Panhala Fort
Panhala fort | |
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Sambhaji I, Ramchandra Pant Amatya |
Panhala fort (also known as Panhalgad and Panhalla (
History
Panahala fort was built between 1178 and 1209 CE, one of 15 forts (others including Bavda,
It was an outpost of the
Under Shivaji
In 1659, after the death of the Bijapur general Afzal Khan, in the ensuing confusion Shivaji took Panhala from Bijapur.[5] In May 1660, to win back the fort from Shivaji, Adil Shah II (1656–1672) of Bijapur sent his army under the command of Siddi Johar to lay siege to Panhala. Shivaji fought back and they could not take the fort. The siege continued for 5 months, at the end of which all provisions in the fort were exhausted and Shivaji was on the verge of being captured.
Under these circumstances, Shivaji decided that escape was the only option. He gathered a small number of soldiers along with his trusted commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande and, on 13 July 1660,[6] they escaped in the dead of night to flee to Vishalgad. Baji Prabhu and a barber, Shiva Kashid, who looked like Shivaji, kept the enemy engaged, giving them an impression that Shiva Kashid was actually Shivaji. In the ensuing battle (see Battle of Pavan Khind), almost three quarters of the one thousand strong force died, including Baji Prabhu himself.[7][8] The fort went to Adil Shah. It was not until 1673 that Shivaji could occupy it permanently.
Sambhaji, Shivaji's son and successor to the throne Shivaji met his brave son after he escaped from the Camp of Diler Khan after executing his father political agenda to bring Aurangzeb's successor over to the Maratha's.[9] He escaped from here along with his wife on 13 December 1678[10] and attacked Bhupalgad. He returned to Panhala, however, on 4 December 1679 to reconcile with his father[10] just before his father's death on 4 April 1680. At the height of Shivaji's power in 1678, Panhala housed 15,000 horses and 20,000 soldiers.[11] also the main darwaza was chaar darwaza
Under the Kolhapur kings
When Shivaji died, Sambhaji was able to convince the garrison at Panhala to join him in overthrowing his stepbrother Rajaram I thus becoming the Chhatrapati (king) of the Maratha Empire. In 1689, when Sambhaji was imprisoned by Aurangzeb's general Mukkarab Khan at Sangameshwar, the Mughals came to possess the fort.[3] However, it was re-captured in 1692 by Kashi Ranganath Sarpotdar under the guidance of Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi a Maratha garrison commander of the fort of Vishalgad. In 1701 Panhala finally surrendered to Aurangzeb, who came for it in person.[3] On 28 April 1692 the Mughal Emperor famously received the English ambassador Sir William Norris at Panhala fort. Norris spent "300 pounds in fruitless negotiation" with Aurangzeb but the details of what was being discussed were not disclosed.[3] Within a few months the fort was retaken by the Maratha forces under Ramchandra Pant Amatya.[3]
In 1693, Aurangzeb attacked it again. This led to another long siege in which Rajaram escaped disguised as a beggar to Gingee Fort,[12] leaving his 14-year-old wife Tarabai Ranisaheb in Panhala. As Aurangzeb pursued Rajaram, Tarabai Ranisaheb would stay at Panhala for almost five years before meeting her husband again. During this formative period of her life, Tarabai Ranisaheb looked after the administration of the fort, resolved disputes, and gained the respect of the people. The time she spent at Panhala provided her with experience in courtly matters and the support of her officers,[1] which would influence later events. Rajaram did send reinforcements from Gingee, and Panhala came into Maratha's hands in October 1693.[12]
In 1700,
In 1782, the seat of the Kolhapur government was moved from Panhala to Kolhapur. In 1827, under Shahaji I[15] (1821–1837), Panhala and its neighboring fort Pavangad were given over to the British Raj. In 1844, during the minority of Shivaji IV (1837–1860), Panhala and Pavangad were taken by rebels who seized Colonel Ovans, the Resident of Satara, when he was on tour and imprisoned him in Panhala. A British force under General Delamotte was sent against the rebels and on 1 December 1844 breached the fort wall, took it by storm and dismantled the fortifications.[16] Thereafter, a British garrison was always left to guard the fort. The administration of the fort remained with Kolhapur until 1947.
Major features
It is one of the largest forts in the Deccan, with a perimeter of 14 km (9 mi) and 110 lookout posts. It is 845 m (2,772 ft) above sea level.[17] This fort is built on the Sahyadris, rising more than 400 m (1,312 ft) above its surrounding plain. Numerous tunnels stretch out from underneath the fort, one of which is almost 1 km long.[14] Most of the architecture is of the Bijapuri style with the peacock motif of the Bahmani Sultanate prominently visible on several structures. Some of the older bastions also have the lotus motif of Bhoja II. There are several monuments at the fort which are considered notable by the Archaeological Survey of India.[18]
Fortifications and bastions
More than 7 km of fortifications (Tatabandi) define the approximately triangular zone of Panhala fort. The walls are protected for long sections by steep
Andhar Bavadi
Whenever an army besieged a fort, their first action was to poison the main water source of the fort. To counter this, Adil Shah commissioned the building of the Andhar Bavadi (Hidden Well).[14] This is a three-storey structure[19] with winding staircases that conceal the well which was the main water source for Panhala fort. There are recesses in the wall so that soldiers can be permanently stationed. Several hidden escape routes in the Andhar Bavai lead outside the fort. With its own water source, living quarters and its own exit routes, likely this structure was designed like a fort within a fort with the intention of making it an emergency shelter in case the main fort fell.[20]
Kalavanticha Mahal
The name of this building, which is also called Nayakini Sajja, literally means "Courtesans' Terrace room". It stands on the east side of the fort close to the rampart. By 1886, it had become a complete wreck with only traces of ornamental work on the ceiling.[3] This was used during the occupation of the fort by the Bahmani Sultanate as a Rang Mahal[21](residences for the ladies of the court[22])
Ambarkhana
The Amberkhana, situated in the center of the fort, were three granaries built in the
Dharma Kothi
This was an additional granary next to the three granaries that constituted the Amberkhana. It was a stone building 55 feet by 48 feet by 35 feet high. This has an entrance and a staircase that leads to the terrace.[3] Grain was distributed from here to the needy.[citation needed]
Sajja Kothi
Sajja Kothi is a one-storey structure built by Ibrahim Adil Shah in 1500 CE.
