Why in the News?

• A fire at Daulatabad Fort in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has prompted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to initiate damage assessment and plan disaster management.

Key Points:

Damage Assessment:

⇒ The fire damaged the Baradarai, a historic pavilion at the summit of the fort.

⇒ ASI has started assessing the fire damage and will draft a disaster management plan based on its findings to prevent future incidents.

⇒ The fire disrupted local wildlife, as wild animals lost significant portions of their shrubland habitat.

About the Daulatabad Fort:

⇒ Originally called Devgiri (Hill of Gods), it was renamed Daulatabad by Muhammad bin Tughlaq when he shifted his capital there in the 14th century.

⇒ It served as the capital of several dynasties including Yadavas, Tughlaqs, Bahmanis, Nizam Shahis, Mughals, and briefly the Marathas before the Nizams of Hyderabad.

⇒ It is a UNESCO-nominated heritage site, known for its historical, architectural, and ecological importance.

Architectural Brilliance:

⇒ Daulatabad Fort is fortified in three layers Ambarkot, Mahakot, and Kalakot with moats, bastions, and iron-spiked gates.

⇒ It features a deadly tunnel called Andheri, used to trap and attack invaders.

Monuments and Structures Within:

• Chand Minar (1435 CE): Indo-Islamic style victory tower modeled after Qutub Minar.
• Bharat Mata Mandir, located within the fort, was previously the Jama Masjid during Qutub-ud-din Mubarak's reign (1318 CE).
• Chini Mahal, a lavish palace turned prison by Aurangzeb.

Artillery and Cannons:

⇒ Fort was equipped with ~288 cannons, a notable one is Aurangzeb’s Mendha also called Qila Shikan (fort-breaker), symbolized military power.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

• ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organisation for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 governs the functioning of ASI.
• It administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance.
• Its activities include carrying out surveys of antiquarian remains, exploration and excavation of archaeological sites, conservation and maintenance of protected monuments etc.
• It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham- the first Director-General of ASI.
• Alexander Cunningham is also known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.