The fort was first built in the 13th century during the Kakatiya dynasty. It was built as a mud fort then. It was in the 16th century under the Qutb Shahi dynasty that it was fortified and a 7 km long outer wall made of granite was built. Golkonda was also a major centre for diamond trade in those days. The Qutb Shahi dynasty controlled the areas of the current East Godavari district. Where the famous Kollur mines were located. It was from here that the most of the biggest diamonds in the world came from. These included the Kohinoor, Darya-e-noor, Regent ‘n Hope diamonds.
The Baradari was where the Qutb Shahi kings held their general assembly meetings. There’s supposed to be a secret passage from underneath the Baradari. Which’s supposed to come out somewhere near Gosha Mahal in the Old city. But I wonder why Abul Hasan Tanah Shah. The last Qutb Shahi king didn’t use this passage to escape when Aurangzeb overran his fort. Hmmm!
Ramdas was a collector of taxes in the court of the last Qutb Shahi ruler Abul Hasan Tanah Shah. He used the tax collections to build temples of Lord Ram in Bhadrachalam. He was caught ‘n imprisoned in the area inside the fort. Which’s now called the ‘Ramdas prison’. It’s rumoured that Lord Ram came in Tanah Shah’s dream one day. The king was moved by this ‘n ordered the release of Ramdas. Probably the context of the Hindi/Urdu word ‘Tanashahi’ meaning tyranny or authoritarian rule comes from this episode. But I’m not really sure ’bout this.
he Golkonda of today is a pale imitation of it’s past. The Qutb Shahi dynasty ended in 1687, with the capture of the fort by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The fort was sieged for 9 months. The Mughals tried everything. But couldn’t breach the fort walls. Sarandaz Khan, one of the Qutb Shahi commanders treacherously opened one of the gates for the Mughal forces. Who then overran it. Sarandaz Khan was promised Governorship of the Deccan by Aurangzeb. If he helped him conquer the fort. But Aurangzeb executed Sarandaz Khan as soon as he won the fort. His reasoning being that if Sarandaz Khan hadn’t been loyal to the Qutb Shahis. How would he be loyal to Aurangzeb.
Aurangzeb then installed a Governor Rustum Dil Khan to oversee the Deccan. After him was Dilawar Khan ‘n then Abdul Munsur Khan. In 1725, Asaf Jah was appointed as the Nizam ‘n after the death of Mughal emperor Mohammed Shah. He declared independence from the Mughal dynasty. And this was the start of the Asif Jahi dynasty, which ruled Hyderabad state till 1947.
Golkonda of today’s now like a semi urban area with little to show of it’s glorious past. Over the years, it’s been filled with a newer lot. Who mostly came in from the peripheries of Hyderabad state. Golkonda of today’s a curious mix of Muslim and Hindu traditions with many influences from Bidar, Gulbarga ‘n other surrounding areas of Hyderabad.
The inner wall of the fort has been designed with superb acoustics. A clap from the inner entrance of the Bala hisar (main gate into the inner fort) can be heard at the highest point of the fort, some 500-odd metres away. This was used as an alerting mechanism.Golkonda fort has nine gates on the outer wall. The entrance to each gate’s a curved road. This was done to prevent enemies from using battering rams to break open the doors. Also the gates has metal protrusions so that elephants couldn’t hit on the door with their trunks.
The Baradari was where the Qutb Shahi kings held their general assembly meetings. There’s supposed to be a secret passage from underneath the Baradari. Which’s supposed to come out somewhere near Gosha Mahal in the Old city. But I wonder why Abul Hasan Tanah Shah. The last Qutb Shahi king didn’t use this passage to escape when Aurangzeb overran his fort. Hmmm!
Ramdas was a collector of taxes in the court of the last Qutb Shahi ruler Abul Hasan Tanah Shah. He used the tax collections to build temples of Lord Ram in Bhadrachalam. He was caught ‘n imprisoned in the area inside the fort. Which’s now called the ‘Ramdas prison’. It’s rumoured that Lord Ram came in Tanah Shah’s dream one day. The king was moved by this ‘n ordered the release of Ramdas. Probably the context of the Hindi/Urdu word ‘Tanashahi’ meaning tyranny or authoritarian rule comes from this episode. But I’m not really sure ’bout this.
he Golkonda of today is a pale imitation of it’s past. The Qutb Shahi dynasty ended in 1687, with the capture of the fort by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The fort was sieged for 9 months. The Mughals tried everything. But couldn’t breach the fort walls. Sarandaz Khan, one of the Qutb Shahi commanders treacherously opened one of the gates for the Mughal forces. Who then overran it. Sarandaz Khan was promised Governorship of the Deccan by Aurangzeb. If he helped him conquer the fort. But Aurangzeb executed Sarandaz Khan as soon as he won the fort. His reasoning being that if Sarandaz Khan hadn’t been loyal to the Qutb Shahis. How would he be loyal to Aurangzeb.
Aurangzeb then installed a Governor Rustum Dil Khan to oversee the Deccan. After him was Dilawar Khan ‘n then Abdul Munsur Khan. In 1725, Asaf Jah was appointed as the Nizam ‘n after the death of Mughal emperor Mohammed Shah. He declared independence from the Mughal dynasty. And this was the start of the Asif Jahi dynasty, which ruled Hyderabad state till 1947.
Golkonda of today’s now like a semi urban area with little to show of it’s glorious past. Over the years, it’s been filled with a newer lot. Who mostly came in from the peripheries of Hyderabad state. Golkonda of today’s a curious mix of Muslim and Hindu traditions with many influences from Bidar, Gulbarga ‘n other surrounding areas of Hyderabad.
The inner wall of the fort has been designed with superb acoustics. A clap from the inner entrance of the Bala hisar (main gate into the inner fort) can be heard at the highest point of the fort, some 500-odd metres away. This was used as an alerting mechanism.Golkonda fort has nine gates on the outer wall. The entrance to each gate’s a curved road. This was done to prevent enemies from using battering rams to break open the doors. Also the gates has metal protrusions so that elephants couldn’t hit on the door with their trunks.
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