The Multan Fort was a historic fort in the city of
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the List ...
. According to some estimates the original fort was built by Katoch Dynasty Rajput between 800 and 1000 B.C. However, it was later destroyed. It was rebuilt by
Ranghar
Ranghar are a community of Muslim Rajputs in the Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh; and in Sindh (Muhajirs) and Punjab in Pakistan.
History and origin
The Ranghar were classified as an "agricultural ...
chiefs near the city of
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the List ...
, on a hillock separated from the city by the Ravi River. The fort was destroyed by British forces during
British colonial rule
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
.
![Rukn-e-Alam Tomb Multan 1865](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Rukn-e-Alam_Tomb_Multan_1865.jpg)
The fort was notable for both its effectiveness as a defence installation and for its architecture. Contemporary reports put the walls of the fort at 40 to high and 6,800 feet (2 km) in circumference. The fort's 46
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
s included two flanking towers at each of the four gates (the De, Sikki, Hareri and Khizri Gates). A ditch deep and wide and an
glacis
A glacis (; ) in military engineering is an artificial slope as part of a medieval castle or in bastion fort, early modern fortresses. They may be constructed of earth as a temporary structure or of stone in more permanent structure. More genera ...
protected the fort from intruders.
Within the fort stood a
citadel
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
In ...
flanked by 30 towers, enclosing
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s, a Hindu temple and a
Khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
's palace. The citadel was severely damaged by the battering it got from the guns in 1818.
See also
*
City Wall of Multan City Wall of Multan or Faseel e Multan ( ur, ) is an ancient wall encircling the old city of Multan. It was built and rebuilt many times as it was destroyed in battles. The original construction time is unknown but it was present during the Siege o ...
*
List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritag ...
*
List of forts in Pakistan
The following is a partial list of forts and castles in Pakistan:
See also
* Tourism in Pakistan
* List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan
* List of museums in Pakistan
* Lahore Fort
* Rohtas Fort
* Noor Mahal
* Derawar Fort
Referen ...
*
List of museums in Pakistan
This is a list of museums, galleries, and related building structures in Pakistan.
Museums and galleries
Archaeological and historical museums
* Harappa Museum, Harappa
* Baha ...
References
External links
MULTAN: TMA-Archaeology row over Multan heritage''Dawn Newspapers, 2004''
Multan Fort: Short HistoryMultan Information
{{Castles in Pakistan
History of Multan
Fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
Forts in Punjab, Pakistan
Tourist attractions in Multan