Teen Darwaza
The Teen Darwaza was one of the three double gateways of the fort - the others being the Char Darwaja and Wagh Darwaja.
Wagh Darwaza
This was another entrance to the fort. It was designed to elude invaders such that they would get trapped into a small courtyard and could then be easily neutralized. It has an elaborate
Rajdindi bastion
The Rajdindi bastion was one of the hidden exits of the fort to be used in times of an emergency. It was used by Shivaji to escape to Vishalgad during the Battle of Pavan Khind.[19][24] Rajdindi is still intact.[24]
Temples and mausoleums
There are temples devoted to Sambhaji II, Someshwar and Ambabai in addition to the Mahakali temple. The Ambabai temple is very old and it was here that Shivaji would make offerings before embarking on major expeditions. The mausoleum of Jijabai lies opposite to that of her husband, Sambhaji II.[17] Ramchandra Pant Amatya (who wrote Adnyapatra, a treatise on Maratha policy) was the youngest minister in Shivaji's fort. He died at Panhala fort and a mausoleum was erected here for him and his wife. The mausoleums were covered with rubble till 1941 and till 1999 had not undergone any restoration work.[28] Also a mausoleum to Moropant an 18th-century Marathi poet who wrote poetry in the adjacent Parashar caves can be seen. A shrine to a Muslim saint Sadhoba is also present.[27]
Current use
The palace of Tarabai, arguably the fort's most famous resident, is still intact. It is now used to house a school, several government offices and a boys' hostel.[19] there are two buildings for food storage .The rest of the fort is in ruins though the structures within the fort are frequented by tourists who visit Panhala town- a major hill station. It has been declared as a protected monument by the government.[29] The Masai Pathar behind Panhala fort was chosen as an alternative location to shoot Padmaavat film.[30]
See also
External links
- "Translations of Panhala inscriptions". Government of Maharashtra. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
- Pune Trekkers
References
- ^ ISBN 0-521-25484-1. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ 800 years old Panhala fort called as Fort of Snakes:https://english.newstracklive.com/news/800-years-old-panhala-fort-called-the-home-of-serpents-sc108-nu910-ta272-1100816-1.html
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. Bombay, India: Govt Central Press. 1866. pp. 314–315. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
norris panhala.
- ^ a b Eastwick, Edward B. (1881). Handbook of the Bombay Presidency: With an Account of Bombay City (2 ed.). John Murray. pp. 268–269. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
panhala fort.
- ISBN 9788185016504. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ Indian Institute of Public Administration Maharashtra Regional Branch (1975). Shivaji and Swarajya. Orient Longman. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ISBN 81-288-0826-5. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ISBN 0-521-26883-4. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ Takakhav, Nilkant Sadashiv; Kr̥shṇarāva Arjuna Keḷūsakara (1985). Life of Shivaji, Founder of the Maratha Empire. Sunita Publications. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ ISBN 81-261-1186-0. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ Krishna, Bal (1940). Shivaji the Great. Arya Book Depot. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ ISBN 81-208-2326-5. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
- ^ Kulkarni, A.R.; Nayeem, M.A (2000). History of Modern Deccan. Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ a b c Srinivasam, V. "A Long Weekend in Kolhapur". Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ "shahaji 1".
- ^ Divekar, V. D. (1993). South India in 1857 War of Independence. Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust. p. 163. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India. Sup. Govt. Print. 1909. p. 523. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ "List of monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India". Government of India. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-7154-669-5. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ISBN 81-230-1002-8.
- ^ a b c Keating, Richard; John Murray; Arthur Hamilton Gordon; Charles Edward Buckland; George William David Starck Forrest; Norwood Young (1898). A handbook for travellers in India, Burma and Ceylon (3 ed.). J. Murray. pp. 299. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
panhala gates.
- ISBN 81-7017-414-7. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
- ^ Sarkar, Jagadish Narayan (1974). Some Aspects of Military Thinking and Practice in Medieval India. Ratna Prakashan. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Maharashtra State Tourism Website". Retrieved 28 January 2009.
- ^ ISBN 0-521-56321-6. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
- ^ Directorate of Tourism Maharashtra (India) (1962). A Panorama of Maharashtra. Govt. Central Press. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
- ^ a b "Kolhapur District Gazetteer". Government of India. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
- ^ Jathar, Dayanesh (1 May 1999). "Shivaji's minister awaits a fair deal". Indian Express. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
- ^ "List of the protected monuments of Mumbai Circle district-wise" (PDF). Archived from the original on 6 June 2013.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Sengar, Resham (23 November 2017). "Padmavati shooting location Masai Pathar is breathtakingly beautiful!". Times of India Travel. Retrieved 13 July 2020.