A week has passed by since I moved into my new shared apartment at Baner, Pune's latest luxury housing frontier. The rent was reasonable for a spacious semi-furnished flat and I was elated. "aap kya job karte ho?" asked Rani my roommate, suddenly drawing a chair closer to me (ie. what I do for a living?). "Travel and blogging!" I replied, keeping it crisp. "Acchhaa?!" was her dispassionate response as she sipped her chai quickly and left.
Pune by all means is a well-connected city, and I plan on making this my new basecamp.
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| A cup of tea to cheer me up |
Previous blog- The complete Pune guide to save time and money
Table of Content
Day 1- Ahmadnagar, Shani SHINGAPUR and reach Aurangabad
Day 2- Aurangabad
Day 3- Daulatabad, Khuldabad
The Deccan region under various rulers~ The CHALUKYA DYNASTY [6th-12th CE CE] that reigned across southern and central India, SEUNA YADAVA Dynasty (r. 1187 CE), the DELHI SULTANATE, THE BAHMANIS, the AHMADNAGAR SULTANATE and lastly the Mughals has been an interesting and emotional journey so far. Not wishing to lose track of this history, I packed up for a week on the road to cover the last part of this episode.
Tip- In case you are unable to undertake a long road trip, then the convenient way is by train and break the trip~
1) Pune to Shirdi and Shani SHINGNAPUR- multiple travel options from Pune Duration of trip- 1 day
2A) Pune to Aurangabad - night train 17629 Pune-Hazur Sahib Nanded express 21:35 hrs will reach AWB Aurangabad Jn 05:05 Duration of trip- 4 days approx
:: DAY 1 ::
PUNE -> AHMEDNAGAR -> SHANI SHINGNAPUR -> AURANGABAD - 244 km/ 6 hrs
AHMADNAGAR: is 120 km northeast of Pune. The road passes through Shirur (35 km/ 1 hr) and if you haven't yet, then stop by for a quick darshan of Ashtavinayak Shri Mahaganapati, Ranjangaon. The temple is by the main highway and not so crowded.
HISTORY OF AHMEDNAGAR SULTANATE
As the BAHMANI SULTANATE came to an end (1518 CE), the Deccan region they held splintered into 5 new independent Sultanates. Ahmednagar was one among them.
Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I (r. 1480- 1509 CE)- founder of Ahmadnagar Sultanate
Malik Ahmad, a man of considerable character, was born in a Hindu Brahmin household. But after the death of Mahmud Gawan his father converted to Islam and was thereafter appointed as vizier under Mahmood Shah Bahmani II. Taking over the title after his father, he later became governor of Junnar and succeeded in capturing multiple forts in the Sahyadris. By 1490 he declared his independence from the Bahmani Sultanate and established an independent Ahmednagar Sultanate with the Capital city as Junnar ( 1490 to 1494 CE)
AHMEDNAGAR FORT
was built by Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah I in 1497 CE. Malik Ahmed was succeeded by his son Burhan Nizam Shah I (r. 1509- 1553 CE) and grandson Hussain Nizam Shah I (r. 1553 to 1565 CE) thereafter. The fort was fortified by Hussain in 1559 CE. It changed hands from the Mughals back to the Nizams, then Marathas/ Scindias/ British and is currently under the jurisdiction of the INDIAN ARMY [Armoured corps]. Hence it's unlikely that one can visit the fort.
đź’ˇIt was Hussain Nizam Shah I who led the Deccan Sultanate coalition during the Battle of Talikota. This was the battle that brought the great Vijayanagara empire to its knees. Rama Raya was taken prisoner and beheaded at the hands of Hussain Nizam Shah I.
Ahmednagar became the new capital of the Sultanate from 1484 to 1600 CE and Daulatabad was made as the second capital in 1499 which lasted until 1636 CE.
Tomb of Salabat Khan II
Hussain Nizam Shah I was followed by his son Murtaza Nizam Shah I (r. 1565 to 1588 CE). Under the capable hands of his minister- Salabat Khan II (1579 CE), Murtaza also brought the Berar Sultanate under his control. Salabat was known to be a great statesman. His tomb is situated 13km from the main Ahmednagar town.
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| Take a break and move on.. |
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| Sugarcane laden tractors are a common sight along the road leading to Shani SHINGAPUR, Maharashtra |
Maharashtra is India's topmost sugarcane producing state. As we drove down the road leading towards Shani SHINGAPUR, the sight of endless sugarcane laden tractors, probably heading to a sugarcane processing plant was new and interesting.
SHANI SHINGAPUR~ the village with no doors
Shani SHINGAPUR is better known as the 'village with no doors'. The residents here believe that putting their trust in Shani bhagwan is more than enough. Shani ie
planet Saturn is deified and worshipped here in the form of a black stone. As of 8/Apr 2016 even women are allowed to visit the murthi.
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| Shani SHINGAPUR, Maharashtra |
After a long drive and a few chai breaks now and then, we reached Aurangabad by late evening. Being a tourist-friendly place there are several hotels in all price ranges.
