q flair f aai^ qf igeft
Nagarakhana : A gallery at the top of the gate where musicians played
an? fi sr qi?ef ti RiR^tf f armfR qq ftrift sr % naatn f qqr qqi ^q at fixed hours.
fsq 5R tim qn qjff-qft qqi % qn qqi qif 5R qqiq ^uBi Bi, ^fBi fti fiiaaBl
Postern : A small back door made into the wall of a fort.
% Pfiel. if tl 5tBi % ftq qq qif ttIHMd: fleTT «ITI qiW f wBFT
f qf siBi 'Bt ^Rnq gsq qf?i-SR % tiff %i qaj ft qqiq qq ti q%?T-5iBf Scarp : A near vertical rock face or cliff either natural or artificially made.
 -O

FortTerminology

After Naravane's Forts of Maharashtra

if cHm FT! wch HI<^l <?l<=h-^1 % tlcf TflT TJ% Flf^T F^t FFR % sRl'T % fr-FT Mac! (from Sanskrit mahca): A level ground near the top or between the
AHM ^ #T HI til 'hH'bltf (to) SfRft tSTTcft ?ffl top and the foot of a hill. Being well fortified, macJs were as good as an
independent fort.
ji <i Jivji (Barbican) - TT ttre s^jfi
HJik<stMi (Nagarakhana) : t^pt-sk % T£TT sprl sift |sfr tt%tit Meta : A small observational post on the slope of a fort. Generally, a
f^tf§TJF TFTT TT FPT s|Hlcl ®fl meta was a flat piece of land on the road leading to the fort. There were
often more than one meta on the way leading to the fort.
•iwfiiv (Postern) : ^ sht ftwi §ift tt«Mii
<tHiK (Scarp) : stiffs qr ff=R tit % ftPfa rwt taft ^iipti
ARTt (MacT) : JRI^t ^ araf^tl FF ST*? TRfF % ‘TF’ SR? % SRI ll %
<Tffl STSiaT #T PTE^r FTT % FKf if tocT RFrM ^ ‘^Ht’ FTFcf

ll FTEft ^ •3TE# FTF PlwHtJI ^ TfRft eft, FirfeR AF T^F FTF % WTF t^f
FTF tkft sftl
4ti (Meta) : ^ ^ sra it Epft wUrtt ^ ^t ^ptfi ttni-Mri: ff <^1 ^
% Tf^f <R 133) TFRRT ^FTF llrft sftl jf e(Ft| % TR% TT TIFTR TT ft
'Jtf^Rk ^TF «Miy Tflcf Sf|

qiclR'o-rll
>. CITADEL

^ftrrfr Ifarc T'Sn'lc

INNER LINE <■ > VERY HIGH NEAR
VERTICAL PRECIPICE
fszt Hftt
MIDDLE LINE ^

TTWft
CACTUS

FT SR
G Gate

FT dlelisi
T Tank

FT TtTR
SC Scarp

Tg ^3Tf
W Well

TTEE HcThIHI-M Ptfbjjf FT trffhFT

Diagrammatical Representation of aTypical Hill Fort

After Naravane’s Forts of Maharashtra

 BToff ^ 3TE?TTWf fcP? JlRlRf^RTT
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS ANDTEACHERS

rMt MlT if fttT T|TT TMr w c^lif Ml unq TRT UT R^jR % fMM HgrU^i The 24 picture-cards provided in this package can be displayed in the
classroom or any prominent place in the school. The pictures may be
RUTR UR UUflfa TR RTrT tl ^ MM Ml 3UU UtI UR RUTTR ?R% MM RUT Ml
stuck on cardboard with the title and description in regional languages. It
% #5 fM ru Murr Mi Mftu rtui *r M M ruM li rtr#u trt % ftMMn
can also be studied in-depth with activities that bring out the educational
TT^rcf Ml UUTRR TR% % feR R1U FU MM Mt UFRTf ^ R1TR FR% RUfRU MuM value of Indian art and architecture. The teachers can work with a few
TT URUUR =f5T RTcT ll 3?6-itN=bJ|«l Mt MM 3?M U^ uMMMM lj 0lM Ml rPrMu pictures at a time ensuring students' enjoyment in learning by involving
TR% MM UR Tl4 =f5T RUxT 1? : them in some activities suggested below :

rru % u| rttr % hhMu Mr ttr Mr urM Mt % MM 3M Mt MMu Mti In a large outline map of India, mark the sites of various forts of our
country. Find out the location of the forts given in the pictures in this
?r ttMu *r Mr ^f % Mr MtMti
package.
Mt % 3M tt aam trM urtt MrW Mi uM rtutM M uft M rmti(I um Make a study of the forts in India and collect information about the kings
Mtl FR RRIRMt Mt MMM TT Mr FR% M TT UUT RUTFM PiMMMicI 'UMTlfl and emperors who built these forts.
utMu Mt : - Climate of the location of the fort.
- rrtrt % Mr Mt trut^i - Natural surroundings, rivers, mountain range and the flora and fauna.

- UTffcIT MMt, rMut, uMt-MMut, urruM Mr q|-#i - People who built and lived in these forts, their occupation, etc.

- Fu 3M M MM Mr M Mi utM Mr ct«it Mi °uurtui - Music, dance, drama, craft, etc. of the period.
- Customs, regional festivals and associated myths.
- RHTIflH R'tlfl, UKT, tUK'MT'Ul UHMl
- Make sketches/rough outlines of some of the monuments from the
- UR Ml M MfM, Tt-Mt¥TR Ml RUMU #15 TURI
pictures provided in the cultural package.
- MU it fM/ RRIRMt % MM Rt UR% MM URTFM The forts mentioned in this package were visited by a number of travellers/
FR Mu *r Mq ur 3M Mr uMtR Mr rsutjMr rtrMu FftiFTR % Mrtr M historians in the ancient and medieval period of Indian history and these
people have left a vivid and interesting account of these monuments
m[5|4i / fRifirtM /muuM M Mr Mr fr% rMu qu Mm Murr M<a Ml
including the drawings/sketches. Collect such travelogues/memoirs/
I, MtM Mr fMq li M um-fMM / rirrrM / MMi Mr qru MtMqi ur
sketches. Notice interesting details in these travelogues such as the style
qpu-fMM I Mu-Mff, rirMi % u^iiri #r rtrutr % ruM fr rtMi of description, pronunciation of places and other contemporary
MM 3^ % 3MM ^1 qmu mM uumr rsrrr MM #c Mi rrrtur monuments in that area.
MMl I# RTF, Mi RT, Rp UIRUT mieR uu 3MM lUTUU Mr MM #T Collect and study the ground plans of different forts and find out the
uM fMfMi, uruM Mi urt ur^RR MnuiM M u?iM^ similarities and differences. Similar studies of ground plans can also be
made of your school, home or collage showing windows, doors and other
Enf^Tf, Hi^mrafi ^ ttwrt architectural details.

rM Mf mi ru; ft Mur t f% Mt %fir Mr ii^uI Mir fMi M % mu Understanding Religious Concepts

rr, Mi 1% urn ftfcf-fMu, MMifM, onfM, rfuMM, rfi urn f% All religions aim at helping us to lead better and richer lives. The outward
MiifM uirM % M, qrn-^M ^t Mrut rM Ii M MM urjmuR Mr rrtM manifestations of religion such as rituals, customs differ from one another
MM fifMm % ^ Mr t Mr % Mur % uurtr Mi MMuur tw ti mfM for historical, economic, political and even geophysical reasons. Many

fcf^uiM 'i Mr 3^! UTRfMr, fMuuntr Mr fMuM M uMM fMu F Mr uMu religious rituals and ceremonies are linked with annual agricultural cycle
and celebrations of life. Religious beliefs have influenced the architects,
uMui M % ydlmi Mr MMtM uu uuMt ur% rrtrMt uu Rj'Ud fMu ^i
sculptors and painters of the bygone era to create beautiful monuments
reunui rM srM Mr rtrMu MM Mr ur% Mf ur rtgrr mM Mi Mfi ruu using specific symbols and motifs pertaining to each religion.
M, u% f?3> ^Rnf, frrir, M rut fMu ruM uMm M % ufR ^r rtruuM Invite your students to study the religions and people of India and collect
% fM Mi information on each religion such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity,
Islam, Jainism, Sikhism and others.
ruturi % utMr uM ^r fMiR uuir M 3^ ^ “ift ^ rtruM M ti 5^ m fMn
Ancient texts on architecture describe a variety of forts. Durg or fort is a
ur rur ut rur-r^f Mi uM t, Mr ugRm Mur fM Mr I Mr fMM Mur
fortified building which many times encompasses whole city within its
U|Err 3RI 3TFR URT RFUI ll ^ ^ Mf^ UT RUR^, PtMj'f, lUR^ ut Mu^
walls. In these texts there is mention of land, hill, water or island and also
% rrtut UR3If Mr rr^ % uft M uiRuirfi u<au Mi fMM ll forest and desert forts.
siM Mi ruMf % 3^ M ?iMM rrr-utui ur % rtur u% um fM?RR ^ru M Students can be taken on educational tours to nearby forts or asked to
ruturi % Miftr uu ur«uuR uiM Mr Mil study the history of architecture of a specific region.

M M MMr 3M % MiFifM fMiR ur um utMurt Mr MtfMii Conduct a Project on the historical development of forts in our country.
Make a list of the terms associated with the architecture of forts with
3M % RUTURU ^r RufM ?tMi Mi rjM urtur urI urM uM M MfMii UR RjM
their meaning. Some terms like citadel, parapet, merlons, moat, macf,
I MMMrut, uuMir, nR<ai, rtM unfl ?im ?nfMi MffMti
etc. can be included.
Mr M MMr 3^ uM Mt 'UiRUutt mur tr% urM rtrurr % uft ^i ut tftM
fttfftyi Find out all that you can about the names of different forts of our country
ct>vM'1l 'blftlH ft) % ft)# ft# 3tTW Pi 31 FI qy| #fj ij ^fjrfpif and write a story how these were named.

sffttT, M #T cfRgfe -jfSM ^epifci % *5T ^ SP# #rt % #\ if f#|| Imagine you lived in a fort of the medieval period. Now describe your life
as an architect, a king or a common man.
ft)# ft F#f#T Mi'll# #T Rfi ^TW) R ^=R 3% RT BRT % #f# Ffrj^S
Dramatise the events involved in the construction of a fort and enrich it
ftlftlVl
with music of the period.
ftftRf 5# ^ ^f# 3i# w y.Rri'bi fftiT R# ri% #V if Ha^ft Make a scrap book displaying different forts'with important description.
ft^TRT #ftl# ^iT 3# % P# -3TFT RT ^#5 % ## ^ R Rtft ll You may choose pictures from this package also.

5# % #ff#T HT#T it# % Fft#AJSFuft R #15 #lftim Collect reference/quotations from ancient books on different types of
forts.
*Rrt % ftftfR Ml % iSJPRT/cfRg ^ #ff£m ■JTJR# % f%T=T •3# t*Rt
Collect pictures and references of the rituals connected with the archi¬
ftlftlVl
tecture of different regions of India.
<0 RT# =n% R# \?T % FMT# #T Tpft# % s# if f#%tr| Write stories about the dynasties and kings who built formidable forts in
ft*fT % ftfifR 3 ft R 3-f MMM-1 M)<ft R% PfR MM)KI if q ft M )5. ftlftlV : our country.
Conduct a study of various forts in our country and categorize these
RfJ’t ftf^t
monuments as per the following :
#15^ Flfljjf ■JTSIcfT
Forest Fort Mountain Fort
Island Fort Land Fort
Desert Fort

(ftg)|<P jjft 55 CRT yftw-gR

A gate of Lohagadha fort

Jllf^ci'16 1‘Fcl cTfT

A gun at Gavilagadha fort

#TTRT : PrftTT ## Editing Girish Joshi

^ftfSr Rishi Vashist

5#?R Rjfrf Production Samriti Chopra

Photography Anil Sharma
ftrsr 3tf#r vi#
Anil Aggarwal
3tf#f 3TTRM
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

f% 41 Sanskrit
Kautitiya Arthasastra Edited and translated by R. P.
45l?lrWiWI, 3T. *77Tcf % R77, 414^1, 1984.
Kangle, Bombay, 1976
^T, ^141414 WFT % 4^ Rcvfl, 1993.
The NJtisara by Kamandaki Edited by Rajendra Lala Mitra.
?j«q FWt fovT, 4^ ffeft, 1977.
Mahabharata (Sanskrit-Hindi) GTta Press, Gorakhapur.
^J=fvT, ls5is-iisi wrffc mm, dfcHvb, 1968.
Ramayana (Sanskrit-Hindi) GTta Press, Gorakhapur.

*Klcfl Manusmrti Edited by PranjTvana Pandya,

4H4>uTi, H<id?iw (cfa tas), g9!, Bombay, 1913.

o ’ '3FT.Tr. 3#T Tsft
ir.?.(iaw) 1984-86. Amarakosha Edited by Pandit Sivadatta,
“hii, 4R4 uter 3 mw $Rlf?W, frlSt9!, 1924. Bombay, 1929

'tfl&, 4144 4144 wiymr $ihhimi ^frtm, PFigr, 1979. English

>3#T gw fcvfm $Ru?w, 4Figr, 1997. Naravane, M.S. Forts of Maharashtra, New Delhi, 1995.
4P%4R, fepUM fi%m wrr, g4i 1995 Naravane, M.S. Maritime and Coastal Forts of India,
3m®^r, sirarrm feg wrmJt tfl'cr-mw, g9!, 1995. New Delhi,1998.

3141(4, 71444 'ffeR mtm, g^r, 1980. Desai, Ramesh Shivaji: The Last Great Fort Architect,
*, 31. a#! 4feR, 4. #FM 47=?% ffrg?f, g^i 1985. Bombay,1987.

Sarkar, Jadunath Shivaji and Flis Times, New Delhi, 1973.

