44-659: The Rohtasgarh or Rohtas Fort is located in the Son River valley, in the small town of Rohtas in Bihar , India. Rohtasgarh is situated on the upper course of the river Son, 24° 57′ N, 84° 2′E. It takes around two hours from Sasaram to reach the foot of the hill over which is the Rohtas fort. It can be reached easily from the Dehri town, which has very good road network. One can also easily reach Rohtas fort via Akbarpur. The fort
88-622: A "Yavana" army; the "Yavana" here probably refers to a Muslim general. F. Kielhorn identified Shri Pratapa (Śrī-Pratāpa) as a member of the Khayaravala dynasty , whose inscriptions have been found at other locations in the Rohtas district . The members of this dynasty ruled the Japila territory as feudatories, possibly that of the Gahadavalas . The Khayaravalas are probably represented by
132-570: A cadet branch of the Ujjainiya dynasty which ruled the Jagdishpur principality. A British judicial officer offered a description of Kunwar Singh and described him as "a tall man, about six feet in height". He went on to describe him as having a broad face with an aquiline nose . In terms of his hobbies, British officials describe him as being a keen huntsman who also enjoyed horse-riding. After his father's death in 1826, Kunwar Singh became
176-494: A hero who fought against British oppression. One particular folk song states: Ab chhod re firangiya ! Hamar Deswa ! Lutpat kaile tuhun, majwa udaile kailas, des par julum jor. Sahar gaon luti, phunki, dihiat firangiya, suni suni Kunwar ke hridaya me lagal agiya ! Ab Chhod re firangiya! Hamar Deswa! Translation in English ;:- O British ! Now quit our country ! For you have looted us, enjoyed
220-523: A splendid palace 'Mahal Sarai' for himself, renovated the rest of the fort, cleared up the ponds and made gardens in Persian style. The palace was constructed in a north-south axis, with its entrance to the west with barracks for soldiers in front. The fort is still in a fairly good condition. After the death of Man Singh, the fort came under the jurisdiction of the office of the Emperor's wazir from where
264-420: A tiny cupola, which opens into the women' quarters. From the fourth floor one can get a bird's eye view of the surrounding area, including Rohtasan Temple in the east, located about four kms away. The residential quarters of Raja Man Singh were on the first floor, which was connected to the ladies' rooms via a gateway in the east. Aina Mahal (Mirror Palace) was the palace of the chief wife of Raja Man Singh. It
308-610: Is also said "Chourasan Siddhi" because of its 84 steps. 24°37′N 83°55′E / 24.617°N 83.917°E / 24.617; 83.917 Son River Sone River , also spelt Son River , is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Pendra (Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district), Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges river near Maner in Patna , Bihar . The Sone River
352-629: Is known as the Hathiya Pol or the Elephant Gate, named after the two elephants, which decorate it. It is the largest of the gates and was made in 1597 AD. The largest structure within the fort palace is, the Takht-e-Badshahi, where Raja Man Singh resided. It is a four-storied building, with a cupola on top. There is an assembly hall in the second floor and a gallery resting on strong, engraved stone pillars. The third floor has
396-513: Is located in the middle of the palace. Some beautiful carvings can still be seen inside and at the entrance. An assembly hall, probably the Diwan-e-Khas or the hall or private audience is a little towards the west of Baradari or the hall of public audience. The hall is decorated with etchings of flowers and leaves, and lies on similarly decorated pillars. Outside the palace grounds are the buildings of Jamia Masjid, Habsh Khan's Mausoleum and
440-789: Is mentioned as SoNai in Sangam Tamil literature Kuṟuntokai as early as 2nd century CE. The Sone originates near Pendra in Chhattisgarh , just east of the headwater of the Narmada River , and flows north-northwest through Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh state before turning sharply eastward where it encounters the southwest-northeast- Kaimur Range . The Sone parallels the Kaimur hills, flowing east-northeast through Uttar Pradesh , Jharkhand and Bihar states to join
484-431: Is situated at about 1500 feet above sea level. The 2000 old limestone steps were probably meant for elephants. For the visitor, they are exhausting climb of an hour and a half. At the end of the climb, one reaches the boundary wall of the fort. A dilapidated gate with a cupola can be seen there, which is the first of many gates provided for well-guarded entrances to the fort. From here one has to walk another mile or so before
