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REPORT ON

LODHI FORT. (LUDHIANA, PUNJAB)

SUBMITTED BY: HARSHITA SAGGAR BTTM 1ST YEAR

SUBMITTED TO: MR. ROHIT THAKUR PROFESSOR, UIHTM

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ACKNOWLEGEMENT: WITH IMMENSE PLEASE I MISS HARSHITA SAGGAR PRESENTING REPORT ON LODHI FORT, LUDHIANA AS PER THE PART OF THE CURRICULUM OF MY COURSE ‘BACHELORS IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT’. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK TO ALL THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR UNENDING HELP AND SUPPORT.

I EXPRESS MY PROFOUND THANKS TO MY CLASS TEACHER AND OUR SUPERVISOR MR. ROHIT THAKUR FOR GIVING ME THIS PROJECT AND ENOUGH TIME TO RESERCH ON THIS TOPIC WHICH NOT ONLY IMPROVED MY KNOWLEDGE BUT ALSO ENHANCED MY INNER ABILITIES TO WORK HARDER.

AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE INDIRECTLY GUIDED AND HELPED ME IN THE PREPARTION OF THIS REPORT THAT I HAVE ENJOYED DOING.

HARSHITA SAGGAR

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INDEX:

1. INTRODUCTION 2. SIKANDER LODI

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3. LODHI/LODI FORT 4. PHILLAUR FORT 5. LODI DYNASTY

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6. MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH 7. MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH WAR MUSEUM 8. GEOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS

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A. G.T. ROAD OR GRAND TRUNK ROAD B. SUTLEJ RIVER

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C. MALWA REGION 9. OCHTERLONY IN PUNJAB 10. 5A’S OF TOURISM A. ATTRACTIONS

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B. ACCESSIBILITY OR TRANSPORTATION C. ACCOMODATION

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D. AMNETIES

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E. ACTIVITIES 11. CONCLUSION

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INTRODUCTION: The 500-year the oldest fort of Punjab which has been erased from the history of Punjab i.e. Lodi fort in Ludhiana. First of all let’s know something about LUDHIANA, PUNJAB. Ludhiana is Punjab's largest city and India's largest city north of Delhi, with an area of 310 sq. km and an estimated population of 1,618,879 as of the 2011 census. The city stands on the Sutlej River's old bank, 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) south of its present course. It is an industrial center of northern India; the UK's BBC has called it “India's Manchester”. It is ranked first in paying taxes, second in resolving insolvency, fourth in contract enforcement, and seventh in starting a business. Now, the big question “Where did Ludhiana get its name from?” The answer is from the LODHI FORT which was built to signify the dominance of the lodhi dynasty in the region that was later known as lodhiana and presently known as Ludhiana. It is said that earlier before the 15th century lodhiana or Ludhiana was just a village called “MIRHOTA”, before lodhi’s developed it into a town.

ABOUT SIKANDER LODI:

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LODHI FORT was built by sultan Sikandar Lodi, born Nizam Khan, was the Sultan of Delhi between 1489 and 1517. In 1489, Sikandar Lodi succeeded Bahlul Lodi as the Sultan of Delhi. In 1500, Manasimha provided retreat to some rebels from Delhi, who had been involved in a plot to overthrow Sikandar Lodi. The Sultan, wanting to punish Manasimha, and to expand his territory, launched a punishing expedition against Gwalior. In 1501, he captured Dholpur, a dependency of Gwalior, whose ruler Vinayaka-deva fled to Gwalior. Sikandar Lodi then marched towards Gwalior, but after crossing the Chambal River, an epidemic outbreak in his camp forced him to halt his march. Manasimha used this opportunity to reconcile with Lodi, and sent his son Vikramaditya to the Lodi camp with gifts for the Sultan. He promised to expel the rebels from Delhi, on the condition that Dholpur be restored to Vinayaka-deva. Sikandar Lodi agreed to these terms, and left. Historian Kishori Saran Lal theorizes that Vinayaka Deva hadn't lost Dholpur at all: this narrative was created by the Delhi chroniclers to flatter the Sultan. In 1504, Sikandar Lodi resumed his war against the Tomaras. First, he captured the Mandrayal fort, located to the east of Gwalior. Sometime later, Lodi moved his base to the newly established city of Agra, which was located closer to Gwalior. He captured Dholpur, and then marched against Gwalior. From September 1505 to May 1506, Lodi managed to ransack the rural areas around Gwalior, but was unable to capture the Gwalior fort because of Manasimha's hit-and-run tactics. After capturing the Gwalior fort, Lodi decided to capture the smaller forts surrounding Gwalior. Over the next few years, Lodi remained busy in other conflicts. In 1516, he made a plan to capture Gwalior, but an illness prevented him from doing so and he died in November 1517. ABOUT LODHI FORT: As per the morsels of information collected from various sources, Lodi Fort, also known as purana qila or old fort was constructed by Sultan Sikander Lodhi in the 15th century i.e. 500 years ago. Spread in a wide area of 5.6 acres, the Fort was put up on the banks of River Sutlej, which used to flow near it initially but now has changed its course. It looks as if that the destiny of this fort changed along with the route of Sutlej as the land evacuated by the river was