Prf^T
Davies, Philip Monuments of India (vol.2),
44^1 fe4=fe London, 1989.
HdKI^ % feu j|5|^4<
Tikekar, S.R. Maharashtra : The Land, its People and
4?RP£ 4474 feiTTT 4514-Sa) fe SRI 4¥RFsg % fe^T % 4ft ^1 3ltfe 4 h<I<j|
their Culture, Bombay, 1966.
^ 441lfel <ter.
Edited Maharashtra State Gazetteers :
History -Ancient Period, Bombay, 1968.
Apte, B.K. A History of the Maratha Navy and
Merchant Ships, Bombay, 1973.
Pagadi, S.S. Shivaji, New Delhi, 1990.
 eg sfrlMVl

CENTRE FOR CULTURAL RESOURCES AND TRAINING

15 A, Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi-110 075
Phone : 011-25309300 Fax : 91-11-25088637
email: [email protected]
website : www.ccrtindia.gov.in
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3ifq igtcfi qRff qmf qqrqq grsq qRfq 11
ir q# if graft 4q>t fq *n£=i (nra) qff PiemgiP qRR gt ti gqr erqqq 0554 qR gqr fRR qq 5P5141 =4)540 R gRisi-n R =gsr gsq
?R? qff RloMFfjfa. #41=51 3# WR qtf t. qg|4H3 R 3Tftq; fR# R tl fRqqgq qR aRnt qq cam qoi=qq 3rRRf qR Rqr R i8is t. R srqR
R^ R qRf iTFff if gqRf 44i4=hl - RmRT-qefR, qrqq qpff qr=4=fif4
4441=4) tR Rf# qff fRe# tl =M ?qr P> =4 qq qeqfRr Tpq R affq qgf R =4)540 qq qqqiR qR 1
=0141=44, 41=414. STRT-=ti!dl4, qRi44s1MI, qRq. 3fTR - 7^ srqtiq qiq
iRuiHd: qq# qR =4)540 Rfg Rq qgr 1 =4)540 qq gfRgrqr qqqR =#
=4i=i 11 Rid qq =11=414!, ^sf 3ffq ^sff R qTTqiT R qqrfm qpff qq^ra
W cfeRTI t fR 4ss<5) 7# R 3=i4|tf if cptoSt '414414 '41413, % gqr jffq 11 gqr qq Tft 41=4=17) qq Tpsqr qgT: 4110=1154, qi=gqq, 41(^=110, qiqq,
sqi >4=5414=1) qrR qq qpff qf) tgqq Tqqqeir sff, ^qrRrq RRt qff stR
q? <4=5-si qn qq; Pi=ii 44141 sir 1 fRq 3fgqqqqq R fRnmqTTg R qq; qgrqRf, fRqrTq?ntf, gqqr srfq qqreT 1 fliqi# R
Tqmq qPRRraf qtf qq t^Rtt aff i
#nqfrt fl«an ^ Ifl R 3lfa)qqq qtei 7# qq; H-ogo fR=4T qqTm 1648 t R gqi fRR qq srfRqqq qrq fterr eq, qqg gqgq # tfR R
afR gR 'vuvjTImi iig'wsfi qrq R411 3R^t ^ fR aiqfRT (ifta) ^le?- 3## ?R 1665 i R gq=R qR qffq Rq qgr 1 fR=q# R 1670 i
=4=440 Ri=4i, Pi41 =41 gqmT m gq^Rq sit, qgR Rr=4i47iitl sffq
’qf^RT ?I6? JRI 11 1617 i if pfuflHSIIg if 7J? ft)RT 3fH^ Rfft q^fR R gq: gR qff?r fteq 3ffq R qrgT 3rqqr 41=441)4 qq# =qR 1 qqrR qrq sig
3nRc47iisl qnqrqff R srRfqqq if q?ri 1648 t qq; q? qqR =ffq qq
dleltf 3RR 4)f -film | ?IW ^f f%^t ^fft^ 4lfel4i tR RJ (1%^ TfT fteq 3rft)=5d4 qq# R tf qtef R qgr 1 sm R isis t. R 3iRqf R
RrqrRf R tea if sir w sit affq i67o t q^f> 3-tl-l q?f RrW-
qRcf if 3jnj 3f4lRiPi4i ^ -Hieifl ftmifetif gRi srqqi^ "OTifST sft) i Rfgqs-fRqqgq qq srfRmq Tqq fteri
qqR vrii'fl qqrri 3-5!P qqT qm fter - 41=4401 qrqqrRRq; (1674
if qRff 41 viiig< q5t 3flRd7Mgl ^ RRI gt^, vit gjift giRff ^ rrj | jrr
t) =^ 45=1 =4444 q#TT 44! =141 41=440 Rieil RrqTRf qff 4|=4qi-fl
Hiiol 7^ fliq 34CPI gi|?ll J?4-ll | f^MIvifl ^ qfufRr c|5f e.
q?r 1 3iqR =ram =Rf (18,306 Rqf) R 3TRT Rfqq R Rter qq Rrm; qq
«TR vpIRri t|5t, 1R Wfffl q€f ftcff I ^RTsfl iff 3RTOR qgT cTT ^Rfif
^=q Rqf if R 344) 3iRq; 2827 Rq Rnm! t qraqs if g=4i! 1 44101 fRggR Wt ^qR qrqq; qq; qglRl Rq qq qqT g3H t, 41=4 =iq R
vdi-iRi ^ 9 ^fR if qgi ^fq q? q<P %rt 44=1141. ftr^f 'qrRir qr
qq=T 7R =# qgig qoqTTT 5^ fRR R Tijtf gt 11 1659 t ^ Rl4|=iff 4i3«dc R qRfq gTf; fR.Rf gq f | qqqqiq Tigq, gqt R 510 fR.Rf.
'qgqg’f ^ qm ^ rpit qrraT 11 1947 if 3?r ^ srraig tps
=11=440 R tf 344=4=4 m qq gqiHdi tirR qq R| Ri4i=jff R arrqqr R
qfRfRr if f%^f 4=n41 qq rri wqq qgr 1 gqs ^ 4=4=5141 =44411 ti^r qf&q R 3ffq qfqr R 130 fR.Rf. wq R tl arq RRfqr qrargR qR
Rfq 44Mi RR 3ftq Tigf R Rfe 3# # RRgTRiq; qqqR ttR qT=44o Rf=rR R %=n# R qqR qq=q P=5=4 qt, =R 3-g)R 1664.67 g. R fRggR
3fTv4 iff 4| vrfq ^ |
R tf qR=i ft 1 Ri4i=4l R gqR RR qraKH qq m 41=440 R tf gsrri qq Pdf'll TqqcqqT 1 TTg fR=4T fRiqivt) R gq; qRq qsjqfR ftqf#
2. qRpre f%qn 1665 t qff g444 qff qffR R smRcr R141RI R 23 RRf gqqr qrarr qR ggmq R fRRm R qqT 1 gqrR fRqfq R fRq fteT# R qfqr R 100
qffq Rq R, w qraq^ q^tfR qtf Rqr I Rqrqr qqjr if quaq^ R qRt
gRqnRf P 7) 4 51) qR gerrai sqi R# qpq=q t fR gqr fRR qR qqiR R
RqTC ftHIvjfl qff 41=44141 sffl W# PlR^jf qq 1674 i 4 qqqq qs=q qR gfRqq smr qtf Rf 1 gq=q qqqq q? sir fR qq qq; qraRRiq; 3000 qqRqqf R =Rq qq5T qq; 315)41=4 qqq #qr 1 qjq=T R =^0=54 egg
<1=141(4441 |3TT sjt sfR q^f qq 1680 f. if qqqff g?g gf i trpts ftqqr fRqiqqqq PRgql R qmR qR 3# qenqidRd tf qg Ri qraire fteq qq qR gqr fRR R PhWi R 444141 qm stti
'HiqR'P ^ 46=4^f fvjRT MiHIctiR q?T^t qfpf q? Refer t, gq^ 1947 t- =ra> Rfq R qrfRq mR^k R siRqqq if qgr 1
qfft w#[ 4 <161lfS q4cT-g7=fcfT qff g^ST <Hf ^ 3foPT qR R3T t 3fR fRggR 48 g=5g R R=4T gsq t aflq stm Rf qqqR 3r^f gra=r R ti
4. ycllMMci f%eTT
q? cfRq feiraff ^ 3Fpq 11 qrqqs, gqf ^f 210 ft).4f. qfaRi if sfR gqrqR ttf.Rtf tf=nq 9 Rfeq q# 3ffq 3 RW #S) t, sffq gqrR 42 gR
q?i? qf 27 foifr. qqR if ti 11 P7ii=4 sqqqq R q=srR R 3fqnqT, tfqrq 3ffq gRf R PthPi R 2000
RrarR) si4i 1656-58 t- R PRd smarro PiRgR, 4514=^7=14 R 24 fR.
RRf (72,576 Piq'1414) Rtt qq 54=141=4 gsq tl fRRq qm qg t fR
Rf. qRqq R 3ffq gR R qRfq 145 fR.ijf. qf^pq if f | qRqqr qtf qR
*rqq<4 q?r# $ aqRf q3R qq afqw 5.12 q4 f%.4f. %, sfR #q gqfqR Rfq R q=srR qR iggrt R 7qqg.=qqg fteR RfR qq qqqfq fRm
qR =44=4! =rrRf yitf R fRR =r Rem qg qfefTTfqq q 41=110 qgq qgitl,
qg® qqqj f - qflqq if 1%qqqjff, UfR if eq>4q> 3fR g4 if qqFft | qmi
Rra#) R q?R, "qfq=qr R qiq R larR) qn=R aff 1 fRR R RtRut qR
qqqs qf fciq qq; # q=rer qpf %, qff Rni=41 qft qViffrr: "ftR
P1P414I RtRqq fRqR 3lfq ftRqR tgqtqqr qR qM qt ajfi ftR# 5=75 qr=4qq R we R qfqq Rtpq ETf-idl4l sffq qgqqo qrqq; qf #qf
=^ fefq f4iel if m4?i 3ii4ii4 5)41 qTf%q, 444 qrg ^ fcfq 3i4144 qff
gteq qeiqfri R sffq qfRqq wrq R Rni=R R Rqcq (qqTq Rtf) qR 1
qRninf 414=11 f I Riel qff ooisil ^ mqis qfq if Riqiviff qff qf R Rra R gq; =fq sffq hstR qraqrR grqr fRR qq; qgqw gfw 11 Rf
fRRRt gqgi f^alqcii t gqrqR qf?R =mq=5l 3fR qfR 3TR qRf tfqR,
=41=41414 qff 4141R ^ | 45i ^ qf Ri.iff. gg Ria 4441R ?rqi qqqq 414=11 g# R Rq qq qte.grq wq qR ftw R 11 uRqr.mq R 4=4=51=5. wqqq
fRqqR qfqit q«iTq-qeTTq qR sngRRq; Rerf=r R srgqiR qqr-=iqioi qq#f
t I q?T qf d41 q<fl4 ^ qT? 4514441=41 3H=q t, 1=441=4 qfqf 3TR qf qq qR gg qf #t gRf# R 3iqq gw.qqTTR R ftiq#) R Rq 3ffq =iR R
qf Rf 1 qiRPiroii, tttR) arqR IRicii qgTtf R qftqqfqrq fRqqq qq
R?itr gqf sffq qwtt qff ^fqR ti OTq gqft=T 11 fRR R Pni=R qq gq; RfRq R) t. Rf te R 3Tqi|f qqg
4-4=4 441 sffq 541=41 fRq=nq iso =pf iffqq 11 Pq=4i fRqq qfSqq-g=ff qq siRctt 1 1 ^qrR fR=n=R RfRfgfRtqgfRqTq#qRti fR# R
4iH4l 4014 qq qi^ ^gf, =4=41714! 3if^ qg=r Tff 5414=1! ^ srqqfq ^ 1 tptttR qq TrqT t sffq 54141I tfqrR =raT qTgq qR fRq# gq# q#ff tR
^5 RfRq, ^5 sffq =Rq ^g 11 qRk Rqr ft^.glteo 474340 qfteq
4 4141144 =11=414 ^ Fff^ gR=44 41 ell qff qf =4iff 4)41! |f | 4I414! ^ ijflf q=ag=T gR qqq; qg R | 3pq qR 44l4=ti! R 3RqqT, fRqR fRR R g^f
3q=q Rf Pi =! R 44i=l tl fRggR 3ifq qrgq=m R Rq R 43440 qrqq;
41 of Ri roll t. qfff qioiqff 444I=H ^ etHT T3=q 11 3TFf XHT^ =R qjf qm R PnmR qq 4-14141 qfqroff R ^T-tcmT qqTRf qq qfRq 11 sra
qq; »)ci =4eig=[ qqrqr qqT w, Rf srq 0554 qq qm 11 43440 qq;
3TfR qiuf-qRqw qff qftcroff ^ f=iq qif wrqf ^ 3fk «n# sfk Ri4i=iff fRR R qqqR -1=4=51=4 qq; qq=|R qrgq; qgq=R f |
qqqq R fRg gR qq ngR w sffq Tigf wgiur Rf qqR Ri
41=4-44414 ^ 3Tq?fq f | qff 7^ 2ff# qf=I TfEZI =R (?|q|=4l qq
MdiHqo R qPd qrqR 45=4441 4041 sR — RiqivRl-afqqqqr qjrq qqfq 1
R161414 qgr ^ 1 3Tfif 3Ti4 qff 3ffq qf m R=14i if 41=414 qq ^feqq ^ 1 fR=q# R qrq fRggR 41^1414.oiqiqig, 3#, Rttcit sffq qRegigq R
gqff fRR R RfR R gq; qenq qq 10 qTfqq, 1659 qR f?i4l=iR R Rqngq
341=4 3TFT =114! 3ffq =51414! ^f Rl4l =44=51744 4R4 3ffq 341 c4 qRT RfqiqR R srfRTPTq R qgri 1765 t. R efft qrqq R fRq fRggR qq
qff 3qpd7ii6f R 7iPd7ii=fl Ri45qMi4 3fqqq=T igTq qq Rfcigifte; 3TR# qq 3rftf=rqq gf qqT W sffq =Tq =3#R gR -qRt 31144044' qq qrq
Rl4l=4l qff 414l|tf f I 4141 iff 34=fi ‘-ifR ^rf 4|t4l qff 4l4l(tf t I
P=44 mm qR sff 1 qg tic-11, PrqrR fteiRf R 3141=4=1 qjTq qq qqg^
fter an I 1818 g. R =qq gqr P# qq 3fR=qf qq qeqR q^sq gf qw. =ff
41440 qq HI4I4 5R5I4I 31444; tl q?^ 541=41 RR 41441 SJT I q=1T 4i4>4 qR ^tott, q=5PRd ti RRq R q^r qq qrqidi t fR g=r; o-qlR gqrR qsn-qmrqf qff qm rpq ftm 1
4=4=11 ^ f=fi 12<ff 41=51 if 451 Rl4l-4lcli4l4 4^414 qq P|4I41 9Tf I =5^ 3Tr7i=T qqgq; ffsrffr R fteptf R =T=qq=q-gf% qq qfRqq RqT, =R

44=113ff 7^ 3tR=4I4 ^f g=444 ^ =ITq Rl4l=ifl if 1656 if 41440 =5f 3iqq3ra q=qq qR srqR giqqgqff 3iPP74iqi tR q# =iffim gqqRf qtf 1 7. <^c4iqi.3ieflqM| vqeig^f

44414 =# ^ #q fc14l I Rl4 Rl4l=Jll ^ 41441 Tfif 3Tqiff 4l=Jl4l*lf 441-1 fRet R RfR fRqr =446 31=4=4=4 oh =R g=g gt, qgf qtuqR qqf qRf gt
tl gqr RfRgTfRq; 7mqT qR =Rq qf# qrq=R qR qgfR R q=TTqqs gR R ^nqr#=4T gqt R 112 fR.R. qflrq R fRm 3#tqm ?rgq R qrRfq
qq R744 R141 sff? 41440 qpr Rqr 1 R7ii=4 ^qi^ t£ p4lui-=fqq
qff fepifqTff 3fI«fT7iff 44)4=5=1 3fk (S0=if1 ^=4=54 qff qfHt q^ I 3fq^ qrqqf art qeqq qq 1959 t R fterqR qR 3Tqqi4lt) qfeiqr qeiTfRi qR g=n qgiol tfn qq qqr g3n 11 gqrqq ftenq w=Tq-qf#n R 275 Rfeq

tqq ^ Rqf if Tiw if 300 ^f iff 3fte qqqq gfft 441441 sf | R|4l=ifl sffq gt-qPqq R 100 Rfeq 11 wt R qmq gqr fRR w te=4 qgw wt
H0dl § I fid eft dlqil 3tdH-3tcP3 045 6 ft 8 ijfpp era? vfTcfr 11 3fR PicieP fftpift ft Tjfftp f 1 tip Rpft ftpci ft 3mftl gmep 'ftiPift ^T5 3ici Tigft fftft ft 4Rph ft. ioo Tfmr pft gft tr, Tpft ft 3(37