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#1732773236248528-719: Is the second-largest southern tributary of the Ganges after the Yamuna River . India's oldest river bridge Koilwar Bridge over Sone River connects Arrah with Patna . Sone river is famous for its sand across country. Multiple dams and hydro-electric projects run on its course towards the Ganges. Sone River is called 'सोन / सोने' in Hindi, but called 'शोण' in Sanskrit, a rare instance of an Indian river having masculine name. Damodara and Brahmaputra also have masculine name. This river
572-522: The Gauda king Shashanka . The Chandra and Tunga dynasties, which ruled in Bengal and Odisha regions respectively, traced their origin to a place called Rohitagiri, which may possibly be modern Rohtas. However, no evidence has been found at Rohtas to confirm this theory. A 1223 CE (1279 VS ) inscription suggests that Rohtasgarh was in possession of one Shri Pratapa. The inscription states that he defeated
616-698: The Indrapuri Barrage . In Bihar, this river forms the border line between the Bhojpuri - and Magahi -speaking regions. Sir John Houlton, the British administrator, described the Son as follows, "After passing the steep escarpments of the Kaimur range , it flows straight across the plain to the Ganges. For much of this distance it is over two miles wide, and at one point, opposite Tilothu three miles wide. In
660-541: The Rihand , Kanhar and the North Koel . The Son has a steep gradient (35–55 cm per km) with quick run-off and ephemeral regimes, becoming a roaring river with the rain-waters in the catchment area but turning quickly into a fordable stream. The Son, being wide and shallow, leaves disconnected pools of water in the remaining parts of the year. The channel of the Son is very wide (about 5 km at Dehri ) but
704-662: The Veer Kunwar Singh University , Arrah, in 1992. In 2017, the Veer Kunwar Singh Setu, also known as the Arrah–Chhapra Bridge , was inaugurated to connect north and south Bihar. In 2018, to celebrate 160th anniversary of Kunwar Singh's death, the government of Bihar relocated a statue of him to Hardinge Park . The park was also officially renamed as 'Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park'. He is mentioned in many Bhojpuri folk songs as
748-438: The floodplain is narrow, only 3 to 5 kilometres (2 to 3 mi) wide. The meeting point with North Koel the width of Sone River is 5 to 8 kilometres (3 to 5 mi). In the past, the Son has been notorious for changing course. As it is traceable from several old beds near its east bank, the river changed its course more than 5 times. In modern times this tendency has been checked with the anicut at Dehri, and now more so with
792-509: The initial British attempts to take the area. However, he had to leave the place soon. Pursued by Douglas, he retreated towards his home at Arrah . On 23 April, Singh had a victory near Jagdishpur over the force led by Captain Le Grande (pronounced as Le Garde in Hindi ). On 26 April 1858 he died in his village. The mantle of the old chief now fell on his brother Amar Singh II, who continued
836-400: The British puzzled. Singh assumed command of the soldiers who had revolted at Danapur on 25 July. Two days later he occupied Arrah , the district headquarters . Major Vincent Eyre relieved the town on 3 August, defeated Singh's force and destroyed Jagdishpur. During the rebellion, his army had to cross the Ganges river. The army of Brigadier Douglas began to shoot at their boat. One of
880-616: The Ganges just west of Patna . Geologically, the lower valley of the Son is an extension of the Narmada Valley , and the Kaimur Range an extension of the Vindhya Range . Arwal , Daudnagar , Deori , Rohtasgarh , Dehri , Sonbhadra and Maner are some of the major cities situated on Sone River. The Sone river which is 784 kilometres (487 mi) long, is one of the longest Indian rivers. Its chief tributaries are
924-465: The Hanging House, as the fall from here is a straight 1500 ft down with no obstacles on the way. Locals have a story to tell about this place that this spot is the mouth of a cave, where a Muslim fakir (mendicant) is buried. It is said that he was thrown from here into the valley three times. In spite of being bound hand and foot, the fakir escaped unhurt each time. Ultimately he was buried in
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#1732773236248968-519: The Makbara of Shufi Sultan. The beautiful stucco style, with the cupola resting on pillars reminds of the Rajputana style where the domed structures are known as chhatris. Each dome is accompanied by a minaret . This style had not been used in Bengal and Bihar earlier but its emergence at Rohtas was not surprising as more than half the fort's guardians came from Rajputana . About half a kilometer to
