Narnala Fort or Narnala
Killa Sarkar, also known as Shahnoor Fort, is a hill fortress in the
Satpura Range
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat running east through the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and ends in Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these ...
of
Vidarbh,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, named after the
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
Solanki Solanki may refer to:
* Solanki (name), surname and given name
*Solanki (clan), Indian clan associated with the Rajputs
*Solanki dynasty, alternate name for the Chaulukya dynasty
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty th ...
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
Ruler, Raja Narnal Singh, also known as Narnal Singh Swami. It was renamed as "Shahnoor" by Islamic rulers but again acquired, rebuilt and got its name "Narnala" by ruler RaoRana Narnal Singh Solanki, who migrated from
Patan, Gujarat
Patan () is the administrative seat of Patan District in the Indian state of Gujarat and is an administered municipality. It was the capital of Gujarat's Chavda and Chaulukya dynasties in medieval times, and is also known as Anhilpur-Patan ...
.
Rulers of Narnala
Briefly, the fort was first established in around 10 century A.D. by
Gavli
Ahir Gavli or Yadav Gawli is a subcaste of the Yadav community, found in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Madhya pradesh. They are referred as Golla in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Yadava,
Konar, Manyani Nair, Golla and Ahir Ga ...
Kings and major fortifications were made by Narnal Singh Swami and some by RaoRana Narnal Singh Solanki, like the Mahakali Gate. It was then taken over by other Islamic rulers. In the mid 15th Century, it was occupied and rebuilt by the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
, becoming one of
Berar Subah
The Berar Subah was one of the Subahs (imperial first-level provinces) of the Mughal Empire, the first to be added to the original twelve, in Dakhin (Deccan, central India) from 1596 to 1724. It bordered Golconda, Ahmandagar (both conquered 160 ...
's thirteen
sarkar. The fort was captured and fortified by
Gond kings during the 16th century. Later, in the late 17th century, it was under
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
, controlled by
Bhosale
The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen.
History Earliest members
The earliest ac ...
of
Nagpur Kingdom
The Kingdom of Nagpur was an Indian kingdom in the 18th and 19th centuries. It came under the rule of the Marathas of the Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century and became part of the Maratha Empire. The city of Nagpur was the capital of the st ...
and their reliable regent and
Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been u ...
, earlier the ruler of Narnala, the Solanki Rajput
Killedar Kiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in medieval India. During the Maratha Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Marathi: किल्लेदार). The office of ''Kiladar'' had the same functions as that ...
family of
RaoRana mentioned above.
After built by local Gavli kings,
1)
Yadava dynasty
The Seuna, Sevuna, or Yadavas of Devagiri ( IAST: Seuṇa, –1317) was a Medieval Indian dynasty, which at its peak ruled a kingdom stretching from the Narmada river in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south, in the western part of ...
2)
Rajgond
The Gondi (Gōndi) or Gond or Koitur are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group. They are one of the largest tribal groups in India. They are spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Prad ...
of
Devgarh-
Nagpur
Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...
(around 1400 CE)
3) A
Somvanshi Kshatriya
The Lunar dynasty ( IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling caste mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related deities (''So ...
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
Rajput ruler Narnal Singh Swami
4)
Bahamani Sultanate
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan, (1422–1436)
5)
Farooqui dynasty
The Farooqi dynasty (also spelt Farooqui, Faruqi) was the ruling dynasty of the Khandesh Sultanate (named after the Khandesh region) from its inception in 1382 till its annexation by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1601. The founder of the dynasty, M ...
(1437)
6)
Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk
Fathullah Imad-ul-mulk ( fa, , ruled 1490–1504) was the founder of the Imad Shahi Dynasty and the Berar Sultanate. Originally a Hindu captive from Vijayanagara, Fathullah was brought up a Muslim and rose to command the army of Berar under the ...
(1490)
7)
RaoRana Narnal Singh Solanki
8) Burhan Imad Shah, Imad Shahi Dynasty (1572)
9)
Ahmadnagar Sultanate
The Ahmadnagar Sultanate was a late medieval Indian Muslim kingdom located in the northwestern Deccan, between the sultanates of Gujarat and Bijapur. Malik Ahmed, the Bahmani governor of Junnar after defeating the Bahmani army led by general Ja ...
