ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review

Barabati Fort the Windsor Castle of Odisha

Sudhansu Sekhar Rath

This article tries to prove that a nine-storey archaeologists of the past and the present and on palace built by King Mukunda Deva existed legends still living on tongue of the people. Some inside Barabati Fort. Sans any modern of the descriptions, made at different periods of scientific tools and procedures the article time, sometimes centuries apart, are based on the depends only on inference drawn on visits to respective eyewitnesses and that of others on the site and critical analysis of various opinions examination of the ruins or on critical analysis of expressed in different journals, travel diaries the statements, articles, scriptures and books and books. written on the subject. Amongst the eyewitnesses Was there a nine-storey palace built by are Abul Fazl Allami, a historian and an important Mukunda Deva inside Barabati Fort in Cuttack? Minister in Akbar’s Royal Court, two English Or, was it a complex of nine horizontal single- merchants named William Bruton and Ralph storey buildings lying adjacent to each other, Cartwright, and Thomas Motte, the British agent separated by passages with gardens in between of Lord Robert Clive. The statement made on the neighbouring buildings? Was it a complex of the basis of examining the ruins was that of nine single-storey interconnected enclosures built Andrew Stirling. The others like James at different heights in stepped manner? Or, was it Fergusson, Rajendra Lala Mitra, William Wilson a structure consisting of nine concentric circular Hunter, Manmohan Ganguli, Pandit Krupasindhu interconnected buildings built progressively Mishra, Sushil De, Harekrushna Mahatab, increasing in height and decreasing in area as one Jadunath Sarkar and others based their opinions moves from the outer to the inner enclosures? It on their respective analysis of various is a big controversy today as many scholars have documentary evidences. their respective different opinions regarding it and Abul Fazl visited Barabati Fort in 1592 there exists not a single physical trace of the palace with the General of Akbar’s army Man Singh to substantiate anyone’s guess. thirty-two years after it was built by Mukunda Lacking any solid physical evidence, all Deva in 1560, and twenty-four years after it was the above-mentioned opinions are mostly based occupied by the Afghans. William Bruton and on travel diaries of foreign and native visitors, Ralph Cartwright paid a visit to the Court of Agha writings of the noted historians and the Muhammad Zaman, the Moghul Subedar of

46 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669

Odisha in Barabati Fort, in the year 1633 AD. Muhammad Zaman of Tahran, a Mogul viceroy, Thomas Motte visited Barabati Fort in the year now abode in the stately palace of ‘Malcandy.’ 1766 AD and Andrew Stirling in 1818 AD. Then The English travellers reached the place from the James Fergusson, a famous archaeologist visited east, over a long narrow causeway, and were Barabati in 1837 AD, Rajendra Lala Mitra in 1868 conducted through a labyrinth of buildings to the AD and William Wilson Hunter in 1870 AD. court of public audience.” 03 The first eyewitness Abul Fazl writes – Again, about the same event John "In Cuttack there is a fine palace, built by Raja Murray says – “In approaching to Malcandy, with Mukund Deo, consisting of nine stories. The first the magnificence of which the writer appears to storey is for elephants, camels and horses; the have been deeply struck, xxxxxxx. They then came second for artillery and military stores, where are into a broad street, which he compares to that also the quarters for the guards and other between Charing-cross and Whitehall. This street attendants; the third is occupied by porters and contained nothing but the palace; and 1000 horses watchmen; the fourth is appropriated for the were kept constantly in readiness there for the several artificers; the kitchens make the fifth range; king’s use. They then entered the palace, and the sixth contains the Raja’s public apartments; passed through several spacious halls, paved with the seventh is for the transaction of private marble, till they reached the Derbar (Durbar or business; the eighth is where the women reside; the King’s Public hearing Court).” 04 and the ninth is the Raja’s sleeping apartment.” 01 Bruton’s own verdict about the palace of Another independent translation of Abul Mukunda Deva was “xxxxxx the palace of the Fazl’s Ain-i-Akbari says in the words of Colonel nabob be so large in extent and so magnificent in H. S. Jarett – “Rajah Makand Deo built a palace structure, xxxxxx” which speaks for itself here nine stories in height; the first storey was regarding the appearance of the structure, that is, taken up for the elephants and the stables; the the palace of Mukunda Deva.” 05 second was occupied by the artillery and the guards and quarters for attendants; the third by According to the fourth eyewitness the patrol and gatekeepers; the fourth by the Thomas Motte’s account – “Cuttac (Cuttack) workshops: the fifth, by the kitchen; the sixth appears from hence a noble city. The rising ground contained the public reception rooms; the seventh, on which it is situated, the stone wall by which it the private apartments; the eighth, the women’s is defended from the force of the stream; the great apartments, and the ninth, the sleeping chamber number of mosques with which it is adorned and of the governor.” 02 the regular appearance of the citadel strongly C. R. Wilson citing the statements of resembling the west side of Windsor Castle, unite William Bruton and Ralph Cartwright, the second to make the perspective view of the place 06 and the third eyewitnesses, states – “Fifty years extremely grand.” before the coming of the English, Mukund Deo, Andrew Stirling’s statement relevant to the last Hindu ruler of Orissa, had built within it a this discussion – “No traces of the famous palace castle of grey granite with nine lofty courts, but of Raja Mukand Deo nine stories in height, he had lost his kingdom to the Moslem, Agha mentioned in the Ayin Akberi, are to be found