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| A budget hotel |
:: DAY 2 ::
AURANGABAD (previously Khadki)
Murtaza Nizam Shah I died in 1588 CE and was succeeded by his son Hussain Nizam Shah II (r. 1588 to 1589 CE), but sadly he couldn't last longer as he was murdered and his cousin Ismail Nizam Shah (r. 1588 to 1591 CE) was raised to the throne. Ismail, however was Nizam only in name while the real power rested in the hands of a Deccani Habshi (african origin) noble.
The Ahmednagar Sultanate has been fortunate to have 2 legendary leaders during the period of its reign~ CHAND BIBI & MALIK AMBER.
The legend of CHAND BIBI (r. 1550 to 1599)
Burhan Nizam Shah II (r. 1591 to 1595 CE) was Hussain Nizam Shah I's second son from his wife Khunza Humayun Begum. Unfortunately he was given to vices creating disalienation in the Sultanate.
Burhan Nizam Shah II's incapabilities consequently led to his death in 1595 and Ibrahim Nizam Shah (1595 to 1596 CE) being installed as the next Nizam, however Burhan's sister CHAND BIBI acted as regent of Ahmednagar Sultanate. Later she also played regent to Bahadur Nizam Shah (1596 to 1600), Murtaza Nizam Shah (1600 to 1610 CE) and Bahadur's cousin Hussain Nizam Shah III (1631 to 1633) under the Mughals.
đź’ˇ CHAND BIBI and the Bijapur connection: CHAND BIBI was the wife of Ali Adil Shah I of Bijapur and also acted as regent of Bijapur Sultanate on behalf of the (minor) Ibrahim Adil Shah II.
Chand Bibi is the legendary warrior who is well-known for defending Ahmednagar from Mughal emperor Akbar in 1595 CE. Despite all this, the cut-throat nature of Deccan politics brought CHAND BIBI to her death at the hands of her own troops in 1599 CE, the reason being false rumours spread around that she had signed a treaty with the Mughals. Chand Bibi's death resulted in disaster for the Ahmednagar Sultanate- on 18/ Aug 1600 the Mughals blew the city's outer walls, stormed into the Ahmednagar fort and ransacked it's wealth.
Tip- Aurangabad is presently renamed as Sambhajinagar
Malik Amber: the architect of Aurangabad
By 1600's The Mughals had already occupied Ahmednagar, but there were a few officials loyal to the Nizam Shahis who defied the Mughals. One of them was Malik Amber, a Habshi/ Siddhi. Quite understandably being of Ethiopian/ African origin, he worked his way up from being a slave to becoming the Peshwa (Prime Minister) of Ahmednagar Sultanate. He was an experienced military leader, a pioneer in guerrilla warfare in the Deccan, and had raised a 50,000 strong mercenary force.
Malik Amber, feeling confident about resisting the Mughals, now moved the capital city to Paranda (1600 to 1610 CE), and elevated the boy prince Murtaza Nizam Shah III as the new Nizam of Ahmednagar Sultanate and acted as regent on his behalf (r. 1607 to 1626 CE). He then raised a large army comprising of Habshis and local Deccanis- an army to reckon with and that eventually fought and defeated Mughal emperor Jehangir. Thereafter forming an alliance with prominent Maratha chieftains he managed to wrestle Ahmednagar and its fort from the Mughals. In 1610 CE, Malik Amber set up a new city near Daulatabad called Khadki, renamed it Aurangabad and made it his new capital city.
Panchakki or water mill
Is a late-medieval technology (1695 CE) to generate energy from running water. It is located inside a dargah complex a few kms from Aurangabad town.
AURANGABAD CAVES
Located roughly 8 kms from the main town centre are 12 rock cut Buddhist caves. You will need to hire an auto/ car/ personal vehicle as it is off the regular tourist circuit. Most package tours to Ajanta-Ellora prefer to skip Aurangabad caves due to lack of time, and that is why I totally recommend this place. The evening golden hours throws a beautiful glow in the forest area surrounding the caves.
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| Aurangabad caves, Aurangabad |
Bibi Ka Maqbara
A replica of the Taj Mahal in Agra, it was built by prince Azam Shah in 1650-57 in memory of his mother & Aurangzeb's wife_ Begum Rabia Daurani.
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| Bibi ka Maqbara is a monument in Aurangabad |
Tip- If you hired an auto/ cab for the day, expect your driver to take you on a spin for Himroo shopping. Himroo is cotton and silk weaves in vibrant colours. I cannot comment much about the authenticity.
:: DAY 3 ::
DAULATABAD (previously Devagiri), KHULDABAD
Bhillama-V of the YADAVA Dynasty was a vassal of the Chalukyan empire. By 1187 CE he established his own sovereign kingdom and made Devagiri (Daulatabad) his new capital city.
DELHI TO DAULATABAD (1327 CE ): The Exodus
DELHI SULTANATE under Khalji dynasty [1290 to 1320 CE)- It was Sultan Allauddin Khiji who initially raided Daulatabad. Later during the Tughlaq era [1320 to 1414 CE], MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ (r. 1325 to 1351 CE) planned on bringing Islam to all of India. So he decided to move his capital city to a central part of India. DAULATABAD (then Devagiri) their vassal kingdom, he felt was best-suited for this purpose.
