Rohtas Fort

Presented by: Rai Farhatullah

Rai Farhatullah

Contents:

Introduction

Location

History

Cost of construction

Architectural Style

Fortification wall

The gates

Baolis

Shahi Mosque

Haveli Man Singh

Inscriptions

Conclusion

Bibliography

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Introduction

Rohtas Fort is a garrison fort with great historical value. It is located in

Pakistan’s most populated province, Punjab, on the GT road. It is at a

distance of approximately 8 km from the city Dina in district Jhelum.

Rohtas Fort was built in 16th century by Raja Todar Mal, under the

orders of the Afghan king Farid Khan commonly known as Sher Shah

Suri. The main reason of its build was to check the re-entry of Mughal

Emperor Humayun. After defeating the Mughal emperor, Sher Shah Suri

perceived a possibility of Humayun joining hands with his brothers and

then leading a triumphant march to re-conquer his territory. The other

reason of its build was to crush rebellious tribes of the northern Punjab

region. So after selecting an ideal spot he ordered Todar Mal Khatri, his

revenue minister to build a formidable fort there. Its construction took

as many as 8 years for completion. Meanwhile, Sher Shah Suri died on

22 May 1545 during the siege of Kalinjar Fort due to a fire erupted in

result of a gunpowder explosion in his store room.

The fort with its distinct architectural style, massiveness and historical

significance is enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. This

Fort is one of the most imposing historical monuments which represents

the Pathan period of architecture style in Pakistan It is one of the finest

specimens of pre-Mughal military architecture and is probably one of

the only surviving early Muslim structure in Pakistan.

Built on top of a steep cliff on the right bank of the River Kahan. Rohtas

Fort blends architectural and artistic traditions from Turkey and the

Indian subcontinent to create the model for Mughal architecture and its

subsequent refinements and adaptations. The majestic fort, surpassing

many other citadels in grandeur and massiveness, is the only example

of architecture of the time of Sher Shah Suri.

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Location:

“ There it stands, sprawling across low rocky hills a few miles north of Jhelum, its great ramparts growing from the cliff like a Wall of China, looking across a sandy stream-bed to the low hills of the Salt Range and, beyond them, to the snows of the Pir Panjal.“As you approach the fort, the crenellations look like ominous rows of helmeted warriors watching you with disapproval — it is an awe-inspiring sight. ”

(Caroe, 1958.) Rohtas fort is located near Jhelum approximately sixteen kilometers on

the North-West. The Fort lies sprawling upon a low rocky hill to the north

of Jhelum in a bend of the river Kahan. The fort is about 300 feet (91 m)

above its surroundings and 2660 feet (818 m) above sea level. The

gigantic fort is founded on steep rocks jutting into the river Kahan, its

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ramparts protected on the west and north sides by the river and by high

hills on its east and south. It was never taken by assault and survives

intact to the present day.

The main fortifications of this 70-hectare garrison consist of massive

masonry walls which are spread over a circumference of 4 kilometers,

lined with 68 bastions and pierced at strategic points by 12

monumental gateways.

Rohtas Fort is 109 km from Islamabad,

the capital of Pakistan. The Rohtas

Fort can be reached from Dina, a

railway station and a bus stop which is

12 kilometers in North of Jhelum. This

station is on main Rawalpindi Route.

From Dina a small blacktop runs for

five kilometers and then turn in west to

Baghanwala, then comes the river

Kahan which is passed to reach the

fort. On a hillock where the tiny Kahan

River meets another rainy stream

called Parnal Khas is situated the

mighty Rohtas Fort. But It is very

difficult to reach Rohtas Fort during

the rainy season as there is no bridge

on the river Kahan.

History:

Sher Shah Suri was a distinguished military man who

under the rule of Emperor Babur, first king of Mughal

Empire, rose on to become the governor of Bihar

province in indo-pak subcontinent. He was a renowned

general and strategist and after defeating Emperor

Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, and driving him

out of India became the King of India.

