Her: Article About Hyderabad Fort

[Talpur <talpur@MAIL.COM>]

An article published in Daily Dawn, Karachi.
 http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/dmag1.htm ]
-----------------------------------------------------------
A testimony to official neglect


By Shaikh Aziz

 THE recent collapse of a large section of a wall of the Hyderabad Fort came
as the latest sign of the nation's apathy towards our historical monuments
and cultural relics. This is not the first tragedy this monument has
suffered. At least twice in the past two decades, portions of its structure
have caved in owing to the vagaries of the weather and vandalism.

Some may shrug the whole thing off as something that usually happens to old
buildings, but the fact remains that structures like the Hyderabad Fort are
reminiscent of our history, social background and carry a certain
architectural value.

The fort stands as a milestone in the history of Sindh. It reminds us of the
events and political manoeuvrings that helped the English to deprive Sindh
of its freedom, through conspiracies, deceit, and exploitation of the
disunity of the ruling family. Sindh finally fell in 1843, and since then we
have lost almost all of the historical evidence of this change, some through
deliberate attempts made by the alien rulers; others through our own
ignorance. The monument of the Miani battle, the graves of heroes like
Hoshoo Sheedi, the court of the Talpurs inside the Hyderabad Fort, and,
above all, documents about the conspiracies that trapped the Sindh rulers.
They have all gone.

The historical importance of the Hyderabad Fort is not confined to two
centuries only. It has symbolized the political and historical course of
over 2,000 years. In the fifth century, it was a centre of Buddhism, to be
followed by Hindus in the seventh century when the Rai dynasty established
its rule. Nirun was the king who got a fort built where the present fort is
located.

Nirun made it a provincial seat under the administration of Brahamanabad,
the remains of which are located near Tando Adam. Jaisinia, son of the last
Hindu ruler of Sindh, Dahar, stayed there to look after the affairs of the
country. It is after King Nirun that the hills over which the fort was
constructed became known as Nirun Hills. At that time, Nirunkot, or the fort
of Nirun, was an important strategic centre between Debal and Arore (near
Rohri).

When Mohammad bin Qasim conquered Debal, the port city of Sindh in the year
712, he had also eyed Nirunkot and after consolidation at Debal, he marched
to Nirunkot. At that time, the Indus river did not flow near it, but the
water used to accumulate from the channels in the eastern and western parts
of the city. The city's structure and pattern described in geographers'
accounts tell us that no significant change has taken place from those days.
The only thing that can be marked is the elimination of water reservoirs,
such as Talab numbers one, two and three, due to improved water supply
system from the Indus which changed its course.

When Mohammad bin Qasim arrived at Nirunkot, the fort administrator did not
open the door on the first day, and the Arab general had to camp outside the
fort. The next day the door was opened voluntarily and the Muslim commander
did not have to fight. From the strategic point of view, Nirunkot was an
important position for him.

The Hyderabad Fort was constructed in two parts. The western enclave was
meant for foodgrain storage where a water lift was installed after its
capture by the English. It had watchtowers at the main gate as well as in
the north. Near the main gate was established the treasury and the mint. On
the left of the main gate was the court and the rulers' residences.

There was a moat which the English filled up in 1843. Five wells had been
dug inside the fort, but the water was brackish and the wells had to be
filled up and water was fetched from Phuleli canal and the nearby water
tanks.

The English used the fort as a garrison and cantonment. After the 1857 War
of Independence, they demolished all older buildings and used the space to
store arms and ammunition. On April 15, 1904, the ammunition depot caught
fire which lasted for four days and destroyed the rest of the older
buildings. The depot was then shifted and a records office was opened there
in the same year. In 1918, people were allowed to build houses inside the
fort and the same year water supply system was laid out with a reservoir
within the fort.

After independence, a number of offices were set up, including the
archaeological museum. The fort also became a centre of the political
rallies and public meetings. With the passage of time, the fort structure
has undergone decadence and on at least three occasions, various portions of
its wall have collapsed, drawing attention to the need for taking measures
to conserve this historical landmark. As things stand today, the recent
incident may not be the last of the tragic episodes that have hit the
structure of the fort. Such has been the level of official neglect.
-------------------------------------------------
Source & copyright:  http://dawn.com
------------------------------------------------


Best wishes.
Mir Atta Muhammad Talpur
..................................
mailto:talpur@mail.com