Cellular Jail: Torturous British Penal Colony

Cellular Jail Andaman / Image Credit

One of the main attractions of Port Blair, the capital of the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands in India, is Cellular Jail, where Indian freedom fighters and revolutionaries were imprisoned during the Indian struggle for Independence.  The jail was also known as Kālā Pānī, translating literally as “black waters”. 

The three-storied massive structure bears testimony to the inhumane atrocities on them by the British. Built in 1906, this colossal monument, now declared a National Memorial, features a unique sound and light show taking you right back in time, when Indian people were engaged in fierce struggle with the British for the achievement of their freedom from the colonial rule. The jail was originally built with seven wings which had rows of single iron-gated cells – 693 in total, specially built for the solitary confinement of the prisoners. 

Notable inmates  of the Cellular Jail also, known as Kala Pani, were  Batukeshwar Dutt, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Babarao Savarkar, Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Hare Krishna Konar, Bhai Parmanand, Sohan Singh, Ullaskar Dutta, Indu Bhushan Roy, Mahavir Singh, Mohan Kishor Namdas, Mohit Moitra. Barindra Kumar Ghosh. The brutal treatment of the prisoners drove Indu Bhushan Roy to commit suicide while Ullaskar Dutta had lost his mind.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had referred to the inhuman treatment meted out to the inmates by the Irish jailor David Barrie, the self-declared “God of Port Blair”.

 

Akkadevi: Beauty of Virtues

Western Chalukya Temple Galaganatha Temple, Haveri district, Karnataka

Akkadevi (1010 CE- 1064 CE) was a Kalyani Chalukya princess who governed parts of present-day Karnataka in the 11th century CE. She was a governor of an area known as Kishukadu, situated in the present-day districts of Bidar, Bagalkot, and Vijayapura in the state.

Akkadevi was the sister of Jayasimha II (1015-1042), the Kalyani Chalukya ruler. There were many Chalukya dynasties. Of them, the four most important were: the Chalukyas of Badami or Vatapi (also known as early western Chalukyas), the Chalukyas of Vengi (also known as eastern Chalukyas), the Chalukyas of Kalyani (also known as western Chalukyas) and the Chalukyas of Gujarat.

The Chalukyas of Kalyani ruled from 957 to 1200. 

Akkadevi had supressed many rebellions displaying great valour and courage which led her to be called Bhairavi.

Early this year two gold  coins of Akkadevi were found near Madugula village in the Mahbubnagar district of Telangana. 

Akkadevi  was also called Gunadabedangi translated as “Beauty of Virtues”.

Last Days of Akbar

Akbar's Mausoleum 

The last days of the Mughal Emperor Akbar proved to be unhappy due to rebellion of his son Salim, who succeed him under the title of Jahangir. 

Salim was eager to ascend the throne and even entered into intrigues with Portuguese to achieve his end. He even hurt Akbar by commissioning the murder of Abul Fazal (brother of Faizi), author of Akbarnama, by Vir Singh Bundela. 

The Mughal court became divided into two factions, one favouring the succession of Salim while the other, led by Raja Man Singh (Khusrau's maternal uncle), plotted to secure succession of Salim’s son Khusrav. In fact, Khusrav was also Akbar’s choice. However, before his death Akbar pardoned Salim and nominated him as his successor. Akbar died of diarrhoea on c 25th October in 1605.

Akbar’s tomb is at Sikandara, situated on the outskirts of the Agra City. Housing his mortal remains, the mausoleum was built by the emperor himself during his lifetime. The mausoleum was finished in 1613 during the reign of Jahangir. 

Akbar and His Concubines

As with case with many ancient and medieval cultures, in addition to their legal wives, the rulers have also kept concubines as well. And Mughal rulers were no exceptions. In most cases, these concubines’ served the same purposes as wives. However, they could not legally the men that they served.

These concubines also became the mothers of children of the Mughal monarchs. The children born of these concubines were treated on par with those born of the legal wives. Akbar was a famous keeper of many concubines some of whom bore children to him. Two of Akbar’s three sons, Murad and Daniyal were born of concubines. According to English traveller William Finch, Anarkali who have been portrayed in films and books as the valentine of Saleem (Later Jahangir the fourth Mughal Emperor) was the mother of Daniyal.

The concubines lived in an area which is known in Muslim culture as harem. The harem was not accessible for the male members.

12 Maratha Forts Now India's 44th UNESCO's World Heritage Site

12 Maratha forts of 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, have been inscribed on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.

The decision to include 12 forts in the list was taken during the ongoing 47th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) being held in Paris.

"New inscription on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Maratha Military Landscapes of India, #India," UNESCO said in a post on X.

