Asigarh Fort

Hansi fort or Asigarh Fort has long history with little clarity about the earlier period. The excavation of ancient coins belong to the BCE period shows that there have been long history of settlements on the mound on which fort is built.[4] It is believed that original fort was built by the famous emperor Harshavardhana or his grandfather emperor Prabhakaravardhana of Pushyabhuti dynasty (Vardhana). The present fort was built with materials of earlier fort of a period about 7th century C.E.

In February 1982, a large hoard of Jaina bronzes including idols belonging to the Gupta period (319 to 605 CE) and 7th–8th centuries (a period belonging to the emperor Harshavardhana's Pushyabhuti dynasty, c. 500 to 647 CE) were discovered.[5]

As per British library, Asigarh fort has been believed to have been founded by Anangpal Tomar of Tomara dynasty, the Tomar king of Delhi.[6] Multiple (three) Tomara kings seem to have shared the name "Anangapala" (IAST: Anaṅgapāla).[7] Around 1000 CE, Asigarh, Haryana and Delhi were in control of emperors of Tomara dynasty,[8] when in 1014 Mahmud Ghazni attacked Thanesar and Hansi where he mass destroyed Hindu temples, and again in 1025 he also attacked Somnath temple and Jat people of Jud.[9][10] Mahmud Ghazni had sent his son Mas'ud I of Ghazni to attack Hansi in 1037 CE, when Masud attacked swordsmen of Hansi and took Hindu women into slavery who were later sold at Gazni.[5] In 1041 in revenge for murder of his father, Mahmud Ghazni's nephew Mawdud of Ghazni (r. 1041-50 CE) seized the throne from his uncle Mahmud Ghazni. Mahipal Tomar of Tomar dynasty which ruled this area from Delhi the 11th century recaptured Hansi and Thanesar regions from Mawdud, and based on fragmentary Tomara inscriptions discovered from Mahipalpur in Delhi it has been theorized that Mahipala established a new capital at Mahipalapura (now Mahipalpur).[8]

According to the Bijolia inscription of Someshvara of Chauhan dynasty, his brother Vigraharaja IV had captured Dhillika (Delhi) and Ashika (Hansi). He probably defeated the Tomar king Anangapala III.[11] Later, the fort was reconstructed by Prithviraj Chauhan in the 12th century. The fort was again built by George Thomas in 1798 when he carved out his own kingdom consisting of Hisar and Rohtak districts with capital at Hansi.[4] British Indian Army built a cantonment in this fort after George Thomas surrendered to British Raj in 1803.[4] During the revolt of 1857, the cantonment was abandoned and the fort was damaged.[4] The prisoners of the Kuka movement were imprisoned in this fort during the 1880s.[12]

In 1192, after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan by Mohammed Gauri, Hindu rule ended in Hansi.

In 1705 during the time of Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh toured Hansi to inspired the people to revolt against the oppressive Mughal rule.} In 1707, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur attacked Hansi. In 1736, the fort was under Maratha rule. In 1780s Maharaja Jassa Singh Ramgarhia also took this area under his control for some years as a Maratha vassal and then left.

From 1798 to 1801, George Thomas, an Irish immigrant who rose from an ordinary sailor, usurped the area around Hansi and made Asigarh fort his capital.[13][14]

In 1802 after the Anglo-Maratha Wars, the British East India Company rule seized the fort, but did not take control until 1810 and after which they controlled it till independence of India in 1947.

In 1803 Hansi was also the headquarters of Colonel James Skinner CB (1778 – 4 December 1841) the Anglo-Indian military adventurer in India, who founded 1st Skinner's Horse and 3rd Skinner's Horse at Hansi in 1803. These units are still part of the Indian Army.[15] in 1818 was granted a jagir of Hansi (Hisar district, Haryana), yielding Rs 20,000 a year.[16]

Hansi took an active part in the 1857 war of liberation (Gadar), Lala Hukam Chand Jain was martyred in 1857 by Britishers.

The ancient coins of period before Christ were found here.[4] 57 bronze images of Jain thirthankars were found during excavation in the fort.[1] A statue of the lord Buddha was excavated here.[17]

The main gate has the beautiful carvings of birds, animals and Hindu deities.[17] An inscription there says it was repaired by Alauddin Khilji in 1304.[2]

Long pillared structure with a flat roof is situated on the top of the mound and is known as Baradari.[1]

A mosque is also located inside the fort complex which was added after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan.[4]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Asigarh Fort.

• List of Monuments of National Importance in Haryana
• List of State Protected Monuments in Haryana
• Hansi hoard

• Field study and documentation by American Institute of Indian Studies in Jan-Feb 2010.
• Video: Asigarh Fort, 7.40m.
• 51-image online picture gallery of Asigarh fort taken by American Institute of Indian Studies in 2008 CE
• Online picture gallery of Indo-Islamic monuments of Haryana taken by American Institute of Indian Studies in 2008 CE
• Images of Asigarh Fort on ASI website

• Barnett, Lionel (1999). Antiquities of India. Atlantic.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Dilip Kumar Ganguly (1984). History and Historians in Ancient India. Abhinav. p. 117. ISBN 978-0-391-03250-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Khan, Iqtidar Alam (2007). "Ganda Chandella". Historical Dictionary of Medieval India. Scarecrow Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Upinder Singh (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)