5110 ft) 5 4l0)cl if 17 gut t1 gftrR 01'I if 7RT 51101 g33 3cf?T-3R. 3lR pyid) epl 37etm’ ft Rlpftft ft pR ft (deni t : "3PP ftTsfft fft 715 TicsRt pft 3 7ft37 31ft, 7 ifter ftft 3fR 122 ifrpr ftft grp ftgrc ft ftt

Ril-tf '451414101 0gd f, 1151 Cf5t Rl|| if TJTmT t I dl'Ch Cfft d0-sl Tepp fftrmi 3^3if 3fR pipi-tRep t 3iR grp dddiptii ft pim ft feig pt t I 35 fteflT pft 3iR fftm 375 P3lt Tit ft, 715 3tft 7TTC pft ft
ft pft 53 PPPlft if eftt eft 40<}d eftu|cfte) gift gt aff I fftft eft fftrmi 3pgp3 ep C 7P7P t I pipfep 44)dc TIP, fftrft ft TftP Iftl.ft. Tjft eft 3lR, Tfcp 4)ft

PROP Rill if ftf gpi u>)ci 41001 t I fft el eft 4)qn if -gft ft tjR cf5T prpt Tit ft I 35f PTlft eft Tftepig prpt Tplcft ft gp 34e|f| 41Md ft

57ft3TcT -itt g33 t I gft ft ftfcT7 ftfft 4ldl eft cfpft, gpi P73TT affp 3lftpT RrftRt RiRgft pp 5R1518 7P3Pi5ft ft ttpp ft grt 5trp tl Rraftft PPft fti
Tlfftp tl 35f Rem WlfcT ftftf 31P ft 31Rft Reifft ft tl fftft ft msi-sI ft (ttftt 3iR ft sdiftl pp 351ft ft PP37P7 pTpt Tit ipt gppg
t, ft pftrtt t fft tuft tip ft 3nftftpi fttp Tifftft ft 715 7377 gpi fftdpgif grp ppft gpTPl peicl 11 Hdefl* ft Rift PUPp Tifp f, gnfcig
41011 ft Udll pftft if i^c) 7ig3 eft aiR g5 fftg 3375 ft ft siftft
pg73 Tjfe iftp 751 ftpil 7P3PT5ft ft 313 Rlpftft P5lft RtcP5lft. 53 Rpft ft 715ft 'ftRgr ft PTP ft TUFP hTT3T ep 1 ftnpgp ft 3I3ft
eftft ftpSt 731 30<dl f | gif ft PT37 pfstR fet33 if ftwft ftt 7RJ37T
Tppft, qgrnft gedift 3ft7 gpft ft 3iRipp7 ft ft 1 1599 i ft RiftRt ft 53 fftft cpi fftmiP fftep epi 33ft PT3 17ft Tift ft 753 ft RlPTft
plpft ft feig Tpp ftft etft gt ft, RlPPPl Tpp 313 7pft ft 7313 3373
fftePT RlPTft ft 3131 Hid)ft Tftpft ft PUrfR ft 731 ft fftcP 3lR fft7 ft fftft tr PIPPI pjpft gft ft5ft 33ftft 3lR 3Tftrp gift PTft T^p H0<Jci
ft 3737 33 vJTTcTT t I
715 35lft ft 3Tfftp7 ft 3P TjTn | PmRepp ftft 37 7ft, Rldlft ft 715 fftft if P3cl 5TcP 3fR fft Tpp Tpp fftTJT - fftppgrf | p35f ft fttftpie

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if gt I P>Cll«ll (ftcl P3 Plftui-lppJ 733ft egJ5 ft pmp 35ft gft g33 pigi 537ft Hdgdt P3TP pft 7J^ ejt fft gftri pff Tigft eifftiMI, PiFlft 3313

eg I fftft PP 4ScP apt e|Rc|K ft 7133 if «TST ftft TIP Tip PTTSI ftTBT eppft TIP ft, 53 fftft pff T]tt3 Tift plpft efi I PTP if. 1756 t ft. t3PT
TpT 4gi5 7T5 P3 441 1 571 fftft if 3Plt PftpR ft fell; 45d, d-10 3?f£ Rind’d grf-Tigg Rmft gReppp^, gMi, ftq3P 3pft (ftcl enfftd t, sfR afftwf ft pfgpp 3if>t7pp ft fftppgrf pp imp gsp| 715 fftm tip