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incarcerated by people to put up their place of abode. With the increasing pressure of growing population, the encroaching splurge also grew all together. Later, Sultan Lodhi appointed two of his generals, Nihand Khan and Yusuf Khan, to live in the fort. It was very important to have their possession on the fort as it faced the chief entry route to his empire. The route was later developed as the GT Road, or the Grand Trunk Road, and the tactical value of the fort also grew up with it. The fort helped the Lodhis, and later on to other Muslims, to make a strong position. Recognizing its importance, the most powerful Sikh ruler MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH , established a much stronger fortress on the other bank of River Sutlej. In the 19th century, taking advantage of the weak Muslim ruling in Delhi, Maharaja Ranjit Singh managed to take over the fort without much struggle. Nevertheless, with the collapse of his rule, the fort gently went under the control of the British i.e. DAVID OCHTERLONY. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had connected his residential turret across the Sutlej River at PHILLAUR FORT with the Lodhi Fort. However, presently, only the entrance of the tunnel is visible and the route is blocked with waste material and debris. The fort was well maintained during the British reign and even for some decades after Independence. Now, there is no sign or board in the fort that can tell the historical importance of the place. The tourism departments can Ancash Lodhi fort’s historical importance in the monetary terms from tourists by bringing it back to shape as large number of people from various states visit Ludhiana for industry purpose that is why it is called ‘Manchester of India’ too. But instead fort is in a state of neglect from decades and in shambles. Most of its inner part and barracks have crumbled in it. Also the fort, from which the city derived its name, certain years ago some Muslim devotees used to come on Thursday’s to worship, but today no longer do so. The administration, Municipal Corporation and archaeological department authorities have put deaf year to the idea of maintaining and revamping fort for public. The local residents say that concerned authorities should maintain it and charge money to see the fort from tourists. It would not only increase their business but would save the historical grace of Lodhi fort also. It can also be used for shooting purpose if it would be maintained. As its poor state of affairs has made the life of shopkeepers and residents around fort very difficult. The dump just at the

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entrance of the fort always produces stinking smell and stray animals keep lying around and inside the Lodhi Fort. But no one cares for the maintenance of the fort in the city. And some people says, ‘It is sad that despite being at least a 500 year old monument, lodhi fort is not on the list of ASI (Archaeological survey of India) protected monuments of the national importance. ABOUT PHILLAUR FORT: This fort was built under Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s supervision on the other side of the bed of Sutlej river as in a manner that it has tunnels underneath that connects it with the residence of lodhi dynasty i.e. Lodhi fort: Which till the year 1946, was in a well-maintained condition but after the independence, it’s some gates were entirely destroyed due to natural calamities but the interiors of the fort still carry some carvings of the ancient era. Also, the tunnel was used by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in order to leave the fort unnoticed. Phillaur Fort or Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort is located on the Grand Trunk Road in Phillaur, Punjab, India. During the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658) an Imperial sarai was constructed here and in 1809 it was rebuilt as a fort under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand, with the assistance of Ranjit Singh's French and Italian generals. It was constructed as a response to the British, who built a fort in nearby Ludhiana. In 1846 the British took control of the fort following the defeat of the Sikhs at the Battle of Aliwal. The fort remained under the control of the army until 1890 when it was transferred to the civil authorities, who used it as a police training centre. On 6 April 1973 it was renamed as 'Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort' by the Punjab Government. It also home to Pir Baba Abdullah Shah Ji's Shrine and as such local Muslims consider it a holy place. The fort also contains several tombs of Muslim icons and members of Shah Shuja's family. Architecture: The fort's architecture has a distinct European character, with channels dug out along the boundary of the fort, watchtowers on the two gateways, four bastions on four nooks high walls around the fort. ABOUT LODI DYNASTY who ruled: Delhi sultanate: Bahlul khan Lodi