10)
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
(1597–98)
11)
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
(1701–1803), Raje Parsoji Bhosale's regent & descendant of the
RaoRana, later known as The
Thakur
Thakur may refer to:
* Thakur (title), a feudal title and surname used by erstwhile nobility of India
* Thakar (tribe), an Adivasi tribe of Maharashtra, India
* Thakur village, a residential locality in Mumbai, India
* Thakur Anoop Singh (born 198 ...
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
Killedar Kiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in medieval India. During the Maratha Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Marathi: किल्लेदार). The office of ''Kiladar'' had the same functions as that ...
and their descendants, until 1803.
About Narnal Singh
Raja Narnal Singh or Narnal Singh Swami was a scion of
Somvanshi Kshatriya
The Lunar dynasty ( IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling caste mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related deities (''So ...
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
ruler, on whose name the fort is named. The fort was ruled by several rulers and killedars after him thus making a lot of changes in the original
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
style. After him, his descendant from the north & descendant of the ruling family of
Rao __NOTOC__
Rao may refer to:
Geography
* Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia
* Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden
Transport
* Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
came to this fort.
Kunwar Rao Narnal Singh, earned the title '
Rao __NOTOC__
Rao may refer to:
Geography
* Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia
* Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden
Transport
* Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
People, groups and titles
* Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Rana (title), a histori ...
" becoming "
Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
People, groups and titles
* Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Rana (title), a histori ...
" of the Mahurgad & special rights of the Narnala fort, from Imadshahi Dynasty ruler, son of
Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk
Fathullah Imad-ul-mulk ( fa, , ruled 1490–1504) was the founder of the Imad Shahi Dynasty and the Berar Sultanate. Originally a Hindu captive from Vijayanagara, Fathullah was brought up a Muslim and rose to command the army of Berar under the ...
, ruler of
Berar Sultanate
Berar Sultanate, also called as Imad Shahi Sultanate was one of the Deccan sultanates, which was founded by an Indian Muslim. It was established in 1490 following the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate.
History
Background
The origin of th ...
a
Kanarese
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native sp ...
Hindu, converted to Islam. Alongwith Mahurgad, he was granted Bhawargarh from
Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
People, groups and titles
* Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Rana (title), a histori ...
of Bijagad. His younger brother got special rights of the Narnala fort, by Rajgond of Devgarh, later continued by son of
Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk
Fathullah Imad-ul-mulk ( fa, , ruled 1490–1504) was the founder of the Imad Shahi Dynasty and the Berar Sultanate. Originally a Hindu captive from Vijayanagara, Fathullah was brought up a Muslim and rose to command the army of Berar under the ...
.
After fall of Imad Shahi Dynasty, the Rana left Mahurgad, because of disagreement with the later rulers, the Mughal, declining Mughal sovereignty thus lost the land and fort rights in a small battle to Mughal subhedars. After this the Rana joined Gonds of Devgarh, and his descendants fought against mughals alongside
Rani Durgawati
Rani Durgavati (5 October 1524 – 24 June 1564) was the ruling Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until 1564. She was born in the family of Chandel Rajput king Salibahan at the fort of Mahoba. She was married to Dalpat Shah the son of the king Sangr ...
, and were granted the title
Thakur
Thakur may refer to:
* Thakur (title), a feudal title and surname used by erstwhile nobility of India
* Thakar (tribe), an Adivasi tribe of Maharashtra, India
* Thakur village, a residential locality in Mumbai, India
* Thakur Anoop Singh (born 198 ...
Rao __NOTOC__
Rao may refer to:
Geography
* Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia
* Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden
Transport
* Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
of Narnala Sarkar, by the Gond ruler of
Devgarh.
After the fall of Gonds, they were invited to join Marathas by Raja Bahadur
Bhosale
The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen.
History Earliest members
The earliest ac ...
of Nagpur who discovered this family to be of great valour and experienced in Narnala and surrounding forts. Thakurrao Harisingh Rana joined
Bhosale
The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen.
History Earliest members
The earliest ac ...
and served
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...
, after knowing that the Bhosales are descendants from Maharanas of Mewar.
Raghoji I Bhonsle
Raghoji Bhonsle or Raghoji I Bhonsale or Raghuji the Great (1695 – February 1755) of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors ruled ...
