Gandikota fort

At Gandikota the Penner cuts a gorge four miles long through cliffs of bedded sandstone.¹ The Cuddapah gazetteer of 1915 wrote that “the height overlooking the river on the south bank is crowned by extensive fortifications”.¹ It added that, “even apart from their historical associations”, they “are well worthy of a visit”.¹

The Imperial Gazetteer of 1908 described the fort as “perched on a hill overlooking the gorge of the Penner river, 1,670 feet above the sea”.² It judged that a properly defended fort “should, in the conditions of warfare then existing, have been impregnable” (impossible to take).² It called the fort “one of the most important strongholds in the Cuddapah country”, because it was “the key to the valley of the Penner”.²

The Cuddapah gazetteer notes that within the fort “are several wells, strongly revetted and provided with stone steps”.³ Their sides are lined with stone.³ There is also “a koneru known as Rayalcheruvu the springs of which are perennial” (a temple tank whose springs never dry up).³

Dating and attribution

The gazetteer summarises the sthala purana (temple legend) of the place.¹⁴ It says that in the 1213th year of the Salivahana era Kaka Maharaju of Bommanapalle founded the village and “fortified the hill which afterwards came to be known as Gandikota”.¹ Later, it says, “Harihara Bukkarayalu” of Vijayanagar built the temple of Madhavasvami there.⁴

The gazetteer took the first date to correspond to about 1290.⁴ It suggested that Kaka Maharaju was a Kakatiya king or his viceroy at Valluru.⁴ It also observed that the legend treats Harihara and Bukka as a single king.⁴

The Imperial Gazetteer gives the same tradition from “an ancient grant in the fort”.² It adds that Harihara “is said to have constructed a temple in it”.² It then notes: “According to Firishta, however, the fort was not built until 1589.”² See Bukka I and Harihara I.

Golconda and after

According to the gazetteer, the fort passed to Golconda after the fall of Vijayanagara, and it “became the headquarters of a Nawab”.⁵ The first Nawab is said to have been Mir Jumla.⁵ He “greatly strengthened the fortifications” and built the Jama Masjid out of the materials of temples.⁵

The gazetteer says: “The State granary within the fortifications—now used as a travellers’ bungalow—was built by Meer Jumla or one of his successors.”⁵ Later the fort was an outpost of the Nawabs of Cuddapah.⁵ Its walls were still mounted with cannon at the cession to the Company.⁵

The Imperial Gazetteer adds that Haidar Ali improved and garrisoned the fort.² Captain Little took it in 1791, in the war with Tipu.² See the Qutb Shahis.

Footnotes

1. C. F. Brackenbury, Madras District Gazetteers: Cuddapah, Vol. I (1915), p. 191 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Imperial Gazetteer of India: Madras, Vol. I (1908), pp. 393–394 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Brackenbury, Cuddapah Gazetteer, Vol. I (1915), p. 194 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Brackenbury, Cuddapah Gazetteer, Vol. I (1915), p. 192 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

5. Brackenbury, Cuddapah Gazetteer, Vol. I (1915), p. 193 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