Ahmednagar
Fort is one of the best designed forts in the entire state of
Maharashtra. At the same time, it is also counted amongst the
impregnable forts of India. The fort is situated in the Ahmednagar
district and dates back to the year 1559, when it was built under the
patronage of Husain Nizam Shah. Ahmednagar Fort stands surrounded by
cantonment on all the sides and lies in the eastern part of the
Ahmednagar city. Today, the fort forms one of the popular attractions of
the region.It is oval in shape and has a circumference of around 1.70 km. Forming a part of the defense system of the fort are its 24 citadels and a moat that is 30 meters wide and 4 to 6 meters deep. The huge and strong cut stone wall of Ahmednagar Fort reaches to a height of 25 meters, from the bottom of the ditch. There are two entrances to the fort, which can be reached only after one goes over the moat, through the suspension drawn bridges. Its major attractions comprises of a number of structures, some of which are in a very good condition.
History
Ahmednagar Fort is presently under the control of the military command of India. It has been the victim of invasion by the Mughal army in the year 1596. However, the fight put up by the Chandbibi forced them to beat a retreat after four months. The second attack by the Mughal army, led by Akbar in 1600, resulted in the annexation of the fort. It was only in the year 1759 that the Mughals lost the control of the Ahmednagar Fort, when they sold it to Sadashiv Bhau, the cousin of the third Peshwa.
Daulatrao Shinde gained control over the fort in 1797 and ultimately lost it to General Welleslay in August, 1803. Ultimately, the Treaty of Pune was signed in June 1817 and the rule of fort was handed to Bajirav Peshwa II. The history of Ahmednagar Fort tells us that it has been used as a royal prison a number of times. Amongst the glorious moments of the fort was the time when the entire Congress Working Committee was detained here during the Quit India Movement of 1942. All said and done, this historical fort is definitely a must-see place, to be included in the itinerary of anyone visiting Nashik.