, granted him title "
Killedar Kiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in medieval India. During the Maratha Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Marathi: किल्लेदार). The office of ''Kiladar'' had the same functions as that ...
" of Narnala,
Gawilgad
Gawilghur (also, Gavalgadh, Gawilgarh or Gawilgad, Pronunciation: aːʋilɡəɖ was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Mahara ...
& 8 other forts of Melghat, along with the
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
Patilki rights of 13 villages and
Deshmukh
Deshmukh (IAST:Dēśamukh), is a historical title conferred to the rulers of a . It is used as a surname in certain regions of India, specifically in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whose family received it as a ...
of 21 villages in Malkapur
pargana
Pargana ( bn, পরগনা, , hi, परगना, ur, پرگنہ) or parganah, also spelt pergunnah during the time of the Sultanate period, Mughal times and British Raj, is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent and each ...
in the
sarkar of Narnala. Even after being promoted to title
Deshmukh
Deshmukh (IAST:Dēśamukh), is a historical title conferred to the rulers of a . It is used as a surname in certain regions of India, specifically in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whose family received it as a ...
, most of the family members carry the surname
Patil or Sarpatil/Ranapatil, as this title has different respect amongst people of Maharashtra & due to respect of the trust shown by the
Raghoji I Bhonsle
Raghoji Bhonsle or Raghoji I Bhonsale or Raghuji the Great (1695 – February 1755) of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors ruled ...
, the Raje
Bhosale
The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen.
History Earliest members
The earliest ac ...
of
Nagpur Kingdom
The Kingdom of Nagpur was an Indian kingdom in the 18th and 19th centuries. It came under the rule of the Marathas of the Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century and became part of the Maratha Empire. The city of Nagpur was the capital of the st ...
.
A younger brother of the then
Killedar Kiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in medieval India. During the Maratha Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Marathi: किल्लेदार). The office of ''Kiladar'' had the same functions as that ...
Thakurrao Rana (SarPatil-Deshmukh), shifted his capital to from Malkapur to
Nadgaon, dividing the family in two parts. There are 8 houses of the family for till now. The title holder
Zamindars
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
of which are as follows:
1) The elder branch of family is Malkapur branch of the
Zamindars
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
, carrying the titular rights of
Deshmukh
Deshmukh (IAST:Dēśamukh), is a historical title conferred to the rulers of a . It is used as a surname in certain regions of India, specifically in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh whose family received it as a ...
Vatandar
Vatandar, or Watandar is a title of the Koli caste meaning "landholder Kolis". The title was given to landowners, particularly in Maharashtra.
The vatandar generally owned a plot of land or ''vatan'' (or ''watan'') worked by the local people, w ...
Thakur Rao Rana, and held the office of Pargana officer of Taluka. But after the khalsa of the watan rights and the pargana officer's responsibilities of his grandfather, the elder descendant,
Sriman
Sriman () is an epithet of the Hindu deity Vishnu. It refers to the deity being the possessor of Sri, both referring to his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, as well as the material and non material aspects of fortune.
Literature
Sri ...
Rana Thakur Onkarsinghji with the suggestion from HH
Rana
Rana may refer to:
Astronomy
* Rana (crater), a crater on Mars
* Delta Eridani or Rana, a star
People, groups and titles
* Rana (name), a given name and surname (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Rana (title), a histori ...
of
Barwani
Barwani or Badwani ( hi, Baḍwāni) is a municipal town in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, India, that is situated near the left bank of the Narmada River. It is the administrative headquarters of Barwani district and has also served as ...
and assistance from Rana of
Pratappur, permanently shifted to
Talode
Taloda is a historical city and a municipal council in Nandurbar district located in the Khandesh region of Indian state of Maharashtra. The city is surrounded by beautiful river and mountains.
Brief History
Taloda was originally ruled by Rajp ...
,
Khandesh
Khandesh is a geographic region in Central India, which includes parts of the northwestern portion of Maharashtra as well as Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh.
The use of Khandeshi Language (a.k.a. the Ahirani Language) is prevalent in ...
in the late 19th century.
2) The younger branch of family is
Nadgaon branch of
Zamindars
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
, carried the title
Vatandar
Vatandar, or Watandar is a title of the Koli caste meaning "landholder Kolis". The title was given to landowners, particularly in Maharashtra.
