Magnificent Rohtas Fort mirrors imposing era of ruler Sher Shah Suri

About 100 kms away from Islamabad and 10 kilometer from Dina, Jhelum hills house splendid edifice of Rohtas fort with strong massive walls and monumental gateways, overlooking the verdant atmosphere. A visitor usually gets mesmerized at the first look to this bulwark of stones walls stretching over miles and surviving all the times and climes.
No doubt, it is one of the most imposing historical monuments which represents the 'Pathan period of architecture style' in Pakistan.
The solid construction of fort stands to depict the strength and stamina of its architect Sher Shah Suri, who ruled over India for a chequered short period of six years, (1540-45 A.D).
The Pathan ruler earned fame in history due to his architectural mind which conceived such marvelous structures like the Grand Trunk Road, connecting Kabul with Calcutta.
After handing over a defeat to Mughal emperor Humayun in 1541, Sher Shah built it on a strategic site in the north.
Today, hardly very little visitors may realize its great strategic military worth.
The Ghaan gorge dominated by the fort, was the only practicable route at that time from the mountainous country North of the Salt range to the Southern plains.
In fact, Sher Shah recognised the strategic importance of Rohtas due to prevailing circumstances and as a preventive measures against the fleeing Humayun and his friends 'Ghakhars".
The history pages unfold the reality that the "Ghakhars" who inhabited the areas near Rohtas were against the construction of this fort.
They tried to block the supply of construction materials but Sher Shah was very shrewd and sagacious in reading the nature of inhabitants and announced 'any one who brings a stone will be rewarded.'
Sher Shah delivered on his promised and got abundant supply of material belying Ghakhars' hopes and finally the fort was completed in 1543 A.D.
Rohtas Fort" was added to the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997, because of unique Muslim military architecture in Central and South Asia, blending artistic traditions from Turkey and the Indian sub-continent to create the model for Mughal architecture.
The fort is about six kms in circumference and surrounded by twelve gates. The main fortifications consist of massive stone walls which extend for more than 4 kms.
These are lined with bastions and gateways which also give passage to blowing winds from all sides. These open doorways keep the overall atmosphere inside the fort cool even in the sultry summer seasons.
Its most striking feature is its majestic wall strengthened with 68 bastions. The wall, usually composed of two or three terraces, varies in thickness at different points, the maximum being 36 feet near the main gate.
The terraces are interlinked with each other by way of stairline and the top most terrace is the line of the moraine shaped.
The height of the fortification wall ranges from 30 to 40 feet and a considerable number of galleries have been provided in the thickness of the wall for the soldiers and for use as storage space.
The wall is built in sand stone coarse rubble masonry laid in lime mortar mixed with granular brick grit.
In the middle of fort is the another peculiar construction the water well which was sunk deep below earth surface and its bottom can be approached with stone staircase.
Though water in the well has gone dry but the inner atmosphere is strikingly cool and gusts of winds passing through it give a refreshing breath to visitors.
Old weapons of warfare and different parts of a warrior dress are also at display in its small museum which gave an idea to the visitors about the old weaponry.
Sir Olaf Caroe, a famous historian, penned his initial impression about this fort in the following words "Its great ramparts growing from the cliff like the wall of China, looking north a sandy stream bed to the low hills of the Salt range and beyond them, to the snows of Pir Panjal. It is an awe-inspiring sight".
Aliya Alam, a visitor, told that she has read and heard much about the fort but she cannot voice her feelings after visiting it. "It's, it's marvelous," she added.
Ahmed Shahi accompanied by his family, pointed that the trash left behind by visitors was adversely affecting its environment which must be checked immediately with effective measures.
A small town sprouted within the forewalls of fort, gives a clumsy look and appears as stigma on the historical beauty, a history student Laiba expressed.

—APP