- Type
- Fortress
- Built
- c. 1541 · 16th century
- Heritage
- UNESCO World Heritage List
- Coordinates
- 32.9653°, 73.5764°
History
Sher Shah Suri, an Afghan ruler who had defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun and driven him out of India the year before, began the fortress around 1541. It was meant to block Humayun's return from the north-west and to keep in check the local Gakhar tribe, who were allied with the Mughals. Tradition credits Todar Mal, later Akbar's finance minister, with overseeing the work, and the walls, with their bastions and a dozen gates, ran for several kilometres. Sher Shah died in 1545, and when Humayun regained his throne ten years later the fortress lost its strategic purpose. In 1997 Rohtas was added to the UNESCO list as an outstanding example of early Islamic military architecture in South Asia.
What to see
The most impressive sights are the grand Sohail Gate with its richly decorated facade and the Kabuli Gate facing the river. You can walk along the walls between massive bastions and go down into the stepwells that supplied the garrison with water. Inside stand the small Shahi Mosque with its carved stonework and the remains of Haveli Man Singh, a residence added in Mughal times.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q155188
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