The vatandar generally owned a plot of land or ''vatan'' (or ''watan'') worked by the local people, w ...
,
Rao __NOTOC__
Rao may refer to:
Geography
* Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia
* Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden
Transport
* Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
and
Patil. Later, the descendants earned various titles in pre-independence period like
Rao Sahib
Rai Sahib / Rao Saheb / Roy Sahib / Rao Sahib abbreviated R.S., was a title of honour issued during the era of British rule in India to individuals who performed faithful service or acts of public welfare to the nation. From 1911 the title was ac ...
,
Diwan Bahadur
Dewan Bahadur or Diwan Bahadur was a title of honour awarded during British rule in India. It was awarded to individuals who had performed faithful service or acts of public welfare to the nation. From 1911 the title was accompanied by a special T ...
,
Rao Bahadur __NOTOC__
Rao may refer to:
Geography
* Rao, West Sumatra, one of the districts of West Sumatra, Indonesia
* Råö, a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden
Transport
* Dr. Leite Lopes–Ribeirão Preto State Airport , IAT ...
,etc. Most honoured and notable person of this family is Smt.
Pratibha Patil
Prathibha DeviSingh Patil (born 19 December 1934) is an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 12th president of India spanning from 2007 to 2012. She is the first woman to become the president of India. A member of the Indian National ...
, the ex- President of India, also the daughter of the Rao Patil of Nadgaon.
Details
It consists of three small forts: Zafarabad (or Jafarabad) fort on the east, Narnala in the centre and Teliagarh to the west. The lake within the centre of the complex is said to possess healing properties and according to legend contained the
philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone or more properly philosophers' stone (Arabic: حجر الفلاسفة, , la, lapis philosophorum), is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold (, from the Greek , "gold", a ...
, though no stone was found when the lake dried up in the drought and
Indian famine of 1899-1900
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
.
Occupied since at least the
Khalji dynasty
The Khalji or Khilji (Pashto: ; Persian: ) dynasty was a Turco-Afghan dynasty which ruled the Delhi sultanate, covering large parts of the Indian subcontinent for nearly three decades between 1290 and 1320.[Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...]
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
Burhanuddin, "Bagh Sawar Wali", and it is said that many white tigers were seen with him at that time. Adli Beg or Atalu Beg carved many Arabic inscriptions into the fort and the Kadak Bijli cannon. It is also the birthplace of the Mughal
Aurangzeb's great-grandson.
Location
The fort is located in the
Akot
Akot is a city in the Vidarbha Region and a municipal council in Akola district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Geography
Akot is located at . It has an average elevation of 345 metres (1132 feet).
Demographics
According to the ...
Taluka of
Akola
Akola () is a municipal corporation and the third largest city in Vidarbha after Nagpur and Amravati and tenth largest city in Maharashtra. is located about east of the state capital, Mumbai, and west of the second capital, Nagpur. Akola ...
district, Berar at coordinates of 21°14'38"N 77°01'40"E. The closest city is
Akot
Akot is a city in the Vidarbha Region and a municipal council in Akola district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Geography
Akot is located at . It has an average elevation of 345 metres (1132 feet).
Demographics
According to the ...
, which is 18 km away. It is at the southernmost tip of the
Satpura Hills
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat running east through the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and ends in Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and th ...
at an elevation of 932 meters above sea level. Currently the fort falls within the
Melghat Tiger Reserve
Melghat was among the first nine tiger reserves of India to be notified in 1973 under Project Tiger. It is located at in the northern part of Amravati District of Maharashtra. Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as in 1985. The Tapti Rive ...
.
Climate of Narnala fort is classified as
Humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(Cwa) as per
Köppen-Geiger climate classification with mild to cool winters (November to March), wet Monsoon season (June to October) and hot long summer (March to June). Temperature ranges from 0 °C to 23 °C in winter, 17 °C to 42 °C in summer and 15 °C to 27 °C in Monsoon.
History
The exact date of construction is not known. The first fortifications, according to local legend, were made by
Naryendrapai or
Narnal Singh Swami, a descendant of the
Somvanshi Kshatriya
The Lunar dynasty ( IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling caste mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related deities (''So ...
Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
and at the time Emperor of
Hastinapur
Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'', described in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom, is also mentioned in ancient Jain tex ...
, (Delhi), a branch from
Somvanshi Kshatriya
The Lunar dynasty ( IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling caste mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related deities (''So ...
Chaulukya
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
ruler of
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...
, whose descendant
"Raorana Narnal Singh", later in early 16th century ruled Narnala for some years. It likely predates 1400 CE as
Firishta
Firishta or Ferešte ( fa, ), full name Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah Astarabadi ( fa, مُحَمَّد قاسِم هِندو شاہ), was a Persian historian, who later settled in India and served the Deccan Sultans as their court historian. He was ...
-the Persian historian- records that Ninth Badshaha Shahbudeen
Ahmad Shah I Wali
Ahmed Shah Al Wali Bahamani was the ruler of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1 October 1422 to 17 April 1436, and was a great patron of arts and culture. (1422 CE to 1436 CE) during construction of the
Gawilgarh
Gawilghur (also, Gavalgadh, Gawilgarh or Gawilgad, Pronunciation: aːʋilɡəɖ was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Mahara ...
fort, made repairs to Narnala fort when he camped at
Achalpur
Achalpur, formerly known as Ellichpur and Illychpur, is a city and a municipal council in Amravati District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second most populous city in Amravati District after Amravati and seventh most populous ...
(Elichpur) from 1425 to 1428. This would mean that the Narnala fort was constructed before
Bahmani
The Bahmani Sultanate, or Deccan, was a Persianate Sunni Muslim Indian Kingdom located in the Deccan region. It was the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan, rule.
In 1437, when
Nashir Khan the subhedar of
Khandesh
Khandesh is a geographic region in Central India, which includes parts of the northwestern portion of Maharashtra as well as Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh.
The use of Khandeshi Language (a.k.a. the Ahirani Language) is prevalent in ...
invaded
Berar Berar may refer to:
*Vidarbha, the eastern region of Maharashtra Province, India, historically known as Berar
*Berar Sultanate (1490–1596), one of the Deccan sultanates
*Berar Subah (1596–1724), a Subah of the Mughal Empire
*Berar Province (1724 ...
, the governor of the province (also called Khan-i-Jahan), remained loyal to his master, Ala-ud-din Ahmad Shah II (son of Ahmad Shah I Wali) and retreated to Narnala. He was besieged by disaffected nobles and Nashir Khan, but managed to break through the besieging force with help of Khalaf Hasan Basri who was sent by Ala-ud-din Ahmed Shah II. Nasir Khan was defeated.
In 1487 CE Narnala along with
Gawilgarh
Gawilghur (also, Gavalgadh, Gawilgarh or Gawilgad, Pronunciation: aːʋilɡəɖ was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Mahara ...
came under the control of Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk, the founder of
Imad shahi dynasty
Berar Sultanate, also called as Imad Shahi Sultanate was one of the Deccan sultanates, which was founded by an Indian Muslim. It was established in 1490 following the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate.
History
Background
The origin of th ...
at Ellichpur (or
Achalpur
Achalpur, formerly known as Ellichpur and Illychpur, is a city and a municipal council in Amravati District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second most populous city in Amravati District after Amravati and seventh most populous ...
). He appointed some regents to rule different parts and forts of the empire, for e.g. RaoRana Narnal Singh Solanki as Governor of Narnala and sometimes Gawilgad.
In 1572
Burhan Imad Shah
Burhan Imad Shah ( fa, ), was an infant ruler of Berar. He gained the throne at the age of three, and is known to have been one of the belligerents at the Battle of Talikota but was later overthrown by Tufail Khan. Shortly after the death of Tuf ...
(also of the Imad Shahi dynasty) was confined in Narnala by his minister
Tufal Khan
Tufal ( fa, طوفال, also Romanized as Ţūfāl; also known as Ţūfān; fa, طوفان) is a village in Sang Bast Rural District, in the Central District of Fariman County, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Is ...