Sher Shah Suri

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Although Sher Shah Suri had defeated the Mughal emperor in the

battle of Chausa but there still was a chance of his return to claim his

territory. Humayun brothers Kamran and Mirza

Haider were ruling in Kabul and Kashmir

respectively at that time, so sher shah suri

naturally perceived the possibility of Humayun

joining hands with his brothers and then

return to the sub-continent to crush Sher Shah

Suri.

On the other hand there also were Gakkhars

who were old friends of Mughals. They had

helped Humayun and his family to escape from

India after the battle of Kanauj. The Gakkhars

were not native of the region and in order to

reward them, Humayun aided Gakkhars in

occupying Potohar, which was owned by the

local tribes. Now there was a strong chance of the Gakkhars helping the

Mughal king in re-conquering his lost Empire.

However Sher Shah Suri sent Gakkhars for their support but they openly

refused so he decided to crush the Gakkhars. Here the local tribes

whom territory was under the Gakkhars helped Sher Shah Suri in

fighting and crushing the Gakkhars to take over their lands. Although

the Gakkhars were defeated badly but there still exist the chance of

Humayun return and in this case the Gakkhars might rise again so Sher

Shah Suri decided to build a fort to check the possible invasion from

north.

As Ihsan H. Nadiem says:

“On reaching the Jhelum area, Sher Shah sent for the Gakkhar chiefs. They, however, openly refused their allegiance to him. Under the circumstances Sher Shah decided to give a hard blow to Gakkhars along with blocking the possible re-entry of the Mughals from north. He devastated the country of the Gakkhars, surveyed the area circumjacent to it to take stock of the situation and to select a suitable place for building

Humayun

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a check post against the possible invasion from north. He finally selected the site and ordered to build a Fort called Rohtas on the hillock by the side of kahan River. ”

The name of Rohtas was given to the fort on the name of Rohtasgarh

Fort situated in Shahabad district which Sher Shah Suri had captured

from a Hindu Raja in 1539 A.D.

Unfortunately Sher Shah Suri died before the completion of this

magnificent fort and ten years after his death Humayun returned to the

throne of India. Tatar Khan Khasi, the then governor of Rohtas, fled

without a battle and the fort ironically was occupied by the Gakkhar

tribe, the very people it was meant to defeat. In the years to come,

Rohtas lost its importance as the frontier garrison especially when

Akbar built his great fort in Attock in the 1580s.

Under the Mughals, Rohtas was left largely to itself. The Mughal

emperors Akbar and his son Jahangir are known to have briefly stayed

at Rohtas on route to Kashmir. The Persian invader Nadir Shah and the

Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali also camped here during their

campaigns in the Punjab. Rohtas was also occasionally used for

administrative purposes by the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh and during the

British period but little attention was paid to its historical value and its

preservation.

Cost of Construction: Sher Shah Suri ordered to commence the work in 1541 A.D. Todar Mal

Khatri who was his revenue minister was made incharge of the project.

As expected the Gakkhars opposed the construction and refused to

work even as labors. In this situation Todar Mal informed Sher Shah

about these difficulties by a letter. After reading the letter Sher Shah

Suri wrote in reply:

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“I know you for a man of business, understanding and intelligence. I see

now no work can be expected from you because you consider money as

your friend. When I have commanded you to do a thing you ought not to

have cared for money in fixing the rate. Whatever be the expense, shall

be borne by my government.’’

The royal order was enough to encourage Todar mal to fix one red

ashrafi (gold coin) for each slab on the first day. The rate however,

lowered to one Paoli (silver coin) and then to one Bahluli (copper coin).

Under these difficult circumstances the construction of the fort cost

suri treasury a huge amount of money. It would have been much lower

had it not been for the Gakkhars. The total cost on the construction of

Rohtas Fort is not known to a safe degree, different sources state

different estimate of the cost. Below are some sources which state

different amounts:

According to Waqiat-i-Jahangiri the cost was Rs. 34,25,000. It

refers to an engraved stone over the Shishi Gate which reads :

“The amount is 16, 10, 00,000 dams and something more, which is 34,

25,000 Rupees of Hindustan, 120,000 Tumans of Iran or 1,21,75,000

Khanis of Turan.”