1415-1489

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Sikander Lodi

1489-1517

BUILT LODI FORT, LUDHIANA. Ibrahim Lodi

1517-1526

ABOUT MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH: Maharaja Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the leader of the Sikh Empire, which ruled the northwest Indian subcontinent in the early half of the 19th century. He survived smallpox in infancy but lost sight in his left eye. He fought his first battle alongside his father at age 10. After his father died, he fought several wars to expel the Afghans in his teenage years and was proclaimed as the "Maharaja of Punjab" at age 21. His empire grew in the Punjab region under his leadership through 1839. Prior to his rise, the Punjab region had numerous warring misls (confederacies), twelve of which were under Sikh rulers and one Muslim. Ranjit Singh successfully absorbed and united the Sikh misls and took over other local kingdoms to create the Sikh Empire. He repeatedly defeated invasions by outside armies, particularly those arriving from Afghanistan, and established friendly relations with the British. Ranjit Singh's reign introduced reforms, modernisation, investment into infrastructure and general prosperity. His Khalsa army and government included Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Europeans. His legacy includes a period of Sikh cultural and artistic renaissance, including the rebuilding of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar as well as other major gurudwaras, including Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Bihar and Hazur Sahib Nanded, Maharashtra under his sponsorship. He was popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab, or "Lion of Punjab". Maharaja Ranjit Singh was succeeded by his son Maharaja Kharak Singh. MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH WAR MUSEUM, LUDHIANA: The largest city in the state of Punjab, Ludhiana boasts of housing one of the most popular places to see in the state – Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum. Spreading across four acres in area, this

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museum came into existence in the year 1999. The Punjab Government constructed the museum as a gesture of tribute to the courageous soldiers who struggled and laid their lives during various wars and battles that have been fought so far. Located on the GT Road in Ludhiana, Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum not only pays homage to the soldiers but also educates the citizens of India about the role of defense. A majestic statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh sitting proudly on a throne welcomes you as you enter the museum. It has 12 galleries with exhibits of different divisions like the Ancient History Gallery, Post Independence History Gallery, War Hero’s Gallery, Air Force and Navy Gallery etc. The main hall displays pictures of the various Chakra winners, Chief Marshals, Generals and Admirals of Punjab. Two glorious lawns exhibit trophies of the Navy, Army and Air Force. A major attraction of this museum is the light and sound show which narrates the story of war of independence and the role of the gallant soldiers of Punjab in it. The show also creates a sense of nationalism among the people. You can also have a look at the number of battle tanks, Antiaircraft guns, an old Sukhoi and an INS Vikrant model placed around the museum for the visitors to see. The Government of Punjab has been spending a good amount of money for the maintenance of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum to immortalize the memories of independence. This conscientious effort definitely calls for a visit to this honorable museum. ABOUT NEARBY GEOGRAPHYICAL ASPECTS: 1. G.T. ROAD OR GRAND TRUNK ROAD: The Grand Trunk Road is one of the of South Asia's oldest and longest major roads. The road, often called as the "Gernaili Sadak" (the Generals' Road) and Sadak-e-Azam ('The Grand Road') covers a distance of 2,700 km (1,700 mi) running s through parts of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It is a highway, extending from Kabul through Lahore, Delhi and reaching Kolkata in West Bengal and Chittagong in Bangladesh. This busy asphalted road still forms a vital link for trade and communication for the social strata that live along this region. The Grand Trunk Road, built by Sher Shah Suri, a ruler of the Indian sub continent in the 16th century AD, starts in Kabul, Afghanistan. The road continues to Pakistan near Peshawar

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through the famous Khyber Pass. This famous international mountain pass, at an elevation of 1.070m (3,510ft) above the sea level, is one of the oldest known passes in the world, and connects Afghanistan and Pakistan, cutting through the northeastern part of the Spin Ghar mountains. Beyond this mountain pass, the Grand Trunk Road arrives to the suburbs of Taxila, goes down to Lahore and crosses into India at Wahgha, now known as baga on which there is an indo-Pakistan border. After 2500km, the road ends at Kolkata. Nowadays the road is still by far the busiest, wildest road in areas that are now part of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

2. SUTLEJ RIVER: Sutlej River is longest of the five tributaries of the Indus River that give the Punjab (meaning “Five Rivers”) its name. It rises on the north slope of the Himalayas in Lake La’nga in southwestern Tibet, at an elevation above 15,000 feet (4,600 metres). Flowing northwestward and then west-southwestward through Himalayan gorges, it enters and crosses the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh before beginning its flow through the Punjab plain near Nangal, Punjab state. Continuing southwestward in a broad channel, it receives the Beas River and forms 65 miles (105 km) of the India-Pakistan border before entering Pakistan and flowing another 220 miles (350 km) to join the Chenab River west of Bahawalpur. The combined rivers then form the Panjnad, the link between the Five Rivers and the Indus.