The nomination for UNESCO tag was for the 2024-25 cycle.

Now India has 44 of its sites on the list. The country ranks sixth globally and second in the Asia Pacific Region for the most number of World Heritage Sites. 

Spread across the Indian states of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, 12 forts are Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, along with Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.

Of the 12 forts eight are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) while the other forts are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra. 

While Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and Gingee fort are protected under the Archaeological Survey of India whereas Salher fort, Rajgad, Khanderi fort and Pratapgad are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.

Belonging to the period from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, this network of twelve forts demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire.

Last year Moidams, the 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee held in New Delhi, becoming the first cultural site from the Northeast India to make it to the coveted list.

12 forts Maratha Military Landscapes

Salher Fort

Image Credit - Shirishghan

Shivneri Fort

                                                Shivneri Fort / Image Credit: DRONAH

Located near Junnar in Pune district in Maharashtra, Shivneri Fort comes lauded as the birthplace of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu

Situated atop three hillocks — Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, and Chandragiri in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district, the Gingee Fort was built in the 12th century by the rulers belonging to the Konar Dynasty.  

Later it came under the control of many dynasties that included the Vijayanagar Empire, Marathas, Mughals, Arcot's Nawabs (Carnatic Nawabs), the French, and the British.

Called ‘Troy of the East’ by the British, the Gingee Fort is known for its invincibility and immense fortifications which made Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji to rank

 it as the "most impregnable fortress in India". The fort was captured by  Shivaji in 1677. After remaining under the Maratha possession till 1698 it came under the control of the Mughals. In 1714 the Arcot Nawabs captured the fort from the Bundela Rajput Raja Desingh (Tej Singh) by killing him who ruled Gingee for a short time in the same year. Desingh's wife committed sati on his funeral pyre.  

Gingee remained under the control of Arcot Nawabs till 1749. The fort came under the French power from 1750 to 1770 before the British finally took control of Gingee in 1761. 

Gingee Fort

Raigad Fort

Originally called Rairi, Raigad fort is surrounded by valleys shaped by the Kal and Gandhari rivers. The fort was chosen as Shivaji's capital in 1674. Grant Duff (1789 – 1858), a British administrator-historian of the Maratha period, had compared Raigad to the Rock of Gibraltar and labeled Raigad as the Gibraltar of the East.

In 1653 CE, Raigad was captured by the Maratha forces from the Mores. In order to make the fort worthy of being a capital, Shivaji Maharaj assigned the work of reconstruction of the fort to architect Hiroji Indulkar. Subsequently, on 6th June, 1674 CE a grand coronation ceremony of Shivaji Maharaj was held on Raigad post, during which he attained the title of “Chhatrapati (Lord of the Umbrella, or king of kings)”. The fort served as the second capital of Shivaji and played an important role in the administration and expansion of the Maratha Kingdom.

Sindhudurg Fort

Lohagad fort 

Lohagad Fort / Image Credit

10 km from Malavali railway station, Lohagad fort is situated on the top of a hill. Located at an altitude of 1025 meters, the fort is perched on an enormous cliff of sheer rock in the Sahyadris hills.

Suvarnadurg

Suvarnadurg

Suvarnadurg fort meaning The Golden Fort, is located on a small island in the Arabian Sea, near Harnai village in Ratnagiri district of Konkan. It is near the town of Dapoli.  

Pratapgad

The famous and formidable Pratapgad fort located on a hilltop was the place where Afzal Khan, one of the foremost nobles and generals of Deccan's Adil Shahi dynasty, was killed by Shivaji when the former went to the this fort to eliminate the Maratha ruler.  

In 1659 Ali Adil Shah sent Afzal Khan to bring Shivaji back to Bijapur dead or alive. In order to apprehend Shivaji, Afzal Khan proposed a meeting with Shivaji, promising him pardon and grant of territory. In the meeting that ensued Afzal Khan tried to attack Shivaji with a dagger while embracing him. But Shivaji was able to kill Afzal with gloves with steel claws (bahgh nakh).

Nizam Shahi Dynasty of Ahmadnagar

 

Tomb of Ahmed Nizam Shah. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Ahmadnagar Sultanate, known more famously as the Nizam Shahi Dynasty, was one of the five independent states that arose on the debris of the Bahmani Sultanate. The Sultanate derives its name from Ahmadnagar, the seat of the power, which is 120 km northeast of Pune and located in the state of Maharashtra.