According to the Tarikh-i-Daudi, its cost is estimated at

80,505,002 Dams which means Bahlulis.

According to a Persian manuscript the amount of construction

and maintaining an army was Rs.110, 107, 975.

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Architectural Style: Rohtas Fort is considered to be among the earliest examples of a

successful merger between the Indian and central Asian architectural

styles. It is a brilliant example of the

mixture of Indian and Turkish

architecture. Stone carving has been

extensively used to decorate the gates

and the mosque. All the gates of the

fort are patterned simply with motifs of

sunflowers. Sher Shah’s simple

structure and designs show its purpose

and the nomadic lifestyle of this conquering king. Other decorations

used are calligraphies of religious texts, in the Persian-Afghani script.

Stone carvings are found on the gate and in the mosque. Most of these

are engraved on sun flowers in Arabic language. One of these carvings

is inside the Shahi Mosque outside the Pesh Imam's room. The carving

is of the word "Allah" in

Arabic. The same carving is

also done on merlons on top of

Shahi Mosque.

The sunflower motif is on each

sides of the arches of Shahi

Mosque. It is also present in

the guard post in between

each gate.

Here is what the World

Heritage list (Document 586)

says on their report:

“Rohtas Fort is an outstanding example of early Muslim military

architecture in the South Asia which incorporates features from

elsewhere in the Islamic world. It also had a profound influence on the

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Sohali Gate

development of architectural styles in the Mughal Empire (and hence

on the European colonial architecture that made abundant use of that

tradition). It is also outstanding by virtue of the refinement and high

artistic value of its decorative elements, notably its high- and low-

relief carvings, its calligraphic inscriptions in marble and sandstone,

its plaster decoration, and its glazed tiles.”

Elements of Hindu architecture include the balconies on the Sohail

Gate, the

simplicity of the

decorations

especially on the

Shahi Mosque, the

complete Hindu

architecture of the

Haveli of Man

Singh and the Rani

Mahhal. The

most noticeable

element is the fact

that though there

are baths there are

no living quarters

besides the Rani

Haveli and the Man

Singh Haveli.

Ashlars stone is used for the smooth walls,

which has blackened over time.

Rohtas Fort represented a new form of fortification, based essentially

on Turkish military architecture developed in reaction to the

introduction of gunpowder and cannon, but transformed into a distinct

style of its own. On the fortifaction machicolations – drains are present

by which soldiers from inside the fort poured molten lead, which

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flowed out till it dropped down on the soldiers who tried to scale the

walls.

World Heritage list says:

“There are no surviving examples of military architecture of this

period on the same scale in the South Asia which survive to the same

degree of completeness and conservation. Fatehpur Sikri (India) which

is already on the World Heritage List represents the full Mughal

realization of a form and style that owes everything to its precursor,

Rohtas Fort.”

This Fort created the model for Mughal architecture and its

subsequent refinements and adaptations (including the European

colonial architecture that made abundant use of that tradition).

The recommendation by ICOMOS (the organization that makes the

World Heritage list) made the following recommendation

“Rohtas Fort is an exceptional example of the Muslim military

architecture of central and South Asia, which blends architectural and

artistic traditions from Turkey and the South Asia to create the model

for Mughal architecture and its subsequent refinements and

adaptations.”

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Fortification Wall:

Ihsan H. Nadeem writes:

“The most striking feature of the fort is its majestic and solid wall

strengthened with 68 massively constructed bastions. Sher Shah’s builders

possessed a natural faculty for producing buildings according to need, and at

the same time making them into stately works of arts. Besides providing

strength to the wall these bastions give a touch of elegance and grandeur to

the fort. The wall usually composed of two or three terraces, varies in

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thickness at different points, the maximum being 12.5 meters near the Mori

Gate. The terraces are interlinked with each other by way of staircases. The

topmost terrace is the line of the merlon-shaped battlements. These

battlements are generally one meter thick varying in height from 2.45 to 3.35

meters. The battlements are provided with machicolations for musketry and

poring molten lead or hot water on the enemy. The middle tier meant for

soliders to stand against the battlements has a thickness varying from 1.37 to

2.13 meters while the third terrace varies from 1.98 to 2.51 meters in

thickness.”

