top of page
Search

Gawilghur Fort: The Untold Story of Vidarbha’s Most Defiant Stronghold

Gawilghur Fort: The Untold Story of Vidarbha’s Most Defiant Stronghold
Gawilghur Fort: The Untold Story of Vidarbha’s Most Defiant Stronghold

Gawilghur Fort (also spelt Gawilgarh or Gawilgad) stands atop a Satpura hill ridge in Maharashtra's Amravati district, within the Vidarbha region. The stone fortress rises over 1,060 metres above sea level, overlooking the forests of Melghat Tiger Reserve.


Its name derives from the Gawli (cowherd) rulers who once held sway here. Tradition holds that a cowherd king of the Yadava dynasty first built a mud fort on this site in the 12th century.

The present stone walls, however, date largely to the 15th century and later. In 1425 C.E., Bahmani sultan Ahmad Shah Wali refortified Gawilghur with stone ramparts. Over time, the complex grew into two levels, an outer fort and a higher inner fort, separated by a steep ravine.


Contemporary accounts describe the outer fort as a decoy: once captured, attackers still had to storm the inner citadel via a narrow, winding passage and multiple gates. The entire complex spans more than 8 square kilometres around the peak near Chikhaldara.


Today, visitors can still see many medieval features. Each of Gawilghur’s seven stone gateways bears Persian inscriptions marking its construction date. Two large man-made tanks, Devtalav and Khantalav, collected rainwater on the plateau as vital reservoirs in case of siege. Ruins of a great mosque sit at the highest point of the inner fort. Its square-domed canopy is supported by ornate stone latticework (jali) and was flanked by two minarets; one minaret still stands today.


This Pathan-style mosque has a seven-arched façade facing south, framed by projecting piers and topped by chhatri-like pavilions.

Several old cannons remain in place amid the ramparts. The largest is stationed at the southern bastion of the outer fort. An inscription over the Fateh Darwaza (Victory Gate) records that Imad-ul-Mulk rebuilt that entrance in 1488 C.E. Inscriptions, carved idols and sculptures of animals (elephants, bulls, tigers, lions) and deities (Hanuman, Shiva) attest to the fort’s Hindu and Islamic influences. All of these features gave Gawilghur great symbolic and strategic weight for successive rulers.


A Fortress of Many Empires


“The saying was: ‘One who controls Gawilghur controls Berar,’” local lore recalls. After the Bahmani kingdom fragmented in the late 15th century, Gawilghur passed through a series of rulers. The Imad Shahi rulers of Berar (Bijapur) held it in 1488 C.E., followed by the Nizam Shahi dynasty of Ahmednagar around 1574.


The Mughals took the fort in 1599 C.E., and it later fell to the Maratha Bhonsle dynasty of Nagpur in 1754. For a time, Gawilghur was on the western frontier of Raghoji Bhonsle’s Berar kingdom, with Maratha forces garrisoned inside.

In fact, it was Raghoji II Bhonsle (the Maratha ruler of Berar) whose defeat was sealed by the loss of Gawilghur in 1803.


During this period, the fort’s two sections were connected by hidden routes. According to one account, a local shepherd drove sheep into the tunnels of nearby Narnala Fort; a few hours later, one sheep appeared at Gawilghur, over 20 miles away.


This suggests a possible underground link between the forts. Gawilghur’s sturdy construction, with double walls, terraced approaches and multiple defences, made it nearly impregnable. In the 16th century, the historian Firishta described Gawilghur as “a fortress of almost matchless strength.”


After Indian independence struggles intensified, the British recognised that Gawilghur’s position was still significant. In 1858, just after the 1857 rebellion, the British partially dismantled the fort to prevent rebel leaders from using it. It was believed that rebel commander Tatya Tope might try to cross the Satpura hills into the Deccan using Gawilghur. The walls were spiked or broken at strategic points to ensure the fort could not provide a refuge. Thereafter, Gawilghur saw no further military role.


The Siege of 1803


Gawilghur’s most famous episode came during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. In late 1803, British forces under Major-General Sir Arthur Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) advanced through the Deccan.


On 10 December 1803, they emerged before Gawilghur’s gates. The Maratha garrison, around 3,000 men under Beni Singh (killedar of the fort) and Rana Shivsingh, prepared to defend it. The hill fortress loomed above them, strongly fortified and naturally protected on three sides.


The British first bombarded the outer walls, but frontal assaults at the main gate failed. “Gawilghur proved to be another tough battle as the fortress was imposing and protected by natural defences,” one contemporary observer wrote.

