Rohtasgarh Fort- Rohtas ( Rajputana Architecture)

“It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the rest of time.”

ROHTASGARH FORT

Rohtasgarh Fort is one of the ancient forts of India which was constructed in the city of Rohtas situated on the banks of Sone river. The fort has been ruined and now cannot be accessed easily due to Naxalite activities. The hill on which the fort is situated has the height of 1500m. Tourists have to climb the stairs to reach the gate of the fort which is very exhausting.

Rohtasgarh, one of the largest forts not only in India but in the whole world, is spread over a radius of 26 miles. The name of this area was named Rohtas after Rohtasgarh, established by Rohitashva, the son of Satyuga Suryavanshi king Satyaharishchandra.

History of Rohtasgarh Fort.

Some Historians say that the fort was built by Raja Harishchandra who belonged to solar dynasty. He named the fort after his son’s name was Rohitashv.

Rohtasgarh Fort under Khayaravala Dynasty

Rohtasgarh Fort was under the rule of Shri Pratapa during 1223CE. There is an inscription found in the fort which tells that Pratapa defeated the Yavana army and captured the fort. As per the inscription, the historians concluded that Pratapa belonged to Khayaravala dynasty.

The Hindu kings who succeeded Khayaravala dynasty built a road to the fort and built four gates on four ghats. One gate can be seen at Raja ghat and one can be seen at Kathauthiya ghat. Other inscriptions state that the fort belonged to Sher Shah Suri.

Rohtasgarh Fort under Sher Shah Suri

Sher Shah Suri captured the fort in 1539 and he did so because he lost Chunar fort during a war with Humayun. Sher Shah told Raja Hari Krishan Rai, the ruler of Rohtas, that he wanted to keep his treasure and women in the fort’s safety. He brought his women and children in palanquins but later on the palanquins that arrived have Afghan soldiers inside who captured the fort.

The king of Rohtas fled from the kingdom. During the reign of Sher Shah Suri, Jami Masjid was constructed by Haibat Khan in 1543. There are three domes in the mosque and the whole mosque was built of white sandstone.

Rohtasgarh Fort under Raja Man Singh

Raja Man Singh was a general of Emperor Akbar who ruled Rohtas from 1558 onwards. Rohtasgarh Fort was inaccessible and also was a place to look after Bengal and Bihar easily. So being the governor of those places, Man Singh made the fort his headquarters. He made improvements in the fort and built a palace for himself.

Rohtasgarh Fort under Mughals

Raja Man Singh died while being the ruler of Rohtas and due to this the fort came under the rule of a wazir of Emperor Akbar. Prince Khurram who later changed his name to Shah Jahan took refuge in the fort two times.

Once when he revolted against his father Jahangir and another time when he lost the battle of Kampat to capture Avadh. Murad son of Shah Jahan and brother of Aurungzeb was born here. During the reign of Aurungzeb, the fort was used as a prison and detention center.

Rohtasgarh Fort under British

The fort came under the rule of British when they defeated Mir Kasim, the nawab of Bengal. The Nawab came to take refuge in the fort but could not hide. Shahmal, the diwan of the fort gave the keys to the British Captain Goddard who destroyed many structures in the fort.

He left the fort after two months and put two guards to guard the fort. The guards also left the fort after one year and the fort was left in peace for the next 100 years. During the war of 1857, Amar Singh took refuge in the fort. There were many clashes between him and the British who finally won.

Architecture of Rohtasgarh Fort.

Hathiya Pol or Elephant Gate

The main gate is known as the Hathiya Pol or the Elephant Gate, named after the number of figures of the elephants, which decorate it. It is the largest of the gates and was made in 1597 AD.

It is one of the largest fort in world. It is spread in 42Sqkm. It has 83 gates and network of many underground place and tunnels.

The Aina Mahal

The Aina Mahal, the palace of the chief wife of Man Singh, is in the middle of the palace. The largest structure within the palace is, however, the Takhte Badshahi, where Man Singh himself resided. It is a four-storied building, with a cupola on top. There is an assembly hall in the second floor and a gallery resting on strong, engraved stone pillars. The third floor has a tiny cupola, which opens into the women' quarters. From the fourth floor one can get a bird's eye view of the surrounding area.

Jamia Masjid and Habsh Khan's mausoleum

Outside the palace grounds are the buildings of Jamia Masjid, Habsh Khan's Mausoleum and the Makbara of Shufi Sultan. The beautiful stucco style, with the cupola resting on pillars reminds of the Rajputana style where the domed structures are known as chhatris.

Ganesh Temple

About half a kilometer to the west of Man Singh's Palace is a Ganesh temple. The sanctum of the temple faces two porch-ways.

The Hanging House

Further towards west, some construction must have taken place although there is no written evidence of what it was. The locals call it the Hanging House, as the fall from here is a straight 1500 ft down with no obstacles on the way. Locals have a story to tell about this place that this spot is the mouth of a cave, where a Muslim fakir (mendicant) is buried. It is said that he was thrown from here into the valley three times. In spite of being bound hand and foot, the fakir escaped unhurt each time. Ultimately he was buried in the cave.

Images of Rohtasgarh Fort