Presently the fortification wall is lacking symmetry and is damaged at

different points. The wall was built with sandstone, limestone and

mortar. A rare use of burnt brick is also evident throughout the wall.

Height of the wall ranges from 10.05 to 18.28 meters. A number of

galleries are also present in the wall, build for solders and storage

space. The structure of these galleries is not uniform throughout the

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fortification wall, some of these are in rectangular shape while other

are in square shape.

The Gates:

The Rohtas Fort has 12 gates constructed at strategic points. All of

them are built in sand masonry. They are named as:

1. Sohail Gate

2. Shah Chandwali Gate

3. Kabuli Gate

4. Shishi Gate

5. Langar Khani Gate

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6. Talaqi Gate

7. Mori Gate or Kashmiri Gate

8. Khwas Khani Gate

9. Gatali Gate

10. Tulla Mori Gate

11. Pipalwala Gate

12. Sar Gate

Sohail Gate:

The Sohail Gate is the finest gate at Rohtas Fort. According to some

sources it named for the “Sohail star” which rises above the gate

while other believes that it is named after Sohail Bukhari, a saint, ,

who is believed to be buried in the gate's southwestern bastion.

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As Ihsan H. Nadiem writes in his book:

“The gate is the finest specimen of the work of Sher Shah’s time.

Traditionally the gate derives its name from a famous saint named

Sohail Bukhari, buried in the south-western bastion of the gate. To

some others, however, its name appears to have been taken from the

Sohail star which rises on this side of the fort.”

It is a double gate. Its height is about 21.34 meters and its width is

about 20.73 meters. Its depth is about 15 meters. Its central archway

is 4.72 meters wide. On the

both sides of arch are

present two balconies

projected in the form of

oriel windows. Balconies

are carried on four brackets

made in the conventional

shape of Garuda. Tops of

the balconies are crowned

with a polygonal domelet.

The front and the neck of

the domlet is decorated

with merlon design in relief.

Despite massiveness and

all provisions of military use

this gate can be taken as a

example of refined work

which is not usual feature in

a secular building. The

artful look and the solidity

of this gate tell us about the

two sides of the character

of the afghan emperor Sher Shah Suri, the builder of this majestic

Fort.

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Shah Chandwali Gate:

This gate is named after a saint Shah Chandwali. According to myth

this saint refused to get his wages for working on the construction of

the fort. It is believed that he had died while working and he was

buried on the side of the gate on which a shrine exist now days.

This gate is also a double gate. This is the link between the citadel

and the main fort. The outer gate is 13.3 meter in width and is 8.23

meters in depth. The outer gate is a simple structure with an arc

opening 3.66 meters.

This gate is now almost in ruins but the remains still speak about its

brilliant architectural features. The arches and upper portion of the

outer gate have fallen down. The thing exist in it is a beautiful

pavilion which is built on a column beam and bracket system and it

looks like a Hindu chatri without dome.

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Kabuli Gate:

This gate was named Kabuli gate because it is toward west direction

towards Kabul. This is also a double gate. Its central opening is 3.15

meters. On both sides it have bastions build. The bastions are

decorated with diamond shaped brick fret masonry work.

Towards the north of Gate there is Shahi Mosque for which people also

call it “Shahi Darwaza.” A baoli with zig-zag steps is also present close

to gate.

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Shishi Gate:

Glazed tiles are used in the spandrels of the outer bigger arch. Plaster

has been used as a base for these tiles. This is the earliest example of

this technique which later developed highly in Lahore. Due to use of

glazed tiles here this gate is named as Shishi Gate.

