- Gingee Fort
Gingee Fort also known as Chinji or Jinji in
Tamil Nadu ,India is one of the few surving forts in Tamil Nadu — which is much more popular for its temples than forts. It lies inVillupuram district, 160 km (100 mi) from the state capital,Chennai , and is close to theunion territory ofPondicherry . So well fortified was this place thatShivaji ranked it as the "most impregnablefortress in India" and it was called the "Troy of the East" by the British.History
Originally the site of a small fort built by the
Chola dynasty in 9th century AD, it was later modified by theVijayanagar empire in the 13th century to elevate it to the status of an unbreachablecitadel to protect the small town of Gingee.It was also the head quarters of theGingee Nayaks , during theNayak domination in Tamil Nadu. The fort was built as a strategic place of fending off any invading armies. The fort was further strengthened by theMaratha s under the leadership ofShivaji in 1677 AD, who recaptured it from the Bijapur sultans who had originally taken control of the fort from the Marathas. During Aurangzeb's campaign in the Deccan, Shivaji's second son who had assumed the throne,Chhatrapati Rajaram escaped to Ginjee in the distant South and continued the fight with Moghuls from Ginjee. The Moghuls could not capture the fort for seven years in spite of laying siege. The fort was finally captured in 1698, but not beforeChhatrapati Rajaram escaped. It was later passed on to the Carnatic Nawabs who lost it to the French in 1750 before the British finally took control in 1761 despite losing it toHyder Ali for a brief period.Structure
The fort consists of three hills, connected by walls enclosing an area of 7 km². It was built at a breathtaking height of 800 feet (240 m), and protected by an 80-foot (24 m) wide
moat . It had an eight-storeyed Kalyana Mahal (marriage hall), granaries, prison cells, a military gymnasium and a temple dedicated to its presiding female Hindudeity called Chenjiamman. The fortifications contain a sacredpond known as aanaikulam. The walls of the fort are a mixture of the naturally hilly terrain comprising the Krishnagiri, Chakkilidrug and Rajagiri hills, while the gaps were sealed with the main wall that measures 20 metres in thickness. It was thus an impressive sight where the defender could seal himself indefinitely.Legends of Gingee
Perhaps the most enduring legend in Tamil culture was that of the tragic tale of Raja Tej Singh, popularly known in Tamil as "Thesingu Raasan". The true life story of Tej Singh and his general Mehboob Khan (aka Maavuthukaran), who were friends, has inspired many poems, street plays, and countless other stories. Son of Swarup Singh, he revolted against the
Nawab of Arcot , and was defeated and killed in the war that followed. Though Gingee became a part of the Nawab's territory in 1714 the young and courageous Tej Singh became a legend and his life, love and brave but tragic end were eulogised in variousballad s.Current condition
After the fort passed into British hands, it did not see any further action. The fort at Gingee was declared a National Monument in 1921 and was under the Archeological Department. Recently the Tourism Department of India has tried to popularise this remote and oft forgotten fort in Tamil Nadu. Gingee today, with its ruined forts,
temples and granaries, presents a different picture from the glorious splendor of its bygone days. But the remains of that glorious past, speak volumes about the numerous invasions,war fare and bravery that it witnessed.References
#
#Government of India Information booklets.
# http://www.gingeefort.com A website to know all about Gingee.External links
* [http://www.indiaimage.nic.in/gingeefort.htm Indian Government site]
* [http://www.dravidaperavai.1accesshost.com/ History of the fort from French accounts]
* [http://www.indiaplaces.com/india-monuments/tamil-nadu-gingee-fort.html More information on Gingee fort]
* [http://www.gingeefort.info Some photos of Gingee and surroundings]
* [http://www.airavat.com/guerrila_warfare2.htm Gingee in the Mughal-Maratha wars]
* [http://www.gingeefort.com Gingee - A Place to be watched in India]
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