A Bit about our Forts...

A country can never ignore its past. To understand the present, you have to know and respect what went before, what happened all those thousands of years ago, what our heritage is. What was India like then?

To understand this, let’s go back in time:

Indian History is as old as 500,000 years. Archaeologists discovered many artefacts that could only belong to this ancient period. Also, cave drawings in Bhimabetaka or Bhimbetka, 40 kilometers south of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, are a testimony to life at that time. If you look at the map, you will see that India is placed at the center of Asia. Consequently, it is at a crossroads between China and Europe. It has a very strong connection with Africa. According to ancient Dravidian literature, which dates back to 500 B.C, it is believed that the Ethiopians, called the Nagas, ruled a part of India. It is also believed that the Nagas created Sanskrit. They were formidable seamen, and established their presence in India, Sri Lanka and Burma. A small group can even now be found in the Andamans, and traces of these people are still visible among certain groups of people in the South India, the Nagas of North-East India, and a few other tribes, who today are referred to as adivasis. Next to come to India were the Proto-Australoids.

The Mongloids came after them. The Mediterranean people came next. These spoke the Dravidian language, which is now represented by the languages of the Southern States. Wandering people from Central Asia came to India, and the last set of immigrants to come were the Nordic races, who spoke the Aryan language. Thus we see that people from different parts of the world came to this beautiful country which was bounded by the magnificent mountain ranges in the North, and oceans on the lateral sides, meeting at the tip of this ancient land. The fertile plains of the mighty Indus River, called the Sindhu, are, then, where it all started. The Indian civilization spread to all the fertile land formed by the Sapta Sindhu. It is from the name Sindhu, that India draws its very name. From here, the Sanskrit-speaking people migrated to Iran, Greece, and further to the west.

The fertile plains in the North-West part of India became the home of great empires, starting with the Mauryan Empire. Thus, to sum up, in the North, we have the great barrier of mountains. In the South, there are the plains formed by the great rivers, the Indus and the Ganges. The large plateau of the Deccan is towards the center. This is where a history more complex than any other in the world began to be played out.

It was left to the Mauryas to free India from foreign invasion. Chandragupta Maurya advised and guided by Chanakya, managed to accomplish this task. He went on to establish the Indian Empire. We follow history through the next many years of prosperity when the arts and sciences flourished right up to 1025 A.D when Mahmud of Ghazni raided North India. In 1526, Babur established the Mughal Dynasty. By the time of Akbar, the Mughals were firmly established in India.

Another people who were very important at this time were the Rajput Kings. Rajput kings and chiefs ruled over much of northern and western India. Soon after Akbar came to the throne, he helped a Rajput king, Raja Bharamall Kachhawaha, and a Mughal official resolve their differences. The Rajput king, in gratitude, gave Akbar his beautiful daughter. This was the beginning of warm relations between the Rajputs and the Mughals. Later, we see the rise of the Marathas, and the Sikhs. Tipu Sultan was another ruler who cannot be ignored and who left his indelible stamp on Indian history. There were foreign invasions too in the form of the Portugese , the Danes, the Dutch, the French, and the British. All through these years, some tumultuous, some peaceful, we read about the various forts that were built. Each fort was an architectural marvel. Each king, or ruler, or chieftain would build a fort to protect himself and his people.

A fort would have its name ending with - durg, or - qila, or - garh. Indian forts were made of:

1. Earthern ramparts - a huge ditch used to be dug surrounding the area where the fort was to be built. This sand would be used to make the ramparts.

2. Ramparts made of two layers - rubble on the inside, and mud on the outside. These walls were naturally stronger.

3. Stone and masonry work - this, would be the strongest.

Sometimes when a fort was demolished, building materials from this would be used in the building of the new fort. Forts in which cities flourished were common by 4 BCE (Before the Common Era). There were some very large forts on the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers and then again, there were smaller forts on the Narmada river.

Megasthenes’ report on the fort at Pataliputra tells us about the fort having wooden walls, and guarded by a ditch. Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador at the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He said that the fort had 570 towers and 54 gates. The halls were colonnaded and beautifully decorated with gold and silver. The craftsmanship those long years ago was of the highest order.

A study of the shastras gives descriptions of these forts. Stupas that have not been destroyed by time, show us the architecture of the time. In the relief work on these stupas, you will be able to see that the forts had crenellations. Crenellations are rectangular spaces that have been cut out of the top of the wall. These spaces are at regular intervals all along the wall. These spaces are called embrasures, or crenelles, while the raised portions on either side of these spaces are called merlons. Soldiers would shoot arrows, from these embrasures, and hide behind the merlons. In some forts, they would throw boiling oil from their positions in the embrasures. The walls would be sloping, to make it very difficult for the enemy to climb up unseen.