. This gave
Murtaza Nizam Shah
Murtaza or Morteza or Mortaza, a Persianate form of the Arabic Murtada or Murtadha ( ar, مرتضى, translit=Murtaḍā, lit=One Pleasing to God, label=none), is a common Muslim name. Pronunciation varies with accent, from native Arabic speakers ...
of Ahmadnagar a pretext to lay siege to the fortress. He captured both king and minister, subsequently putting them to death. Thus the fort passed into the hands of the Ahmednagar kings. In 1597–98, the fort was captured by Akbar's officers, Saiyid Yusuf Khan Mashhad and Shaikh Abul Fazl, and renamed Shanur. from the officer who held it for the Sultan of Ahmadnagar. During
Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
's rule, Narnala was one of the Sarkars of Berar Subah (see
Berar Subah
The Berar Subah was one of the Subahs (imperial first-level provinces) of the Mughal Empire, the first to be added to the original twelve, in Dakhin (Deccan, central India) from 1596 to 1724. It bordered Golconda, Ahmandagar (both conquered 160 ...
).
Sardar Beg Mirza and
Qader Beg Mirza, hereditary descendants of the Mughal dynasty in the 18th century, stayed near
Argaon
Argaon, or Argaum is a village in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra state in (India). Ratnagiri is a coastal district on the Arabian Seafront. The landmass on the western part of Maharashtra along the Arabian Sea, sandwiched between the ...
because
Shah Beg Subedar of
Berar Berar may refer to:
*Vidarbha, the eastern region of Maharashtra Province, India, historically known as Berar
*Berar Sultanate (1490–1596), one of the Deccan sultanates
*Berar Subah (1596–1724), a Subah of the Mughal Empire
*Berar Province (1724 ...
held the fort.
Narnala was captured by
Parsoji Bhosale in 1701 CE and he appointed the Raorana Family descendants the Thakurraos as the governor of Narnala and the surrounding forts and Narnala remained with the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
till it was taken over by the British in 1803 CE.
The Islamic architecture
It is also said that the Shahnoor fort is modified /built by the Sultan Mahmoud Gazhnavi because he is a follower of Bagh-sawar wali Burhanuddin, maintained after Imad shahi dynasty and after this Akbar invaded Berar and was maintained by Mughals. Mughals recreated the Narnala Fort with Mughal architecture and built mosque at the fort. By his killedar, Shah Dulha Rehman Ghazi of Ellichpur (now Achalpur) was maternal cousin of Sultan Mehmood Ghaznavi and maternal grandson of Sultan Nasiruddin. He marched for battle against Rajah Eil. Through the route of Shahnoor Fort he stayed here threefold night and prayed.
Ahmad Shah Bahamani got the fort repaired around 1425 when he constructed
Gavilgad
Gawilghur (also, Gavalgadh, Gawilgarh or Gawilgad, Pronunciation: aːʋilɡəɖ was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Mahara ...
with a view to obstructing the invaders from the north frontier of his kingdom. Nearly all the present buildings seem to be of Islamic origin as the later Islamic rulers modified them. The fort passed on to
Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk
Fathullah Imad-ul-mulk ( fa, , ruled 1490–1504) was the founder of the Imad Shahi Dynasty and the Berar Sultanate. Originally a Hindu captive from Vijayanagara, Fathullah was brought up a Muslim and rose to command the army of Berar under the ...
when he became an independent ruler by 1490 as he was the Subhedar of Berar under the Bahamanis.
Gavilgad
Gawilghur (also, Gavalgadh, Gawilgarh or Gawilgad, Pronunciation: aːʋilɡəɖ was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Amravati District, Mahara ...
was also passed on to him.
Later, Burhan Imad Shah was imprisoned on this fort by one of his Amirs Tufalkhan who crowned himself. In the battle that was fought between Tufalkhan and Murtaza Nizam Shah in 1572 Tufalkhan was defeated and had to flee and took asylum with Muhammad Shah of Khandesh. On being threatened by Murtaza Nizam Shah of dire consequences if the asylum was continued, Muhammad Shah of Khandesh, refused to give refuge to Tufalkhan who was forced to return to Narnala fort and stay there. The fort was invested by the army of Murtaza. The fort surrendered and Tufalkhan and also Burhan Imad Shah were imprisoned along with 40 others. They were confined in the fort of Lohagad where they died while in captivity. Some historians say that all of them were poisoned under the orders of Murtaza Nizam Shah. After the battle that was fought between the armies of the Ahmadnagar kingdom and the Emperor Akbar on 26 January 1597 in which the armies of the Adilshahi Emperor who along with the Kutub Shah of Golconda was an ally of Nizamshah emerged successful. The fort can now ho ascended by a motorable road. About halfway up it crosses first one and then another piece of level ground, each thickly sprinkled with Islamic tombs.