leblRft ft ftp; WP, PTTPFTR, tlp7T-ftmi7 31tR ftt gfftipj ft| 31P Hiftme ft pRps ft P7 Rem ftft ft ppt3 tpttRtp gfe ft pft ei5m 1818 t TIP) iRPP ft 3lf?IPP7 ft 751 3fft 33ft PTP STtcift ft Tppft ft
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ft if TPIPTI ft pep I ft 'P^-PPPR* ft PIP ft ft 0ld Tplft ft I
10. grft7 fftcii 12. 4-7?Ic6I PlR^'f
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ftf 7R73Tpft3 eb5Hldl ft | ^ft igctpfl PP ism gft ft P15T 73T7P ft I
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TTTgft 3TcffPT3 ft 713 37 pft ttPlfttcl ft ftt ulM elicit pripftt ft <4>dl<si|
eft ftplt 3gp-3cl ft 1398 iff37 sfR 57lft -flft ft ftplp ft d‘l*TP 700 Tigp-TTcl ft Pftt3 850 did pft TjRnt TR Rem t 3lR 51101 iftT epftp
fftft pft 753 ft fftg 7R73TPTt3 efJT Rmfo[ gap eg |
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P5lftt 717 3P1 eiH'IS T^P 3t31 -Clsil)7fl fftcP 11 g737 ft 3t Tpp f : pft Tfrft mftR 3fR gftf ft Hdgd prprp trp fi fftrft ft ptfft Arpr
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 overconfidence. Now there exists a grave at the place where
Forts of Maharashtra Shivaji, the fort remained in the hands of Sambhaji till 1689 AD,
when it was captured by the Mughals. Reverted to the Marathas Afzal Khan was killed. To commemorate the tricentennary of
in 1735 AD, Raigarh was surrendered to the British in 1818 AD. that historic event, an equestrian statue of Shivaji was installed
at the top of the Pratapgarh fort in 1959 AD.
3. Rajgarh Fort
1. Murud-Janjira Fort
5. Lohagarh-Visapur Fort
Rajgarh enjoys a unique position among the hillforts of
Situated on a rock of oval shape near the port town of Murud,
Maharashtra. It possesses all the salient features of fort archi¬ Lohagarh fort is 7 kms south of Malavali station on the Pune-
165 kms south of Mumbai, Janjira is one of the strongest
tecture which are peculiar to the Deccan region. Situated on Mumbai railway line. Situated on a side range of Sahyadri
marine forts of India (the word ‘Janjira’ is a corruption of the
one of the spurs of the Sahyadri mountains known as Murum mountains, it divides the basins of Indrayani and Pavana riv¬
Arabic word jazira for island). The fort is approached by sail¬
hill, Rajgarh is about 35 kms south-west of Pune. The fort is at ers. Close to Lohagarh, on its eastern side, there is another
boats from Rajapuri jetty. The main gate of the fort faces Rajapuri
a height of approx. 1300 metres from sea-level and comprises fort, called Visapur. The approach to Lohagarh is from the
on the shore and can be seen only when one is quite close to
three terraces (machis) and a citadel (Balekilla). There are village Lohagadwadi, situated in the depression between
it. It has a small postern gate towards the open sea for escape.
four gates called Gunjavane, Pali, Alu and Kaleshwari or Dindi Lohagarh and Visapur. Climbing from the north towards the
The fort has 19 rounded bastions, still intact. There are many
gate. The first two gates lead to the Padmavati machi, the third village, one can see on the left side the famous Buddhist caves
canons of native and European make rusting on the bastions.
to the Sanjivani and the last to the Suvela machi. Rajgarh looks of Bhaja. The four large gates of Lohagarh are very intricately
Now in ruins, the fort in its heyday had all necessary facilities,
like a winged bird flying in the sky - the Padmavati and the arranged and are still intact. In the later Peshwa period, Nana
e.g., palaces, quarters for officers, mosque, a big fresh water
Sanjivani machis forming its two wings and the Balekilla and Fadanis (1742-1800 AD) built several structures in the fort
tank, etc. On the outer wall flanking the main gate, there is a
the Suvela machi its main.body. including a big tank and a step-well (bawali). There is also a
sculpture depicting a tiger-like beast clasping elephants in its
small temple and grave of a muslim pir. On the west side of the
claws. This sculpture, its meaning difficult to interpret, appears All the four parts of the fort have remains of buildings which fort there is a long and narrow wall-like fortified spur called
on many fort-gates of Maharashtra. included residential quarters, sadar or state offices, bazar or Vinchukata in Marathi (scorpion sting) because of its natural
business quarter, granary, armoury, temples, etc. The fort had shape.
Originally the fort was a small wooden structure built by a Koli
ample supply of water through tanks, cisterns and wells. The
chief in the late 15th century. It was captured by Pir Khan, a
water-supply being better on the Padmavati machi, it was a Visapur Fort is larger and also higher than Lohagarh fort. Now
general of Nizamshah of Ahmednagar. Later the fort was
major centre of activity on the fort. in ruins, its history is closely linked with that of Lohagarh. Mak¬
strengthened by Malik Ambar, the Abyssinian Siddi regent of
ing use of its higher position, the British troops in 1818 AD set
Ahmednagar kings. From then onward Siddis became inde¬ Rajgarh, formerly known as Murumdeo, was earlier held by up their canons on Visapur and bombarded Lohagarh, forcing
pendent, owing allegiance to Adilshah and the Mughals as the Nizamshahi and Adilshahi rulers. By 1648 AD, it was under the Marathas to leave the fort. Lohagarh has a long history. It
dictated by the times. Despite their repeated attempts, the the firm control of Shivaji, who gave it the new name Rajgarh, was occupied by many dynasties: Satavahanas, Chalukyas,
Portuguese, the British and the Marathas failed to subdue the the king’s fort.. Shivaji's construction activities here continued Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Nizamshahis, Mughals
Siddi power. Shivaji’s all attempts to capture Janjira fort failed till 1670 AD. For nearly twenty five years Rajgarh was the pre¬ and Marathas. Lohagarh was captured by Shivaji in 1648 AD,
due to one reason or the other. When Sambhaji also failed, he coronation capital of Shivaji. Out of Shivaji’s short life of fifty but by theTreaty of Purandar he had to surrender it to the
built another island fort, known as Kansa or Padmadurg, just 9 years (18,306 days) his stay of 2827 days at Rajgarh was the Mughals in 1665 AD. It was recaptured by Shivaji in 1670 AD
kms north of Janjira. The Janjira state came to an end after longest. The fort witnessed a number of major political events and was used for keeping the treasury. Then on, the fort re¬
1947. The palace of the Nawabs of Janjira at Murud is still in of the Maratha period.
mained with the Marathas. Ultimately Lohagarh-Visapur was
good shape. taken over by the British in 1818 AD.
It was from Rajgarh that Shivaji went to meet Afzal Khan in
2. Raigarh Fort 1659 AD. His departure to Agra and return from there, both 6. Sindhudurg Fort
these historic events took place at Rajgarh. Rajaram, Shivaji’s
Raigarh was Shivaji’s capital, the hillfort where he was crowned Sindhudurg fort stands on a rocky island, known as Kurte,
second son, was born here. By the Treaty of Purandar’ in
(1674 AD) and where he died (1680 AD). Strategically situated barely a km. from the Malavan coast. Malavan is 510 kms
1665 AD, Shivaji ceded 23 forts to the Mughals, but not Rajgarh.
on an irregular wedge-shaped mass of rock, detached from south of Mumbai and 130 kms north of Goa. Sindhudurg was
During the Peshwa period Rajgarh did not play any significant
the main body of Sahyadri mountains by a deep valley and built in 1664-67 AD by Shivaji when all his attempts to take the
part mainly due to the shifting of political activities from the
inaccessible from three sides, Raigarh is 210 kms south of island fort of Janjira proved futile. The construction was done
hillforts to the cities. Rajgarh remained with the Sachiv family of
Mumbai and 27 kms north of Mahad. The fort’s 5.12 sq. kms Bhor till 1947 AD. under the supervision of Hiroji Indulkar, an able architect. Shivaji
hill-top plateau has three main points : Hirakani in the west, had invited 100 Portuguese experts from Goa for the con¬
Takamak in the north and Bhavani in the east. There is only 4. Pratapgarh Fort
struction of the fort. It is also recorded that 3000 workers were
one pathway to Raigarh, probably in keeping with Shivaji's employed round the clock for three years to build Sindhudurg.
Pratapgarh, a very strong hillfort built by Shivaji in 1656-58 AD,
strategy : ‘the fort’s approach should be easy for friends and It was the booty from the sack of Surat that went into the
is 24 kms west of Mahabaleshwar and about 145 kms south of
impossible for foes”. A motorable road leads to Chit Darwaja, building of Sindhudurg.
Pune. Before Shivaji, the hill, known as Bhorapya, was a flat-
about 2 kms from Pachad, the village at the base, where lies
topped high round rock at the head of the densely forested
the samadhi of Jijabai, Shivaji’s mother. A long climb from One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, the 48 acre
Koyana basin. The construction of the fort was entrusted to
Pachad takes one to the Mahadarwaza, flanked by two massive Sindhudurg fort has a four kms long zig-zag line of 9 metres
Moropant Pingale, who later became Shivaji’s Peshwa, and
bastions and a high curtain wall. high and 3 metres wide rampart with 42 bastions. Apart from
Hiroji Indulkar, the architect. A special feature of the fort is its
the huge stones, the building material involved 2000 khandis
The top plateau is covered with a large number of remains of double line of fortification and wails on all sides, their heights
(72,576 kgs) of iron for erecting the massive curtain wall and
buildings and reservoirs. Behind the Ganga Sagar reservoir varying according to the nature of the ground. The upper fort is
bastions. A notable feature is that the foundation stones were
are two high towers, in Muslim style. Behind the towers is the built across the northern and western crest of the hill measuring
laid down firmly in molten lead.
Balekilla or citadel, entered by the Palakhi-darwaza.DOn way about 180D180 sq. metres. The lower fort is built on the southern
to the right are remains of chambers of women of Royal and the eastern terraces with walls and strong bastions at The fort is approachable from the Malavan pier by a boat
families and on the left those of the Darbar of Shivaji. On a low corners on projecting spurs. Apart from other monuments, through a narrow navigable channel between two smaller is¬
mound in the centre is the site of Shivaji’s throne. Further north there is on the eastern portion of the lower fort the temple of lands of Dhontara and Padmagad. The main gate, flanked by
is the two-row market place, the Jagadishwar temple in an Bhavani, the family deity of the Bhosaies, built by Shivaji. Today massive bastions, faces the city. On the parapet, close to the
enclosure and the samadhi of Shivaji, and also that of his a motorable road takes the traveller quite close to the fort. entrance, under two small domes Shivaji’s palm and footprint in
favourite dog, Waghya. dry lime are preserved. Also, in the fort there is the Shivaji
The most important event connected with Pratapgarh is the
temple - the only one of its kind in the country - where the
The history of Raigarh, earlier known as Rairi, is obscure. In Shivaji-Afzal Khan episode. It was at the base of this fort that
image of Shivaji is without a beard I Inside the fort there are
the 12th century Rairi was a seat of the Shirke-palegar family. Shivaji, on 10th November 1659, scored a historic victory
some temples, tanks and three wells. It also houses some
After changing several hands, it was captured by Shivaji from against the mighty Afzal Khan, commander of the Bijapur
twenty Hindu-Muslim hereditary families. On a rocky island
Chandrarao More in 1656 AD. Shivaji chose Rairi for his capital Adilshahi forces. The episode, in which Afzal Khan was
between Sindhudurg and the coast stood the small fort of
and renamed it as Raigarh. The gigantic construction work overpowered and killed by Shivaji, is well known. In short, it
Padmagad, now in ruins. It acted as a screen for Sindhudurg
was entrusted to Abaji Sondev and Hiroji Indulkar. In its heyday can be said that in a very critical situation Shivaji showed the
and was also used for ship-building.
Raigarh had more than 300 houses and structures. After presence of mind and Afzal Khan paid the price for his rash
After Shivaji, Sindhudurg passed through the hands of Rajaram- 9. Shivaneri Fort of the German prisoners, thoroughly studied Purandar and
Tarabai, Angres, Peshwa and the Bhosales of Kolhapur. It was wrote a monograph on it. After Independence there also
Shivaneri hillfort, birth-place of Shivaji, is near Junnar town, functioned a National Cadet Corps (N.C.C.) Training unit at the
briefly captured by the British in 1765 AD and was renamed by
about 85 kms north of Pune. Situated on a 300 metre high
them as ‘Fort Augustus’. Later in 1818 AD, the British dis¬ top.
isolated hill, the fort is triangular in shape. The wide base of the
mantled the fort’s defence structures.
fort is towards the south and the narrow point is towards the 11. Vijayadurg Fort
7. Kulaba-Alibag Fort north. The ascending path to the fort is defended by seven
Vijayadurg, situated 48 kms south of Ratnagiri, is one of the
gates, the fifth one being armoured with anti-elephant spikes.
Built on a rock island near Alibag town, 112 kms south of strongest marine forts on the west coast of India. It is also an
The fort has several rock-hewn cisterns and ponds, of which
Mumbai, the Kulaba fort is an imposing structure, measuring excellent harbour. Built on a hill on the mouth of Vaghotan river,
two large ones are known as Ganga and Jamuna. Today,
roughly 275 metres from north to south and 100 metres from the fort was protected on three sides by the sea and on the
there are only a few structures remaining in the fort. At one end
east to west. At low tide one can walk across to the fort. The east side by a ditch, now filled up. After crossing the front gate
there is a ruined stable and at the other end a mosque of the
height of the fort-wall varies from 6 to 8 metres at different on the east, the path, skirting round the massive middle wall,
Mughal period. The house where Shivaji was born (in Febru¬
places. It has a wide parapet with 17 bastions. The main gate¬ enters the hidden inner gateway. The strong triple line of forti¬
ary, 1630 AD) has been recently restored and a temple with
way of the fort, called Maha Darwaja, is in the north-east cor¬ fications had 27 bastions, some of them two-storeyed. Within
statues of Shivaji and Jijabai, called Shivakunja, has also been
ner and faces the city. The teak-door had strong iron-spikes the citadel there were many buildings and storehouses, now all
built. Sir Richard Temple in his book ‘Shivaji and the Rise of
driven in them. There is also a small gate on its southern side. in ruins except a structure called Rest House. For the supply
Marathas’ wrote about Shivaneri : “ You will see what a rugged
The masonry of the fort is without lime mortar. Inside the fort of water there were several wells and large tanks.
precipitous place this is and what a fitting spot it was for a hero
there is a fresh water tank, a well and several temples, the
to be born in I” In recent years a submerged wall 100 metres east of the fort
Ganapati temple being still in good condition. In the northern
has been discovered. The under-sea wall is 3 metres high, 7
corner of the parapet, there still stand two English canons The Shivaneri hill, on which the fort is built, has a long history
metres wide and 122 metres long. How and why this sea-wall
facing the open sea.. To the south of the fort was a ship-dock, going back to the Satavahanas. There are remains of rock
was built is not clear. On the bank of the Vaghotan river, about
visible even now at low-tide. caves on all the three faces of Shivaneri, which show that it
3 kms from the fort, there was a wet dock where the Marathas
was a Buddhist centre during the first three centuries AD. After
The Kulaba fort was Shivaji’s last construction and was com¬ used to build and repair their ships.
the Satavaharras, the Shivaneri fort was occupied by the
pleted almost on the eve of his death in April, 1680. It attained
Shilaharas, the Yadavas, the Bahamanis and the Mughals. In Vijayadurg is an ancient site. Initially known as Gheria, it was
importance under the Angres and was the main base of the
1599 AD the hillfort was granted to Shivaji’s grandfather, Maloji enlarged by the Bijapur rulers and then strengthened and en¬
Maratha navy. It had palaces for the members of the Angre
Bhosale and passed down to Shahaji. Though Shivaji was born larged in the mid-17th century by Shivaji, to whom it owes its
family, houses for their officers and storing arrangements for
here, he had to surrender the fort to the Mughals and could not triple line of fortifications, towers and also its new name,
grain and other necessities. None of the buildings have sur¬
take it back in his lifetime. Vijayadurg - Victory Fort. During the time of Kanhoji Angre
vived. The rule of the Angres, who were also known as Kulabkar,
(1667-1729 AD), the naval chief of the Marathas, the fort was
came to an end in 1840 AD. The Shivaneri cluster of forts, comprising Harishchandragarh,
so strong and firmly held that it successfully withstood as¬
Junnar, Jivadhan, etc., was very important strategically, be¬
To the north of the main fort there is a small fort-like structure saults of the European maritime powers. Later in 1756 AD it fell
cause it controlled the ancient Nane Ghat Pass.
called Sarjyakot, sometimes referred to as the 18th bastion of to the combined operations of the English and the Peshwas.
Kulaba. Sarjyakot was constructed to answer the artillery of 10. Purandar Fort However, it remained in the hands of the Peshwas till 1818 AD
Hirakot situated on the Alibag shore. when finally it was surrendered to the English.
Purandar is about 40 kms south-east of Pune and some 10
8. Kondana-Sinhagarh Fort kms south-west of Sasawad. Perched on a gigantic mountain 12. Panhala Fort
mass, its height above sea-level is 1398 metres and about 700
Sinhagarh fort, whose earlier name was Kondana or Kondhana, Panhala or Panhalgarh, about 19 kms north-west of Kolhapur,
metres above the plain at its foot. It really comprises two
stands 20 kms south-west of Pune. Perched on an isolated is possibly the largest and most important fort of the Deccan.
fortresses : Purandar, the stronger and more important of the
cliff of the Bhuleswar range of the Sahyadri mountains, its Roughly triangular in shape, the hillfort stands at a height of
two, and Vajragarh, a small sister fort situated on a ridge running
height above sea-level is 1380 metres. Given natural protec¬ about 850 metres and has a circumference of approximately
out east of it. Purandar has two parts : the upper part or Balekilla
tion by its very steep slopes, the walls and bastions were 7.25 kms. Half of its length is protected by a natural scarp
with precipitous sides all around and the lower part or machi
constructed at only key places. It has two gates - the Kalyan reinforced by a parapet wall and the remaining half is sur¬
about 300 metres above the plain. On the north side of the
Darwaza in the south-east and the Pune Darwaza in the north¬ rounded by a strong stone wall strengthened with bastions.
lower part there is a broad terrace comprising the cantonment
east. The fort had three magnificent double walled gates, out of
area of the fortifications. There are many monuments, old and
which two have survived. The Teen Darwaza to the west is an
Sinhagarh has a long history. It was captured from the Koli new, on the terrace. Towards the east of the terrace, beyond a
imposing and powerful structure. There are a number of ruined
tribal chieftain, Nag Naik, by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1328 narrow ridge, lies the fort of Vajragarh, also called Rudramal.
monuments in the fort. The most impressive among them are
AD. Three centuries later, Shivaji wrested it away by bribing From the cantonment area of the terrace a winding path leads the three huge granaries. The largest among them, the Ganga
the commander, but by the Treaty of Purandar (1665 AD) had to the upper fort. The approach is commanded by the Dilli Kothi, covers nearly 950 sq m space and is 10.7 metres high.
to cede the fort to the Mughals. Sinhagarh was the scene of Darwaza, the main gate. The most important monument on the In the north-east corner there is a double story building, called
one of the most daring exploits in Maratha history when, in summit of the hill is the old temple of Kedareshwar. Sajja Kothi, where Shivaji had imprisoned his errant son,
1670 AD, it was recaptured by Shivaji’s forces under Tanaji Sambhaji.
Malusare, who laid down his life in the battle. On his death, a The history of the Purandar fort goes back to the 13th century.
saddened Shivaji said, 'The fort is won, but the lion is gone I” The Bahamani Sultans in the 14th century built here some Panhala was the capital of the Shilahara king Bhoja II during
Whereupon the fort got its new name : Sinha (lion) gadha (fort). walls and bastions. From 1484 AD, for about a hundred years, 1178-1209 AD. It was successively held by the Yadava and
Finally the British seized the fort from the Peshwas in 1818 AD, the fort remained in the hands of the Nizamshahi rulers. In Bahamani kings. In 1489 AD, the fort and the territory was
destroying its almost all ancient monuments. Only the tradi¬ 1596 AD, the fort was given as Jagir to Maloji Bhosale, taken over by the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur. Shivaji seized
tional gates and broken walls remain now. grandfather of Shivaji. However, Shivaji had to struggle very the fort in 1659 AD. It was from here that Shivaji, when en¬
hard to establish his control over the fort in 1646 AD. In 1665 circled by the forces of Siddi Johar, escaped one rainy night to
The upper surface of the fort is undulating and retains few AD, Purandar was besieged by the mighty Mughal forces under Vishalgarh. Later, the fort remained with the Marathas, except
buildings. Ruins of temples, tombs and towers are scattered the command of Jai Singh and Dilir Khan. In the ensuing battle for a short period in between, when it went to the Mughals. The
about. Near the gorge is a monument (samadhi) commemo¬ Murar Baji Prabhu, the gallant commander of the fort, was fort remained with the Kolhapur State till India achieved inde¬
rating the bravery of Tanaji. There is also a tiny tomb of Rajaram, killed. Shivaji, under a treaty, had to surrender to the Mughals pendence.
Shivaji’s son, who died here in 1700 AD. Also, there are few his 23 forts, including Purandar and Vajragarh. At the lower fort
bungalows, including that of Lokamanya Tilak. The famous Marathi poet Moropanta (1729-94 AD) was bom
a statue of Murar Baji Prabhu has been installed in his memory.
and brought up at Panhala. There is also the samadhi of
In the Maratha period, Sinhagarh played the crucial role of Purandar was recaptured by Shivaji in 1670 AD. Later it became Ramachandra Amatya, the author of Ajnapatra, an important
defending Pune. Today the National Defence Academy a favourite retreat of the Peshwas. Purandar was captured by work on statecraft, including fort construction. Today, Panhala
(Kharakwasla) trains its army cadets right under the shadows the British in 1818 AD. During the Second World War, the is a sort of hill station and provides all the necessary facilities
of Sinhagarh. British kept here the German war prisoners. Dr. H. Goetz, one for tourists.
13. Ajinkyatara-Satara Fort Being in the category of Devagiri, Tryambak fort seems to be The Chand Minar, about 63 metres in height, was erected by
of Rashtrakuta-Yadava origin. After the Yadavas (1271 AD) it Alauddin Bahman Shah in 1435 AD to commemorate his
Satara hillfort, also known as Ajinkyatara, is very close to the
was occupied by the Nizamshahi sultans, the Mughals and the conquest of Daulatabad. Opposite the Minar is the Jumma
south of the Satara city. Situated 994 metres above sea level,
Marathas. Tryambak and its cluster of forts provided cover to masjid, whose pillars originally belonged to a temple. Close to
the fort has a east-west length of about
upper Konkan and so was of strategic importance. In 1818 AD, it, there is a large masonry tank. The Chini Mahal at the end of
1000 metres and a breadth of about 500 metres. In its heyday
when Tryambak was taken over by the British with a tough the lower fort is the place where Abdul Hasan Tana Shah, the
the fort was protected by a strong masonry wall with bastions.
fight, the surrounding forts surrendered without any resistance. last king of Golconda, was confined by Aurangzeb in 1687 AD.
There were two gates. The main gate, made formidable by
The river Godavari originates from the Tryambak hill. Nearby is a round bastion topped with a huge canon with ram's
high buttresses, is close to the north-west corner, now
head, called Kila Shikan or Fort breaker. The Baradari, octagonal
approachable by a pukka road. The small gate in the south¬ Chakan village and its landfort is 29 kms north of Pune. Nearly
in shape, stands near the summit of the fort. The principal
east corner was a postern one. Inside the fort there were square, the fort was protected by a strong wall with bastions
bastion at the summit also carries a large canon.
tanks, wells, buildings, temples and stores, all in ruins now. and corner towers surrounded by a moat. There was also an
Today there is a wireless relay station located at the top in the inner wall. The fort is now in ruins. Though the city of Devagiri was founded in 1187 AD by the
fort. Yadava king Bhillam V, the fort was constructed during the
The Chakan fort is quite old and was occupied by several
reign of Singhana II (1210-46 AD). It was captured by Ala-ud-
According to an inscription dated 1192 AD, the Shilahara king powers. An Abyssinian chief is said to have made the first
Din Khalji in 12 94 AD, marking the first Muslim invasion of the
Bhoj II, who ruled from Panhala, constructed at least 15 forts fortification in 1295 AD. In 1595AD, it was given in jagir to
Deccan. Finally in 1318 AD, Malik Kafur killed the last Yadava
around Satara-Kolhapur, which included among others, the Shivaji’s grandfather, Maloji Bhosale. An important event
Raja, Harapal. Then in 1327 AD, Muhammed -bin-Tughluq
Ajinkyatara or Satara fort. The fort was extended and renovated occurred here when the fort was captured by Shaista Khan in
sought to make it his capital, by transferring the entire population
by Bahamani Sultans. Captured by Shivaji in 1673 AD, the fort 1660 AD. Being on the shortest route from Ahmadnagar to
of Delhi and changing the name from Devagiri to Daulatabad.
played an important role in his rpilitary operations. When Konkan, Chakan was a place of great strategic importance.
Then it was in the possession of the Bahamanis till 1526 AD.
Aurangzeb took it over in 1700 AD he named it ‘Azamtara’, The fort was captured from the Marathas by the British in 1818
The fort remained in Mughal control till Aurangzeb’s death in
after his third son Prince Azam. The name 'Ajinkyatara' might AD.
1707 AD., when it passed on to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The
be a corruption of Azamtara. Recaptured by the Marathas in
16. Vasai Fort famous Ellora Caves are just 16 kms away from Devagiri-
1701 AD, the fort was the seat of the Bhosale Rajas of Satara Daulatabad.
from 1749 to 1848 AD when the state was annexed by the East Vasai, also called Bassein, lies about 48 kms north of Mumbai
India Company. just across the Ulhas river. The fort in the old city was the 18. Ballalpur, Chandrapur and Manikgarh Forts
headquarter of the Portuguese in the north, next in importance
14. Suvarnadurg Fort Situated in Chandrapur (old Chanda) district of Maharashtra,
to Goa. The coastal land-fort of Vasai was surrounded by sea
all the three forts are of tribal origin. Ballalpur, now known for
The island fort of Suvarnadurg stands close to Hame in Ratnagiri on three sides and to the landside it had a moat which was filled
its coal mines and paper mills, is 16 km south-east of
District, a natural harbour famous for fishing and its marketing. by sea-water. Its 4.5 kms long strong stone wall had 11 bas¬
Chandrapur, the district headquarters. Ballalpur was the capital
A very strong fort, its walls are cut out of solid rock and the tions. The fort had two gates - the westward land-gate and the
of the Gond king Khandakya Ballalshah during 1437-62 AD.
ramparts are raised by using huge square blocks. No mortar eastward sea-gate. There was also a small citadel in the fort.
The landfort, that he built here on the eastern bank of the
was used in the walls. The fort has many bastions and a postern Well-equipped with water-tanks, store-houses, armoury, etc.,
Wardha river, is square in shape with walls and bastions. There
gate on the western side. The hidden main gate opens towards the fort also had fields for growing grains and vegetables. All
are still two intact gates set at right angle to each other. There
the east. It has on its threshold a carved figure of a tortoise and the old structures inside the wall are now in ruins.
is also a small postern gate on the river side. The fort walls are
on the side wall, that of Maruti (Hanuman). Inside the fort there Vasai came into prominence when the ancient harbour of Sopara still intact, but all the old buildings are in total ruins.
were several buildings, water tanks and a place for ordinance. (now Nalsopara village, 10 kms north of Vasai) became unfit
All the buildings are now in ruins. The credit for establishing Chandrapur also goes to Khandakya
for use. However, Vasai continued to be a trading centre. A
Ballalshah. When the capital was shifted from Ballalpur to
small fort-like structure was erected here in 1533 AD by Malik
The fort was probably built by the Bijapur kings in the 17th Chandrapur, the Ballal kings built here an extensive landfort
Tughan, the commander of Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat.
century. Captured and strengthened by Shivaji, it became a with high walls and bastions. The fort had at its four cardinal
In 1534 AD, the Portuguese forced Bahadur Shah to cede
stronghold of Maratha navy and remained with the Peshwas till points four impressive gates. The original buildings have
Vasai in perpetuity. Here, first they constructed the citadel
1818 AD. It was one of the main naval bases of the Angres. vanished, but the gates and a portion of the wall still exists.
(Balekilla), and then in 1590 AD, the present fort with its ram¬
Chandrapur was annexed by Raghuji Bhosale of Nagpur in the
Gova, Kanakadurg and Fatehgarh forts on the mainland are parts and other structures came into being. For the next about
middle of the 18th century. Finally the fort was captured by the
separated from Suvarnadurg by a narrow channel. The small 150 years Vasai enjoyed opulence and prosperity. The Portu¬
Britishers in 1818 AD. Now an industrial town, Chandrapur is
Gova fort was stronger than the other two. It has two gates, guese built here magnificent houses, convents, churches and
also famous for its old Mahakali temple.
one towards the land and another towards the sea. On the wall an orphanage. Only the Hidalgos (Portuguese nobles) were
of the sea-gate there are carved figures of a tiger, eagle and allowed to reside within the fort walls. Vasai was the main naval Manikgarh, made famous by a newly established cement
elephants. The old buildings inside the fort are in ruins. base and a sort of ship-building centre of the Portuguese. The factory near by, is about 35 kms south-west of Chandrapur.
end came in 1739 AD, when Chimaji Appa, Peshwa Bajirav’s Built by tribal Naga kings in the 9th century, the Manikgarh
Kanakadurg has the sea on three sides. Nothing remains of brother, stormed the fort and captured it with great loss of life. hillfort stands at the height of 507 metres above sea-level. It
the fort, except two broken bastions. There is a light house at It was here in 1802 AD, the Peshwa Bajirav II signed the infa¬ was strongly fortified with walls and bastions. There were
its highest point. Fatehgarh is in complete ruin. Most probably, mous ‘Treaty of Bassein" which virtually dissolved the Maratha several tanks and buildings inside the fort. Today, the fort is in
these three small forts were built by Kanhoji Angre (1667-1729 Confederacy. Finally, the fort and the city of Vasai was ceded complete ruins and has become a sanctuary for wild animals.
AD) to protect Suvarnadurg from the land route. to the British in 1817 AD. A pukka road through a dense forest leads very close to the
gateway of the fort. Nearby is an old temple of Vishnu.
15. Tryambak and Chakan Forts 17. Devagiri-Daulatabad Fort
19. Balapur Fort
Tryambak or Brahmagarh hillfort, overlooking the holy temple Devagiri (Daulatabad of the later period), 11 kms north-west of
of Tryambakeshwar, is 32 kms south-west of Nasik town. The Aurangabad, is famous for its formidable hillfort. The fort is Balapur, a taluka town, is 26 kms from Akola, the district head¬
fort was built on a high hill with steep scarps to its each face. situated on an isolated cone-shaped hill rising abruptly from quarters. Situated at the junction of the rivers Man and Mhais,
Besides, it was fortified by walls and bastions. There are only the plain to the height of about 190 metres.The fortification Balapur is a historical town and has a massively built fort,
two gateways. The main southern access is through the steep constitutes of three concentric lines of defensive walls with probably the strongest in Vidarbha and Khandesh regions of
steps (about 300 in numbers) cut out of a near vertical scarp large number of bastions. The noteworthy features of the fort Maharashtra. The fort was started in 1721 AD by Azam Shah,
and passing through rockcut gates. The northern access is are the moat, the scarp and the sub-terranean passage, all the son of Emperor Aurangzeb, and was completed by Ismail
through only a single gate approached by a narrow passage hewn of solid rock. The upper outlet of the passage was filled Khan, the Nawab of Ellichpur (now Achalpur, Amaravati Dis¬
with steps cut from the rock. The fort is now in ruins. From the with an iron grating, on which a large fire could be used to trict) in 1757 AD. The fort is in a reasonably good condition and
top of Tryambak, one can have a grand view of the Harihar, prevent the progress of the enemy. The Chand Minar, the Chini today houses some government offices.
Anjaneri and a few other hillforts. Mahal and the Baradari are the important structures within the
fort. Situated on a high ground between the rivers, the fort has very
lofty walls and bastions built of the best brickwork of its time.
The fort has three gateways, one within the other. The outer or cannon, known as nau-gazi top, an old palace, an armoury, a The fort on its three sides is girded by the Painganga river.
the lower fort is a decagon with a bastion at each angle, and baradari, a mosque and other buildings, all in ruins.
The fort, built on top of two adjoining hills, was protected by
above it rises, by the height of its walls, the inner fort which is
According to tradition a very old fort, Naranala was repaired by walls, ramparts and bastions. It had two main gateways — one
a pentagon, each angle having a bastion, as in the lower fort.
Ahmad Shah Bahamani around 1425 AD, and in 1487 AD it on the southern side and the other on the northern side. The
The innermost walls are 3 metres thick and their ramparts are
came under the control of Fateh-ullah Imad-ul-Mulk, the founder northern gate is still in a reasonably good condition, and so is
pierced with numerous slits at three different angles for the
of Imadshahi at Ellichpur, now called Achalpur. During Akbar’s its southern rampart nearly five metres wide. The fort had a
discharge of missiles. Inside the fort are three wells and one
rule, Naranala was a Suba. Naranala was captured by Parsoji palace, a mosque, a granary, an armoury, etc., now all in ruins.
mosque. During the rains the fort gets surrounded by floodwa-
Bhosale I in 1701 AD and remained with the Marathas till it was At the centre of the fort, there is a big tank call Ijalatalav.
ter except at one point. The temple of Bala Devi, from which the
taken over by the British in 1803 AD.
town has derived its name, lies just under the fort on the south¬ Being situated on the main route from the north to the Deccan,
ern side. The fort at Akola situated on the bank of the Morna river was Mahur has a long history. There is evidence to show that Mahur,
constructed by Asad Khan in 1697 AD during the reign of ancient Matapur, was an important place at the time of the
The Ain-i-Akbari mentions Balapur as one of the richest
Aurangzeb. Much of the fortifications have crumbled down, but Satavahanas and the Rashtrakutas. The Renuka temple on
paraganas of the Subha of Berar. Murad, the son of Akbar,
the remains of a palace can still be seen. Some of the old an adjoining hill was built by the Yadavas. After remaining with
settled at Balapur after acquiring it from the Ahmadnagar king¬
bastions have been repaired and the main area of the fort has the Gond rulers for some time, Mahur passed on to the
dom. At that time Balapur was famous for its artistic articles
been converted into a public park. Bahamanis in the 15th century and was made a Suba. In the
manufactured from the stone quarried from the local river. It
16th century, Mahur, being strategically placed at their centre,
had also acquired wide fame for the production of quality cloth The history of Achalpur, formerly known as Ellichpur, could faced a lot of fire from the infighting between the Nizamshahi,
and paper. well be said to be the history of Vidarbha (Berar) itself. Nawab Adilshahi and Imadshahi rulers. Then in the early 17th century,
Sultan Khan, the first of his dynasty, built the fort at Sultanapura Mahur became a part of the Mughal empire and came to be
20. Gavilgarh Fort
in Achalpur on the south the bank of the Sarpan river in about ruled by their Subedars. When Shahjahan rebelled against his
Gavilgarh fort is situated on a 1103 metres high lower Satpuda 1754 AD. Much of the part of the fort is now in completely father Jahangir, he took refuge in the Mahur fort along with his
range, now under the Melghat Tiger Project. It is 2.5 kms south¬ dilapidated condition. The city was fortified by Sultan Khan’s wife and children, including 6 years old Aurangzeb.
east of Chikhaldara, a popular hill-station, and about 30 kms son Ismail Khan by a huge and solid rampart wall of masonry
north of Achalpur, the old capital of Berar, now a taluka town. with four gates. Most of the fortifications and the gates are still About 2 kms from Mahur bus-stand, there are two Elephanta
Gavilgarh took its name from the pastoral Gavalis who, centu¬ intact. type (situated on an island near Mumbai) rock-cut caves of the
ries ago, had a mud fort on this hill. The new fort was built by Rashtrakuta period.
22. Ahmadnagar Fort
Ahmad Shah Wali, the ninth king of the Bahamani dynasty in
24. Pauni and Nagardhan Forts
1425 AD. In 1488 AD, the fort was repaired and extended by One of the most well planned and strongly built, the
Fateh-ullah Imad-ul-Mulk, the founder of Imadshahi in Berar. Ahamadnagar land-fort is situated in the centre of the canton¬ Pauni, in Bhandara district, is 82 kms south-east of Nagpur.
ment in the eastern part of the city. Oval in shape, the fort is The present town, about three kms south-west of the
Gavilgarh has two levels, the outer fort being slightly lower
about 1.70 km in circumference and is strengthened by 24 Wainganga river, is engirdled by medieval fortifications embel¬
than the inner one. This outer fort has a third wall which covers
bastions. It is surrounded by a moat, now dry, about 30 metres lished by imposing gateways, of which those situated to the
the approach to it from the north. The fort has two main gate¬
wide and 4 to 6 metres deep, and beyond it there is a wooded west are almost intact. The majestic fortifications, which at
ways, the Delhi Darwaza, between the inner and outer fort,
glacis. The massive curtain wall, built of cut stone masonry, some places are extant to a height of about 20 metres, were
and the Fateh Darwaza, the south-western gate, built by Fateh-
rises above 25 metres from the bottom of the ditch. The two encircled by a moat of about 20 metres in width. The ancient
ullah Imad-ul-Mulk. The most conspicuous of the remains in
entrances to the fort could be reached only after crossing the moat has now turned into a small seasonal lake and is called
the fort is the great mosque which stands upon the highest
moat over the suspension drawn bridges. Inside the fort there Balasamudra. The fort was constructed by the Gond ruler
point towards the south side of the inner fort. Built in the Pathan
are some old and new buildings, fairly in good condition. Pres¬ Bakht Buland in the early 18th century and was taken over by
style of architecture, the mosque has seven arches in its fa¬
ently the fort is under Indian military command . Raghuji Bhosale I around 1740 AD.
cade. Of the two minarets, the one at the north-eastern angle
of the building still exists. Its square canopy, with very exquis¬ The Ahmadnagar fort was built by Husain Nizam Shah in 1559 Pauni, an ancient place, has yielded the relics of one of the
ite stone lattice-work, rises little above the domes of the AD. The fort was besieged by the vast Mughal army in 1596 greatest Stupas of India and definite evidence of a flourishing
mosque. There were not less than eight tanks in the fort, two of AD, but the garrison led by Chandbibi valiantly defied the at¬ Buddhist establishment. The Pauni rampart has yielded the
them still in good condition. There still remain in the fort several tack for four months and the Mughals had to beat a retreat. In copper plate grant of Pravarasena II of the Vakatakas who
canons, the one at the southern end being the largest. the next attack in 1600 AD, the fort was captured by Akbar. It ruled over this region. So, it is possible that the clay core of the
remained with the Mughals till 1759 AD, when it was sold to rampart goes back to a period much earlier than the medieval.
Gavilgarh has a long history. The saying was : “One who
Sadashiv Bhau, the cousin of the third Peshwa. In 1797 AD,
controls Gavilgarh, controls Berar.” After the split of the Nagardhan, ancient Nandivardhan, the first capital of the
the fort was assigned to Daulatrao Shinde, from whom it was
Bahamani kingdom, it passed through many hands. It was with Vakatakas, is 34 kms northeast of Nagpur and about 5 kms
captured by General Welleslay in August, 1803. Finally, under
the Imadshahi in 1488 AD, the Nizamshahi in 1574 AD, the south of Ramtek, famous for its fortified hill temple.
the Treaty of Pune (June, 1817 AD) the fort was handed over
Mughals in 1599 AD and the Marathas in 1754 AD, before it fell
to the British by Bajirav Peshwa II. The present land fort at Nagardhan, probably built by Raghuji
to the British in 1803 AD. Gavilgarh was dismantled in 1858 AD
lest it should be seized by Tatya Tope, who in that year at¬ Bhosale I around 1740 AD, must have served the purpose of
The Ahmadnagar fort was often used as a royal prison, both
tempted to break from the Satpuda hills into the Deccan in guarding the eastern approaches to Nagpur. Square in shape,
by the Marathas and the British. Nana Phadnis, who was in¬
order to stir up the country for the independence movement. it has an outer rampart with bastions and had an inner wall
strumental in imprisoning many Maratha noblemen in this fort
surrounding the buildings. The main gate, still in good condi¬
was himself locked up in the fort by Daulatrao Shinde. During
21. Narnala, Akola and Achalpur Forts tion, is on the north-west side. In the fort there is a temple
the Quit India Movement of 1942, the entire Congress Working
below the ground level and the idol is placed on a ledge of a well
Narnala fort, standing upon an isolated hill of the Satpuda range, Committee was detained here. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote his
like structure.
is 18 kms north of Akot, a taluka town in Akola district. It is 973 famous work Discovery of India while in confinement at the
metres above sea-level and consists of three distinct hill forts Ahmadnagar fort. Not far away from the present fort there is a place where big
: Jafarabad in the north-east, Narnala, the principal fort, in the sized bricks of ancient periods are often discovered. This is
23. Mahur Fort
centre, and Teliagarh in the south-west. It was protected by a said to be a site of the capital-cum-fort of the Vakatakas.
curtain wall about 9 metres high with 67 bastions and six large Mahur village, also called Mahor, is 40 kms north-west of Kinwat
gates. The Shahnur or “Mahakali” gate, built by Fateh-ullah Text : Gunakar Muley
town in Nanded district in the Marathawada division of
Imad-ul-Mulk in 1487 AD, is a notable example of Sultanate Maharashtra. Earlier Mahur was a big city and a Suba of
architecture. The white sandstone gateway has Arabic inscrip¬ southern Berar. Situated on an eastern branch of Sahyadri
tions on it and is flanked upon on either side by galleries and mountains, the hillfort here is very old and exists at least from
rooms, probably for guards, but the most striking feature of the the time of the Yadavas. It was subsequently occupied by
gateway is the overhanging balconied windows, two on either many powers — the Gonds, the Bahamanis, the Adilshahi and
side. Within the fort are a number of tanks and cisterns, a large the Nizamshahi rulers and finally the Mughals and their vassals.
 Forts of Maharashtra

