Fort - 5

The most exotic cocktail possible: the magnificent Golconda Fort, home of the Koh-i-Noor; the cultured Nizams whose origins lie in Samarkand, the Gem of the East; and the very modern high-tech cyberworld - Hyderabad has it all.

The Golconda Fort has been on the map of the world for the past 5000 years.

The power of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, or Mountain of Light, was first mentioned in 1306 in a text which read:

He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity.

This magnificent stone when it was found in 1656 was all of 787 carats. Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah was the reigning monarch at this time. The Koh-i-Noor has been the envy of many a ruler, Mughal, Persian and British. All of them have fought to possess this diamond. Finally the East India Company got possession of this Golconda diamond, and it was set in the British crown. Of course by this time, the diamond weighed only 21.6 gm and was 105 carats. The year was 1877, and Queen Victoria was Empress of India. It is an interesting fact that the term used for diamonds that are pure white, and which are of the greatest clarity and transparency is Golconda. There is an interesting story about the Koh-i-Noor. Shah Jahan, the Mughal king had the Koh-i-Noor set in his throne, the Peacock throne, which as the name suggests, was a highly ornate and decorative throne. Every Indian is familiar with the story of the Taj Mahal – Shah Jahan’s tribute of love to his wife Mumtaz Mahal. When Aurangazeb overthrew his father and imprisoned him in the Fort at Agra, he placed the Koh-i-Noor in such a way that the Taj Mahal was reflected in the stone. This was the only way the grieving Shah Jahan could see the resting place of his beloved wife.

During the reign of Ashoka the Great, the Deccan was ruled by the Mauryan Kings. It passed through turbulent times, till finally, the Kakatiyas established their empire here. Legend has it that in the year 1143, a shepherd boy, roaming around on the hill known as Mangalavaram, found an idol. This idol was given to the ruling Kakatiya king. The king built a mud fort on the area where the idol had been found. This hill became known as Golla Konda or Shepherd’s Hill. Gradually, the name changed to Golconda. Through the years, the kingdom passed from the Kakatiya kings to the Bahmani kings. Eventually, the Qutub Shahi rulers came to power in 1507. Their reign extended right up to 1687. The founder of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty was Sultan Quli Qutbul Mulk. The Qutub Shahi kings had their court in the Golconda Fort. From 1507 till 1569 they redesigned and rebuilt the Fort into the massive stone structure we see today.

Golconda Fort is a mere 11 kilometres from Hyderabad. The road that leads to the Fort used to be a market, and like all Indian markets was bustling with people selling their wares. The market stalls sold everything from the most beautifully woven carpets and printed fabrics to exquisite jewellery studded with precious stones. There were stalls that sold diamonds, pearls, and other gems. The pearls were imported from Persia. Though diamonds were not mined in the Fort, Golconda was famous for the cutting and polishing of diamonds. This skill of the diamond artisans was unparalleled. There were also shops that sold steel and all kinds of arms. Hyderabad diamonds and pearls are much sought after even today. Go along the road till you finally get to the majestic Fort itself. Golconda Fort is on a 1300 feet hill and stands 120 metres tall. There is a 10 kilometres long wall surrounding it. The wall is 17 feet to 34 feet thick. The crenelated wall has 87 semi-circular bastions, 80 gates, and 4 drawbridges. The bastions on the outer wall are 50 to 60 feet high and cannons were placed in them for the protection of the Fort. This was truly an impregnable Fort. Another feature that made the Fort self-sufficient was that food could be grown in the Fort itself.

There are 8 gateways or Darwazas in the outer wall. You enter the fort through the Fateh Darwaza (Gate of Victory). This door is 25 feet high and 13 feet wide. The door has steel spikes on the front as a protection against elephants. Very cruelly, the enemy would intoxicate their elephants and send them to batter down the gates. The gateway through which you leave the Fort is the Banjara Darwaza. The Balahisar Darwaza is the most splendid and impressive of all.

The acoustics of this Fort were such that if there was any movement at the entrance, the sound would reach the top of the Fort. The guards who were stationed there would be alerted and would be able to see who was at the entrance. Once they were cleared, the gates would be opened. If, however, the guards saw any kind of suspicious movement, the whole Fort would be alerted.

All over the area of the Fort there are well-laid out lawns and gardens with fountains, and even though it is a shadow of what it used to be, just walking around the Fort takes you back in time to the days of Nawabi grace and grandeur. One can imagine how the lovely Nagina gardens, set off the magnificent buildings. Another marvel, the Katora Hauz, which is a very large stone tank, used to be filled with rose water! The barracks of the Abyssinian bodyguards whisper tales of wars fought and the lives of all who lived there. The administrative offices and the Royal apartments, mosques and temples, mortuary baths, an alms house, the armoury, stables, and the parade ground were constructed in a manner that blended with the rugged terrain. Hindu, Persian, and Islamic architectural features were used in all the buildings. Two Hindu officials served the Qutub Shahi kings, and their offices can be found as you go up the hill. The palaces of the zenana (women) were made in such a way that one could access them only by a set of narrow steps. These are beautifully made and gorgeously decorated, and are essentially Persian in nature. Exquisitely laid gardens completed the picture of tranquillity of this area. A thousand steps lead to the Durbar Hall or the Balahisar Baradari at the top of the hill. This was a wind-swept pavilion and the double walls provided a kind of natural air-conditioning. Looking out from here, you are rewarded with the most fantastic sight ever. Today, of course what you see are the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad laid out below, and in the distance, the Charminar.... Palace intrigue made it necessary to have an underground tunnel from the Durbar Hall to one of the palaces that are at the foot of the hill. As usual, the architects designed the Fort in such a way that all the buildings caught the cool breeze during the hot months. The water system was another amazing architectural feat. The rather infamous Rahbir cannon, which was used by Aurangazeb when he laid siege to the Fort, is displayed as well.