On the night of 14–15 December, Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell of the 94th Highlanders led a flanking party up the rocky southern ravine between the two forts. Scaling the steep slope under fire was extremely hazardous, but Campbell and his men made “a daring ascent” on the nearly sheer face.


By dawn, they reached the inner fort’s northern gate and blew it open. British Highlanders and Madras troops then poured through the breach. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting ensued inside. The defenders launched several counter-attacks, but ultimately the British overwhelmed them. According to surviving accounts, the final Maratha defenders fought to the last man.


By the end of 15 December, Gawilghur had fallen. British losses in the final assault were around 132 men. Maratha casualties were much heavier (roughly 1,200).

When the British entered the fort, they found harrowing scenes, many women of the garrison lay dead, apparently killed by their own relatives rather than be captured.


After the fort’s capture, Wellesley renamed the two sections “Assaye” and “Wellington” in honour of his earlier victory at Assaye. He used Gawilghur as a temporary base for operations in the Deccan.


Once peace treaties were signed in early 1805, however, the fort was handed back to the Maratha ruler of Berar, though by then it was no longer needed as a defensive post. In effect, British forces had neutralised this last bulwark of Raghoji Bhonsle’s domain.


Ruins and Conservation

Ruins and Conservation of Gawilgarh Fort in Amravati
Ruins and Conservation

In the centuries since, the outer walls of Gawilghur have crumbled in places. Vandals and graffiti scar the old stone, but many structures still stand to the present day.


Visitors walking the steep paths can still see the ruins of the lofty inner bastions and the seven-arched mosque.

Two of the original water tanks, named Devtalav and Khantalav (or Machhali Talav), remain filled by rainwater. Several iron cannons, including at least ten of varying size, have survived in situ.

The largest cannon, of local make, is displayed near the Machhali Gate of the outer fort. Near this gate stands the temple ruin and bathing tank (Deo Mandir and Talav) mentioned in 19th-century records.


The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has designated Gawilghur as a protected heritage site. It is open to the public daily from morning till evening.


A road now climbs from Chikhaldara to within a short walk of the fort’s entrance. Despite being off the beaten track, Gawilghur attracts trekkers and history enthusiasts in increasing numbers. From the summit, one enjoys panoramic views of Vidarbha’s forested Satpuras and the nearby Melghat Tiger Reserve. Local guides sometimes point out the outline of Narnala Fort on a distant peak, hinting at the old tunnel legend.

Conservation remains a challenge in this remote area. A 2020 study on Maharashtra’s forts noted that funding for upkeep is limited and many old bastions are in urgent need of repair.


Gawilghur’s walls still show damage from old cannon fire, an artillery breach from the 1803 siege is visible on the eastern face. However, authorities have installed interpretive boards and pathways to protect key structures.


The ASI reports that both Devtalav and Khantalav are being cleaned to prevent siltation, and vegetative growth is controlled around the main mosque. These efforts aim to preserve what remains of the fort’s engineering marvels.

For visitors today, Gawilghur is also a place of nature tourism. The fort lies within the buffer of Melghat, home to tigers, deer and rare birds. Local communities around Chikhaldara have begun to benefit from heritage tourism, selling handicrafts and food to trekkers.


Yet the site is not crowded. At most hours, the only sounds are wind in the pines and distant animal calls. Standing amid its crumbling towers, one can trace layers of history: from the cowherds and Bahmani sultans to the Maratha defenders and British officers. The stones themselves seem to wait for each visitor to uncover their stories.


In the end, Gawilghur Fort remains a commanding presence in Vidarbha’s hills, an ancient fortress now open to all who seek to explore it. Its walls and gateways, moss-covered and worn, still overlook the landscape.


For today’s traveller, climbing those steep trails is not about conquest but about discovery. Each carved relief and weathered step offers a tangible link to the past. In this way, Gawilghur stands not only as a silent sentinel of history but as an invitation to journey into that history, one difficult ascent at a time.


References


Comments

Rated 0 out of 5 stars.
No ratings yet
Add a rating

About the Author

The NewsDirt is a trusted source for authentic, ground-level journalism, highlighting the daily struggles, public issues, history, and local stories from Vidarbha’s cities, towns, and villages. Committed to amplifying voices often ignored by mainstream media, we bring you reliable, factual, and impactful reporting from Vidarbha’s grassroots.

bottom of page