The path passes two other strong gateways and one slighter one before entering the heart of the fort, and climbs meanwhile to the uppermost glials. Between the last two gateways are the domed tombs of Bagh Savar Wali and Gaz Badshah Wali, the former not only rode a tiger in his life but the old Gazetteer slates "even now a tiny white tiger may be seen at night going to and from his tomb." Passing the last gateway one comes almost at once before the Ambar Bangala, the kacheri of former days.
After his expedition across the Gangetic plains in 1017, of Al-Biruni to compose his Tarikh Al-Hind in order to understand the Indians and their beliefs.
Major features
The fort covers an area of . The major features and architecture were done by Hindu rulers, mainly the Solanki Rajput Killedars and the rulers of
Gondwana
Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...
, I.e., the RajGond, but modified by Islamic rulers into Islamic style by the time. It has 360 watchtowers, six large and twenty-one small gates. The large gates are called the Delhi darvaza, the Sirpur darvaza, the Akot darvaza, and the Shahanur darvaza. The innermost of the three gate-ways is the Mahakali gate named by Killedar family as Goddess Mahakali is their family deity. It is built of white sandstone and is highly ornate. It is decorated with conventional lotus flowers, a rich cornice, and later flourished with Arabic inscriptions, and flanked by projecting balconies with panels of stone lattice-work displaying considerable variety of design. It is considered an example of Sultanate style of architecture.
An inscription records the fact that the gate was built in the reign of Shahab-ud-din Mahmud Shah (Bahmani) by Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk in 1486. A short verse from the Quran is also inscribed. The fort still display " Ashtakamal" eight petals Lotus which was the symbol of Narnal Singh's Solanki dynasty
The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their capital was located at Anahilavada (modern Patan). At times, their rule extended ...
goddess Khimaj or Mahalaxmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
. These lotuses are visible on the mosques and many other places. Hence it is evident that Islamic rulers made changes in Narnal Singh's original architectural construction and converted the place in Moghul/Islamic form. It was impossible for any ruler to rebuild the entire fort considering the geographical location of the fort.
It has an aqueduct and drains to catch rainwater. Along with 19 tanks, four of which are full throughout the year, this ensured a plentiful water supply to the fort residents.
Other buildings within the complex
* Mahakali Temple - The Mahakali Dwar or door named after a temple of Mahakali in the beginning of fort which is in ruins now. It has been said that the temple had idols of deities which was later stolen.
* Rani Mahal - Rani Mahal or Rani Palace is still standing. It was the place of residence for the Ranis, Conquibines and guest women.
* Peshva Mahal - Peshva came here and stayed along with the Bhosale Maharaja of Nagpur for an important meeting, the place is called Peshva Mahal also in ruins now.
* Baradari
* Sarrafkhana
* Arsenal of old guns called nau-gazi tope, meaning 9-yard gun, a reference to its length and not range
* Elephant stables of Narnal Singh and Bhosale Maharaja.
* The ruins of a palace erected specially in honour of Raja Raghuji Bhonsle
Raghoji Bhonsle or Raghoji I Bhonsale or Raghuji the Great (1695 – February 1755) of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors rule ...
* Another mosque on Teliagad built by Bahamanis.
* The Jama Masjid, now in ruins, is said to have borne an Arabic inscription recording its construction in 1509 by Mahabat Khan, but this has disappeared.
* A small mosque attributed to Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
.
See also
*List of forts in Maharashtra
This is list of forts in Maharashtra a state of India
# Achala Fort (Nashik)
# Agashi Fort
# Ahmednagar Fort
# Ahivant Fort
# Ajinkyatara
# Akola Fort
# Akluj Fort
# Alang Fort
# Ambolgad
# Anjaneri
# Anjanvel Fort
# Ankai Fort
# Antur For ...
References
{{coord missing, Maharashtra
Berar
Akola district
Forts in Vidarbha