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1. Murud-Janjira Fort
Situated on a rock of oval shape near the port town of Murud, 165 kms south of Mumbai, Janjira is one of the strongest marine forts of India (the word ‘Janjira’ is a
corruption of the Arabic word jazira for island). The fort is approached by sailboats from Rajapuri jetty. The main gate of the fort faces Rajapuri on the shore and can
be seen only when one is quite close to it. It has a small postern gate towards the open sea for escape. The fort has 19 rounded bastions, still intact. There are many
canons of native and European make rusting on the bastions. Now in ruins, the fort in its heyday had all necessary facilities, e.g„ palaces, quarters for officers, mosque,
a big fresh water tank, etc. On the outer wall flanking the main gate, there is a sculpture depicting a tiger-like beast clasping elephants in its claws. This sculpture, its
meaning difficult to interpret, appears on many fort-gates of Maharashtra.
Originally the fort was a small wooden structure built by a Koli chief in the late 15th century. It was captured by Pir Khan, a general of Nizamshah of Ahmednagar.
Later the fort was strengthened by Malik Ambar, the Abyssinian Siddi regent of Ahmednagar kings. From then onward Siddis became independent, owing allegiance
to Adilshah and the Mughals as dictated by the times. Despite their repeated attempts, the Portuguese, the British and the Marathas failed to subdue the Siddi power.
Shivaji’s all attempts to capture Janjira fort failed due to one reason or the other. When Sambhaji also failed, he built another island fort, known as Kansa or
Padmadurg, just 9 kms north of Janjira. The Janjira state came to an end after 1947. The palace of the Nawabs of Janjira at Murud is still in good shape.
Pictures : A distant view of Janjira from the southern side (above), and the huge sweet water tank inside the fort (inset). A close view of the eastern side of the
island fort (below). The sea water has scooped away some portions of the stone wall near the water line.