Just outside the Fort are two pavilions built on a rock. These were the Taramathi Gana Mandir and the Premamathi Nritya Mandir. Taramathi and Premamathi were legendary artistes of their day. The pavilions were so placed that when they sang or danced on the roof-tops of their pavilions, the Sultan could see them and hear them as he sat in the Durbar Hall.

Stories associated with the rulers make them come alive for us. History tells us that it was the 5th Sultan, Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah who actually founded the city of Hyderabad. There is a charming story about the dashing Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. When he was 14 years old, he fell in love with a beautiful and accomplished courtesan, Bhagmati. She was a talented and gifted singer, as well as an exquisite dancer. She was a Hindu, but that did not deter the young Sultan. Bhagmati lived in Chichlam, a small village on the opposite shore of the Musi river. The Sultan would ride out from the Golconda Fort to the river, cross it and go to her house every day, because he loved her company. One year the heavens broke and thunderstorms lashed Golconda. The Musi river burst its banks and the whole region was inundated. Many people lost their lives and many were rendered homeless. The floods did not dissuade the young Sultan, and without heeding his guards who begged him not to be foolish, he forced his horse into the swollen river. The fierce water swept them away. It was a sheer miracle that they survived. The young Sultan, mad with fear and worry for the safety of Bhagmati roamed around the area searching for her. Finally when he found her, he took her back with him to Golconda. Naturally the family was aghast and totally disconcerted. The court was thrown into confusion and turmoil. The Sultan forbade his son from having anything to do with the Hindu courtesan. The young Sultan, however, would not listen. He was completely devoted to Bhagmati, and was single-minded in his love for her. Finally, the Sultan had a stone bridge (Purana Pol) constructed over the Musi river to make it easy for his son to visit his lady love. After Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah came to the throne, he married Bhagmati. One year there was great water shortage and the the long, hot summer months were sheer agony. To add to it, the horrific plague struck. Something had to be done. The court had to be shifted from Golconda. Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah set up a new city on the banks of the river Musi. He called this city Bhagyanagar after his Queen. When Bhagmati embraced Islam and had her name changed to Hyder Mahal, the Sultan re-named Bhagyanagar to Hyderabad dedicating it to his beloved Queen. This was in the year 1591. Hyderabad was the supreme centre of Islamic art, literature and absolutely unrivalled in the beauty of its culture.

The Qutub Shahis were great builders, and constructed elegant and beautifully designed buildings. They set up centres for learning. Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature as well as culture was propagated at this time. Telegu, the local language was not neglected either, and some of the Sultans were quite proficient in it. In fact it was during this time that learning, art, and culture really flourished. This legacy is still evident in Hyderabad today. The last Sultan was Abul Hasan Tana Shah. The Mughal Emperor at this time was Aurangazeb. Hearing about the beauty and riches of the Golconda Fort, he declared war on Abul Hasan Tana Shah. He failed to break into the Fort. Consequently he laid siege to the fort. For 8 months the Golconda Fort held out, but then a traitor opened the gates and the Mughal army entered the Fort, thus establishing Mughal rule in the Deccan. Abul Hasan was captured and died after 12 years of being in prison in Aurangabad. Aurangazeb, however, just could not establish his authority in the Deccan. A long period of discontent and strife followed in Hyderabad.

One kilometre to the North, as you leave the Fort through the Banjara Darwaza, you see the beautiful tombs of the Qutub Shahi rulers, and their consorts. There is a mix of Persian, and Hindu architectural elements in these tombs. They were made of grey granite. Each tomb, 9 metres to 15 metres high, stands in the centre of a large raised quadrangular terrace. There is a flight of steps on all sides of this quadrangle. Each tomb is a marvel of style and design.

To investigate the next link in the chain after the rule of the Qutub Shahis, we have to move to that most exotic of cities – Samarkand. Samarkand is 25 centuries old. According to ancient Arab history, Samarkand was the Gem of the East. To the Europeans, this was the land of scientists. Even today, an air of mystique surrounds this fabulous city. Samarkand stands in the centre of the Silk Route that connects China with the West. It is truly, then, a city which is at the crossroads of cultures. One of the Sayyids, a descendent of the Prophet, came to India from Samarkand in the latter part of the 17th century. Initially he fought in the Mughal army, but then in 1724 Mir Qamaruddin Chin Qilij Khan, or Asaf Jah 1, founded the Asaf Jahi Dynasty. He took the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk which means Governor of the realm. Theirs was an unbroken rule for 224 years right up to 1948. There is an interesting story about the first Nizam. The story goes that once when the Nizam was hunting, he came upon a saint who offered him kulchas, or stuffed Indian bread. The saint told him to eat as many as he could. The Nizam could eat only 7 kulchas. The saint predicted that 7 generations of the Nizam’s family would reign in the State of Hyderabad, which in reality proved true, since the Asaf Jah dynasty did have only 7 rulers. A tradition that this family lived by was that no ruler would ever leave India during his reign. At first, the Nizams ruled on behalf of the Mughal emperors. After the rule of Aurangazeb, though, the Nizams formed their own kingdom. They had inherited a State where art, literature, architecture had once reached great heights, even though temporarily it had been hidden under years of neglect. The Nizams who were extremely cultured people once again resurrected all cultural pursuits and soon the State of Hyderabad was unrivalled in the elegance of its cultured lifestyle. Persian, the language of the court was the official language right up to 1893. This was replaced by Urdu up to 1948. The Nizams ensured that their State grew both socially and economically. In fact, they had their own currency, railways, and even postal system. No income tax was levied on the people. Finally, in 1948, after much resistance, the State of Hyderabad joined the Indian Union.