rawat fort

Rawat Fort
	Rawat Fort is located in Rawat, Rawalpindi. The fort was built in early 16th century by Gakhars, a tribe of the Pothwar plateau. It is 17 km east of Rawalpindi on GT Road The fort was scene of a battle between the Gakhars chief Sultan Sarang Khan and Sher Shah Suri in 1546 AD

The fort is almost in square form and has two gates, and . There is a mosque consists of three big rooms that become in dome form and it is in almost better condition. There is a quadrangular building with a dome. Along the wall there are small rooms. In the center of the fort there are many graves. One of them is of Sultan Sarang Khan. His 16 sons who died here fighting, there tombs are also inside the fort

	During the reign of Humayun, Sultan Sarang Khan gained much prominence. He became so powerful that he struck his own money, included his name in the khutba and refused to recognise Sher Shah Suri, on the defeat and exile of Humayun in 1540, as the new sovereign of India. Sher Shah Suri sent emissaries to the Gakhar Sultan Sarang Khan to demand his submission and his presence at Sher Shah Suris court. He famously replied that were a warlike people and sent Sher Shah Suri, a sheaf or arrows and a pair of tiger cubs to remind him of the fact. He obstructed by all the means at his disposal the construction in 1541 of Rohtas Fort ( [4], [5]) designed to prevent Humayuns return.

The headquarters of Gakhars was the Sultanpur fort situated eight kilometres from Mangla Fort. This act of open hostility coupled with his rebellious behavior enraged Sher Shah who personally led an expedition against him resulting in the rout of the Gakhars and the capture and subsequent execution of Sultan Sarang. His tomb still exists at Rawat Fort, near Rawalpindi. He was succeeded by his brother Sultan Adam, who had several skirmishes with the troops of Islam Shah Sur. Adam was so powerful that in 1552, Prince Kamran, the rebel brother of Humayun, who had been refused shelter by Islam Shah, sort refuge with him. He was however betrayed and given up to Humayun on his return from exile who had Kamran blinded. Sultan Adam was rewarded with robes of honour, kettle drums and other insignia of nobility. (Ansari

	If one dares to climb the broken steps inside the tomb, one may get a panoramic view of the plateau and the Mankiala Stupa. Besides Rawat, about an hours drive from Rawalpindi on the grand trunk road towards the city of Peshawar is Attock Fort. This impressive fort is easily visible and located near the Shrine 'Hazrat Jee Sahib', the tradition burial grounds for the 'Bati' Family of the Paracha clan from the near by (deserted) village of 'Malahi Tola'. Sadly this impressive Akbari fort is not open to the public as it is in active military use.




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