Gobindgarh Fort

Entrance of Gobindgarh fort, Amritsar,Punjab

Gobindgarh Fort
Part of Amritsar
Amritsar, Punjab, India
Gobindgarh Fort
Gobindgarh Fort
Coordinates	31°37′37″N 74°51′37″E / 31.6270583°N 74.8603111°E / 31.6270583; 74.8603111
Type	fort
Site information
Controlled by	Punjab Government
Open to the public	no
Condition	Under repair
Site history
Built	1760
Built by	Gujjar Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh period

Gobindgarh Fort is a historic military fort located in center of the city of Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab.

Reclaiming of the Fort

Eight generation descendants of Maharaja Ranjit Singh have staked claim on Fort Gobindgarh,^[1] besides they have also demanded from the government to bring back the relics of Maharaja Dalip Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh empire, from UK and cremate here according to the Sikh rituals. Jaswinder Singh , seventh generation descendant of Rattan Singh, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from his second wife Raj Kaur, along with other descendants, including Harvinder Singh, Tejinder Singh and Surjit Singh met chief secretary, cultural affairs, archeology and museum department in Chandigarh to stake their claim. He claimed that they were the legal heirs of the fort which was made during the period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh . He said they had also submitted government records in which their names had appeared. Some of the documents include sajra nasbe, kursi nama (which proves that Rattan Singh was born from the second wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his son Rattan Singh . He claimed that they were also the owners of Bazar Gadweian, Katra Dal Singh , in front of main entrance of Golden Temple . Jaswinder Singh, who works with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said: " My earnest plea goes to the Punjab government that the families who gave full support in enriching the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh through historical roles, their services and sacrifices are required to be appreciated in adequate measures". In order to earmark the genuine heirs, he said, a high-level committee of historians need be constituted; thereby, to bring those families in recognition. "It is need of the time to consolidate the history with no more letting it lying scattered. It must be compiled in proper order for research in future times" he said. He said the family was of view that the moral remains of Maharaja Dalip Singh be brought here and cremated as par Sikh rituals.

History

Description about possession of Gobindgarh fort, Amritsar,Punjab

It was first known as the "Gujar Singh Fort" in the 1760s and 1770s by the Bhangi Misl rulers.^[2]

It was built with mud and renamed in 1805 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured it along with five big cannons, including the "Zamzama", famously known as Bhangian di Top and later as Kim’s Gun. Ranjit Singh strengthened the fort and renamed it "Gobind Garh" after the name of Guru Gobind Singh tenth Guru of Sikhs.

The fort housed a treasury, armory and various other items of importance to the Maharajah. It kept the Sarkar Khalsa's treasury, including 3000 bags of provisions (food) and 12000 soldiers to guard it.

Sardar Shamir Singh was the first governor of the fort. His successor was faqir Fakir Azizuddin, under whose guidance the Fort was upgraded. After the rule of Ranjit Singh, control of the fort passed to the British empire, which installed an office of the Criminal Investigation Department. After the independence of India, the Indian army established a base in the fort.

Construction

Side view of Gobindgarh fort, Amritsar,Punjab

Gobindgarh Fort is constructed of bricks and lime, and is laid out in a square. Each of its corners has a parapet and two doors. It has 25 cannons mounted on its ramparts. The main entrance, Nalwa Gate, is named after Hari Singh Nalwa. Killer Gate is the back entrance. An underground tunnel runs towards Lahore.

References

Coordinates: 31°37′37″N 74°51′36″E / 31.62694°N 74.86000°E / 31.62694; 74.86000