Bidar Fort – Monument History

Bidar Fort is one of the most magnificent constructions in Bidar city in Karnataka State, India. This Fort was constructed along with many Islamic monuments by Sultan Alla-Ud DinBahman. His first capital was Gulbarga, and in later years, around 1427 AD, the capital shifted to Bidar. We can see here nearly 30 monuments inside Bidar Fort.

History

bidar fort

The Bidar Fort was built by Ahmad Shah Wali Bahman, who belongs to the Bahman dynasty, in 1427 AD. It was a unique construction with double lines of defensive fortifications. The locals intended that the old Fort was in the western portion of the present-day Fort. The beauty of the Fort had been written in the book Tarikh-i-Firishta. The famous Persian scholar Firishta wrote this book from 1560 CE TO 1620 CE. At first, Prince Ulugh Khan, who belonged to the Tughlaq dynasty captured in 1321, and later, he became the Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughluq of Delhi.

Later, the Bahmani Sultan Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah occupied the Bidar, made it his capital, and ruled in the name of the Bahmani Kingdom. During the rule of Ahmad Shah, the old Fort was renovated and constructed numerous madrasas, Mosques. He also concentrated to rebuilt the old Fort for other security processes. The Fort walls were made entirely of stone and used mortar. Fort was built in the style of Turkish and Persian Architects.

In 1619, the Fort was conquered by Bijapur Sultanate. Later, it falls into the hands of Aurangzeb, the Mughal Empire, in 1657 CE. In 1724 CE, the Fort came under the rule of Hyderabad Nizam Nawab Mir Sa’id Muhammad Khan. Finally, it became part of Mysore state, present-day Karnataka.

The Fort contains seven gates which are named as

  1. The Kalyani Darwaza.
  2. The Delhi Darwaza.
  3. The Mandu Darwaza is the main gate to enter.
  4. The Carnatic Darwaza.
  5. The Kalmadgi Darwaza.

The remaining two Darwazas have no names.