Nizam Shahi dynasty was founded by Malik Ahmad, son of Hasan Nizamul Mulk, wazir (Prime Minister) of the Bahmani kingdom after Mahmud Gawan’s execution in 1481. Mahmud Gawan was a renowned Islamic scholar who rose in ranks to become the wazir of the Bahmani kingdom. Malik Ahmad, who was appointed to the governorship of Junnar, asserted his independence in 1490. He transferred his seat of government from Junnar to Ahmadnagar which he founded in 1494. During his rule Daulatabad became part of the Ahmadnagar kingdom in 1499.

After Ahmad’s death in 1510, he was succeeded by his son Burhan, a lad of seven years at that time. Burhan, the first of the Nizam Shahis to assume the title of Nizam Shah, ruled for forty-three years. His interests were ably served by his able minister Mukammal Khan Dakhini. Ahmadnagar, during his reign, changed sides and joined coalition with the kingdoms of   Bidar, Bijapur. Golcunda and Berar and Vijayanagar against one another. He joined a coalition of Vijayanagar ruler against Bijapur in 1550. After his death in 1553 Burhan was succeeded by his son Husain Shah Nizami who joined the Deccan Muslim Sultanates against the Vijayanagar in the famous Battle of Talikota in 1665. The great city of Hampi, the seat of the Vijayanagar empire, was sacked after the defeat of the Vijayanagar Raya. 

Husain died in 1665 and was succeeded by his son Murtada Nizam Shah I (1565-88). During his rule, the Imad Shahi dynasty came to an end with the annexation of Berar to the Ahmadnagar kingdom in 1574. However, after this, Murtada lost his mental balance and began to consider his own son Miran to be his adversary. On the other hand, Miran conspired against his father and suffocated him to death while he was in his bed. This happened in 1588. Miran did not reign long and was succeeded by Ismail (1589-91) who ruled for two years. His reign was marked by the struggle for power between the Shias and the Mahdawi sect. Ismail’s father , Burhan Nizam Shah II, defeated his son’s army and ascended the Ahmadnagar throne. Burhan suffered a series of defeats at the hands of Ibrahim Adil Shah II of the Adil Shahi dynasty. He was also unsuccessful in recovering Chaul from the Portuguese. It was during Burhan’s reign that Burhan  I – Ma’athir was compiled.

Burhan Nizam Shah II was succeeded by his son Ibrahim whose rule lasted for only four months. Confusion reigned supreme in the Ahmadnagar kingdom as there were four claimants to the throne. While one of them was supported by Chand Bibi, daughter of Husain Nizam Shah and widow of Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur, Miyan Manjhu threw his weight with another. Miyan Manjhu asked for help from Mughal emperor Akbar’s son prince Murad who responded by besieging the Ahmadnagar fort. Chand Bibi fought gallantly but in the end in 1596 she was forced to enter into an agreement with the Mughals, ceding Berar to the Mughal empire. Peace, however, did not last long and the Mughals again laid siege to the capital. It was during the second attack that Chand Bibi was either murdered or took poison and lost her life (1600).

However, the sagging fortunes of the Ahmadnagar empire were revived by Ahmandnagar’s Abyssinian minster Malik Ambar. He was a thrice manumitted Abyssinian (Ethiopian) slave who is known in the medieval period as a great statesman and able administrator. Deciding not to surrender to the Mughal might, he raided the Mughal territory with great effect by means of guerrilla tactics. He installed Murtaza II as ruler of Nizam Shahi dynasty with his capital at Parenda. Malik Ambar’s gallant resistance to the Mughal forces ended when he was defeated by Mughal Prince Khurram first in 1617 and again in 1621. Applauding his role in this victory, Prince Khurram was given by his father Jahangir, the fourth Mughal Emperor, the title of Shah Jahan (King of the World). Malik Ambar’s death in 1626 was the last nail in the Ahmadnagar Sultanate's coffin. Murtada III, the last Nizam Shahi ruler, was captured by Aurangzeb during the reign of Shah Jahan in 1636. The Nizam Shahi territories were divided between the Mughals and the Adil Shahi kingdom of Bijapur.

Adilabad Fort - Jahanpanah, Delhi

Situated southeast of the adjacent Tughlaqabad Fort, on the opposite side of the Badarpur-Mehrauli road, the relatively unknown Adilabad fort has for long been in the shadows of Tughlaqabad Fort which was built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1413), the third of the five dynasties, the combination of which went on to be called the Delhi Sultanate.

Located near the tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq, the Adilabad fort (also known as Muhammadabad), on its part, was built by his son Juna Khan, better known as Muhammad bin Tughluq, who succeeded his father in 1325. The Adilabad fort was incorporated into the fortified city of Jahanpanah built by Muhammad bin Tughluq. 

When it comes to bastion and walls Adilabad Fort, though small in size, bears striking resemblance to the Tughlaqabad Fort.