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| Golkonda Fort Front View |
Golkonda, also known as Golconda,
Gol konda ("Round shaped hill"), or Golla konda ("Shepherd's
hill"), is a citadel and fort in Southern India and was the capital of the
medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty (c.1518–1687), is situated 11
kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Hyderabad. It is also a tehsil of Hyderabad
district, Telangana, India. The region is known for the mines that have
produced some of the world's most famous gems, including the Koh-i-Noor, the
Hope Diamond and the Nassak Diamond.
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| Inside View of Golkonda Fort |
Golkonda was originally known as Mankal.Golkonda
Fort was first built by the Kakatiya dynasty as part of their western defenses
along the lines of the Kondapalli Fort. The city and the fortress were built on
a granite hill that is 120 meters (480 ft) high, surrounded by massive
battlements. The fort was rebuilt and strengthened by Rani Rudrama Devi and her
successor Prataparudra. Later, the fort came under the control of the Musunuri
Nayaks, who defeated the Tughlaqi army occupying Warangal.[4] It was ceded by
the Musunuri Kapaya Nayak to the Bahmani Sultanate as part of a treaty in 1364
.
Under the Bahmani Sultanate,
Golkonda slowly rose to prominence. Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (r. 1487–1543),
sent as a governor of Telangana, established it as the seat of his government
around 1501. Bahmani rule gradually weakened during this period, and Sultan
Quli formally became independent in 1538, establishing the Qutb Shahi dynasty
based in Golkonda.[7][8] Over a period of 62 years, the mud fort was expanded
by the first three Qutb Shahi sultans into the present structure, a massive
fortification 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 kilometres (4.3 mi)
outer wall enclosed the city.
The fort finally fell into ruin in
1687, after a year long siege leading to its fall at the hands of the Mughal
emperor Aurangzeb.
Diamonds
The Golkonda
Fort used to have a vault where once the famous Koh-i-Noor and Hope diamonds
were stored along with other diamonds.[10]
Golkonda is renowned for the
diamonds found on the south-east at Kollur Mine near Kollur, Guntur district,
Paritala and Atkur in 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 many 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 the Daria-i-Noor or "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; "Golconda" material is also referred to as "2A".
Many famed diamonds are believed to
have been excavated from the mines of Golkonda, such as:
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| Kohinoor Heera |
Daria-i-Noor
Noor-ul-Ain
Koh-i-Noor
Hope Diamond
Princie
Diamond
Regent
Diamond
Wittelsbach-Graff
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 Qutb Shahis of
Hyderabad State, who ruled Golkonda up to 1687, then to the Nizam of Hyderabad,
who ruled after the independence from the Mughal Empire in 1724 until 1948,
when the Indian integration of Hyderabad occurred
The Fort
The Golkonda fort is listed as an
archaeological treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared
by the Archaeological Survey of India under The Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.[11] Golkonda actually 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 and 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 kilometer 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.
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| Taramati Mosque |
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 an 11-km-long outer wall. This was built in order to fortify the fort.
Naya Qila
(New Fort):-
Naya Qila is
an extension of Golkonda Fort. The ramparts of the new fort start after the
residential area with many towers and the Hatiyan ka Jhad "Elephant-sized
tree" - an ancient baobab tree with an enormous girth. It also includes a
war mosque. The local government plans to convert the area into a golf club.
Qutub Shahi
Tombs:
The tombs of
the Qutub 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.
Koh-i-Noor:-
The
Koh-i-Noor (Persian for Mountain of Light; also spelled Kohinoor and Koh-i-nur)
is a large, colourless diamond that was found near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh,
India, possibly in the 13th century. According to legend, it first weighed 793
carats (158.6 g) uncut, although the earliest well-attested weight is 186
carats (37.2 g); it was first owned by the Kakatiya dynasty. The stone changed
hands several times between various feuding factions in South Asia over the
next few hundred years, before ending up in the possession of Queen Victoria
after the British conquest of the Punjab in 1849.
In 1852,
Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, unhappy with its dull and
irregular appearance, ordered it cut down from 186 carats (37.2 g). It emerged
42 percent lighter as a dazzling oval-cut brilliant weighing 105.6 carats and
measuring 3.6 cm x 3.2 cm x 1.3 cm.[3] By modern standards, the cut is far from
perfect, in that the culet is unusually broad, giving the impression of a black
hole when the stone is viewed head-on; it is nevertheless regarded by gemmologists
as being full of life. As the diamond's history involves a great deal of
fighting between men, the Koh-i-Noor acquired a reputation within the British
royal family for bringing bad luck to any man who wears it. Since arriving in
the country, it has only ever been worn by female members of the family.
Today, the
diamond is set in the front of the Queen Mother's Crown, part of the Crown
Jewels of the United Kingdom, and is seen by millions of visitors to the Tower
of London each year. The governments of India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan
have all tried to claim ownership of the Koh-i-Noor and demanded its return at
various points in recent decades. However, the stone's early history is lost in
the mists of time, and the British government insists the gem was obtained
legally under the terms of the Treaty of Lahore.
It is widely
believed to have come from the Kollur Mine in the Guntur District of
present-day Andhra Pradesh India, during the reign of the Hindu Kakatiya
dynasty in the 13th century in the Bhadrakali Temple. It is however impossible
to know where it was found. In the early 14th century, Alauddin Khalji, second
ruler of the Turkic Khalji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and his army began
looting the kingdoms of southern India.Malik Kafur, Khilji's general, made a
successful raid on Warangal in 1310, when he possibly acquired the diamond.
It remained
in the Khilji dynasty and later passed to the succeeding dynasties of the Delhi
Sultanate, until it came into the possession of Babur, a Turco-Mongol warlord,
who invaded India and established the Mughal Empire in 1526. He called the
stone the "Diamond of Babur" at the time, although it had been called
by other names before it came into his possession. Both Babur and his son and
successor, Humayun, mentioned the origins of this diamond in their memoirs,
thought by many historians to be the earliest reliable reference to the
Koh-i-Noor.
Shah Jahan,
the fifth Mughal emperor, had the stone placed into his ornate Peacock Throne.
In 1658, his son and successor, Aurangazeb, confined the ailing emperor at
nearby Agra Fort. While in the possession of Aurangazeb, it was allegedly cut
by Hortenso Borgia, a Venetian lapidary so clumsily that he reduced the weight
of the stone from 793 carats (158.6 g) to 186 carats (37.2 g).[12] For this
carelessness, Borgia was reprimanded and fined 10,000 rupees. According to
recent research the story of Borgia cutting the diamond is not correct, and
most probably mixed up with the Orlov, part of Catherine the Great's imperial
Russian sceptre in the Kremlin