Two bastions are present on the both sides of the fort. Two stair cases,

one on each side of the gate leads to upper portion of the gate. On the

left side of the gate there is an inscription which gives the date of

construction of the fort.

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Langar Khani Gate:

Like others this gate is also a double gate. It is about 15.25 meter in

height and about 3.5 meters in width. The outer opening leads to a

chamber of about 4.65 meters square which opens into langar khana.

As this gate opens toward the mess or langar khana so it is called the

Langar Khana Gate. The gate has a balcony, carried on four Hindu type

brackets. There are two bastions on either side of the gate.

Talaqi Gate:

The name of the gate derives from word Talaq which means divorce.

According to legends Prince Sabir Suri developed a severe fever after

passing through this gate. Thus regarding it as a bad omen the gate

was named as Talaqi gate.

This is a single gate and is about 15.25 meters high, its width is about

13.8 meters. Its depth is about 6.7 meters and has two flanking

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bastions. It has very beautiful decorative motifs on the splandrels, on

the bastions and on the recessed windows inside the gate.

About decorative Ihsan H. Nadeem writes:

“The roundels are just above the apex of the central arch. On three sides

of the window of the room in the upper storey there are star-shaped

bosses, of which only one exists to this day. The spandrels of the small

arch have two lotus flower roundels.

The recessed arched windows which are encased in the rectangular

panels have beautiful decorative motifs. The upper side of the

rectangular panel has got beautiful carved floral designs in relief.”

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Mori Gate or Kashmiri Gate:

This gate has cracked plane like a drain or in local language “Mori” so

is named as Mori Gate. The gate opens towards north, the direction

where Kashmir exist so it is also called Kashmiri Gate.

This gate has an anchored opening leading to a rectangular camber

which in turn leads to another chamber through an archway. The second

chamber opens into the interior of the fort is similar to first gate both in

dimensions and shape. The roof of the chambers is on pendentives

supported by recessed arches on each side by which weight of the dome

is reduced gradually. The roofs are flat from top and from outside no

domical structure can be seen. There are roundels, different

architectural motifs like sunflower, lotus flower and calligraphic

inscriptions.

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Khwas Khani Gate:

The gate is named after Khwas Khan, one of the loyal and trusted

commander of Sher Shah Suri. It opens towards north and was the

original entrance of the fort. Outside this gate lies the famous Grand

Trunk Road built by

Sher Shah Suri. The

present route from

Dina Railway station

to Rohtas town also

passes through this

gate.

Like other gates it is

also a double gate.

The outer gate is

about 12.8 meter

wide and 8 meters

deep. There are four

beautiful arches like

the ones of Sohail

gate. The spandrels

of the arches have

roundels which have

sunflower motifs.

The inner gate has five battlements, two in halves, with loopholes. It is

similar to outer gate both in design and decorations. The only

dissimilarity is the religious inscription present on the panel of the gate.

Unlike other gates Khwas Khani gate has only one bastion which lies

on the right side of the gate while on left side there is a high defensive

wall.

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Gatali Gate:

This gate face towards village Gatali Ford, which is an important point

to cross river Jhelum to reach Kashmir valley, so is called Gatali Gate.

It is a single gate with height of about 9.15 meters. Depth of this gate is

about 6.1 meters. Its arches have sunflower bosses in spandrels.

Tulla Mori Gate:

“The gate which lies on the eastern side of the Fort is small and simple

in architectural details. It is rectangular in plan having offsets. The gate

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is about 10 meters deep with outer opening measuring nearly 2 meters

and the inner approximately 1.95 meters.”

Pipalwala Gate:

There was a Ficus religiosa or in native language a Pipal tree beside this

gate after which this gate was named as Pipalwala Gate. This is a small

gate with a central opening. The width of this opening is about 2.13

meters. Battlements of this gate are very irregular in shape. Some of

these battlements are mehrab-shaped while others are in half design.

The inner facade of this gate has two recessed arches with doors on

either sides of the main arch. The door present on right side opens to

stairs which leads to the floor of fortification wall.

