Daily Times

Carrying a documented history of 2500 years and being among the oldest living cities of South Asia, Peshawar always bore strategic credentials due to its geographical location.

Being a gateway to the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, Peshawar also enjoyed pivotal strategic importance for invaders and warriors who marched through the historical Khyber Pass to the subcontinent for establishing their dynasties and monarchies.

These rulers used to construct forts and garrisons to gain military strength in the region as their power strongholds for safety of their forces and people against external aggression.

Qila Bala Hisar (The Bala Hisar Fort) is a glaring example of this legacy and catches view of every visitor entering Peshawar City from the East. Located opposite to Jinnah Park (old Cunningham Park) on main GT Road, this edifice impresses every viewer with its huge structure. Spreading on 15.4 acres area and built of red bricks, the 92 feet high Bala Hisar reminds visitors of great rulers various dynasties, who stayed here before marching to the subcontinent via Khyber Pass for strategic and economic gains.

An amalgamation of Mughal architecture, the fort’s old main entrance directly faces the Grand Trunk (GT) road that leads to Afghanistan and Central Asia on the West, Pushkalavati (Charsadda) in the North and Hund and Taxila on the East. Several branches of the past Bara River used to flow through interior Peshawar with one among them probably near Bala Hisar Fort.

“Most of invaders including Afghans Muslim rulers, Mughals, Ghauris, Ghaznavis and Tughlaq etc had to conquer Bala Hisar before proceeding to Punjab and other parts of subcontinent,” said Dr. Abdul Samad Khan, Director Archeology and Museums Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

“Recent excavations at Gor-Kathri Peshawar ascertained the city’s history dating back to 2,500 years and one can estimate that the fort could have also been constructed during those times,” Samad said. He further states that in 11th century AD, Raja Jaipal, a ruler of Hindushahi dynasty was defeated in Peshawar’s vicinity and commander Mehmud Ghaznavi garrisoned the fort with his army to monitor security situation in this region.

Renowned historian, Dr A.H. Dani has also mentioned in his book ‘Peshawar-Historic City of Frontier (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)’ that when Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese traveller visited Peshawar in 630 AD, he spoke of a ‘Royal Residence,’ that might be Bala Hisar.

Dr. Dani says, a channel of old Bara River surrounded by a high spot was perhaps the present elevated fort. The Chinese word “Kung Shing” is used for its significance and is explained as fortified or walled portion of a town where the royal palaces used to be situated.”

However, Senior Research Officer at Directorate of Museums and Archeology Muhammad Bakhtzada argues that there were different opinions about the origin of present day fort but mostly Mughals were believed to be the architects of existing Bala Hisar.

He said Afghan Durrani rulers used it as their winter camp in early 19th century and named it “Bala Hisar” a Persian word meaning ‘the high fort’ and referred to renowned historian Abul Fazl as claiming that Bala Hisar was redesigned and rebuilt by Mughal emperor Zaheeruddin Babar in 1526. However, after overthrowing King Humayun by Shershah Suri, Afghans had destroyed this fort due to fear of reorganization of warring tribes and local armies.

“When he was staying in it, Hamyun decided to rebuild the fort and use it for his conquest of India,” Bakhtzada said. “This fort had also been a key settlement for successive rulers like Hindu Maharajas, Ghauris, Ghazanvis, Tughlaqs, Mughals and Sikhs as well as a residence of Afghan king, Ahmed Shah Durrani and his son Taimur Shah Durrani.

After the death of Taimur Shah in 1793 AD, Sikhs captured Peshawar and Bala Hisar in 1834 after the battle of Nowshera and Hari Singh Nalwa also used it as a royal residence for Maharaja Ranjeet Singh during Sikh rule. Sikhs also tried to rename it as Samargarh but the name remained unpopular.

Sikhs, however, had destroyed a major portion of fort but Sher Singh, on orders of his father Ranjeet Singh, constructed the fort again with unbaked bricks. The only inscription available today in Bala Hisar reads, ‘Victory to Porak.’ After the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1845-46, the British East India Company reconstructed the outer walls of Bala Hisar in 1849.

“At the time of Sikh Shahi annexation to British rulers in 1849, Bala Hisar had mud walls. The colonial rulers replaced its structure with red bricks in its present shape and stationed troops in Bala Hisar till the present cantonment was laid out in Peshawar,” Bakhtzada said.

This architectural wonder has always been a center of attraction for local and foreign tourists and visiting dignitaries by presenting a rare view of its huge battlements and architectural designs. Bala Hisar also enjoys respect of hoisting on it Pakistan’s national flag on August 14, 1947. Presently it is serving as Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters.

With hundreds of years down the road and series of ancient and modern day conquests passed, Bala Hisar still stands high in the heart of Peshawar as a symbol of national pride, boasting of its grandeur and revealing stories of ages.