Rohtas fort was an invincible fort owing to it being located in an inaccessible region and also because of its defenses. Interestingly, this unassailable fort did not fall to any regular attack but often fell victim to deceit. The various monuments within the boundaries of this fort reflect the architectural prowess of the different rulers who ruled it from time to time.
MILITARY ARCHITECTURE
The Rohtas fort is a good example of military architecture. The fort is strategically located on a hill, having steep sides and can only be reached after an arduous climb. A formidable ring of battlements, which are punctuated by fortified gateways, protects the fort.
There are a number of buildings within the precincts of this formidable fortress. Some buildings within the fort are Islamic structures (mosques, tombs etc.), which display a strong Indo-Islamic style of architecture while other buildings like palaces, courts etc. display liberal local influences. The Indo-Islamic style of architecture developed in India as a result of the coming of the Muslim rulers into India in the medieval period.
This style is neither a local variant of Islamic art, nor a modification of Hindu art, but it is an assimilation of both the styles, though not always in an equal degree. It is so because each region has its own form of Indo-Islamic architecture, which varies from place to place and there is no standardization.
An atmosphere of impregnability surrounds the ruins at Rohtas, which had earlier made it a formidable obstacle for any enemy to overcome. This insurmountable stronghold was constructed on a plateau atop a hill having steep sides. The fort is situated at a height of 1500 feet above sea level. It can be reached by climbing the 2000 limestone steps cut out on the hillside. One reaches the boundary wall of the fort after undertaking the steep ascent, where one is greeted by a dilapidated gateway with a cupola on top of it. This is one of the many pols or gates, which provide well-guarded entrances to the fort. The main complex within the precincts of the fort is at some distance from these gates.
The exact origin of the Rohtas fort is lost in history but the earliest monuments here dated back to seventh century AD. It is widely believed that a number of Hindu dynasties, which ruled the region of Shahbad (present day Bhojpur and Rohtas) during that time, carried out a lot of construction activities in the Rohtas fort and the nearby areas.
The fate of this fort changed in AD 1539 when it fell out of the hands of the Hindu kings and was taken over by Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah was a Afghan chieftain, who ruled parts of the present day Bihar in the 16th century. While fighting with Humayun, the second ruler of the Mughal dynasty, Sher Shah had lost his fort at Chunar and was desperate to gain a foothold. To this end, he tricked the ruler of Rohtas into letting his soldiers inside the fort, who captured the fort forcing the Hindu king to flee. During Sher Shah's rule, this fort was guarded by as many as 10,000 soldiers. His trustworthy lieutenant Haibat Khan built the Jami Masjid here in AD 1543, located to the west of the fort. It is made of white sandstone and has three domes. Another monument of this time is a mausoleum of Habsh Khan, an important official of Sher Shah.
Man Singh's chief queen lived in the Aina Mahal (palace of mirrors), which is located in the middle of the palace. The Takht-e-Badshahi (seat of the emperor) is the grandest structure within the palace, where Man Singh himself lived. It is a four-storied building with a cupola (chhatri) on top. The second floor has an assembly hall and a gallery, resting on strong carved pillars. From the top of this building one can get a bird's eye view of the surroundings. Like all Mughal palaces, the palace of Raja Man Singh also has a Diwan-I-Khas (hall of private audience) and a Diwan-I-Aam (hall of public audience).
Outside the palace grounds, one can see the Jami Masjid, Habsh Khan's mausoleum and the tomb of Shufi Sultan. The cupolas atop the buildings in the palace of Man Singh are similar to the Rajputana style chhatris. The grounds of the fort also had a few temples, most of which are completely destroyed now. About half a kilometer to the west of Man Singh's palace is a Ganesh temple, which resembles the temples of Rajasthan, especially the ones built in the eighth century AD. After the death of Man Singh, a Mughal wazir or prime minister governed the fort. In AD 1621, Shahjahan (grandson of Mughal emperor Akbar and son of emperor Jahangir) took refuge in this fort, as he had to flee after a failed revolt against his father. Shahjahan was followed by his son Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler, who used this fort to incarcerate prisoners.
In 1763, Mir Kasim, the nawab of Bihar and Bengal took refuge in this fort after being defeated by the army of the British East India Company. However, the British forces evicted Mir Kasim from the fort soon after and destroyed much of its fortifications. The fort remained deserted for over a hundred years till the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, when Indian revolutionaries under Umer Singh the brother of the brave revolutionary Kunwar Singh, took refuge in this fort. After a long drawn struggle with the Britishers, the Indians were finally driven out from the fort. Thus, ended the final chapter in the turbulent history of this invincible fort, which did not fall to any force but to deceit and treachery.
HOW TO REACH
Rohtas does not have an airport and the nearest airport is in Banaras, which has good air links with most of the important centers in India. The nearest railhead from Rohtas is at Dehri, which is 45 from Rohtas. Rohtas can be reached by road from different centers in the state of Bihar.
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