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 47 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review within the walls of fort Barabati, but the fragments (a title of the Porte), a suit of rooms, a layer, of sculptured cornices, etc., which have been dug xxxxx.” 10 up at different times, and more especially a William Wilson Hunter says –”There is massive candelabra, or pillar furnished with but little in the present appearance of the fort which branches for holding lights, formed of the fine grey answers to the above description. xxxxxxxxxx indurated chlorite or pot stone, are probably the The ‘great arched gateway in the east face,’ remains of some large and splendid edifice.”07 mentioned by Stirling, and a fine old mosque, James Fergusson writes regarding Abul called after Fathi Khan Raham, are almost Fazl’s statement in Ain-i-Akbari – “Abul Fazl’s the only objects of antiquarian interest which description of this palace, however, has been remain in tact. The fate of many interesting ruins misunderstood by the translators, who have in the Province has unhappily been similar.” 11 represented it as containing nine storeys instead Manmohan Ganguli states in favour of of nine courts or enclosures.” 08 non-existence of a nine-storeyed palace inside Again later, modifying his earlier Barabati Fort.12 statement Fergusson says – “As Orissa, at the Jadunath Sarkar is also not fully in favour period when this was written, was practically a of existence of the nine-storeyed palace though part of Akbar’s Kingdom, there seems little doubt he does not agree with the opinion of Rajendra that this description was furnished by someone Lal Mitra. He writes, “The Persian text has who knew the place. There were seven storied Ashiana, which means rest, perch or lofty seat, palaces at Jeypur and Bijapur still standing and and cannot be taken to mean paras, or wards which were created about this date and one of lying side by side. There is nothing incredible in a five storied in Akbar’s own palace at Futtepore palace of nine storeys if built of wood and Sikri, but none so far as I know of nine stories, bamboos on a stone foundation. The Dravidian though I see no reason for doubting the temples have gopurams (gateways) towering up correctness of the description of the one just to 13 storeys but built of stone....xxxxx.....” 13 quoted.”09 Harekrushna Mahtab writes – "The Rajendra Lala Mitra says – “To me the description appeared on the face of it to be courts were built one after the other and not one incorrect. I could not well believe that any sensible over the other. In my view ‘nine storeys’ and ‘nine courts’ are the same and it is nothing but the person – one who would build a nine storied 14 palace – would locate his artillery and guards in difference in description.” the second storey of his residence or his kitchen Sushil De says – “However it may be, just under his public reception rooms, and his there is reason to believe that, it was neither a artificers below his kitchen. xxxx I referred nine storeyed structure in the modern sense of therefore to the original text of Ain, and it at once the term, nor one with nine courts. It probably solved my problem. The words used in it are – consisted of nine courts standing on platforms of ‘Raja Mukund Deo built a palace of nine different heights from the ground level, the ‘Ashianah.’ Now, ashianah in Arabic means, an innermost being on the highest level. The soil abode xxxx as in the word “the abode of felicity” extracted for construction of the moat was