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2. Raigarh Fort
Raigarh was Shivaji’s capital, the hillfort where he was crowned (1674 AD) and where he died (1680 AD). Strategically situated on an irregular wedge-shaped mass
of rock, detached from the main body of Sahyadri mountains by a deep valley and inaccessible from three sides, Raigarh is 210 kms south of Mumbai and 27 kms
north of Mahad. The fort’s 5.12 sq. kms hill-top plateau has three main points : Hirakani in the west, Takamak in the north and Bhavani in the east. There is only one
pathway to Raigarh, probably in keeping with Shivaji’s strategy : “the fort's approach should be easy for friends and impossible for foes”. A motorable road leads to
Chit Darwaja, about 2 kms from Pachad, the village at the base, where lies the samadhi of Jijabai, Shivaji’s mother. A long climb from Pachad takes one to the
Mahadarwaza, flanked by two massive bastions and a high curtain wall.
The top plateau is covered with a large number of remains of buildings and reservoirs. Behind the Ganga Sagar reservoir are two high towers, in Muslim style. Behind
the towers is the Balekilla or citadel, entered by the Palakhi-darwaza. On way to the right are remains of chambers of women of Royal families and on the left those
of the Darbar of Shivaji. On a low mound in the centre is the site of Shivaji’s throne. Further north is the two-row market place, the Jagadishwar temple in an
enclosure and the samadhi of Shivaji, and also that of his favourite dog, Waghya.
The history of Raigarh, earlier known as Rairi, is obscure. In the 12th century Rairi was a seat of the Shirke-palegar family. After changing several hands, it was
captured by Shivaji from Chandrarao More in 1656 AD. Shivaji chose Rairi for his capital and renamed it as Raigarh. The gigantic construction work was entrusted
to Abaji Sondev and Hiroji Indulkar. In its heyday Raigarh had more than 300 houses and structures. After Shivaji, the fort remained in the hands of Sambhaji till 1689
AD, when it was captured by the Mughals. Reverted to the Marathas in 1735 AD, Raigarh was surrendered to the British in 1818 AD.
Pictures : South-western view of Raigarh from Pachad, the base village (above), and remains of buildings in the fort (inset). The 12-sided two-storey towers (below).

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3. Rajgarh Fort
Rajgarh enjoys a unique position among the hillforts of Maharashtra. It possesses all the salient features of fort architecture which are peculiar to the Deccan region.
Situated on one of the spurs of the Sahyadri mountains known as Murum hill, Rajgarh is about 35 krns south-west of Pune. The fort is at a height of approx. 1300
metres from sea-level and comprises three terraces (machis) and a citadel (Balekilla). There are four gates called Gunjavane, Pali, Alu and Kaleshwari or Dindi gate.
The first two gates lead to the Padnravati machi, the third to the Sanjivani and the last to the Suvela machi. Rajgarh looks like a winged bird flying in the sky - the
Padmavati and the Sanjivani machis forming its two wings and the Balekilla and the Suvela machi its main body.
All the four parts of the fort have remains of buildings which included residential quarters, sadar or state offices, bazar or business quarter, granary, armoury,
temples, etc. The fort had ample supply of water through tanks, cisterns and wells. The water-supply being better on the Padmavati machi, it was a major centre of
activity on the fort.
Rajgarh, formerly known as Murumdeo, was earlier held by the Nizamshahi and Adilshahi rulers. By 1648 AD, it was under the firm control of Shivaji, who gave
it the new name Rajgarh, the king’s fort.. Shivaji’s construction activities here continued till 1670 AD. For nearly twenty five years Rajgarh was the pre-coronation
capital of Shivaji. Out of Shivaji’s short life of fifty years (18,306 days) his stay of 2827 days at Rajgarh was the longest. The fort witnessed a number of major
political events of the Maratha period.
It was from Rajgarh that Shivaji went to meet Afzal Khan in 1659 AD. His departure to Agra and return from there, both these historic events took place at Rajgarh.
Rajaram, Shivaji’s second son, was bom here. By the ’Treaty of Purandar’ in 1665 AD, Shivaji ceded 23 forts to the Mughals, but not Rajgarh. During the Peshwa
period Rajgarh did not play any significant part mainly due to the shifting of political activities from the hillforts to the cities. Rajgarh remained with the Sachiv
family of Bhor till 1947 AD.
Pictures : The Pali gate of Rajgarh fort (above), and the Sanjivani machi girded by double walls and bastions (below).

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4. Pratapgarh Fort
Pratapgarh, a very strong hillfort built by Shivaji in 1656-58 AD, is 24 kms west of Mahabaleshwar and about 145 kins south of Pune. Before Shivaji, the hill, known
as Bhorapya, was a Hat-topped high round rock at the head of the densely forested Koyana basin. The construction of the fort was entrusted to Moropant Pingale, who
later became Shivaji's Peshwa, and Hiroji Indulkar, the architect. A special feature of the fort is its double line of fortification and walls on all sides, their heights
varying according to the nature of the ground. The upper fort is built across the northern and western crest of the hill measuring about 180^180 sq. metres. The lower
fort is built on the southern and the eastern terraces with walls and strong bastions at comers on projecting spurs. Apart from other monuments, there is on the eastern
portion of the lower fort the temple of Bhavani, the family deity of the Bhosales, built by Shivaji. Today a motorable road takes the traveller quite close to the fort.
The most important event connected with Pratapgarh is the Shivaji-Afzal Khan episode. It was at the base of this fort that Shivaji, on 10th November 1659, scored a
historic victory against the mighty Afzal Khan, commander of the Bijapur Adilshahi forces. The episode, in which Afzal Khan was overpowered and killed by Shivaji,
is well known. In short, it can be said that in a very critical situation Shivaji showed the presence of mind and Afzal Khan paid the price for his rash overconfidence.
Now there exists a grave at the place where Afzal Khan was killed. To commemorate the tricentennary of that historic event, an equestrian statue of Shivaji was
installed at the top of the Pratapgarh fort in 1959 AD.

Pictures : A distant south-eastern view of Pratapgarh fort (above, left). The fort's south-eastern spur girded by a wall and a bastion (above, right). The fort’s old royal
gateway, now closed (below, left). The Tiger emblem carved on a wall of the fort (below, right).

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5. Lohagarh-Visapur Fort
Lohagarh fort is 7 kms south of Malavali station on the Pune-Mumbai railway line. Situated on a side range of Sahyadri mountains, it divides the basins of Indrayani
and Pavana rivers. Close to Lohagarh, on its eastern side, there is another fort, called Visapur. The approach to Lohagarh is from the village Lohagadwadi, situated
in the depression between Lohagarh and Visapur. Climbing from the north towards the village, one can see on the left side the famous Buddhist caves of Bhaja. The
four large gates of Lohagarh are very intricately arranged and are still intact. In the later Peshwa period, Nana Fadanis (1742-1800 AD) built several structures in the
fort including a big tank and a step-well (bawali). There is also a small temple and grave of a muslirn pir. On the west side of the fort there is a long and narrow wall¬
like fortified spur called Vinchukata in Marathi (scorpion sting) because of its natural shape.

Visapur Fort is larger and also higher than Lohagarh fort. Now in ruins, its history is closely linked with that of Lohagarh. Making use of its higher position, the British
troops in 1818 AD set up their canons on Visapur and bombarded Lohagarh, forcing the Marathas to leave the fort. Lohagarh has a long history. It was occupied by
many dynasties: Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Nizamshahis, Mughals and Marathas. Lohagarh was captured by Shivaji in 1648 AD,
but by theTreaty of Purandar he had to surrender it to the Mughals in 1665 AD. It was recaptured by Shivaji in 1670 AD and was used for keeping the treasury. Then
on, the fort remained with the Marathas. Ultimately Lohagarh-Visapur was taken over by the British in 1818 AD.

Pictures : The steep approach to Lohagarh (above, left) and steps leading to one of its main gates (inset). Distant view of the pathways leading to the top of the fort
and the Pavana river in the background (above, right). The intricate pattern of the main doorways of Lohagarh, as seen from the top of the fort (below).

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6. Sindhudurg Fort
Sindhudurg fort stands on a rocky island, known as Kurte, barely a km. from the Malayan coast. Malayan is 510 kms south of Mumbai and 130 kms north of Goa.
Sindhudurg was built in 1664-67 AD by Shivaji when all his attempts to take the island fort of Janjira proved futile. The construction was done under the supervision
of Hiroji Indulkar, an able architect. Shivaji had invited 100 Portuguese experts from Goa for the construction of the fort. It is also recorded that 3000 workers were
employed round the clock for three years to build Sindhudurg. It was the booty from the sack of Surat that went into the building of Sindhudurg.
One of the best preserved forts of the Marathas, the 48 acre Sindhudurg fort has a four kms long zig-zag line of 9 metres high and 3 metres wide rampart with 42
bastions. Apart from the huge stones, the building material involved 2000 khandis (72,576 kgs) of iron for erecting the massive curtain wall and bastions. A notable
feature is that the foundation stones were laid down firmly in molten lead.
The fort is approachable from the Malavan pier by a boat through a narrow navigable channel between two smaller islands of Dhontara and Padmagad. The main
gate, flanked by massive bastions, faces the city. On the parapet, close to the entrance, under two small domes Shivaji’s palm and footprint in dry lime are preserved.
Also, in the fort there is the Shivaji temple - the only one of its kind in the country - where the image of Shivaji is without a beard ! Inside the fort there are some
temples, tanks and three wells. It also houses some twenty Hindu-Muslim hereditary families. On a rocky island between Sindhudurg and the coast stood the small fort
of Padmagad, now in ruins. It acted as a screen for Sindhudurg and was also used for ship-building.
After Shivaji, Sindhudurg passed through the hands of Rajaram-Tarabai, Angres, Peshwa and the Bhosales of Kolhapur. It was briefly captured by the British in 1765
AD and was renamed by them as ‘Fort Augustus’. Later in 1818 AD, the British dismantled the fort’s defence structures.
Pictures : Sindhudurg from the eastern side; the main gate is hidden behind the two bastions (above). Outside the southern wall there is a small beach, called Ranichi
Vela in Marathi, where Tarabai used to enjoy her sea-bath (below).

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7. Kulaba-Alibag Fort
Built on a rock island near Alibag town, 112 kms south of Mumbai, the Kulaba fort is an imposing structure, measuring roughly 275 metres from north to south and
100 metres from east to west. At low tide one can walk across to the fort. The height of the fort-wall varies from 6 to 8 metres at different places. It has a wide parapet
with 17 bastions. The main gateway of the fort, called Maha Darwaja, is in the north-east comer and faces the city. The teak-door had strong iron-spikes driven in
them. There is also a small gate on its southern side. The masonry of the fort is without lime mortar. Inside the fort there is a fresh water tank, a well and several
temples, the Ganapati temple being still in good condition. In the northern comer of the parapet, there still stand two English canons facing the open sea. To the south
of the fort was a ship-dock, visible even now at low-tide.
The Kulaba fort was Shivaji’s last construction and was completed almost on the eve of his death in April, 1680. It attained importance under the Angres and was the
main base of the Maratha navy. It had palaces for the members of the Angre family, houses for their officers and storing arrangements for grain and other necessities.
None of the buildings have survived. The rule of the Angres, who were also known as Kulabkar, came to an end in 1840 AD.
To the north of the main fort there is a small fort-like structure called Sarjyakot, sometimes referred to as the 18th bastion of Kulaba. Sarjyakot was constructed to
answer the artillery of Hirakot situated on the Alibag shore.
Pictures : The Maha Darwaja of the Kulaba fort (above). The southern gate of the fort (below), and the two English canons on the parapet facing the open sea (inset).

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8. Kondana-Sinhagarh Fort
Sinhagarh fort, whose earlier name was Kondana or Kondhana, stands 20 kms south-west of Pune. Perched on an isolated cliff of the Bhuleswar range of the Sahyadri
mountains, its height above sea-level is 1380 metres. Given natural protection by its very steep slopes, the walls and bastions were constructed at only key places. It
has two gates - the Kalyan Darwaza in the south-east and the Pune Danvaza in the north-east.
Sinhagarh has a long history. It was captured from the Koli tribal chieftain. Nag Naik, by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in 1328 AD. Three centuries later, Shivaji wrested
it away by bribing the commander, but by the Treaty of Purandar (1665 AD) had to cede the fort to the Mughals. Sinhagarh was the scene of one of the most daring
exploits in Maratha history when, in 1670 AD, it was recaptured by Shivaji’s forces under Tanaji Malusare, who laid down his life in the battle. On his death, a
saddened Shivaji said, “The fort is won, but the lion is gone !” Whereupon the fort got its new name : Sinha (lion) gadha (fort). Finally the British seized the fort from
the Peshwas in 1818 AD, destroying its almost all ancient monuments. Only the traditional gates and broken walls remain now.
The upper surface of the fort is undulating and retains few buildings. Ruins of temples, tombs and towers are scattered about. Near the gorge is a monument (samadhi)
commemorating the bravery of Tanaji. There is also a tiny tomb of Rajaram, Shivaji’s son, who died here in 1700 AD. Also, there are few bungalows, including that
of Lokamanya Tilak.
In the Maratha period. Sinhagarh played the crucial role of defending Pune. Today the National Defence Academy (Kharakwasla) trains its army cadets right under
the shadows of Sinhagarh.
Pictures : Sinhagarh fort with its Kalyan gate Hanked by two ruined bastions, and the Pune Darwaza (inset).