Sar Gate:

Beside this gate

is present a

water reservoir

or a baoli so this

gate was named

as Sar Gate, Sar

means water.

This is a small

gate with no

architectural

significance and

is present as a

small opening in

the fortification

wall.

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Baolis: There are 3 Baolis in the fort. They were built to meet the need of self-

sufficiency in water. These baolis are made by cutting deep the lime

rock. These baolis are as follow:

The Main Baoli:

This is Fort’s main baoli which was

built for soldiers, elephants, horses

etc. It is situated in the middle of the

fort near Tulla Mori Gate. This Baoli

has 148 steps. Each step is 20 cm

(8 inches) wide. It has three arches

that span the length of the baoli. The

upper portion has been cut in stone.

Natural lime bed had been cut to a

considerable depth to reach the water

level in this baoli.

The Shahi Baoli:

This baoli is also

called Kabuli Gate

Baoli as it is situated

near Kabuli Gate.

This baoli was used

by the royal family

presumably for

baths. This baoli has

about 60 steps

leading down to the

water.

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Sar Gate Baoli:

It is a small Baoli present near Sar Gate. It was mainly used by soldiers

and the servants.

Shahi Mosque: This is a small mosque situated near the Kabuli Gate. It has only one

prayer chamber and a courtyard. The prayer chamber is 19.2 meters

long and 7.3 meter deep and is divided into three bays with arch

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openings. Roofing of the prayer chamber is domical from inside but it

has no domes on the outer side.

In the front wall of the mehrab there is present a tree and sun design.

These designs has been taken into the Mughal architecture from the

symbolism practiced in Hindu temple architecture.

The spandrels of the outer arches have bosses in which the border is

decorated with lily designs. On the central arches the area inside the

lily border is divided

into three registers by

straight lines in relief.

Inside this lily border

Kalma Sharif is

written.

The façade of the

sanctuary of the

mosque has a

projected chhajja over

the brackets. There

are six niches in the

façade just below the

string course. Thirty

three miniature battlements decorate the crest of the sanctuary. These

Marlon shaped battlements are further decorated with simple Shamsa

design with word ‘Allah’ in circle and other floral design.

The prayer chamber has two room, one at either side. Doors of these

rooms are in shape of archways encased in rectangular panels. The

spandrels have got roundels with word Allah written in relief.

There are three mihrabs in the sanctuary. The central mihrab is about

2.25 meter high and 1.32 meter wide. The arch is two centered stilted

encased in rectangular frame with sunflower designs in the spandrels.

It is then incased in another rectangle which is topped with a crest of

seven merlons, which contain word ‘ALLAH’ in a circle in naskh.

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Haveli Man Singh: Haveli Man Singh is not the original part of the fort, it was built later

during the Mughal era and has been constructed in bricks and plastered

neatly. The building is named after Man Singh. Man Sing (Man Singh I)

(December 21, 1550 –

July 6, 1614) was the

Kacchwaha King of

Amber, a state later

known as Jaipur. He was

a trusted general of the

Mughal emperor Akbar,

who included him among

the Navaratnas, or the

9(nava) gems (ratna) of

the royal court. Man

Singh Haveli was built on

the highest point of the

fortress.

The haveli seems to have

consisted of four rooms but now only one of them exist. The room is

about 5.5 meters square. The room bears a shouldered type dome on its

second storey. Here it seems that it had a pinnacle of Hindu origin, the

lotus of which still exist.

Haveli Man Singh is notable for its two balconies on the eastern and

southern facades. Each is supported by four brackets with a garuda

motif, and surmounted by a three level canopy.

“The haveli in it has another interesting feature in the form of

decorations. The projected cornice has beautiful roundels in

between the brackets. Every roundel is placed in a square with beed

and reel design. The roundels are with lotus flower, sunflower and

star-shaped decorative motifs.”

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Inscriptions: There are many inscriptions on different places in the fort. These

calligraphic inscriptions are in Arabic and Persian. Major inscriptions

are as follow:

One of the inscription is on shisi gate which gives the date of the

construction of the fort and the name of its founder. This

inscription is in Persian language and is carved in a marble stone.