The Arthashastra which is the India treatise on Military Strategy, gives us descriptions of six kinds of forts depending on the kind of defense strategy used. These were:

1. Jal durgs - were forts built on the sea
2. Giri durgs - were forts built on hills
3. Vana durgs - were forts built in forests
4. Dhanu durgs - were forts built in the deserts
5. Mahi durgs - were forts that were protected by earthen walls
6. Nri durgs - were forts in which the ruler used his soldiers as the main form of defense

There are ancient texts which say that the forts that were built on hills were the most auspicious as hills are the abode of the gods. Of course every ruler used the best means possible to protect his people and used a variety of methods to defeat the enemy. Inside the fort, there was a well-planned city with well-laid out roads. The temple was at the centre of the fort.

The Mughals brought with them their own architectural style, and the forts that were built during their reign were different from the ones that had been built by the Hindu rulers. The gates were highly decorated and there were many gates that you would have to go through to reach the top of the fort. While the Hindu gates had a lintel, the Mughal style had arches. The gates were huge, so as to allow the elephants of the rulers of the fort to pass through. They had iron spikes embedded in them on the outside. This was as a protection against the elephants of the enemy. Though many of them have been destroyed, you will still get a glimpse of this when you visit the forts. The architects of these forts used the natural terrain very wisely. If the hills were rocky, they used as much of the rock face as possible to make the lower walls. Naturally, legends and stories grew in these exotic forts. Stories were spun about the courage of the warriors, which are whispered even today....

There are some forts that I find fascinating. Among them, are:

1. Massaga

The first time we read about forts is when Alexander came to conquer India. The soldiers of the Kamboja clans, put up a stiff resistance to Alexander, and he had to fight very hard to capture their strongholds. The two fortresses that need mention here are the ones at Massaga and Aornus. Massaga was constructed in such a way that it had great natural advantages. It was perched on a mountain that had steep rocky faces on all the sides. There was a marshy area all around which was very treacherous. There was a deep stream, and artificially made ramparts.

This whole was surrounded by a deep moat. According to reports of the time, the ramparts were 35 stadia or 4 miles in circumference. The foundation was of stone and this foundation supported a superstructure made of unburnt, sun-dried bricks. This brickwork was bound together with stone, so you can imagine how strong the fort was. Aornos, which existed at the same time, was a small town. It was built on a high hill. There was a spring that supplied the residents with the water that they needed. The land was cultivated to provide food for those who lived there, so that the fort would be self-sufficient in the time of a siege.

What is to be noted is that even at this time, Indians were excellent at town planning, and had the architectural skills that allowed for such strongholds to be made. It is also to be noted that though wood was mainly used as a building material, stone was also used to great advantage. Legend has it, that when the Chieftain of Massaga fell, his old mother Cleophis took charge of the army. She inspired all the women to join the army and they were determined to defend Massaga against this foreign invasion. When Alexander saw that he was making no headway, he resorted to political intrigue and bribed the weak-hearted of Massaga to betray their motherland. Finally, with deceit and hard fighting, the fort at Massage fell It stood so strong. In fact, it is believed that Alexander himself was wounded in the ankle during this battle.

2. The Qila Mubarak

This fort in Bhatinda is 1900 years old. Northern Punjab, had been inhabited by people been living in man-made shelters since 40,000 BC. By 7,000 BC they were living in mud-brick houses. They were a flourishing agrarian society, when, in 15 AD, the Kushan kingdom was established here. Emperor Kanishka and Raja Dab built this massive fort, during his reign.
In 179 AD, Rao Bhatti, established a township near the fort, and called it Bhatinda after his name. In a raid into India in 1004, Mahmud of Ghazni completely surrounded and attacked this fort. In 1189, another raid took place, this time by Muhammad Ghori. He actually occupied the fort, but then, Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the brave, and powerful Rajput king, fought back, and re-possessed the fort after 13 months. Many rulers ruled this area, till it finally passed into the hands of the Patiala dynasty.

There is an interesting story connected with this fort. Razia Sultan, the first woman ruler of India, and the only woman to sit on the throne at Delhi, in fact, the first woman ruler in history was imprisoned in the Qila Mubarak. Razia was the fifth Mamluk Sultan. Her ancestors were of Turkish descent, who came to India in the 11th century. She was trained, from childhood, in the art of warfare, and was brought up as a boy. Her father, the Sultan of Delhi, Shams-ud-din Iltumish, anointed Razia as the heir apparent. He knew that his daughter would be the best person to rule the Sultanate of Delhi. But, after her father died, the court nobles forced her to step down in favor of her brother. Ruknuddin, was hardly a ruler, so engrossed was he in leading a life of pleasure.

