Was reading Serish Nanisetty's book on Hyderabad (Golconda/Bagnagar/Hyderabad) and found an interesting detail - that in the Koilkonda fort of the 14th century, some 20 oddd kms from Mahbubnagar, there is an inscription of loyalty or proof from the people of Koilkonda pledging their undying support to Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, the fourth Qutb Shah Sultan who escaped to Hampi or the Vijayanagara kingdom to avoid an ugly confrontation with his brother Jamshed (who had already killed his father, Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, for the throne and blinded one other brother).
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| The stile with the inscription |
Having spent his time in Vijayanagara learning Telugu (and also marrying a Telugu lady) Ibrahim heard that Lady Luck was smiling in his direction and that Jamshed was unwell and returned to claim his stake to the throne.
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| Vinod, tree and the stile |
On the way back, on the border of the Golconda kingdom at Koilkonda he stopped and spoke to the people who promised that they would be by his side.
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| Entering the fort |
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| Impressive and well hidden entrance |
Ibrahim apparently asked them how they can trust them and they decided that this untrusting chap needed something in writing so they pledged their allegiance in stone - 'written in stone'.The people were led by two leaders Sayyed Ali Miyan and Pir Miyan and the inscription addresses them as their leaders.
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| One of those things to shoot arrows or pour boiling oil |
As per the book the inscription says -
'We shall not break the promise made to Pir Miyan as well as Sayyed Ali Miyan. If anyone of us does, it will be a low act. It will be like the sin of killing cows and Brahmins in Varanasi. If someone violates the trust, then, his moustache is equal to the pubic hair of a woman. If they still violate it, they will be considered to have given their wives to low class people. And if they still violate it, they will be considered to have given their wives to asses.
If a Muslim violates the trust of Ibrahim, then he will incur the sin of killing pigs at Mecca and having killed Hussain,'
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| Main entrance |
Anyway this particular inscription lies there outside the fort and somehow (like how Namita Devidayal's book 'The Music Room' inspired me to visit Kolhapur and the Mahalakshni temple) I asked Vinod who frequents Mahbubmnagar on official business (like collecting his pensions papers now that he's retired). He said he had an upcoming visit and I asked him if I could join. So off we went.
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| Another gate - at right angles |
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| Near the Ashoorkhana |
The Mahbubnagar area is full if hillocks and Koilkonda is one such. A cement road leads you off to the fort, its a tiny town, and the road leads almost to the steps. You see little of the fort but as you climb the steps, smooth granite that's slippery, you come to a clearing and the famous inscription is very much there.
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| The Ashoorkhana |
Then we looked at the gate which was strategically placed at an angle and had some amount of influence from Golconda certainly and another gate, this one small and at right angles so any slightly bigger bunch of people or animals would have to play that game of bending themselves into difficult contortions to get in - Twister.
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| Picnickers |
We walked up a bit, saw an Ashoorkhana, some water bodies and came back. Did not dare go all the way up in the heat. Apparently it had seven gates, many bastions, a watch tower and overlooks the Koil Sagar lake on the other side.
Some people were sitting under a tree and picnicking. I love how they do that. Why don't we do it anymore?
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