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Fortress

Akola Fort

India · 17th century

Founded
1697
Heritage status
Monument of National Importance
Location
Akola district
Coordinates
20.70623°, 76.99002°
Open on the map →Wikipedia ↗
Akola Fort in India
Photo: Ashish Wankhade · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Description

Akola Fort was built by Govind Appaji in 780 AD. It also called Korbandh before invaded by Asad khan, Later name was changed to Asadgadh in 1697 along with the Narnala and Akot forts forms the major fortifications of the Akola district Former name Beraar Province, Maharashtra, India.

The Fort was built by Govind Appaji in 780 AD to Secure Raj Rajeshwar Temple from Islamic Invader near Morna River. As Islamic Invasion Started in 712 AD, When the Umayyad Caliphate conquered Sindh and Multan. The conquest was led by Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, an Umayyad general. The Korbandh fortress was Attacked and Rebuilt in 1697 by Asad Khan, during the reign of Aurangzeb, by invader Asad Khan, from whom the fort took its name (Asadgad). In 1803, Arthur Wellesley camped here before proceeding to win the Battle of Argaon in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The fortress was dismantled by the British Raj in about 1870. To avoid future problems as Asadgadh Fort (Korbandh Fort) was heavily fortified. It was reported in 1910 in a district gazetteer that the central part of the fort (the hawakhana) was used as a school.

Akola fort is notable in that it is bereft of any decorative embellishments.

There are several inscriptions on the fort. An inscription on the Dahi handa gate gives its date of construction as 1114 AH (1697 CE)deepak, 'during the reign of Islamic invader King Aurangzeb when Nawab Asad Khan was minister.' her on the Fateh Buruj bastion has no exact date. It too mentions the same minister but a different emperor Bahadur Shah I. One on the Eidgah contains texts and a statement that the rebuilding was finished by Khawja Abdul Latif in 1116 AH (1698 CE). On the Agarves gate an inscription in Marathi reads that Govind Appaji in 780 AD constructed the fort, to secure nearby temple from Islamic invasion. The latter statement contradicts all the other inscriptions.

Akola's oldest Mahadev temple is Rajeshwar Mandir. Also called as Berar che Rajeshwar. In ancient records, there was an old fort for protection of shiv temple named Korbandh Fort (Current Name Asadgadh) to protect from Islamic Invasion.

The Shiv temple and Fort Korbandh was first attacked by invader asad khan, on the order from Aurangzeb to Conquer Deccen Region. After Conquering the Korbandh Fort, He changed the name of Fort Korbandh to Asadgadh, after rebuilding it.

Text adapted from “Akola Fort” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Akola Fort ranks #5,102 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #176 of the 223 mapped in India. Founded 1697, it is older than 22% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 710 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. See how India compares in the castle statistics.

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