Dindigul Fort
Dindigul Rock Fort | |
---|---|
Part of Muthu Krishnappa Nayakkar | |
In use | circa early 1800s |
Materials | Granite |
The Dindigul Fort or Dindigul Malai Kottai and Abirami amman Kalaheswarar Temple was built in 16th-century by Madurai Nayakar Dynasty situated in the town of
Etymology
Dindigul city derives its name from a portmanteau of Thindu a Tamil word which means a ledge or a headrest attached to ground and kal another Tamil word which means Rock. Appar, the Saiva poet visited the city and noted it in his works in Tevaram. Dindigul finds mention in the book Padmagiri Nadhar Thenral Vidu thudhu written by the poet Palupatai sokkanathar as Padmagiri. This was later stated by U. V. Swaminatha Iyer (1855-1942) in his foreword to the above book. He also mentions that Dindigul was originally called Dindeecharam.[1]
History
Early Dindigul history
The history of Dindigul is centered on the fort over the small rock hill and fort. Dindigul region was the border of the three prominent kingdoms of South India, the
In the 14th century, half of
Madurai Nayaks
In 1559
Under Mysore Rayas and Hyder Ali
In 1742, the Mysore army under the leadership of Venkata Raya conquered Dindigul. He governed Dindigul as a representative of Maharaja of Mysore. There were Eighteen Palayams (a small region consists of few villages) during his reign and all these palayams were under Dindigul Semai with Dindiguls capital. These palayams wanted to be independent and refused to pay taxes to venkatarayer.[1][2] In 1748, Venkatappa was made governor of the region in place of Venkatarayer, who also failed. In 1755, Mysore Maharaja sent Haider Ali to Dindigul to handle the situation. Later Haider Ali became the de facto ruler of Mysore and in 1777, he appointed Purshana Mirsaheb as governor of Dindigul. He strengthened the fort. His wife Ameer-um-Nisha-Begam died during her delivery and her tomb is now called Begambur. In 1783 British army, led by captain long invaded Dindigul. In 1784, after an agreement between the Mysore province and British army, Dindigul was restored by Mysore province. In 1788, Tipu Sultan, the Son of Haider Ali, was crowned as King of Dindigul.[1][3][4][5]
Under British
In 1790, James Stewart of the British army gained control over Dindigul by invading it in the second war of Mysore. In a pact made in 1792, Tipu ceded Dindigul along with the fort to the English. Dindigul is the first region to come under English rule in the Madurai District. In 1798, the British army strengthened the hill fort with cannons and built sentinel rooms in every corner. The British army, under statten stayed at Dindigul fort from 1798 to 1859. After that Madurai was made headquarters of the British army and Dindigul was attached to it as a taluk. Dindigul was under the rule of the British Until India got our Independence on 15 August 1947.[1][3]
The fort played a major role during the Polygar wars, between the Palayakarars, Tipu Sultan duo aided by the French against the British, during the last decades of the 18th century. The polygar of Virupachi, Gopal Nayak commanded the Dindugal division of Polygars, and during the wars aided the Sivaganga queen Queen Velu Nachiyar and her commanders Maruthu Pandiyar Brothers to stay the fort after permission from Hyder Ali.[6]
Architecture
The rock fort is 900 ft (270 m) tall and has a circumference of 2.75 km (1.71 mi).
Maintenance
The fort is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India and maintains it as a protected monument. An entry fee of ₹25 is charged for Indian citizens and ₹300 for foreigners. The fort receives few visitors in college and school students and the occasional foreign tourists. Visitors are allowed to walk around the tunnels and trenches that reveals the safety features of the structure. The temple has some sculptures and carvings, with untarnished rock cuts.
Visitors can view the ruins within the fort walls, arsenal depots, or animal
Notes
- ^ a b c d e "Historical moments". Dindigul municipality. 2011. Archived from the original on 29 July 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Nelson 1989, p. 258
- ^ a b Nelson 1989, pp. 286-93
- ISBN 81-87879-57-2.
- ^ Beveridge, Henry (1867). A comprehensive history of India, civil, military and social, from the first landing of the English, to the suppression of the Sepoy revolt:including an outline of the early history of Hindoostan, Volume 2. Blackie and son. pp. 222–24.
- ^ "Gopal Naicker Memorial ready for inauguration". The Hindu. Palani. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ a b Basu, Soma (2 April 2005). "Pillow Rock". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 June 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Cannonballs unearthed from Dindigul fort". The Hindu. 2 March 2004. Archived from the original on 24 June 2004. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Alphabetical List of Monuments - Tamil Nadu". Archaeological Survey of India. 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "List of ticketed monuments - Tamil Nadu". Archaeological Survey of India. 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
References
- Nelson, James Henry (1989). The Madura Country: A Manual. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120604247.