1012-457: The besiegers of the house at Arrah were neither cowards nor bunglers; and the next that it was uncommonly lucky for us that Coer Singh was not forty years younger. George Bruce Malleson , a 19th-century English officer stationed in India during the rebellion of 1857 stated about Kunwar Singh: One of the three natives of India thrown up to the surface by the mutiny, who showed any pretensions to
1056-602: The bullets shattered Singh's left wrist. Singh felt that his hand had become useless and that there was the additional risk of infection due to the bullet-shot. He drew his sword and cut off his left hand near the elbow and offered it to the Ganges. Singh left his ancestral village and reached Lucknow in December 1857 where he met with other rebel leaders. In March 1858, he occupied Azamgarh in North-Western Provinces ( Uttar Pradesh ) and managed to repel
1100-661: The cave. About a mile to the North-East of the Palace are the ruins of two temples. One is the Rohtasan, a temple of Lord Shiva. Iconoclasts probably destroyed the roof and the main mandap, which housed the sacred lingam. Now only 84 steps are left, which lead to a temple. The domes crest the Devi Mandir. The idol of the deity is missing from here also, though the rest of the building is in good condition. In local language it
1144-544: The character of a strategist — the others being Tántia Topi and the Oudh Moulvi — Kúnwar Singh had carefully for borne to risk the fortunes of his diminished party which, however favorable might be its commencement, must certainly end in its complete defeat. To honour his contribution to India's freedom movement, the Republic of India issued a commemorative stamp on 23 April 1966. The Government of Bihar established
1188-478: The dry weather there is a vast expanse of sand, with a stream not more than a hundred yards wide, and the hot west winds pile up the sand on the east bank, making natural embankments. After heavy rain in the hills even this wide bed cannot carry the waters of the Son and disastrous floods in Shahabad, Gaya, and Patna are not uncommon." The first dam on the Son was built in 1873–74 at Dehri. The Indrapuri Barrage
1232-521: The governors were appointed. In 1621 AD, the Prince Khurram revolted against his father Jahangir and took refuge at Rohtas. The guardian of the fort, Saiyyad Mubarak handed over the keys of Rohtas to the prince. Khurram once again came to Rohtas for safety when he tried to win Avadh, but lost the battle of Kampat. His son Murad Baksh was born to his wife Mumtaz Mahal. During Aurangzeb's reign the fort
1276-495: The help of his army, achieved victory. The battle ended when he brought down the British flag from Jagdispur Fort and hoisted his flag. He returned to his palace on 23 April 1858 and soon died on 26 April 1858. Sir George Trevelyan , a British statesman and author noted about Kunwar Singh and the battle of Arrah in his book, The Competition Wallah , that: Two facts may be deduced from the story of these operations - first that
1320-520: The latter were at a disadvantage, for the jungles and the tribal in them were of great help to the Indian soldiers. Finally, after a long drawn out military blockade and many clashes, the British overcame the Indians. It is considered to be one of the largest forts in world as remnants of fort are spread across 42 square km. It has 83 gates and network of many underground place and tunnels. The main gate
1364-536: The luxuries of our country and oppressed our countrymen. You have looted, destroyed and burnt our cities and villages. Kunwar's heart burns to know all this. O British ! Now quit our country ! In the 1970s, a private landlord militia known as the ' Kuer Sena/Kunwar Sena ' (Kunwar's Army) was formed by Rajput youth in Bihar to combat naxalite insurgents. It was named after Kunwar Singh. A play by Jagdish Chandra Mathur titled Vijay Ki Vela (Moment of Victory)
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1408-565: The modern Kharwars . In 1539 CE, the Fort of Rohtas passed out of the hands of the Hindu kings into those of Sher Shah Suri . Sher Shah Suri had just lost the Fort at Chunar in a fight with the Mughal emperor Humayun and was desperate to gain a foothold for himself. Sher Shah requested the ruler of Rohtas that he wanted to leave his women, children and treasure in the safety of the fort, while he
1452-508: The ruins of Rohtas can be seen. The early history of Rohtas is obscure. According to the local legends, the Rohtas hill was named after the Rohitāśva , the son of a legendary king Harishchandra . However, the legends about Rohitāśva make no mention of this area, and no pre-7th century ruins have been found at the site. The oldest record at Rohtas is a short inscription of " Mahasamanta Shashanka-dava", whom John Faithfull Fleet identified with