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9. Shivaneri Fort
Shivaneri hillfort, birth-place of Shivaji, is near Junnar town, about 85 kms north of Pune. Situated on a 300 metre high isolated hill, the fort is triangular in shape. The
wide base of the fort is towards the south and the narrow point is towards the north. The ascending path to the fort is defended by seven gates, the fifth one being
armoured with anti-elephant spikes. The fort has several rock-hewn cisterns and ponds, of which two large ones are known as Ganga and Jamuna. Today, there are
only a few structures remaining in the fort. At one end there is a ruined stable and at the other end a mosque of the Mughal period. The house where Shivaji was bom
(in February, 1630 AD) has been recently restored and a temple with statues of Shivaji and Jijabai, called Shivakunja, has also been built. Sir Richard Temple in his
book ‘Shivaji and the Rise of Marathas’ wrote about Shivaneri : “ You will see what a rugged precipitous place this is and what a fitting spot it was for a hero to be bom
in!”
The Shivaneri hill, on which the fort is built, has a long history going back to the Satavahanas. There are remains of rock caves on all the three faces of Shivaneri,
which show that it was a Buddhist centre during the first three centuries AD. After the Satavahanas, the Shivaneri fort was occupied by the Shilaharas, the Yadavas,
the Bahamanis and the Mughals. In 1599 AD the hillfort was granted to Shivaji's grandfather, Maloji Bhosale and passed down to Shahaji. Though Shivaji was bom
here, he had to surrender the fort to the Mughals and could not take it back in his lifetime.
The Shivaneri cluster of forts, comprising Harishchandragarh, Junnar, Jivadhan, etc., was very important strategically, because it controlled the ancient Nane Ghat
Pass.
Pictures : One of the seven gates of the Shivaneri fort (above), and the central hilltop at the centre of the fort top (inset). The Kamani mosque in the fort (below, left),
and the restored birth place of Shivaji (below, right)

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10. Purandar Fort

Purandar is about 40 kms south-east of Pune and some 10 kms south-west of Sasawad. Perched on a gigantic mountain mass, its height above sea-level is 1398 metres
and about 700 metres above the plain at its foot. It really comprises two fortresses : Purandar, the stronger and more important of the two, and Vajragarh, a small sister
fort situated on a ridge running out east of it. Purandar has two parts : the upper part or Balekilla with precipitous sides all around and the lower part or machi about
300 metres above the plain. On the north side of the lower part there is a broad terrace comprising the cantonment area of the fortifications. There are many
monuments, old and new, on the terrace. Towards the east of the terrace, beyond a narrow ridge, lies the fort of Vajragarh, also called Rudramal.
From the cantonment area of the terrace a winding path leads to the upper fort. The approach is commanded by the Dilli Darwaza, the main gate. The most important
monument on the summit of the hill is the old temple of Kedareshwar.
The history of the Purandar fort goes back to the 13th century. The Bahamani Sultans in the 14th century built here some walls and bastions. From 1484 AD, for about
a hundred years, the fort remained in the hands of the Nizamshahi rulers. In 1596 AD, the fort was given as Jagir to Maloji Bhosale, grandfather of Shivaji. However,
Shivaji had to struggle very hard to establish his control over the fort in 1646 AD. In 1665 AD, Purandar was besieged by the mighty Mughal forces under the
command of Jai Singh and Dilir Khan. In the ensuing battle Murar Baji Prabhu, the gallant commander of the fort, was killed. Shivaji, under a treaty, had to surrender
to the Mughals his 23 forts, including Purandar and Vajragarh. At the lower fort a statue of Murar Baji Prabhu has been installed in his memory.
Purandar was recaptured by Shivaji in 1670 AD. Later it became a favourite retreat of the Peshwas. Purandar was captured by the British in 1818 AD. During the
Second World War, the British kept here the German war prisoners. Dr. H. Goetz, one of the German prisoners, thoroughly studied Purandar and wrote a monograph
on it. After Independence there also functioned a National Cadet Corps (N.C.C.) Training unit at the top.
Pictures : A distant view of Purandar from the eastern side (above). Gateway leading to the upper portion of the fort (below).

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11. Vijayadurg Fort

Vijayadurg, situated 48 kms south of Ratnagiri, is one of the strongest marine forts on the west coast of India. It is also an excellent harbour. Built on a hill on the
mouth of Vaghotan river the fort was protected on three sides by the sea and on the east side by a ditch, now tilled up. After crossing the Iront gate on the east, the path,
skirting round the massive middle wall, enters the hidden inner gateway. The strong triple line of fortifications had 27 bastions, some of them two-storeyed. Within the
citadel there were many buildings and storehouses, now all in ruins except a structure called Rest House. For the supply of water there were several wells and large
tanks.
In recent years a submerged wall 100 metres east of the fort has been discovered. The under-sea wall is 3 metres high, 7 metres wide and 122 metres long. How and
why this sea-wall was built is not clear. On the bank of the Vaghotan river, about 3 kms from the fort, there was a wet dock where the Marathas used to build and repair
their ships.
Vijayadurg is an ancient site. Initially known as Gheria, it was enlarged by the Bijapur rulers and then strengthened and enlarged in the mid-17th century by Shivaji,
to whom it owes its triple line of fortifications, towers and also its new name, Vijayadurg - Victory Fort. During the time of Kanhoji Angre (1667-1729 AD), the naval
chief of the Marathas, the fort was so strong and firmly held that it successfully withstood assaults of the European mantime powers. Later in 1756 AD it fell to the
combined operations of the English and the Peshwas. However, it remained in the hands of the Peshwas till 1818 AD when finally it was surrendered to the English.

Pictures : Front view of the Vijayadurg fort with fishing boats in the bay (above), and the southern fort-wall with bastions (below).

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12. Panhala Fort

Panhala or Panhalgarh, about 19 kms north-west of Kolhapur, is possibly the largest and most important fort of the Deccan. Roughly triangular in shape, the hillfort
stands at a height of about 850 metres and has a circumference of approximately 7.25 kms. Half of its length is protected by a natural scarp reinforced by a parapet
wall and the remaining half is surrounded by a strong stone wall strengthened with bastions. The fort had three magnificent double walled gates, out of which two
have survived. The Teen Darwaza to the west is an imposing and powerful structure. There are a number of ruined monuments in the fort. The most impressive among
them are the three huge granaries. The largest among them, the Ganga Kothi, covers nearly 950 sq m space and is 10.7 metres high. In the north-east comer there is
a double story building, called Sajja Kothi, where Shivaji had imprisoned his errant son, Sambhaji.
Panhala was the capital of the Shilahara king Bhoja II during 1178-1209 AD. It was successively held by the Yadava and Bahamani kings. In 1489 AD, the fort and
the territory was taken over by the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur. Shivaji seized the fort in 1659 AD. It was from here that Shivaji, when encircled by the forces of
Siddi Johar, escaped one rainy night to Vishalgarh. Later, the fort remained with the Marathas, except for a short period in between, when it went to the Mughals. The
fort remained with the Kolhapur State till India achieved independence.
The famous Marathi poet Moropanta (1729-94 AD) was born and brought up at Panhala. There is also the samadhi of Ramachandra Amatya, the author of Ajnapatra,
an important work on statecraft, including fort construction. Today, Panhala is a sort of hill station and provides all the necessary facilities for tourists.
Pictures : The Teen Darwaza gateway from outside (above, left), and the Shringara or Andhara Bava (step well) in the fort (above, right). One of the granaries in the
fort (below, left) and the Sajja Kothi (below, right).

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13. Ajinkyatara-Satara Fort

Satara hillfort. also known as Ajinkyatara, is very close to the south of the Satara city. Situated 994 metres above sea level, the fort has a east-west length of about
1000 metres and a breadth of about 500 metres. In its heyday the fort was protected by a strong masonry wall with bastions. There were two gates. The main gate,
made formidable by high buttresses, is close to the north-west comer, now approachable by a pukka road. The small gate in the south-east comer was a postern one.
Inside the fort there were tanks, wells, buildings, temples and stores, all in mins now. Today there is a wireless relay station located at the top in the fort.
According to an inscription dated 1192 AD, the Shilahara king Bhoj II, who ruled from Panhala, constructed at least 15 forts around Satara-Kolhapur, which included
among others, the Ajinkyatara or Satara fort. The fort was extended and renovated by Bahamani Sultans. Captured by Shivaji in 1673 AD, the fort played an
important role in his military operations. When Aurangzeb took it over in 1700 AD he named it1 Azamtara’, after his third son Prince Azam. The name ‘Ajinkyatara’
might be a corruption of Azamtara. Recaptured by the Marathas in 1701 AD, the fort was the seat of the Bhosale Rajas of Satara from 1749 to 1848 AD when the state
was annexed by the East India Company.
Pictures : View of Ajinkyatara from the eastern side, and the main gateway of the fort (inset).

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14. Suvarnadurg Fort

The island fort of Suvarnadurg stands close to Hame in Ratnagiri District, a natural harbour famous for fishing and its marketing. A very strong fort, its walls are cut
out of solid rock and the ramparts are raised by using huge square blocks. No mortar was used in the walls. The fort has many bastions and a postern gate on the
western side. The hidden main gate opens towards the east. It has on its threshold a carved figure of a tortoise and on the side wall, that of Maruti (Hanuman). Inside
the fort there were several buildings, water tanks and a place for ordinance. All the buildings are now in ruins.
The fort was probably built by the Bijapur kings in the 17th century. Captured and strengthened by Shivaji, it became a stronghold of Maratha navy and remained with
the Peshwas till 1818 AD. It was one of the main naval bases of the Angres.
Gova, Kanakadurg and Fatehgarh forts on the mainland are separated from Suvarnadurg by a narrow channel. The small Gova fort was stronger than the other two.
It has two gates, one towards the land and another towards the sea. On the wall of the sea-gate there are carved figures of a tiger, eagle and elephants. The old
buildings inside the fort are in ruins.
Kanakadurg has the sea on three sides. Nothing remains of the fort, except two broken bastions. There is a light house at its highest point. Fatehgarh is in complete
ruin. Most probably, these three small forts were built by Kanhoji Angre (1667-1729 AD) to protect Suvarnadurg from the land route.
Pictures : A distant view of Suvamadurga from the Gova fort (above), and a wall with a bastions of the Gova fort (below).

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15. Tryambak and Chakan Forts

Trvambak or Brahmagarh hillfort, overlooking the holy temple of Tryambakeshwar, is 32 kms south-west of Nasik town. The fort was built on a high hill with steep
scarps to its each face. Besides, it was fortified by walls and bastions. There are only two gateways. The main southern access is through the steep steps (about 300
in numbers) cut out of a near vertical scarp and passing through rockcut gates. The northern access is through only a single gate approached by a narrow passage with
steps cut from the rock. The fort is now in ruins. From the top of Tryambak, one can have a grand view of the Harihar, Anjaneri and a few other hillforts.
Being in the category of Devagiri, Tryambak fort seems to be of Rashtrakuta-Yadava origin. After the Yadavas (1271 AD) it was occupied by the Nizamshahi sultans,
the Mughals and the Marathas. Tryambak and its cluster of forts provided cover to upper Konkan and so was of strategic importance. In 1818 AD, when Tryambak
was taken over by the British with a tough fight, the surrounding forts surrendered without any resistance. The river Godavari originates from the Tryambak hill.
Chakan village and its landfort is 29 kms north of Pune. Nearly square, the fort was protected by a strong wall with bastions and comer towers surrounded by a moat.
There was also an inner wall. The fort is now in ruins.
The Chakan fort is quite old and was occupied by several powers. An Abyssinian chief is said to have made the first fortification in 1295 AD. In 1595 AD, it was given
in jagir to Shivaji’s grandfather, Maloji Bhosale. An important event occurred here when the fort was captured by Shaista Khan in 1660 AD. Being on the shortest
route from Ahmadnagar to Konkan, Chakan was a place of great strategic importance. The fort was captured from the Marathas by the British in 1818 AD.
Pictures : A distant view of the Tryambak hillfort (above), and the mined ramparts and bastions of the Chakan landfort (below).

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16. Vasai Fort

Vasai, also called Bassein, lies about 48 kms north of Mumbai just across the Ulhas river. The fort in the old city was the headquarter of the Portuguese in the north,
next in importance to Goa. The coastal land-fort of Vasai was surrounded by sea on three sides and to the landside it had a moat which was filled by sea-water. Its 4.5
kms long strong stone wall had 11 bastions. The fort had two gates - the westward land-gate and the eastward sea-gate. There was also a small citadel in the fort. Well-
equipped with water-tanks, store-houses, armoury, etc., the fort also had fields for growing grains and vegetables. All the old structures inside the wall are now in
ruins.
Vasai came into prominence when the ancient harbour of Sopara (now Nalsopara village, 10 kms north of Vasai) became unfit for use. However, Vasai continued to
be a trading centre. A small fort-like structure was erected here in 1533 AD by Malik Tughan, the commander of Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat. In 1534 AD, the
Portuguese forced Bahadur Shah to cede Vasai in perpetuity. Here, first they constructed the citadel (Balekilla), and then in 1590 AD, the present fort with its ramparts
and other structures came into being. For the next about 150 years Vasai enjoyed opulence and prosperity. The Portuguese built here magnificent houses, convents,
churches and an orphanage. Only the Hidalgos (Portuguese nobles) were allowed to reside within the fort walls. Vasai was the main naval base and a sort of ship¬
building centre of the Portuguese. The end came in 1739 AD, when Chimaji Appa, Peshwa Bajirav’s brother, stormed the fort and captured it with great loss of life.
It was here in 1802 AD, the Peshwa Bajirav II signed the infamous “Treaty of Bassein” which virtually dissolved the Maratha Confederacy. Finally, the fort and the
city of Vasai was ceded to the British in 1817 AD.
Pictures : The eastward sea-gate of the Vasai fort (above), and a close view of the sea-gate (inset). A ruined monument in the fort (below, left). Gate of a church in
the fort (below, right).