48 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 probably spread on the ground inside in such a repeated assaults of the enemies and due to lack way as to form platforms of different heights, one of repair and maintenance by its occupants. upon another in an ascending order. On each of Probably, apart from the reason cited earlier, these platforms stood one court.” 15 sensing that its deterioration had already started, He further states about another possibility the Moghul Subedar of Odisha built a new palace "The courts were probably in the form of and the Court at Lalbag on the bank of River concentric circles, outermost being the largest and Kathjodi and shifted his residential quarters and lowest and the innermost being the smallest and the Court there though the military activities were highest in area and altitude respectively." 16 continuing in the fort. Continuation of military activities in Barabati indicates that the fort was in Out of all the visitors, the first four visitors tact till then. Again, as per previous descriptions listed here namely, Abul Fazl, William Bruton, all the infrastructure and residential quarters of Ralph Cartwright and Thomas Motte visited the King Mukunda Deva’s important people were fort when it was at its prime without any substantial placed in a compact space, that is, the nine-storey damage done to its structure. All other visitors building with the artillery, etc. being stored on the did visit the fort when it was ruined, being at second floor and the King’s or the Subadar’s different stages of physical damage, the degree sleeping chamber located on the ninth floor. of damage advancing with time and vandalism. However, as stated by William Bruton, the Moghul Hence, the later visitors had to make many Subedar was sleeping outside in tents within the assumptions in describing Barabati Fort based on fort complex and not inside the palace. The circumstantial evidences as they did not have the Subedar was doing so possibly expecting some opportunity to see the complete structure. hazards. As the atmosphere was not very peaceful Out of all the statements, the statement at the time, it could be possible that the Moghul of Abul Fazl can be considered as the most Subedar was sleeping in tents fearing occurrence credible as he was a very respectable historian of of explosions sponsored by the enemy camp or the time and he personally visited the fort along collapse of the deteriorating palace. This fact with Man Singh, who being a General in Akbar’s supports the theory, that Mukunda Deva’s palace army was also a very important person in the was a high-rise building and the floors were being Court of Akbar like Abul Fazl. Again, at the time utilised as described by Abul Fazl. of his visit Barabati Fort was at its prime and Continuing on William Bruton and Ralph already under control of Emperor Akbar. Abul Cartwright’s statement, C. R. Wilson says, Fazl, being facilitated by his own people, must (Bruton and Cartwright) “were conducted through have spent quite a reasonable length of time to a labyrinth of buildings to the court of public inspect the fort to write about it. It seems he was audience.” A “labyrinth of buildings” means a quite impressed by the palace which made him to complicated arrangement of buildings. Hence they write about it in such detail. were led through buildings arranged in a William Bruton and Ralph Cartwright complicated manner. Had the structure been visited the fort when it was standing with its full simple single-storey buildings laid horizontally, one structure, but have started to deteriorate with after the other with a garden space in between

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 49 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review two adjacent courts, as said by Rajendra Lal Hence, Thomas Motte might have met the Mitra, then it would not have appeared Maratha Subedar at Lalbag and have visited complicated to the 17th century European visitors. Barabati from outside only. For this reason he Again, John Murray writes about the same visit did not mention anything about the buildings from of Bruton and Cartwright, “In approaching to inside the fort. While watching Barabati Fort from Malcandy, with the magnificence of which the the opposite bank of River Mahanadi, Motte writer appears to have been deeply struck,” and could see a striking resemblance of it with Windsor “This street contained nothing but the palace,” Castle located on the bank of the River Thames which clearly indicates that the visitors were in England. What did actually Thomas Motte see definitely wonder-struck by the appearance of the that made him to think so? Many forts or castles palace; it was surely something unusual for the are located on the banks of the rivers or lakes time and place. Continuing the analysis on their and they all have similar boundary walls, statement, they say that the street they were watchtowers and moats; then what characteristic moving on lead to a palace, which means, it was structure did Motte see in Barabati Fort that made not a complex of a group of buildings; it was rather him to feel so strong a resemblance in particular with the Windsor Castle? The characteristic a building or a palace. As they describe, they were structure inside the 18th century Windsor castle also escorted through many spacious halls to finally was the tall structure of residential dwellings reach the Durbar. If these enclosures were peeping into the sky rising much above the separate single-storey buildings with a garden boundary wall of the castle and so visible from space in between two adjacent buildings, then why the opposite bank of the River Thames. It seems, would they, being strangers, have or rather would apart from being located on the bank of a river have been permitted to pass through several halls and having high boundary walls and watch towers, used for different important activities of the Barabati Fort also had a towering structure, that Subedar to reach the Durbar? It might be that is, the nine-storey building inside the fort rising they had to pass through several halls to climb up above the boundary wall like that of Windsor complicated staircases or slopes to arrive at their Castle. Had it not been a nine-storey palace it destination located at one of the upper floors of would not have been so tall a structure to rise the building. So, summing up all that is said till above the boundary walls of such height and now, it can be inferred that, the British merchants Motte would not have been able to see the climbing complicated staircases or slopes were building located inside the fort from the opposite led through several floors of a building located at bank of River Mahanadi, as the single-storey the end of a wide road to finally reach the Durbar. buildings would have been obstructed by the Thomas Motte, it seems, did not go inside boundary wall of such height to be viewed from the fort. At the time it was under Maratha control outside. and the court and the residence of the rulers had All the above persons visited Barabati already been shifted to Lalbag since 1633 AD or Fort when it existed with its complete form and a little later by the Moghul Subedar. After shifting structure. The next visitors were not that lucky. the Court and the royal residential quarters, the They visited the fort much later at different periods fort was being used only for military activity. when it was already ruined and was at various

