The stones that whispers Maratha history

Introduction

The Fort is a defensive area of the king where he lives and governs his territory. The concept of fort is very old in our religious scriptures, and we also get references to different types of forts. We see different types of forts, Jaldurg (seafort), Gad(hillfort), Ground fort, and forts constructed in the centre of cities, which come under the later period urban fortification.

Forts of Maharashtra are the glory and pride of the Maratha Kingdom. Maharashtra has a unique form of art and culture. The state is famous for its art, architecture, culture, and forts. Currently, 400 forts are present in Maharashtra state or probably more than that, but no other state has so many forts available. This fort has its own history. The forts are being constructed by different dynasties that have ruled over the Deccan plateau for the last 2000 years. The names of the dynasties are Satvahanas, Vakatakas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Shilara, and Maratha. Some of the forts were also constructed by the Portuguese at sea. We get to see a totally diversified work on the forts. Today, the fort that I have selected is Shaniwar Wada. Why Shaniwar Wada? The Shaniwar Wada fort was selected because of its architecture, the beauty of wooden carvings, and legends and folklores which make it more valuable. As we know, Shaniwar Wada is one of the most visited places by tourists. 

History

At the start of the 17th century, the decline of the Mughal empire began as the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb died at the age of 91 in 1707.  The Maratha sardar picked this opportunity and captured the northern parts of Gujarat and Malwa in India. Shahu Maharaj was released from captivity. After that, Shahu Maharaj had to fight with Tarabai for the claim. Chhatrapati Tarabai was not ready to accept the Shahu Maharaj as the new Chhatrapati. A civil war was started between them. In this battle, Balaji Viswanath supported Shahu Maharaj, as earlier, when Shahu Maharaj was in Mughal captivity, Balaji Viswanath was in contact with him. From here, the journey of the Peshwa’s rise began. Shahu Maharaj won the battle with Tarabai and declared Satara as the new capital. After this, Shahu Maharaj appointed Balaji Vishwanath as the Senakarte (commander) of his army. Seeing the skills of Balaji Vishwanath, he was given the post of Peshwa.

He remained Peshwa till 1720; after that, his son Baji Rao I became the Peshwa. Later, Pune became the capital of the Maratha empire under Peshwa rule. The construction of Shaniwar Wada started in 1732. The Wada was built near the Mutha River. The wada was not constructed only for residential purposes; it was used to serve as multiple purposes such as defence, administration, residence, ritual, and public interaction. The Shaniwar was not built like a hill fort (Gad). It was constructed in the city, so according to that, urban fortification was done on it.

Architecture of Shaniwar Wada

Shaniwar Wada shows us the military architecture. To build this marvellous military architecture, the construction was divided into stages. The outer layer, or we can say the external wall, was built with large stones. The internal wall or the internal layer is made up of bricks, lime, and mortar. The wood which was used for construction was teak. A boundary was prepared of a stone wall 20 feet high. This provides strength to the fort and acts as a defence mechanism at the time of war. Shaniwar Wada has five entrance gates. Each gate has its own name.

1. Delhi Darwaza
2. Mastani Darwaza
3. Ganesh Darwaza
4. Jambhul Darwaza
5. Khadak Darwaza

The Shaniwar Wada fort was constructed in an area of six acres. The complex was divided into multiple sections, such as courtyards, halls, fountains, gardens and residential quarters. The main building of Shaniwar Wada is seven-storeyed. When this was constructed, it was the tallest building in the whole Pune region. The top floors of the main building are not constructed for residential use; they are made from wood and act as a decoration. As we have discussed earlier, there are several courtyards in Wada. The names of different courtyards are

1. Hazari Karanje
2. Diwan Khana
3. Rang Mahal

The courtyards are the beauty of Shaniwar Wada. It is the main point of attraction.

The tragedy

The tragedy that occurred in Shaniwar Wada, which has become a legend, or we can say a folklore. The incident, which is still considered one of the most horrifying, was the death of the youngest peshwa Narayanrao. Narayanrao, when he was just 18 years old in 1773, was assassinated by his enemies. The assassination of Narayan Rao took place in the corridor. In the whole corridor, he shouted for his life, kaaka maala vaachva. According to the guards who work in Shaniwar Wada for security at night, sometimes the same sound comes from the corridor of Shaniwar Wada.

Another incident occurred in this Wada, which totally destroyed the Wada into ruin, when a massive fire broke out in the year 1828. This fire lasted for several days and destroyed many wooden artefacts and structures, and decorated part of the wada. The restoration of the fort was done by Indian government. What is the situation of Shaniwar Wada? The Shaniwar Wada is under the government body, the Archaeological Survey of India. The restoration of this fort was essential as it was a heritage site of Maharashtra. The Shaniwar Wada also holds an important place in the history of the Marathas.

Conclusion

The generation of today, which we call Gen Z, has very little attraction towards history, culture, and tradition. The wada reflects the history of the Maratha Empire’s rise, peak, and decline. It’s a beauty of architecture and wooden carvings. It’s a symbol of honour of the Maratha heritage.

References

1. https://share.google/leHLiAQOc7S3jSjam
2. https://share.google/aSTJXuaTTPVqfJgv5
3. https://share.google/g3b9YivYff7rceLMN
4. https://share.google/9LqeWFoKvqAQYqvdL