FATEHABAD.FAITHWEB.COM Website
of Fatehabad district of Haryana, India
_
A
town steeped deep in history Courtesy:- (The
Tribune , writer: Sushil Manav)
THE historical monuments
of a town are a reflection of the centuries-old art, culture and
civilisation. Situated at National Highway number 10, between
Hisar and Sirsa, the town of Fatehabad is of a great historical
importance. The historians trace its origin to more than 2,000
years back. The town, according to them, came in existence
during the time of Ashoka the Great. The area, they say, was
inhabited by the "Bheels" during the ancient times and
the town was known as Udia Nagri at that time. But the claim is
contested by some other historians, who say that the town was
known as lkdar during that period.
Historians
say that the town was surrounded by thick jungles in the ancient
times. It was a good hunting place for the emperors of the
northern India. According to the district gazetteer, after the
death of Muhammad-Bin-Tughlaq and the coronation of Firoz Shah
Tughlaq, the royal entourage of the emperor crossed through this
place during its journey from Multan to Delhi. Attracted by the
picturesque beauty of this place, the emperor made a halt here
for hunting. The emperor was blessed with a son here. His forces
also achieved victory over the army of Vazir-Khwaja-e-Jahan on
the same day. To celebrate the victory and the birth of his son,
Firoz Shah Tughlaq named the town Fatehabad and named his son
Fateh Khan. The emperor constructed a big fort for the purpose
of security of the town. The remnants of the fort can still be
seen here.
On a close look at the structure
of the fort, it seems that the emperor got it constructed after
a lot of consultations with architects and building experts.
Constructed on a mound, the fort was protected from floods, wild
animals and foreign invaders. The thick walls of the fort and a
big lake surrounding it from north-west direction safeguarded it
from the invaders. The emperor had also got some tunnels
constructed in this fort which opened in the thick forests. The
royal family, it is believed, used these tunnels at times of
emergencies. The secret paths of these tunnels took them to some
unknown places providing them refuge. The tunnels are now lying
buried somewhere. A part of the fort, that earlier housed
certain offices, has now been converted into police lines.
On
the uppermost part of the fort, there is an Idgah. In the
precinct of this Idgah, there is a thick lofty pillar in the
centre. Constructed with the mixture of Balua soil, red marble,
white marble and iron, the pillar is 15.6 feet in height, and
six feet in circumference. Verses from the Koran and some brief
information about the Tughlaq dynasty have been carved out on 36
slabs of the pillar. Some historians claim this pillar to be the
"Kirti Stambha" of Ashoka the Great. The Hisar
gazetteer also mentions that the pillar seemed to have been
constructed by some Hindu king as words from Sanskrit language
have also been found on the slabs. Besides this, the artistic
work on the two mosques in this fort also resemble the work on
the ancient Hindu temples. These historians believe that the
pillar was constructed during the Ashoka period and was given
touches of Muslim art by Firoz Shah Tughlaq during 14th century.
In the same Idgah, on the west side of the pillar, there is an
inscription. On this has been engraved in Arabian language that
the Mughal emperor Humanyun came here and constructed a mosque
at this place.
According to the historians, when
Humanyun was running towards Amarkot after his defeat from the
forces of Sher Shah Suri, he offered his Friday prayers at
Fatehabad and announced that he would construct a mosque there.
He kept his promise and after regaining his control over Delhi,
he got a mosque constructed at Fatehabad. Despite a concrete
proof of the fact that a mosque was constructed by Humanyu at
Fatehabad, the Archaeological Department has not been able to
say with certainty, which one of the mosques have been
constructed by Humanyun. By the side of The Idgah, there is a
grave of Guru Shahmir Pir, who was the religious guru of Firoz
Shah Tughlaq.
Notorious aggressor, Tai-murlung
invaded Fatehabad on November 17, 1397, according to a book Jafarnama
written by famous writer Sharafdin Ali Yezdi. According to
the book, the residents of this town fled away without facing
the forces of Taimurlung. Taimur followed them and killed many
of them after capturing them. Taimur’s forces shed so much
blood at Fatehabad that those who managed to escape his wrath
deserted the town and fled somewhere else out of fear. The town
wore a deserted look for years after that.
Historians
say that the town was surrounded by thick jungles in the ancient
times. It was a good hunting place for the emperors of the
northern India. According to the district gazetteer, after the
death of Muhammad-Bin-Tughlaq and the coronation of Firoz Shah
Tughlaq, the royal entourage of the emperor crossed through this
place during its journey from Multan to Delhi. Attracted by the
picturesque beauty of this place, the emperor made a halt here
for hunting. The emperor was blessed with a son here. His forces
also achieved victory over the army of Vazir-Khwaja-e-Jahan on
the same day. To celebrate the victory and the birth of his son,
Firoz Shah Tughlaq named the town Fatehabad and named his son
Fateh Khan. The emperor constructed a big fort for the purpose
of security of the town. The remnants of the fort can still be
seen here.
On
the uppermost part of the fort, there is an Idgah. In the
precinct of this Idgah, there is a thick lofty pillar in the
centre. Constructed with the mixture of Balua soil, red marble,
white marble and iron, the pillar is 15.6 feet in height, and
six feet in circumference. Verses from the Koran and some brief
information about the Tughlaq dynasty have been carved out on 36
slabs of the pillar. Some historians claim this pillar to be the
"Kirti Stambha" of Ashoka the Great. The Hisar
gazetteer also mentions that the pillar seemed to have been
constructed by some Hindu king as words from Sanskrit language
have also been found on the slabs. Besides this, the artistic
work on the two mosques in this fort also resemble the work on
the ancient Hindu temples. These historians believe that the
pillar was constructed during the Ashoka period and was given
touches of Muslim art by Firoz Shah Tughlaq during 14th century.
In the same Idgah, on the west side of the pillar, there is an
inscription. On this has been engraved in Arabian language that
the Mughal emperor Humanyun came here and constructed a mosque
at this place.
Notorious aggressor, Tai-murlung
invaded Fatehabad on November 17, 1397, according to a book Jafarnama
written by famous writer Sharafdin Ali Yezdi. According to
the book, the residents of this town fled away without facing
the forces of Taimurlung. Taimur followed them and killed many
of them after capturing them. Taimur’s forces shed so much
blood at Fatehabad that those who managed to escape his wrath
deserted the town and fled somewhere else out of fear. The town
wore a deserted look for years after that.