1496-602: The ruler of Jagdishpur. His brothers also got some share and inherited some territory however a dispute arose as to their exact allocation. This dispute was eventually settled and the brothers seemingly returned to having cordial relations. He married the daughter of Raja Fateh Narayan Singh of the Deo Raj estate who belonged to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs . Singh led the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Bihar . He
1540-470: The storeroom and many of the fortifications. Goddard left, keeping some guards in charge of the fort, but they too left after a year. There was peace at the fort for the next 100 years or so, which was at last broken at the time of the First War of Independence in 1857. Amar Singh, the brother of Kunwar Singh , together with his companions took refuge here. There were many encounters with the British where
1584-610: The struggle for a considerable time, running a parallel government in the district of Shahabad . In October 1859, Amar Singh II joined the rebel leaders in the Terai plains of Nepal . In his last battle, fought on 23 April 1858, near Jagdispur, the troops under the control of the British East India Company were completely routed. On 22 and 23 April, being injured, he fought against the British Army and with
1628-499: The west of Man Singh's Palace is a Ganesh temple. The sanctum of the temple faces two porch-ways. The tall imposing superstructure corresponds the temples of Rajputana ( Rajasthan ), especially of Ossian near Jodhpur built in the 8th century AD and the Mira Bai temple of the 17th century AD at Chittor . Further towards west, some construction must have taken place although there is no written evidence of what it was. The locals call it
1672-470: The west of the fort. It is made of white sandstone and comprises three domes each with a minaret . There is also a mausoleum of Habsh Khan, the daroga or the superintendent of works of Sher Shah. In 1558 AD, Raja Man Singh , Akbar 's general and governor, ruled Rohtas. As the Governor of Bengal and Bihar, he made Rohtas his headquarters in view of its inaccessibility and other natural defenses. He built
1716-672: Was a chief organiser of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 from the Bhojpur region of Bihar. He was originally the ruler of Jagdishpur estate . He led a selected band of armed soldiers against the troops under the command of the British East India Company . Kunwar Singh was born on 13 November 1777 in Rajput family to Raja Sahabzada Singh and Panchratan Devi, in Jagdishpur in the Indian state of Bihar. He belonged to
1760-512: Was away fighting in Bengal. The king agreed and the first few palanquins had women and children. But the later ones contained fierce Afghan soldiers, who captured Rohtas and forced the Hindu king to flee. During Sher Shah Suri 's reign 10000-armed men guarded the fort and it contained a permanent garrison. Haibat Khan, a general of Sher Shah Suri built the Jami Masjid in 1543 AD, which lies to
1804-848: Was constructed, 8 kilometres (5 mi) upstream, and commissioned in 1968. The Bansagar Dam in Madhya Pradesh was commissioned in 2008. The 1.44 Km long rail-cum-road lattice-girder concrete and steel Abdul Bari Bridge or Koilwar Bridge near Arrah in Bihar was completed in November 1862. It remained the longest bridge in India, until the Nehru Setu bridge at Dehri was opened in 1900. After Nehru Setu bridge at Dehri, Railway Bridges are present on Sone River near Chopan , Vijay Sota & Anuppur . The modern Son bridge built in Deolond , Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh
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1848-530: Was inaugurated by Motilal Vora and Pandit Ram Kishore Shukla then Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Madhya Pradesh on 13 February 1986. The Government of Bihar sanctioned in 2008 a bridge across the Son River connecting Arwal and Sahar in Bhojpur district . New Koilwar Bridge : A 6-lane road bridge, carrying NH-922 , parallel to the existing rail and road Koilwar Bridge. Kunwar Singh Kunwar Singh , also known as Babu Kunwar Singh
1892-428: Was nearly eighty and in failing health when he was called upon to take up arms. He was assisted by both his brother, Babu Amar Singh and his commander-in-chief, Hare Krishna Singh . Some argue that the latter was the real reason behind Kunwar Singh's initial military success. He was a tough opponent and harried British forces for nearly a year. He was an expert in the art of guerilla warfare. His tactics sometimes left
1936-707: Was used as a detention camp for those under trial and housing prisoners sentenced for life. In 1763 AD, in the Battle of Udhwa Nala, the Nawab of Bihar and Bengal, Mir Kasim, lost to the British and fled with his family to Rohtas. But he was not able to hide at the fort. Finally the Diwan of Rohtas, Shahmal handed it over to the British Captain Goddard. During his two-month stay at the fort, the Captain destroyed
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