In the famous 500 plus year old Golconda fort of Hyderabad, Telangana, a protected heritage site one of the attractions among others is a unique cannon - the Fateh Rahbar used by Delhi 's Mogul emperor Aurangzeb against the Deccani sultans in the war in the 17th CE.
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| .The Fateh Rahbar bronze cannon, Golconda fortnavinsigamany.com |
Aurangzeb was Sunni muslim, while the rulers of the Deccan who were Shia and accepted the suzerainty of the Shah of Persia (now Iran) resisted Mughal expansionism in the southern region of India. After subduing two Muslim kingdoms, the Nizam Shahis of Ahmednagar and the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb assembled an army and began his siege on Golconda Fort
Under the direction of the Mogul emperor himself, Hyderabad was besieged for eight months and after a long struggle fell in October 1687 as the result of betrayal from some people in the Sultanate,
When Aurangzeb laid a long siege to the fort in 1687 to win the war against the last ruler of Qutb Shahi dynasty, he relied on a particular powerful cannon - the Fateh Rahbar meaning 'guide to victory.' It is a large bronze cannon with a length of 486 cm, the diameter of its muzzle is 70 cm,(bore 26 cm and end of the barrel is 84 cm). He also asked his gunner to use Azhdaha-Paikar (python body). Apart, Mogul encampments was bombarded day and night by bamboo rockets. After victory Aurangzeb had the Fateh Rahbar and other cannon(s) placed on top of the fort. He repaired the damages incurred in the war and made alterations to make the fort much stronger. The cannons were strategically located on the bastions.
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| The Fateh Rahbar bronze cannon, Golconda fort,thehindu.com |
The place Petla Burj where the Fateh Rahbar bronze cannon is installed, is under the care of the ASI and is open to public. It is difficult for the visitors to go up as the steps are rough and rugged with overgrowth of bushes, indicating the lethargic attitude of the ASI . The bronze cannon is also in a desolate state due to persistent official negligence . The long powerful bronze cannon highlights better bronze cannon manufacturing technology, metallurgical knowledge and workmanship, the forte of the Mughal artillery power.
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| Secular & last ruler Qutb Shahi Abul Hassan Tana Shah |
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| Ibrahim Qutb Shah Wali (1518-1580) indiatimes.com |
Above image: Ruler Ibrahim Qutb Shah Wali (1518-1580) was the fourth monarch of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India. He was the first of the Qutb Shahi dynasty to use the title "Sultan" and ruled from 1550 to 1580. He was fond of the Telugu language spoken in that region. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/glorious-arch-over-telugu-meet-regales-ballad-king-qutub-shah/articleshow/62014937.cms.....
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| treacherous Mogul king Aurangzeb, en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: Aurangzeb, Mogul ruler with capital in Delhi. Most cruel Mogul ruler who imprisoned his own father and killed his elder brothers to ascend the throne. Beina a Sunni Muslim, he wanted to conquer the secular Decani Sultans who were shia...................
When ruler Aurangzeb who was on an expansion binge to include more lands under the mogul empire, he made a decision to raid the Deccan region under the control of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The reason why he had set his eyes on the Deccan was, it had fertile cotton soil, vast natural and mineral resources, including diamond placer deposits in the alluvial region of the Krishna river (presently in Guntur district of Andhra). The Kollur mines, now defunct, once produced famous diamonds like the Koh-i-noor, Hope, Arcot diamonds, etc. |
| Fateh Rahbar Golconda fort hyderabadstory.blogspot.com |
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| Siege of Golconda, India 1687 CE.sheg.stanford.edu |
02. According to historian M.A. Qayyum, the Qutb Shahi army employed 110 cannons to repel the Mughal. It meant persistent artillery power to prevent entry.
03. Each of the cannon was mounted with a special mechanism on a metal pivot embedded in the floor of the bastion. The advantage is it is easy for the gunners to turn the gun/ cannon from side to side and could accurately target any spot they wanted within the cannon’s range from the fort. It was the ruler Ibrahim Qutb Shah Wali who built the bastions with brick lime mortar with protection for the gunner and vastly improved the artillery power. Each rotatable cannon was installed in a vantage point to repel the offencive forces.
04. Massive entry gate doors provided with sharp iron spikes and knob acted as deterrence to the war elephants to ram the gate to break them open.
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| curved passage,Fateh Darwaza Golconda fort, India flickr.com |
05. Yet another effective defensive feature is curved path to the gateway. Each gate was built ingeniously at the end of a curved passage, so battering rams or elephants couldn build up enough speed or force to attack the gates and split them open.
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| Banjara Darwaja, Golconda fort, Hyderabad, Telangana.blogplotter.com |
06. Being self- contained fort with enough storage facilities to store food grains, arms and ammunition and water facilities, the Qutb Shah rulers withstood the long siege well.
Having come to the fag end with long siege and declining ammunition, etc with fatigued soldiers, Aurangzeb now relied on his cannons in particular, the Fateh Rahbar bronze cannon. The other cannons worthy of mention are Qila Kusha,the Azhada Paikar, the Atish Bar and Dushman Kob. The Qila Kusha meaning ' fort opener' cannon was also made in 1666 and is seen on the Musa Burj at south east of Golconda Fort
Toward the 8th month of the siege, Mogul army entered into the mighty fort through the At Fateh gate and Aurangzeb ended the hegemony of the Qutb Shahi reign in Deccan and took the last Golconda king, Abul Hassan Tana Shah captive. Qutb Shah s as part of the deal handed over some of the famous diamonds - the Nur-Ul-Ain Diamond, Great Stone Diamond, Kara Diamond, Darya-e-Nur, the Hope Diamond, the Wittelsbach Diamond and the Regent Diamond (?) The Golconda Sultanate was officially annexed as a subah, or province of the Mughal Empire, called Hyderabad Subah.Qutb Shah was imprisoned in Daulatabad Fort, now in Maharashtra state.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienman/22501223623
https://hyderabad.telangana.gov.in/tourist-place/golconda-fort
https://www.navinsigamany.com/2022/08/31/fateh-darwaza-a-picture-story/
https://hyderabadstory.blogspot.com/2017/03/guns-of-golconda-sentinels-of-time-guns.html
