Warangal Fort, Karimnagar

History

Initially, Warangal was under the rule of the Yadava kings in the 8th century; in the 12th century, it came under the control of the Kakatiya dynasty. Although precise dating of its construction and subsequent enhancements is uncertain, historians and archaeologists generally agree that an earlier brick-walled structure was replaced with stone by Ganapatideva, who died in 1262, and that he was succeeded by his daughter Rudrama Devi, who ruled until 1289, and then her grandson Prataparudra II, whose reign came to be known as a "Golden Age". Twenty years later his kingdom was conquered by the Sultans of Delhi.Ganapatideva, Rudramadevi, and Prataparudra II all added to the fort's height, building gateways, square bastions, and additional circular earthen walls. This places the construction towards the end of the Kakatiya period .In 1309, Malik Kafur, the general of Alauddin Khalji, attacked the fort with a large force of 100,000 men and surrounded it. Prataparudra II and his people secured themselves within the formidable fort and battled bravely for many months with the invading army. As the siege could not be lifted for more than six months, Prataparudra II agreed to a truce with Kafur, as the latter had unleashed massive destruction on the neighbouring towns and villages. This truce included the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond. This siege was chronicled by Amir Khusrow, who described how the fortifications consisted of a strong outer hardened mud structure with a deep ditch in front that had to be filled with dirt before the army could surmount it. The inner fortress was built of stone and surrounded by a moat that the Muslim soldiers swam across. The fort as described by Khusrow corresponds to the two inner circles of fortifications that exist today. When Kafur finally left the fort in March 1310, he carried away the bounty on 2,000 camels. The conditions of forging peace with the Delhi Sultanate included a clause that Pratapa Rudra would pay an annual tribute and that he would bow every day towards Delhi as a tributary king denoting his subordinate status to the Sultan of Delhi. Again in 1318, Warangal Fort was attacked by the Sultanate army and was held in siege. The Islamic invaders put up a 450 feet (140 m) earthen ramp across the moat which enabled them to breach the stone walls of the fort and capture it. Prataparudra again paid a huge tribute to the Sultan in the form of a contingent of horses and elephants, which became an annual fee to be paid to the Delhi Sultanate. In 1320 the then ruler of Delhi who had replaced Khalji, Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, sent his son Ulugh Khan to attack warangal fort once again. For a third and final time, the fort was attacked by Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq (r. 1325–1351), who held siege over the fort. Due to internal dissension, Ulugh Khan had to retreat to Devagiri. After a temporary respite, Ulugh Khan came back in 1323 with 65,000 mounted soldiers carrying archery, attacked the fort, and plundered and destroyed the capital. In keeping with that tradition, the Muslim general Ulugh Khan ordered destruction of the great Svayambhusiva Temple where the State deity had been deified. All that is now visible of the temple are remnants scattered around the fort. Then the Tughluqan authorities built an enormous mosque to one side of the fort, which has since been demolished. Pratapa Rudra, who had surrendered and was sent to Delhi, died on the way on the banks of the Narmada River. It is said that he committed suicide in 1323. The capital of Warangal was then renamed as Sultanpur, and from 1324 to 1332 imperial coins were minted there. The Delhi Sultanate managed to hold Sultanpur until 1335, when the local Nayakas (72 of the chieftains) formed a union and took control.The fort then came under the control of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda and later under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad.Later modifications to the fort were made between the 15th and 17th centuries, mainly with the addition of barbicans to the four gates in the stone wall and the creation of gates in the outer earthen wall.Remnants of the structure can be seen today near the town of Warangal, which was the Kakatiya capital.The Archaeological Survey of India has listed the ruins as a Monument of National Importance.