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17. Devagiri-Daulatabad Fort

Devagiri (Daulatabad of the later period), 11 kms north-west of Aurangabad, is famous for its formidable hillfort. The fort is situated on an isolated cone-shaped hill
rising abruptly from the plain to the height of about 190 metres.The fortification constitutes of three concentric lines of defensive walls with large number of bastions.
The noteworthy features of the fort are the moat, the scarp and the sub-terranean passage, all hewn of solid rock. The upper outlet of the passage was filled with an iron
grating, on which a large fire could be used to prevent the progress of the enemy. The Chand Minar, the Chini Mahal and the Baradari are the important structures
within the fort.
The Chand Minar, about 63 metres in height, was erected by Alauddin Bahman Shah in 1435 AD to commemorate his conquest of Daulatabad. Opposite the Minar
is the Jumma masjid, whose pillars originally belonged to a temple. Close to it, there is a large masonry tank. The Chini Mahal at the end of the lower fort is the place
where Abdul Hasan Tana Shah, the last king of Golconda, was confined by Aurangzeb in 1687 AD. Nearby is a round bastion topped with a huge canon with ram's
head, called Kila Shikan or Fort breaker. The Baradari, octagonal in shape, stands near the summit of the fort. The principal bastion at the summit also carries a large
canon.
Though the city of Devagiri was founded in 1187 AD by the Yadava king Bhillam V, the fort was constructed during the reign of Singhana II (1210-46 AD). It was
captured by Ala-ud-Din Khalji in 12 94 AD, marking the first Muslim invasion of the Deccan. Finally in 1318 AD, Malik Kafur killed the last Yadava Raja, Harapal.
Then in 1327 AD, Muhammed -bin-Tughluq sought to make it his capital, by transferring the entire population of Delhi and changing the name from Devagiri to
Daulatabad. Then it was in the possession of the Bahamanis till 1526 AD. The fort remained in Mughal control till Aurangzeb’s death in 1707 AD., when it passed on
to the Nizam of Hyderabad. The famous Ellora Caves are just 16 kms away from Devagiri-Daulatabad.
Pictures : View of Devagiri fort and its citadel (top left) from the top of its entrance gate (above), and the Chand Minar (inset). Courtyard of the Jumma masjid, with
old carved pillars (below, left), and the Kila Shikan canon with ram’s head (below, right).

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18. Ballalpur, Chandrapur and Manikgarh Forts

Situated in Chandrapur (old Chanda) district of Maharashtra, all the three forts are of tribal origin. Ballalpur, now known for its coal mines and paper mills, is 16 km
south-east of Chandrapur, the district headquarters. Ballalpur was the capital of the Gond king Khandakya Ballalshah during 1437-62 AD. The landfort, that he built
here on the eastern bank of the Wardha river, is square in shape with walls and bastions. There are still two intact gates set at right angle to each other. There is also
a small postern gate on the river side. The fort walls are still intact, but all the old buildings are in total ruins.
The credit for establishing Chandrapur also goes to Khandakya Ballalshah. When the capital was shifted from Ballalpur to Chandrapur, the Ballal kings built here
an extensive landfort with high walls and bastions. The fort had at its four cardinal points four impressive gates. The original buildings have vanished, but the gates
and a portion of the wall still exists. Chandrapur was annexed by Raghuji Bhosale of Nagpur in the middle of the 18th century. Finally the fort was captured by the
Britishers in 1818 AD. Now an industrial town, Chandrapur is also famous for its old Mahakali temple.
Manikgarh, made famous by a newly established cement factory near by, is about 35 kms south-west of Chandrapur. Built by tribal Naga kings in the 9th century, the
Manikgarh hillfort stands at the height of 507 metres above sea-level. It was strongly fortified with walls and bastions. There were several tanks and buildings inside
the fort. Today, the fort is in complete ruins and has become a sanctuary for wild animals. A pukka road through a dense forest leads very close to the gateway of the
fort. Nearby is an old temple of Vishnu.
Pictures : The Wardha river-side rampart and bastion of the Ballalpur fort (above, left). The main gate of the Ballalpur fort from inside (above, right). The ruined
gate-way of the Manikgarh hillfort (below, left). A portion of the rampart of the Chandrapur fort (below, right).

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19. Balapur Fort

Balapur, a taluka town, is 26 kms from Akola, the district headquarters. Situated at the junction of the rivers Man and Mhais, Balapur is a historical town and has a
massively built fort, probably the strongest in Vidarbha and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra. The fort was started in 1721 AD by Azam Shah, the son of Emperor
Aurangzeb, and was completed by Ismail Khan, the Nawab of Ellichpur (now Achalpur, Amaravati District) in 1757 AD. The fort is in a reasonably good condition
and today houses some government offices.
Situated on a high ground between the rivers, the fort has very lofty walls and bastions built of the best brickwork of its time. The fort has three gateways, one within
the other. The outer or the lower fort is a decagon with a bastion at each angle, and above it rises, by the height of its walls, the inner fort which is a pentagon, each
angle having a bastion, as in the lower fort. The innermost walls are 3 metres thick and their ramparts are pierced with numerous slits at three different angles for the
discharge of missiles. Inside the fort are three wells and one mosque. During the rains the fort gets surrounded by floodwater except at one point. The temple of Bala
Devi, from which the town has derived its name, lies just under the fort on the southern side.
The Ain-i-Akbari mentions Balapur as one of the richest paraganas of the Subha of Berar. Murad, the son of Akbar, settled at Balapur after acquiring it from the
Ahmadnagar kingdom. At that time Balapur was famous for its artistic articles manufactured from the stone quarried from the local river. It had also acquired wide
fame for the production of quality cloth and paper.
Pictures : Balapur fort from across the river (above, left). Main gateway of the Balapur fort leading to the inner courtyard (above, right). Upper and lower walls and
bastions of the Balapur fort (below, left). The innermost wall and gateway of the Balapur fort (below, right).

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20. Gavilgarh Fort

Gavilgarh fort is situated on a 1103 metres high lower Satpuda range, now under the Melghat Tiger Project. It is 2.5 kms south-east of Chikhaldara, a popular hill-
station, and about 30 kms north of Achalpur, the old capital of Berar, now a taluka town. Gavilgarh took its name from the pastoral Gavalis who, centuries ago, had
a mud fort on this hill. The new fort was built by Ahmad Shah Wali, the ninth king of the Bahamani dynasty in 1425 AD. In 1488 AD, the fort was repaired and
extended by Fateh-ullah lmad-ul-Mulk, the founder of Imadshahi in Berar.

Gavilgarh has two levels, the outer fort being slightly lower than the inner one. This outer fort has a third wall which covers the approach to it from the north. The fort
has two main gateways, the Delhi Darwaza, between the inner and outer fort, and the Fateh Darwaza, the south-western gate, built by Fateh-ullah Imad-ul-Mulk. The
most conspicuous of the remains in the fort is the great mosque which stands upon the highest point towards the south side of the inner fort. Built in the Pathan style
of architecture, the mosque has seven arches in its facade. Of the two minarets, the one at the north-eastern angle of the building still exists. Its square canopy, with
very exquisite stone lattice-work, rises little above the domes of the mosque. There were not less than eight tanks in the fort, two of them still in good condition. There
still remain in the fort several canons, the one at the southern end being the largest.

Gavilgarh has a long history. The saying was : “One who controls Gavilgarh, controls Berar.” After the split of the Bahamani kingdom, it passed through many hands.
It was with the Imadshahi in 1488 AD, the Nizamshahi in 1574 AD, the Mughals in 1599 AD and the Marathas in 1754 AD, before it fell to the British in 1803 AD.
Gavilgarh was dismantled in 1858 AD lest it should be seized by Tatya Tope, who in that year attempted to break from the Satpuda hills into the Deccan in order to
stir up the country for the independence movement.
Pictures : The mosque in the Gavilgarh fort (above). The northern outer wall and gateway of the Gavilgarh fort (below).

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21. Narnala, Akola and Achalpur Forts

Narnala fort, standing upon an isolated hill of the Satpuda range, is 18 kms north of Akot, a taluka town in Akola district. It is 973 metres above sea-level and consists
of three distinct hill forts : Jafarabad in the north-east, Narnala, the principal fort, in the centre, and Teliagarh in the south-west. It was protected by a curtain wall about
9 metres high with 67 bastions and six large gates. The Shahnur or "Mahakali” gate, built by Fateh-ullah Imad-ul-Mulk in 1487 AD, is a notable example of Sultanate
architecture. The white sandstone gateway has Arabic inscriptions on it and is flanked upon on either side by galleries and rooms, probably for guards, but the most
striking feature of the gateway is the overhanging balconied windows, two on either side. Within the fort are a number of tanks and cisterns, a large cannon, known
as nau-gazi top, an old palace, an armoury, a baradari, a mosque and other buildings, all in ruins.
According to tradition a very old fort, Naranala was repaired by Ahmad Shah Bahamani around 1425 AD, and in 1487 AD it came under the control of Fateh-ullah
Imad-ul-Mulk, the founder of Imadshahi at Ellichpur, now called Achalpur. During Akbar’s rule, Naranala was a Suba. Naranala was captured by Parsoji Bhosale I
in 1701 AD and remained with the Marathas till it was taken overby the British in 1803 AD.
The fort at Akola situated on the bank of the Morna river was constructed by Asad Khan in 1697 AD during the reign of Aurangzeb. Much of the fortifications have
crumbled down, but the remains of a palace can still be seen. Some of the old bastions have been repaired and the main area of the fort has been converted into a public
park.
The history of Achalpur, formerly known as Ellichpur, could well be said to be the history of Vidarbha (Berar) itself. Nawab Sultan Khan, the first of his dynasty, built
the fort at Sultanapura in Achalpur on the south the bank of the Sarpan river in about 1754 AD. Much of the part of the fort is now in completely dilapidated condition.
The city was fortified by Sultan Khan’s son Ismail Khan by a huge and solid rampart wall of masonry with four gates. Most of the fortifications and the gates are still
intact.
Pictures : The Shahnur or Mahakali gate of the Narnala fort (above, left). The overhanging balconied windows on the left flank of the Mahakali gate (above, right).
The remaining high tower of the Akola fort (below, left). A gate flanked by two bastions of the Achalpur fort (below, right).

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22. Ahmadnagar Fort

One of the most well planned and strongly built, the Ahamadnagar land-fort is situated in the centre of the cantonment in the eastern part of the city. Ova! in shape,
the fort is about 1.70 km in circumference and is strengthened by 24 bastions. It is surrounded by a moat, now dry, about 30 metres wide and 4 to 6 metres deep, and
beyond it there is a wooded glacis. The massive curtain wall, built of cut stone masonry, rises above 25 metres from the bottom of the ditch. The two entrances to the
fort could be reached only after crossing the moat over the suspension drawn bridges. Inside the fort there are some old and new buildings, fairly in good condition.
Presently the fort is under Indian military command .

The Ahmadnagar fort was built by Husain Nizam Shah in 1559 AD. The fort was besieged by the vast Mughal army in 1596 AD, but the garrison led by Chandbibi
valiantly defied the attack for four months and the Mughals had to beat a retreat. In the next attack in 1600 AD, the fort was captured by Akbar. It remained with the
Mughals till 1759 AD, when it was sold to Sadashiv Bhau, the cousin of the third Peshwa. In 1797 AD, the fort was assigned to Daulatrao Shinde, from whom it was
captured by General Welleslay in August, 1803. Finally, under the Treaty of Pune (June, 1817 AD) the fort was handed over to the British by Bajirav Peshwa II.
The Ahmadnagar fort was often used as a royal prison, both by the Marathas and the British. Nana Phadnis, who was instrumental in imprisoning many Maratha
noblemen in this fort was himself locked up in the fort by Daulatrao Shinde. During the Quit India Movement of 1942, the entire Congress Working Committee was
detained here. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote his famous work Discovery of India while in confinement at the Ahmadnagar fort.
Pictures : The main entrance to the Ahmadnagar fort with its two gateways placed at right angles (above). The outer gate (only its upper half) is on the left side and
the inner gate is the front one. A water-outlet on the left wall of the inner gate with a sculpture of a tiger trampling on an elephant (inset, above). A portion of the
massive wall of the fort with a bastion; the moat on the left is grown with babul and other trees (below).

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23. Mahur Fort

Mahur village, also called Mahor, is 40 kms north-west of Kinwat town in Nanded district in the Marathawada division of Maharashtra. Earlier Mahur was a big city
and a Suba of southern Berar. Situated on an eastern branch of Sahyadri mountains, the hillfort here is very old and exists at least from the time of the Yadavas. It was
subsequently occupied by many powers — the Gonds, the Bahamanis, the Adilshahi and the Nizamshahi rulers and finally the Mughals and their vassals. The fort on
its three sides is girded by the Painganga river.

The fort, built on top of two adjoining hills, was protected by walls, ramparts and bastions. It had two main gateways — one on the southern side and the other on the
northern side. The northern gate is still in a reasonably good condition, and so is its southern rampart nearly five metres wide. The fort had a palace, a mosque, a
granary, an armoury, etc., now all in ruins. At the centre of the fort, there is a big tank call Ijalatalav.

Being situated on the main route from the north to the Deccan, Mahur has a long history. There is evidence to show that Mahur, ancient Matapur, was an important
place at the time of the Satavahanas and the Rashtrakutas. The Renuka temple on an adjoining hill was built by the Yadavas. After remaining with the Gond rulers for
some time, Mahur passed on to the Bahamanis in the 15th century and was made a Suba. In the 16th century, Mahur, being strategically placed at their centre, faced
a lot of fire from the infighting between the Nizamshahi, Adilshahi and Imadshahi rulers. Then in the early 17th century, Mahur became a part of the Mughal empire
and came to be ruled by their Subedars. When Shahjahan rebelled against his father Jahangir, he took refuge in the Mahur fort along with his wife and children,
including 6 years old Aurangzeb.

About 2 kms from Mahur bus-stand, there are two Elephanta type (situated on an island near Mumbai) rock-cut caves of the Rashtrakuta period.
Pictures: Remains of rampart and a bastion on the south-western side of the Mahur fort, and its northern gate, called ‘Hathi Darwaja’ (inset). Behind the bastion, on
another hill, is the Renuka temple.

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24. Pauni and Nagardhan Forts

Pauni, in Bhandara district, is 82 kms south-east of Nagpur. The present town, about three kms south-west of the Wainganga river, is engirdled by medieval
fortifications embellished by imposing gateways, of which those situated to the west are almost intact. The majestic fortifications, which at some places are extant to
a height of about 20 metres, were encircled by a moat of about 20 metres in width. The ancient moat has now turned into a small seasonal lake and is called
Balasamudra. The fort was constructed by the Gond ruler Bakht Buland in the early 18th century and was taken over by Raghuji Bhosale I around 1740 AD.
Pauni. an ancient place, has yielded the relics of one of the greatest Stupas of India and definite evidence of a flourishing Buddhist establishment. The Pauni rampart
has yielded the copperplate grant of Pravarasena II of the Vakatakas who ruled over this region. So, it is possible that the clay core of the rampart goes back to a period
much earlier than the medieval.
Nagardhan, ancient Nandivardhan, the first capital of the Vakatakas, is 34 kms northeast of Nagpur and about 5 kms south of Ramtek, famous for its fortified hill
temple.
The present land fort at Nagardhan, probably built by Raghuji Bhosale I around 1740 AD, must have served the purpose of guarding the eastern approaches to
Nagpur. Square in shape, it has an outer rampart with bastions and had an inner wall surrounding the buildings. The main gate, still in good condition, is on the north¬
west side. In the fort there is a temple below the ground level and the idol is placed on a ledge of a well like structure.
Not far away from the present fort there is a place where big sized bricks of ancient periods are often discovered. This is said to be a site of the capital-cum-fort of
the Vakatakas.
Pictures : A distant view of the Pauni fort with the ancient moat, now turned into a seasonal lake (above). Wide rampart and high parapet of the fort (inset). Front wall
with a bastion and the main gate of the Nagardhan fort (below). The main gate (inset).

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Published by Director, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi
Printed at Viba Press Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi - 110 020 .
2015