Page:Historic Landmarks of the Deccan.djvu/158

 TWO HILL FORTS.

(I) — Gawilgarh.

THE fort of Gawilgarh is situated on a range of mountains between the sources of the rivers Purna and Tapti. It stands on a lofty mountain in this range, and consists of one complete inner fort, which fronts to the south, where the rock is most steep, and an outer fort, which covers the inner to the north and north-west. This outer fort has a third wall which covers the approach to it from the north by the village of Labada, all these walls are strongly built and fortified by ramparts and towers. The communications with the fort are through three gates, one to the south with the inner fort, one to the north-west with the outer fort, and one to the north with the third wall." Thus wrote the Duke of Wellington, then the Honourable Arthur Wellesley, in his despatch written after the storming of this fort by the troops under his command on December 15th, 1803.

Gawilgarh, somewhat more dilapidated than when it was captured by the great soldier, still overlooks the fertile Berar valley, and is a prominent object from the plains. From the fort itself, which stands at an elevation of 3,595 feet, a magnificent view of that valley is obtained on a clear day. The plains do not melt away into the dim distance, for the southern plateau of Berar rises on the horizon to the south-east, and the Yeotmal hills, about eighty-four miles distant as the crow flies, can be plainly distinguished.

The rocky hill on which the fort stands is actually steepest on the northern side of the inner fort where the natural escarpment of sheer rock overlooks the Kichak Dara. So steep is the face of the hill in this direction that the only defence is a parapet of stone, barely breast high, and probably designed rather for the purpose of preventing the defenders from falling over the precipice than for that of checking the ingress of assailants. The gates are not fully enumerated in the despatch. The outer fort is entered by two gates, while the inner fort has three large gates and a postern. One of these is the gate "to the