|
Their first capital, the fortress citadel of Golkonda, was rebuilt for
defense from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golkonda's
splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed an acoustical system by
which a hand clap sounded at the fort's main gates, the grand portico,
was heard at the top of the citadel, situated on a 300-foot (91 m) high
granite hill. This is one of the fascinating features of the fort.
They ruled over most of present day Andhra Pradesh before the British
Raj. After transferring Northern Circars to the British, they ruled the
Telangana region and some parts of present day Karnataka and Maharashtra.
History
Actually the Golkonda Plan was made after seeing the Kondapalli Quilla
near Vijayawada, Krishna Dt.The 13th-century Golkonda Fort was built by
the Kakatiyas. It was built in 945 CE-970 CE. The dynasty's name comes
either from its association with a town known as Kakatipura (since the
kings bore the title “Kakatipuravallabha”) or from their worship of a
goddess called Kakati. A temple dedicated to goddess Kakatamma exists in
Warangal so Kakatipura could be another name for Warangal itself.
Kakatiyas' ancestors belonged to the Durjaya family. In the 16th
century, Golkonda was the capital city of the Qutb Shahi kingdom, near
Hyderabad. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim
sultanates of the region and was the flourishing center of diamond
trade.
|
The city and fortress are built on a granite hill that is 120 meters
(400 ft) high and is surrounded by massive crenelated ramparts. The
beginnings of the fort date to 1143, when the Hindu Kakatiya dynasty
ruled the area. The Kakatiya dynasty were followed by the state of
Warangal, which was later conquered by the Islamic Bahmani Sultanat.
The fort became the capital of a major province in the Sultanate and
after its collapse the capital of the Qutb Shahi kings. The fort
finally fell into ruins after a siege and its fall to Mughal emperor
Aurangazeb. After the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanat, Golkonda
rose to prominence as the seat of the Qutb Shahi dynasty around
1507.
|
 |
Over a period of 62 years the mud fort was expanded by the first three
Qutb Shahi kings into a massive fort of granite, extending around 5 km
in circumference. It remained the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty
until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad. The Qutb Shahis
expanded the fort, whose 7 km outer wall enclosed the city. The state
became a focal point for Shia Islam in India, for instance, in the 17th
century, Bahraini clerics, Sheikh Ja`far bin Kamal al-Din and Sheikh
Salih Al-Karzakani both emigrated to Golkonda.
The Qutb Shahi sultanate lasted until its conquest by Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb in 1687. The fortress held out against Aurangzeb for nine
months, falling to the Mughals through treachery.
Diamonds
The Golkonda Fort used to have a vault where once the famous Kohinoor
and Hope diamonds were stored along with other diamonds. Golkonda was
once renowned for the diamonds found on the south-east at Kollur Mine
near Kollur (modern day Guntur district), Paritala (modern day Krishna
district) and cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign. At that time,
India had the only known diamond mines in the world.
Golkonda's mines yielded few diamonds. Golkonda was the market city of
the diamond trade, and gems sold there came from a number of mines. The
fortress city within the walls was famous for diamond trade. However,
Europeans believed that diamonds were found only in the fabled Golkonda
mines. Magnificent diamonds were taken from the mines in the region
surrounding Golkonda, including Darya-e Nur, meaning sea of light, at
185 carats (37.0 g), the largest and finest diamond of the crown jewels
of Iran. Its name has taken a generic meaning and has come to be
associated with great wealth. Gemologists use this classification to
denote a diamond with a complete (or almost-complete) lack of nitrogen;
"Golkonda" material is also referred to as "2A".
Many famed diamonds are believed to have been excavated from the mines
of Golkonda, such as:
- Darya-e Nur
- Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond
- The Koh-i-noor
- The Hope Diamond
- Princie Diamond
- The Regent Diamond
- Wittelsbach Diamond
By the 1880s, Golkonda was being used generically by English speakers to
refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great
wealth. During the Renaissance and the early modern eras, the name
"Golkonda" acquired a legendary aura and became synonymous for vast
wealth. The mines brought riches to the ruling Qutb Shahis of Hyderabad
State, who ruled Golkonda up to 1687, then to ruling Asaf Jah of
Hyderabad State, who ruled after the independence from the Mughals in
1724, until 1948, when Hyderabad was annexed, to become an Indian state.