Nobility, officials and the general public who held generations old emotional ties with Delhi were forced to get ready for the BIG SHIFT that would help the new Sultan achieve his own personal goals. The government had no doubt made fair arrangements and provided the support and facilities as required, but despite that along the way at BIDAR (in present-day Karnataka), a bubonic plague broke out during which many people died.
Daulatabad fort
The hill on which the fort is built existed much earlier and had Hindu/ Jain temples.
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| Jami masjid, Daulatabad at the foothills of the fort. Notice the intricately carved Jain architecture style pillars. |
There is a large but stark-looking mosque at the foothills. What is worth noticing are the beautiful intricately carved pillars with Jain temple motifs. Sadly I was unable to find any details explaining the original monument.
Among the fort's remarkable features are~ Chand minar: Ala-ud-Din Hasan Bahman Shah [Zafar Khan] (r. 1347- 1358) was the founder of Bahmani Sultanate. He commissioned a minar to be built as an exact replica of the Qutb minar in Delhi.
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The towering Chand minar of Daulatabad fort, Maharashtra
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Front view of Daulatabad fort Maharashtra
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Andheri or mysterious dark passage- the only way to the citadel is through a devious tunnel. The labyrinths of the tunnel are designed with multiple traps to deceive the enemy, many of which drop down into the crocodile infested moat below. Despite several attempts no one in recent years has been able to unravel the correct way out. Other traps were hot oil, barriers of smoke or water from above.
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A gun/ cannon at Daulatabad fort Maharashtra
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The gradual upward climb (maybe 20 mins) of well-paved steps was constructed in 1952 for the benefit of tourists. It reveals the fort part by part.
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| The citadel at the summit of Daulatabad fort |
KHULDABAD: a town of tombs
Among Khuldabad's many tombs are those of people worth remembering and others who are better forgotten.
Malik Amber's tomb
Unable to sustain a second 2nd Mughal conflict under emperor Shahjahan which weakened the Sultanate, Malik Amber left his unfulfilled tasks to his son. He died in 1626 at the age of 77, but is still an icon among the Siddhis of Gujarat.
Malik Amber's tomb in Khuldabad is near the shrine of the famous Sufi Zar Zari Bakshi.
Zar Zari Zar Baksh and Ganj Rawan Ganj Baksh Dargah
Is situated near Malik Amber's tomb. Zar Zari Zar Baksh is a Sufi of the Chisti order. Sufis migrated from Delhi to the Deccan region during the TUGHLAQ era. Their sole purpose was purely Islamic conversion activities and ideally best forgotten since nothing good came out of it.
Tomb of Tana Shah
Abdul Hasan Tana Shah (r. 1672 to 1686 CE) was the 8th Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty that ruled Golconda. He was the only known Sultan of the Golconda Sultanate who possessed a secular bent of mind. During his reign Hindus could celebrate their festivals. He even appointed Hindu Brahmins with important positions. Needless to say, his liberal views did not go down well with the Muslim Deccani nobles who felt their privileges were at stake. So they complained and conspired with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Aurangzeb who was an Islamist expansionist to the core spared no time in brutally executing the Hindu officials. Tana Shah himself paid a heavy price - he was imprisoned and died in captivity.
Tana Shah was the last Golconda Sultanate's ruler. His simple tomb is a short distance from Malik Amber's tomb but worth visiting; for his progressive mindset.
Murtaza Nizam Shah III (r. 1633 to 1636 CE)~ the last Nizam of Ahmednagar Sultanate
With the death of Malik Amber, his son Fateh Khan took over as regent. However, he lacked the necessary military and political acumen of his father. Certain Maratha chiefs had deflected to the Mughal side. Of particular concern was Sardar Ranoji Wable, who was now Mughal emperor Shahjahan's regional leader/ sardar and had Murtaza as a puppet sovereign. Sardar Ranoji Wable did his bidding and eliminated Fateh Khan and possibly every member of the Ahmednagar Sultanate family to ensure there would be no living heirs to the throne of Ahmednagar. Thus making Murtaza Nizam Shah III the last of the Nizams of Ahmednagar.
Tomb of Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad / Alamgir I/ Aurangzeb are names of the same individual who reigned as the 6th Mughal emperor from 31 July 1658 until his death on 3 March 1707. Aurangzeb was a staunch Sunni muslim who is known for his intolerance and cruelty towards people of other faiths and differing views. Diehard Islamists of this day who share the same values of 'Islamic religious supremacy' hold him in high regard, while on the other hand he is frowned upon by Hindus and non-Muslims especially in India.
In 1636 Aurangzeb was appointed as viceroy of the Mughal Deccan region. Shah Jahan on the other hand preferred his eldest son Dara Shikoh as heir apparent to the Mughal throne. Aurangzeb resented this. To read more about Why Aurangzeb hated his father Shahjahan, click on the link.
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| entrance to Aurangzeb's tomb |
Tip- In case you plan on using public transport, MSRTC buses ply at regular intervals from Aurangabad to Ellora. KHULDABAD is approx 6 kms enroute. However, start the day early as it's sometimes difficult to get a seat for the journey.
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