50 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 stages of decay depending on the length of the and a founder member of the Asiatic Society of lapse of time since its prime days. Bengal. Jarrett who along with Blochmann The next description comes from Andrew independently translated Ain-i-Akbari later also Stirling in 1818 AD when most of the structures describes it as a nine-storey building. Referring of the fort were ruined except a few like the moat, to the real meaning of Persian word “Ashianah” the two layers of the boundary wall and the Rajendra Lal Mitra further explains that the word entrance gateway. However, Stirling, judging from “Ashianah” means ‘an abode,’ ‘hut’ or ‘a layer.’ the ruined and the excavated articles like the huge So, I think, instead of accepting the ‘an abode’ pillars, flag mast, etc., expressed the possibility or ‘hut’ as its meaning why not accept ‘a layer’ in of these being “probably the remnants of some its place which perfectly matches with the purpose large and splendid edifice,” which could be the to go with the nine-storey palace. The buildings nine-storey palace of Mukunda Deva. were layered one above the other up to nine storeys. Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra has also James Fergusson, the famous vigorously argued in his Odia book “Barabati archaeologist, visited Barabati Fort in 1837 and Durga” to successfully prove that Rajendra Lal initially was of the opinion that the palace was not Mitra was wrong in this respect.19 Again, as a nine-storey building; rather consisted of nine Rajendra Lal Mitra says, nobody would neither separate single enclosures. He also stated that, store the explosives in a floor below the kitchen probably the translators misunderstood the nor locate his court in a floor just above it; the Persian word “Ashianah” and made a mistake. King must have taken precautions for diverting However, later he corrected his mistake and said, the smoke ensuing from the kitchen away from referring to Abul Fazl’s description, “there seems the court. Or, it might have been the case that the little doubt that this description was furnished by King’s kitchen used only smokeless charcoal as someone who knew the place” and “I see no fuel for cooking food. Or, the kitchen hearths and reason for doubting the correctness of the the King’s Court might not be lying on the same description xxx.” 17 vertical axis. Again as per the usual practice, Rajendra Lal Mitra writes in 1868 specifically the explosives and the stock of raw regarding the nine-storey building – “To me the gunpowder might have been stored not inside the description appeared on the face of it to be palace but in a well-guarded and smaller separate incorrect.” 18 He rejects the idea stating a silly building at a safe spot inside the fort. reason that no sensible person would build a nine- storey palace and locate his artillery and guards William Wilson Hunter has just quoted the in the second storey of his residence or his kitchen description of Stirling with the additional statement just under his public reception rooms. He also that when he visited the fort many of the structural thinks it was a mistake of the translators, as Abul elements, like the boundary wall, ruins of the 20 Fazl wrote Mukunda Deva built nine “Ashianahs” buildings, etc. were already missing from the site. and Ashianah in Persian means a hut. So these According to Pandit Krupasindhu were like nine huts or nine single-storey Mishra, as stated in his Odia book “Barabati enclosures. However, Francis Gladwin, the Durga,” had the palace been nine single-storeyed translator of Ain-i-Akbari, was a famous scholar buildings lying horizontally adjacent to each other