The Fort
Golkonda consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km long outer wall
with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted with cannons), eight
gateways, and four drawbridges, with a number of royal apartments &
halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables, etc. inside. The lowest of
these is the outermost enclosure into which we enter by the "Fateh
Darwaza" (Victory gate, so called after Aurangzeb’s triumphant army
marched in through this gate) studded with giant iron spikes (to prevent
elephants from battering them down) near the south-eastern corner. At
Fateh Darwaza can be experienced a fantastic acoustic effect,
characteristic of the engineering marvels at Golkonda. A hand clap at a
certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be
heard clearly at the 'Bala Hisar' pavilion, the highest point almost a
kilometre away.
|
This worked as a warning note to the royals in case of an attack.
The whole of the Golkonda Fort complex and its surrounding spreads
across 11 km of total area, and discovering its every nook is an
arduous task. A visit to the fort reveals the architectural beauty
in many of the pavilions, gates, entrances and domes.
Divided into four district forts, the architectural valour still
gleams in each of the apartments, halls, temples, mosques, and even
stables. The graceful gardens of the fort may have lost their
fragrance, for which they were known 400 years ago, yet a walk in
these former gardens should be in your schedule when exploring the
past glories of Golkonda Fort. |
 |
Bala Hissar Gate is the main entrance to the fort located on the eastern
side. It has a pointed arch bordered by rows of scroll work. The
spandrels have yalis and decorated roundels. The area above the door has
peacocks with ornate tails flanking an ornamental arched niche. The
granite block lintel below has sculpted yalis flanking a disc. The
design of peacocks and lions is a blend of Hindu – Muslim architecture.
Toli Masjid, situated at Karwan, about 2 km from the Golkonda fort, was
built in 1671 by Mir Musa Khan Mahaldar, royal architect of Abdullah
Qutb Shah. The facade consists of five arches, each with lotus
medallions in the spandrels. The central arch is slightly wider and more
ornate. The mosque inside is divided into two halls, a transverse outer
hall and an inner hall entered through triple arches.
Much thought went into building this gate. A few feet in front of the
gate is a large wall. This prevented elephants and soldiers (during
enemy attacks) from having a proper ramp to run and break the gate.
The fort of Golkonda is known for its magical acoustic system. The
highest point of the fort is the "Bala Hissar", which is located a
kilometer away. The palaces, factories, water supply system and the
famous "Rahban" cannon, within the fort are some of the major
attractions.
It is believed that there is a secret underground tunnel that leads from
the "Durbar Hall" and ends in one of the palaces at the foot of the
hill. The fort also contains the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings. These
tombs have Islamic architecture and are located about 1 km north of the
outer wall of Golkonda. They are encircled by beautiful gardens and
numerous exquisitely carved stones. It is also believed that there was a
secret tunnel to Charminar.
The two individual pavilions on the outer side of Golkonda are also
major attractions of the fort. It is built on a point which is quite
rocky. The "Kala Mandir" is also located in the fort. It can be seen
from the king's durbar (king's court) which was on top of the Golkonda
Fort.
The other buildings found inside the fort are :
Habshi Kamans (Abyssian arches), Ashlah Khana,Taramati mosque,Ramadas
Bandikhana,Camel stable, private chambers (kilwat), Mortuary bath,
Nagina bagh, Ramasasa's kotha, Durbar hall, Ambar khana etc.
This majestic structure has beautiful palaces and an ingenious water
supply system. Sadly, the unique architecture of the fort is now losing
its charm.
The ventilation of the fort is absolutely fabulous having exotic
designs. They were so intricately designed that cool breeze could reach
the interiors of the fort, providing a respite from the heat of summer.
The Huge gates of the fort are decorated with large pointed iron spikes.
These spikes prevented Elephants from damaging the fort. The fort of
Golkonda is encircled by a 11-km-long outer wall. This was built in
order to fortify the fort.
Naya Qila (New Fort)
Naya Qila is an extension of the Golkonda Fort opposite to it. This
ramparts of this new fort starts after the residential area in between.
This area is very extensive with extenstive ramparts, many towers and
Haathiyaan Ka Jhaad - a very large and old Baobab Tree with an enormous
girth. It also includes a war mosque. Plans are afoot by the local
government to convert the area into a Golf Club.
Qutub Shahi Tombs
The tombs of the Qutb Shahi sultans lie about one kilometer north of
Golkonda's outer wall. These structures are made of beautifully carved
stonework, and surrounded by landscaped gardens. They are open to public
and receive many visitors.
Getting There
The nearest airport
to this attraction is
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (IATA: HYD, ICAO: VOHS), also
known as Hyderabad International Airport, or simply RGIA.
It is an
international airport serving the metropolis of Hyderabad located at Shamshabad,
about 22 km (14 mi) south of Hyderabad.
|