Finally, in 1236, both Ruknuddin and his mother were assassinated and Razia ascended the throne, for which she had been trained all her life. Since she had always shown great interest in the affairs of the state, she knew how to keep the nobles in their places, and at the same time, built up her support in the army. She loved her people and did a lot for them – established schools, and libraries, laid roads, planted trees, promoted trade, and gave her patronage to poets, painters and musicians. Razia always wore a man’s tunic and headdress, and would lead her army from the front sitting proudly on the back of an elephant. Such a successful ruler was bound to have enemies and sure enough, her childhood friend Malik Altunia, who was the governor of Bhatinda at that time, joined other jealous and unhappy governors and went to war against Razia. She was defeated, and taken prisoner, and lodged in the Qila Mubarak. This was in the year 1240. Later, she married Altunia, and they went to reclaim the Sultanate of Delhi, but were killed in battle.

3. The Ahilya Fort

Maheshwar where the Ahilya fort stands, goes back 4000 years in time to the days of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. It was then known as Mahishmati. When Akbar came to power in the 17th century, he built a small fort here on the north bank of the Narmada river. He establishe a military centre here. In 1730, Malha Rao Holkar, a Maratha general captured Mahishmati. He was the founder of the Holkar Dynasty. Mahishmati was now known as Mahehwar, the abode of Shiva. Turn the clock forward to late 18th century. Punyaslok Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar, Malhar Rao’s daughter-in-law, and the philosopher Queen of the Marathas ruled Malwa from this fort, from 1766 till her death in 1795. The fort is built high on a hillock.

There are no other high hills nearby. It is made of yellow clay with layers of lime mortar, in effect, gives the clay its strength and rigidity. The land slopes rather steeply to the water. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar strengthened and modernised the fort. She had the walls of the fort raised and redesigned the merlons so that her army could use contemporary weapons. Ramparts, bastions and turrets in brick were added in the Maratha tradition. 91 temples and ghats were built all along the length of the Narmada. In some places, the lower part of the wall is made of igneous rocks found in the river. These rocks being smooth could not hold the lime mortar firmly, thus allowing the wall to collapse in these places. The Queen’s waada was a very simple, yet elegant two-storey building.

On the ground floor was the gaddi or the royal seat. The Rajwaada was made up of many waadas – Ahilya waada, the Queen’s house, Poshak waada, Lingarchan waada, Farashkhana, and Nagarkhana. All these waadas were separated by courtyards which had a large neem tree in the centre. The courtyards all flowed into each other giving a seamless appearance. There were steep stone steps that led from her home to the temple where she worshipped. She loved the peace, quiet and beauty of this ancient fort and lived a very simple life within the ramparts. Maharani Ahilyabai was a very devout queen and ruled her people wisely and well. During her reign, her kingdom flourished and prospered. The Queen didn’t observe purdah but was accessible to all her people. She helped widows to keep the wealth of their husbands thus enabling them to live in dignity. She was even broad-minded enough to allow widows to adopt sons in case they did not have their own. There is a story which tells us how when one of her ministers refused to allow a widow to adopt a son, unless he was bribed, Ahilyabai, herself, sponsored the child and gave him clothes and jewels. She was known for her justice. When her own son committed an offence which was punishable by death, she did not commute the sentence, but had her son killed under the feet of an elephant according to the custom of that time.

Maharani Ahilyabai was a great patron of literature, art and music. She encouraged her people to prosper. Craftsmen, sculptors and artists were treated with honour and respect. The textile industry that she established flourishes even today. She led her army fearlessly. She rode on her favourite elephant, and had bows and quivers of arrows fitted to the four corners of her howdah.

History has it that if Akbar was considered the greatest among kings, Ahilyabai was the greatest among queens. An example of her political astuteness is evident in the advice she gave the peshwa on 1772. She warned him about associating with the British. She likened the association to a bear hug. While other animals can be killed by might or even by other means, a bear can only be killed if it is shot in the face. But if it catches a prey in its hold, it will kill the prey by tickling it. Wise counsel indeed!

During her reign, even the Bhils who used to torment the people were given land so that they could settle down and farm their land.

An old retainer at the fort described her daily life thus: She would rise one hour before daybreak for her prayers. Then, the scriptures would be read to her, after which she distributed alms and fed the Brahmins. She was a vegetarian. After breakfast, she would again spend time in prayer, and then rest for a while. From 2 o’clock to 6 o’clock, she held her durbar. More religious exercises would follow, then she would have a light meal. Back to work from 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock. She never varied from her simple life of prayer, and work. She was a devotee of Shiva, and Shri Shankara was stamped on all her proclamations along with her signature.

Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar has been compared with Margaret I of Denmark, and Catherine the Great.

Thus we see that not only do we have a legacy of such wonderful architecture, but we also have the great legacy of strong, brave and fearless women.