5/5 VJtech 2 years ago on Google
Allahabad
Fort
is
a
fort
built
by
the
Mughal
emperor
Akbar
at
Allahabad,
Uttar
Pradesh,
India
in
1583.
A
stone
inscription
inside
fort
describe
1583
as
a
foundation
year.
The
fort
stands
on
the
banks
of
the
Yamuna
near
its
confluence
with
the
river
Ganges.
It
is
recognised
by
the
Archaeological
Survey
of
India
as
a
monument
of
national
importance.
For
a
long
time
[Akbar's]
desire
was
to
found
a
great
city
in
the
town
of
Piyag
[Prayag],
where
the
rivers
Ganges
and
Jamna
join,
and
which
is
regarded
by
the
people
of
India
with
much
reverence,
and
which
is
a
place
of
pilgrimage
for
the
ascetics
of
that
country,
and
to
build
a
choice
fort
there.
— Abu'l
Fazl,
Akbarnama
Akbar
named
the
fort
Illahabas
("blessed
by
Allah"),
which
later
became
"Allahabad".[2]
According
to
Catherine
Asher,
the
construction
of
the
fort
was
a
response
to
several
uprisings
that
had
been
taking
place
in
eastern
India.[3]
Besides
the
strategic
location
of
Allahabad,
Akbar
is
also
thought
to
have
been
motivated
by
the
ability
to
collect
taxes
from
the
large
number
of
pilgrims
visiting
the
Triveni
Sangam.
However,
this
seems
unlikely,
considering
the
fact
that
Akbar
abolished
the
existing
pilgrim
taxes
in
1563.[4]
Akbar's
fort
was
constructed
in
such
a
way
that
it
enclosed
the
famous
Akshayavat
tree,
where
people
would
commit
suicide
in
order
to
achieve
salvation.
The
reason
for
this
is
not
known,
although
some
sources
claim
that
he
did
it
to
prevent
people
from
committing
suicide.
According
to
a
local
legend,
Akbar
was
a
Hindu
ascetic
named
Mukunda
Brahmachari
in
his
previous
birth.
Once,
by
mistake,
he
consumed
a
cow's
hair
while
drinking
milk.
Horrified
at
this
sin
(cow
being
a
holy
animal),
he
committed
suicide.
He
was
born
a
mlechchha
(non-Hindu)
as
a
result
of
this
sin,
and
was
driven
to
build
a
fort
at
the
holy
Sangam.[4]
The
local
Prayagwal
Brahmins
claim
that
Akbar
repeatedly
failed
to
construct
the
fort,
because
its
foundation
would
sink
in
the
sand
each
time.
The
emperor
was
told
that
a
human
sacrifice
was
required
to
proceed.
A
local
Brahmin
voluntarily
sacrificed
himself,
and
in
return,
Akbar
granted
his
descendants
—
the
Prayagwals
—
the
exclusive
rights
of
servicing
the
pilgrims
at
the
Sangam.[4]
The
Allahabad
Fort
is
the
largest
fort
built
by
Akbar.[5]
This
fort
has
three
galleries
flanked
by
high
towers.[citation
needed]
Revolt
by
Salim Edit
In
1600,
Mughal
prince
Salim
(future
emperor
Jahangir)
revolted
against
his
father
Akbar
and
established
his
own
court
in
the
Allahabad
fort.
He
commanded
very
little
territory
and
was
reconciled
with
his
father
shortly
after.[6]
The
fort
was
first
garrisoned
by
British
East
India
Company
troops
in
1765
as
part
of
the
Treaty
of
Allahabad,
signed
after
the
Battle
of
Buxar
by
Commander-in-Chief
of
British
India
Robert
Clive,
Mughal
Emperor
Shah
Alam
II,
and
the
ruler
of
Awadh,
Nawab
Shuja-ud-Daula.
According
to
this
treaty,
the
British
garrison
in
the
fort
was
to
defend
and
protect
Shah
Alam,
however,
Shah
Alam,
finding
this
arrangement
restrictive,
slipped
away
to
Delhi
in
1772,
where
he
attempted
to
cede
Allahabad
to
the
Maratha
Empire.
The
British
intervened
and
contrived
to
nullify
Alam's
claim
to
the
fort,
proclaiming
Shuja-ud-Daula
its
sole
owner.
Shuja-ud-Daula
died
and
was
succeeded
as
Nawab
of
Awad
by
Asaf-ud-Daula
in
1775;
despite
persistent
attempts
of
the
Company
to
formally
acquire
the
fort,
it
remained
in
the
Nawab's
hands.
Asaf-ud-Daula
died
in
1787,
leaving
large
debts
to
the
Company
and
an
heir
of
disputed
parentage,
who
was
promptly
deposed
by
Saadat
Ali
Khan
I.
Finally,
in
February
1798,
a
financially
strapped
Saadat
Ali
ceded
the
fort
to
the
Company.
Three
years
later,
in
1801,
Saadat
Ali
finally
ceded
the
district
of
Allahabad
to
the
British.
Once
Allahabad
became
a
functional
part
of
the
East
India
Company's
territories,
its
fort
was
established
as
the
grand
depot
for
military
stores.[7][8]
