Once a symbol of military might, Fort Hari KishanGarh now stands unprotected.
The fort, which is the largest archaeological site in Haripur, has been exposed to several encroachments by the authorities themselves, while the archaeology department has turned a blind eye towards its maintenance.
The historical Sikh-era fort, spread over 35,420 square metres, was built by Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, who was the governor of Hazara during 1822-23. The Sikhs had annexed the Kashmir Valley in 1818, from where they made their way to Hazara after facing severe resistance from local people.
The fort was encircled by a strategically-important deep trench to protect Sikh forces inside the fort. The walls of the fort, 3.6 metres thick and 14.6 metres high, and the two wooden gates represent the magnificent stonework of the Sikh rule in Hazara.
The walls and gates are still standing even though no maintenance work has been carried out in the fort for almost 200 years.
According to the Hazara Gazetteer 1883-84, the fort was founded on the advice of Mukadam Musharraf, a Gujjar tribal chief, to maintain Sikh rule in Hazara. The fort was used as a base and was considered a key place for defense in Hazara.
It also served as the District Headquarters for the British rulers between 1849 and 1853, before Major James Abbott relocated the headquarters to Abbottabad.
After the relocation of the headquarters, Abbottabad, previously known as “Maidan-i-Rash”, was named after the major for his services. The fort was taken over by the police and revenue departments.
The west side of the fort is now occupied by City Police Station, police lines and an investigation department, while the revenue department has taken over another part of the historical fort. The revenue and police departments have also built their own infrastructure on the premises of the fort, quite literally defacing the monument and its grounds.
The Tehsil Municipal Administration has also encroached upon the fort’s land and constructed an overhead water tank.
Part of the historical site has turned into a dumping ground for solid waste, while influential people have diverted the drains into the fort’s trench.
In order to preserve the cultural heritage of Fort Hari KishanGarh, former minister of state for finance Omar Ayub Khan had approved Rs20 million for the construction of a family park. However, Member National Assembly Sardar Mushtaq Khan, who happens to be one of the descendants of Mukadam Musharraf, reportedly hindered the project.
Mushtaq also promised to carry out maintenance work on the ancient fort. However, his preservation project is yet to materialise.
On the request of Hazara University administration, late Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, who was the Tehsil Nazim then, donated 2,300 square metres of land near the fort for the construction of a museum.
The university administration allocated Rs500,000 for the project and started constructing the boundary wall; the museum was to be completed in two years.
However the administration was sued with the objection that the land was already allotted for the construction of a primary school for girls, and the project was suspended for an indefinite period.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2011.
COMMENTS (12)
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I find the comments here interesting. I wonder if they are an actual reflection of ordinary Pakistanis? Muslims from Pakistan/ India that I have met are usually quite happy to meet Sikhs and will specially come up to greet me.
@ Kazi i wanna ad somthing in it tanolis origenelly migrated from ghazni and badashkah khorasan that time around two to three centuries ago am i right.
@ for Kazi sahab For this information thank u brother and i will add something little more i am from lower Tanawal as well and my forefathers fought together with painda khan forces against sikh cult and really proud of that we dont wanna comes to hari pur be cause we dont like this town but there was no choice when ayub khan regime build it terbella dam i dont go too much to that city i allways hate em i live in karachi and now in america.
For Mr. Tinoli only: Tinolies did not fight against sikhs alone There were others also who fought against sikhs They were Jadoons Mashwanies, Turks and many other tribes,whose sardars were blown with guns(Top Dum) by sikhs.Tinolies landed in Hazara and inhabited villge Sherwan under Maulvi Ibrahim Lodhi and by and large became the largest land lords of that part of Hazara which is presently known as Maidan e Tinol,and is divided into lower Tinol and upper Tinol.I am very closely related to tinolies.They are brave,honest and good looking people.Shingri was a famous Tinoli state in olden days whose crown prince was beheaded by Hari singh nalva himself.
@Khurram
Thanks for your kind understanding. My comment in response to @Tanoli was a tongue in cheek comment, was trying to be sarcastic.I do not believe in re-writing or erasing history, for the same reason as you have put it so succinctly, "Brave Hearts never escape or hide from the the truth of history only the cowards do."
Brilliant sir!!!
@Tanoli; Sir do not you think these antiquities remind you of the brave resistance put up by your ancestors? My ancestors fought against the Sikhs too but that does not mean that we should demolish Fort Jamrud, Burj Hari Singh or Bala Hissar, these are now part of our legacy and symbolize the enormity of struggle of my forefathers for freedom. Brave Hearts never escape or hide from the the truth of history only the cowards do. @Cynical Sir you do have a very valid point.
@Tanoli
Then I suggest that all the Moslem monuments in Indian sub-continent should be razed too. Because those monuments also remind the majority of the dark days of Muslim occupation.I am sure you have no problem with that.
Many of the readers may not know this, but if today KP, South and North Waziristan and Kashmir are part of Pakistan, the due credit must be fully given for this to the Khalsa (The Sikh Army) who wrested these areas from Afghans for good and we owe this much to them and to us for preserving and maintaining the vestiges of that era.
These Mushraffs in the past also ( humay berbad kya).
@ Kazi sahab I am from hari pur too but i will say just razed it completelly because its remind us that dark days of sikh occupation and we Tanolis give big time resistent that but those Gujjars and others were real traiters thats why we lost some part of hazara but stll sikhs dod not got whole areas of TANAWAL.
who wants to protect ancient sites when bridges fall in karachi after few days
I fully agree with Mr.M.Sadaquatfor the part of his statement about condition of the fort. Being a native of Sarai Niamat Khan,a village near Haripur, once had a chance to visit the place to submit a complaint of theft in my house at the village. It is exactly as stated by Mr.Sadaquat.We may like or dislike, the sikh era i Hazara is a part of history which nobody can erase.We must consider this fort as our historical heritage and try to preserve it..