4/5 Aathira R. 5 months ago on Google
Daulatabad
Fort
originally
Deogiri
Fort,
is
a
historic
fortified
citadel
located
in
Daulatabad
village
near
Chhatrapati
Sambhajinagar,
Maharashtra,
India.
It
was
the
capital
of
the
Yadava
dynasty
(9th
century–14th
century
CE),
for
a
brief
time
the
capital
of
the
Delhi
Sultanate
(1327–1334),
and
later
a
secondary
capital
of
the
Ahmadnagar
Sultanate
(1499–1636).
Around
the
6th
century
CE,
Daulatabad
emerged
as
an
important
uplands
town
near
present-day
Sambhajinagar
Maharashtra,
along
caravan
routes
going
towards
western
and
southern
India.
The
historical
triangular
fortress
in
the
city
was
initially
built
around
1187
by
the
first
Yadava
king,
Bhillama
V.
In
1308,
the
city
was
annexed
by
Alauddin
Khalji
of
the
Delhi
Sultanate,
which
ruled
over
some
parts
of
the
North
India.
In
1327,
Muhammad
bin
Tughluq
of
the
Delhi
Sultanate
Named
the
city
Daulatabad
and
shifted
his
imperial
capital
to
the
city
from
Delhi,
ordering
a
mass
migration
of
Delhi's
population
to
Daulatabad.
However,
Muhammad
bin
Tughluq
reversed
his
decision
in
1334
and
the
capital
of
the
Delhi
Sultanate
was
shifted
back
to
Delhi.
In
1499,
Daulatabad
became
a
part
of
the
Ahmadnagar
Sultanate,
who
used
it
as
their
secondary
capital.
In
1610,
near
Daulatabad
Fort,
the
new
city
of
Aurangabad,
then
named
Khadki,
was
established
to
serve
as
the
capital
of
the
Ahmadnagar
Sultanate
by
the
Ethiopian
military
leader
Malik
Ambar,
who
was
brought
to
India
as
a
slave
but
rose
to
become
a
popular
Prime
Minister
of
the
Ahmadnagar
Sultanate.
Most
of
the
present-day
fortifications
at
Daulatabad
Fort
were
constructed
under
the
Ahmadnagar
Sultanate.
The
area
of
the
city
the
hill-fortress
of
Devagiri
(sometimes
Latinised
to
Deogiri).
It
stands
on
a
conical
hill,
about
200
meters
high.
Much
of
the
lower
slopes
of
the
hill
has
been
cut
away
by
Yadava
dynasty
rulers
to
leave
50-meter
vertical
sides
to
improve
defenses.
The
fort
is
a
place
of
extraordinary
strength.
The
only
means
of
access
to
the
summit
is
by
a
narrow
bridge,
with
the
passage
for
not
more
than
two
people
abreast,
and
a
long
gallery,
excavated
in
the
rock,
which
has,
for
the
most
part,
a
very
gradual
upward
slope.
About
midway
along
this
gallery,
the
access
gallery
has
steep
stairs,
the
top
of
which
is
covered
by
a
grating
destined
in
time
of
war
to
form
the
hearth
of
a
huge
fire
kept
burning
by
the
garrison
above.
At
the
summit,
and
at
intervals
on
the
slope,
are
specimens
of
massive
old
cannon
facing
out
over
the
surrounding
countryside.
Also
at
the
midway,
there
is
a
cave
entrance
meant
to
confuse
the
enemies.
The
fort
had
the
following
specialties
which
are
listed
along
with
their
advantages
:
No
separate
exit
from
the
fort,
only
one
entrance/exit
-
This
is
designed
to
confuse
the
enemy
soldiers
to
drive
deep
into
the
fort
in
search
of
an
exit,
at
their
own
peril.
No
parallel
gates
-
This
is
designed
to
break
the
momentum
of
the
invading
army.
Also,
the
flag
mast
is
on
the
left
hill,
which
the
enemy
will
try
to
capitulate,
thus
will
always
turn
left.
But
the
real
gates
of
the
fort
are
on
the
right
&
the
false
ones
on
the
left,
thus
confusing
the
enemy.
Spikes
on
the
gates
-
In
the
era
before
gunpowder,
intoxicated
elephants
were
used
as
a
battering
ram
to
break
open
the
gates.
The
presence
of
spikes
ensured
that
the
elephants
died
of
injury.
Complex
arrangement
of
entryways,
curved
walls,
false
doors
-
Designed
to
confuse
the
enemy,
false,
but
well-designed
gates
on
the
left
side
lured
the
enemy
soldiers
in
&
trapped
them
inside,
eventually
feeding
them
to
crocodiles.
The
hill
is
shaped
like
a
smooth
tortoise
back
-
this
prevented
the
use
of
mountain
lizards
as
climbers,
because
they
cannot
stick
to
it.
