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Bangalore Fort History

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These walls of the Bangalore Fort stand today in silence, but in the year 1791, they shook with cannon fire, screams, prayers, and betrayal. Every block of granite you see here once absorbed the shock of iron shot fired by the armies of the British East India Company, as they advanced step by step to break the spine of the Kingdom of Mysore during the Third Anglo-Mysore War. The Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790 / 1792) was not a misunderstanding or a border dispute. It was a deliberate, multinational assault on a sovereign Indian power that dared to resist British expansion. Hz Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore and son of Haider Ali, had committed what the Company considered an unforgivable mistake: he refused to submit. He built alliances with the French, modernised his army, introduced iron-cased rockets, reformed administration, and ruled as an independent monarch in a land the British believed was destined to be theirs. For this defiance, Mysore was surrounded. By 1...
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Mahmud Gawan Madrasa – The Forgotten University of Bidar

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Hidden in the heart of Bidar, Karnataka, stands a magnificent monument that once echoed with the voices of scholars, poets, and philosophers. The Mahmud Gawan Madrasa, built over five centuries ago, was one of the greatest centers of learning in medieval South India. Even though parts of it now lie in ruins, its walls still tell stories of wisdom, art, and devotion. The madrasa was founded by Khwaja Mahmud Gawan, a Persian-born scholar and prime minister of the Bahmani Sultanate. He arrived in India from Gilan, a region in present-day Iran, and quickly became known for his intelligence, honesty, and vision. Inspired by the great universities of Persia and Central Asia, Mahmud Gawan dreamed of building a similar institution in the Deccan, where knowledge could flourish freely. In 1472, his dream took shape as the grand Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar. This madrasa was not an ordinary school; it was a complete university. It had lecture halls, teachers’ quarters, student hostel...
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Channarayanadurga Fort Exploration

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My journey to Channarayanadurga Fort was one of the most thrilling and unforgettable experiences of my explorations. What made this exploration unique was that I was completely alone in the entire mountain. From the moment I started my climb until I reached the very top of the fort, there was no one else around. The silence of the mountain, the abandoned pathways, and the lonely ruins gave the whole journey a mysterious feeling, as if history itself was waiting to be uncovered. The climb up the rocky terrain of Channarayanadurga Fort was difficult yet full of excitement. The mountain is steep, and the path is rough, with stones, thorny bushes, and sudden turns that kept testing my determination. As I moved higher and higher, the quietness of the mountain grew stronger. The wind echoed through the rocks, and every step made me realize that I was walking alone on a mountain that had once witnessed the footsteps of warriors and kings. Reaching the fort,...
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Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan Dargah In Bangalore

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Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan RA Dargah – History, Culture, and Spiritual Significance in Bengaluru The Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan RA Dargah in Bengaluru is one of the city’s most important Sufi shrines and a symbol of religious harmony that has stood the test of time. Situated in the historic locality of Cottonpete, this shrine has been a place of devotion for more than two centuries. Its rich history, cultural traditions, and unique role in uniting people of different faiths make it one of the most treasured heritage sites in Karnataka. History of Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan RA Dargah The origins of the dargah go back to the 18th century during the reign of Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore. Hazrat Tawakkal Mastan, along with Hazrat Tipu Mastan and Hazrat Manik Mastan, worked on the construction of the Kalasipalya Fort. These saints were not ordinary labourers but men of deep spirituality and Sufi discipline. After the fort was completed, Hyder Ali offered to pay th...
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The Forgotten Ruler of Arcot – Saadatullah Khan and His Tomb

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Nawab Saadatullah Khan I, originally named Muhammad Sayyid, was born in Bijapur into a Nawayat Konkani Muslim family. His father’s name was Muhammad Ali. In his early years, Saadatullah Khan entered administrative service under the declining Bijapur Sultanate, and later under the Mughal Empire. Recognised for his loyalty and capability, he rose in the ranks of the Mughal administration, eventually becoming a trusted officer in the Deccan region. In 1700, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb appointed him as the Subahdar (governor) of the Carnatic region. This area stretched over much of present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of southern Andhra Pradesh. Though he was technically under the control of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Saadatullah Khan began asserting more direct authority over the Carnatic. By 1710, he moved the seat of power from Gingee to Arcot, which he fortified and developed into a political and military stronghold. This marked the beginning of Arcot as the capital of the Carnat...
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Jagadevi The Hidden Fortress of Krishnagiri: Hazrat Tipu Sultan’s Last Outpost

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The morning had barely broken when we began our journey toward the long-forgotten ruins of Jagadevi Fort, tucked away in the silent, sun-baked hills near Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu. This was not the kind of place that showed up on maps or travel brochures. There were no signboards, no tourists, no paths cleared for footsteps. Only the curious words of a local elder had guided us here—his voice trembling with age as he told stories of how once, during the fiery storms of the Third Anglo-Mysore War, the fort of Jagadevi had witnessed the echo of distant drums and perhaps even the footprints of Hazrat Tipu Sultan’s men. That whisper of history was enough to pull us in. As we left our vehicle behind and began our trek on foot, the path immediately turned into a test of both strength and spirit. The route was unforgiving, swallowed in thick shrubbery and tangled vines, crawling with the raw essence of the wild. Dry branches clawed at our clothes, the earth beneath was cracked and s...
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The Forgotten Map: Bangalore Through the Eyes of the East India Company During the Third Anglo-Mysore War

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The Forgotten Map: Bangalore Through the Eyes of the East India Company During the Third Anglo-Mysore War Hidden within the vaults of colonial history lies a fascinating map — a meticulously hand-drawn cartographic record of Bangalore created by the East India Company during the Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–1792). More than just a military document, this map tells a layered story of conquest, resistance, and a city caught between two empires — that of Hazrat Tipu Sultan and the growing power of the British East India Company. A City at the Crossroads of Empire By the late 18th century, Bangalore (Bengaluru) was no longer just a quiet town on the Deccan plateau. It had become a strategic military hub, nestled between the larger dominions of the Nizam, the Marathas, and the British-controlled Madras Presidency. Under the rule of Hyder Ali and later his son, Hazrat Tipu Sultan, Bangalore had been transformed into a fortified stronghold — complete with massive stone walls, deep...
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