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 51 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review the King, as he was sleeping in the ninth chamber, He further stated, “The citadel had nine courts must have been sleeping in a building located at one inside the other, and the innermost two were one of the extreme ends depending on from which reserved for the royal house-hold, side you start counting the buildings. However, xxxxxxx...... xxx.” 24 as the middle chamber usually is considered the However, these are very wrong most secured one, the King would have had, in assumptions as the moat and the nine enclosures this case, chosen to sleep there and not at the were not constructed at the same time. There was outermost chamber at one of the extreme ends of a difference in time of more than three centuries the complex letting his servants and doorkeepers between the construction of the moat and that of to live in the safest central or inner buildings. the palace of Mukunda Deva. Secondly, the soil Again, according to Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra, excavated from the moat had many other uses ‘Ashiana’ here cannot mean a hut as very often such as for construction and strengthening of people modestly name their huge building as boundary walls, bastions, watch towers and the ‘Kutira’ or a hut or ‘Ashiana’ which does not mean other buildings. Considering the circular structure, a hut, i.e., by its literal meaning. Hence, Rajendra no forts in Odisha are circular in construction. They Lal Mitra’s opinion is just an assumption whereas are usually square, rectangular and a very few Abul Fazl’s opinion is the truth as he was an are of star and irregular shapes. Again, considering eyewitness. An assumption cannot be truer than the statement of “The citadel had nine courts one the truth. Again the two independent translations inside the other...xxx..,” the courts constructed of Ain-i-Akbari were made by two very vertically one above the other with successive responsible and important persons of the time and reduction in floor area can also be termed as one hence there is least possibility of any mistake to inside or within its respective court. have crept there in. 21 Harekrushna Mahtab is also not in favour According to Sushil De the Nabatal of the existence of a nine-storey building. (nine-storey) palace was in fact a structure having nine courts standing on platforms of increasing Now let me consider the facts one by one heights, the ninth one being at the highest level.22 and enumerate the reasons for my opinion in favour of the existence of a nine- storey palace. He further states on the same page in continuation of the above statement, “The courts 01. As Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra says, at were probably in the form of concentric circles, the time Barabati Fort was built, Odisha was very outermost being the largest and lowest and the wealthy and at its peak in all spheres like literature, innermost being the smallest and highest in area art, sculpture, trade, commerce and valour. As and altitude respectively.” 23 In support of the stated by Al- Badaoni, the 16th century historian above statement he cites, “Maulavi Shamsuddin in Akbar’s Court, “The Rajah of Orissa Ahmed who published fragmentary inscription (Mukunda Deva) was maintained distinguished found on the fort of Barabati and wrote that, the for his army and military pomp.” Thus Mukunda fort was built by Mukunda Deva who erected it Deva managed the splendour of his court and on the site for its strategic position for defence administration effectively. “He was a great king in against the inroads of the neighbouring powers. both war and peace.” 25 Again during this period,