Translation of the inscription:

“In the Hijri year 948 came the exalted.

At that time constructed the great fort.

The emperor is Sher (Shah) with long life.

There is no match to his good fortune.

It was completed by Shahu Sultan.”

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Another inscription is present over Talaqi gate. This inscription

also tells the construction year of the fort and its founder. This

inscription is also carved on a marble measuring 45cm x 45cm

In Shahi mosque on the splendors of the outer arches there are

bosses in which the border is decorated with lily designs, and

inside the lily design religious inscriptions are written in Naskh

script.

On the corner burj which is in the north west of Shisi Gate there

are present sixteen inscriptions. These inscription are present on

the eight entrances of the burj. Like many of other inscriptions

these inscriptions these are also in naskh but unfortunately

these inscriptions are not in a good state.

On the right side of Langar Khani Gate, there is another

inscription in naskh. This inscription is carved on sand stone slab

at the height of about 12.5 meters. This slab measures 50cm x

39cm. another inscription that is also in naskh is present on the

middle of the façade at a height of about 3.35 cm.

Another inscription which is also in naskh is fixed on the right side

of Gatali Gate. This inscription present on a height of about 10

meters is on a sand stone slab measuring 30cm x 22cm.

Two inscriptions of same character are present on the inner side

of Khwas Khani Gate. These inscriptions are Quranic verses naskh

and are set on the left and right side of the inner gate.

Conclusion: Rohtas Fort is one of the prime example of Muslim military architecture

of the mid of 16th century. It is perhaps the earliest examples of a

successful mergence between the Indian and central Asian

architectural styles. This fort was a practical purpose built structure,

and unlike many of the forts in indo-pak subcontinent it originally did

not have any Palaces or building designed for living inside of it and was

meant for purely military purposes.

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This beautiful fort had cost Sher Shah Suri a huge amount of money but

it was not used for the purpose it was built for. Its founder, Sher Shah

Suri died before its completion. Ten years after his death the Suri

dynasty saw its end and Mughal Emperor Humayun returned to rule India

for another 15 years.

The fort was never popular among the Mughals because of its pure

military character. Emperor Akbar stayed here for a single night. His son

Jahangir while going to Kashmir also rested here but for a single night.

Only Durrani’s which ruled Punjab for a short span of time kept a

garrison and a governor here. It was also occasionally by the Sikh ruler

Ranjit Singh and British used for administrative purposes but little

attention was paid to its historical value and its preservation.

Overall the fort is well preserved and is now a protected monument

under the antique act 1975. It was designated as a world heritage site

in 1997. Rohtas fort is one of the great tourist attraction in Pakistan but

it fails to get its share mainly because of the absence of a well

maintained road.

Rai Farhatullah

Bibliography:

o Sir Olaf Caroe, The Pathans.

Routledge, 1958.

o Nabi, Khan and Robert Wheeler. Islamic Architecture in South

Asia.

Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 2003.

o Ihsan H. Nadiem, Rohtas: Formidable Fort of Sher Shah.

Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 1995.

o Khan, Ahmad Nabi. Islamic Architecture of Pakistan: An Analytical

Exposition.

Islamabad: National Hijra Council, 1990.

o Koch, Ebba. Mughal Architecture.

New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2002.

o Michell, George (editor). Architecture of the Islamic World: Its

history and Social Meaning

London: Thames and Hudson, 1978.

o Muhammad Wali Ulla Khan, Jhelum and its Important Monuments

Karachi: Anjuman Press, 1973.

o Mumtaz, Kamil Khan. Architecture in Pakistan.

Singapore: Concept Media Pte Ltd, 1985.

o Rajput, A. B. Architecture in Pakistan

Karachi: Pakistan Publications, 1963.

o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohtas_Fort

o http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/586

o http://tribune.com.pk/story/252369/rohtas-fort--the-treasure-of-

potohar/

Rai Farhatullah