The hydrology of the Sutlej is controlled by spring and summer snowmelt in the Himalayas and by the South Asian monsoon. The onset of the summer monsoon brings heavy rains that often produce extensive flooding downstream. The maximum recorded flood discharge occurred in 1955, when the river flowed at nearly 600,000 cubic feet (17,000 cubic metres) per second. The winter flow is substantially lower, since there is little precipitation or meltwater from the Himalayan glaciers. The 900-mile- (1,400-km-) long Sutlej is used extensively for irrigation. Its water was a source of dispute between India and Pakistan until 1960, when the countries concluded the Indus Waters Treaty, which allocated the water of the Sutlej to India in exchange for exclusive Pakistani rights to the Indus and its western tributaries. Major irrigation works include the Bhakra-Nangal

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Project, the Sirhind Canal, and the Sutlej Valley Project, the latter in both India and Pakistan.

3. MALWA REGION: Malwa is a region of India in the south-east of the state of Punjab and parts of Haryana and Rajasthan, between the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers. Malwa region consists of 11 districts which are: Firozpur, Faridkot, Fazilka, Shri Muktsar sahib, Moga, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Patiala, Fatehgarh sahib, Ropar, and Ajitgarh i.e. Mohali. Malwa region has its districts in Haryana i.e. Sirsa, Kaithal, Fatehabad. It has its districts in Rajasthan also which are Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh. ABOUT BRITISHERS: OCHTERLONY These were the Britishers who took over the LODHI FORT after maharaja ranjit singh. The book named “return of a king: the battle of aghanistan” contains everything about ochterlony’s invasion in Punjab, india. Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, 1st Baronet of Pitforthy, 1st Baronet of Ochterlony GCB (12 February 1758 – 15 July 1825) was a Massachusetts-born general of the East India Company in British India. He held the powerful post of British Resident to the Mughal court at Delhi. In 1777, at age 18, Ochterlony went as a trainee to India. In February 1778 he was commissioned into the Bengal Native Infantry as an ensign and that same September was advanced to lieutenant. In June 1782 whilst serving in the Second Anglo-Mysore War he was wounded and taken prisoner. He remained in captivity for the duration of the war, and was only released when peace resumed in 1784. He thereafter returned to Calcutta and in recognition of his eminent service during the war was conferred with the appointment of Judge Advocate-General for one of the divisions in the army. In 1796 he was promoted to Captain and in 1800 to Major. In early 1803 he was appointed Lieutenant General and accompanied Lord Lake throughout the Second Anglo-Maratha War. He was present at the battles of Koil, Aligarh and Delhi. Following the battle of Delhi he was appointed Resident at Delhi. In 1804, he defended the city with a very

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inadequate force against an attack by Yashwantrao Holkar which earned him the highest approbation from the Commander-in-Chief. He was thereafter given the command at Allahabad and then commanded a force on the banks of the Sutlej to check the expansion of the Sikhs. He was promoted to Major-general in 1814. In 1818 he was appointed Resident in Rajpootana, with which the Residency at Delhi was subsequently combined. In the Pindari War between 1818-19 he commanded the Rajputana column and made a separate agreement with Amir Khan. He detached him from the Pindaris, and then, interposing his own force between the two main divisions of the enemy, brought the war to an end without an engagement. He was afterwards made Resident and Political Agent of Malwa, thus having the entire superintendency of the affairs of central India. 5A’S OF TOURISM: 1. ATTRACTIONS: -ROSE GARDEN AND RAKH BAGH -PUNJAB

NATIONAL

MUSEUM

i.e.

PAU

UNIVERSITY) -MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH WAR MUSEUM -LODHI FORT -PHILLAUR FORT 2. ACCESSIBILITY or TRANSPORTATION: LUDHIANA RAILWAY JUNCTION LUDHIANA (SAHNEWAL) AIRPORT 3. ACCOMODATION: HOTEL PARK PLAZA FORTUNE KLASSIC 4. AMNETIES OR FACILITIES: HOSPITALS NEARBY POLICE STATIONS ELECRICITY 24*7 WATER SUPPLY 24*7 LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

(PANJAB

AGRICULTURAL

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5. ACTIVITIES: SIGHTSEEING HERITAGE WALK

CONCLUSION: With the help of this project i was able to connect to things which made me conclude about lodi dynasty, fort, Ludhiana’s geographical aspects and its history from sikander lodhi to maharaja ranjit singh to ochterlony’s invasi...