52 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 the mind-set of Odia people was to build temples, one compact area in the form of a multi-storey monuments and citadels of huge size with unique building at the safest spot inside the fort, that is, and elaborate decorations. Considering all these towards the riverside inside the fort boundary. W. factors it is presumed that they might not have W. Hunter quoting from the letter of a British built an ordinary structure especially inside a fort soldier has also mentioned about the presence of like Barabati and for a King like Mukunda Deva. double ditches at certain strategic points around It must have been unique, huge, strong and the fort. 27 beautiful in appearance to attract the attention of 04. Some scholars also argue that Mukunda people like Abul Fazl, Bruton, Cartwright and Deva died pre-maturely in 1568 AD in the battle Motte. In fact, as stated by C. R. Wilson, Bruton’s with the Muslims and within such a short period own verdict about the palace of Mukunda Deva of his rule he could not have been able to build was “xxxxxx the palace of the nabob be so large such a huge nine-storey palace in 1560. Mukunda in extent, and so magnificent in structure, Deva ascended the throne of Odisha in 1551 AD. xxxxxx”26 which speaks for itself regarding the He ruled till 1568 AD, that is, for 17 years. appearance of the structure, that is, the palace of According to K. C. Panigrahi’s ‘History of Mukunda Deva. Odisha’ Mukunda Deva started to rule in 1560. 02. Odia engineers and architects of the time Before he was also a confidante of Govinda did have the technology and skill to build a nine- Vidyadhara and was put in charge of Barabati storey building as they were already building huge Fort for some time, according to K. C. Panigrahi’s temples having ten vertical sections. The same ‘History of Orissa’ from 1942 AD to 1949 AD. principle could have been used in a little modified Though he ruled during a very troublesome period form to build the palace. At the time, buildings of of Odisha and four to five of his initial years of five and seven storeys existed at different places rule were spent in crushing the internal turmoil, I in India. It is also said that inside Nalanda campus, presume, duration of seven to eight years was the famous medieval university of India, existed a adequate for him to build the palace in 1560 AD. nine-storey library building which was destroyed Again, he was also ruling in the southern territory by Bakhtiar Khilji in 1234–1236 AD. during the reign of Prataprudra Deva and was 03. The citadel inside a fort is always built at assisting successfully the King in all his military the most secured area of the fort. After the use of expeditions to South India. Because of his gunpowder and cannons in battles the forts all courage and valour he rose to the position of a over the word were modified by widening the moat General in the army of Odisha. He might have or digging a second moat at vulnerable positions started construction of the palace, for safety around the fort, re-designing the boundary walls, reasons, during the period he was the caretaker and moving all the important structures or buildings of Barabati Fort and completed it after he inside the fort to safe spots lying beyond the range occupied the throne. Additionally, he was a very of cannon balls of the enemy fired from outside. popular ruler. When, in 13th century AD a 230 Since the enclosed area inside Barabati Fort was feet high and profusely decorated temple like the not that large, Mukunda Deva might have been Sun Temple at Konark, having ten vertical compelled to locate all his strategic structures in sections, could be built in the gorge of a turbulent

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 53 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review river within a period of 16 years, it does not seem floor indicate that a palace was built 100 to 200 to have been impossible for Mukunda Deva, years after the temple was destroyed. It is considering his stature, to build a 100 to 120 foot revealed on excavation that the pillars which seem high palace having nine storeys on a plane land in to have supporting a huge structure were built over seven to eight year period in 16th century AD. an equally strong older foundation. In medieval 05. Some also argue that, had there been such period usually the foundation of a tall structure a huge nine-storey palace at least some trace of it like a temple was constructed with one third of would have been found there. However, there is the height of its super structure buried under the neither any trace of the nine-storey building found ground. Hence, if the foundation of the palace nor that of the nine independent single-storey excavated by Archaeological Survey of India interconnected enclosures. The reason for it, as together with the older foundation beneath it is at stated earlier, is that neither the Marathas nor the least 35 feet to 40 feet deep then it must have British ever attempted to carry out any repair or been supporting a huge building. maintenance work on the fort; rather they However, according to Vastu Shastra the damaged it further and further with repeated King’s residential palace is always placed at the attacks, and carried out undesired excavations south-west region of the enclosed space. to procure building materials and to hunt for hidden-treasure within the fort campus and the 08. Again, no foundation has yet been moat in multiple occasions till the structure discovered on excavation that supports the completely vanished. existence of nine single-storey courts or enclosures of King Mukunda Deva, as described 06. As said earlier, in place of ‘hut,’ if the by Rajendra Lal Mitra and others, that was laid meaning of the Persian word ‘Asianah’ is taken as ‘layer’ it perfectly fits the purpose of establishing parallel to each other and a garden-space lying in the nine-storeyed building. Both the meanings between each of them. have been stated by Rajendra Lal Mitra. 09. Most likely, the large rectangular Contradicting the statement made by Sushil De foundation seen towards the riverside inside the Jadunath Sarkar says, “The Persian text has fort, that is now presumed by many to have once Asianah, which means rest, perch or lofty seat, been a watch tower constructed on it, was a part and cannot be taken to mean Paras, or wards of the main building rising along with it up to the lying side by side.” 28 However, he did not fifth floor where space was much required and completely support the palace of Mukunda Deva then rising independently from the sixth to the ninth to have been a nine-storey building made of stone. floor successively decreasing in floor area 07. Though some scholars do not think that depending on the demand by the activity it was there was a nine-storey palace inside the fort of being used for. Barabati, from the findings on excavation of the When the Odias were at their peak in fort area by the Archaeological Survey of India, every field like art, craft, literature, sculpture, it is clear that the fort had a huge building inside it. culture, commerce, trade, architecture, science The ruins of the pillars found in the eastern and engineering, etc. and they were building only corridor resting on the ruined temple and a laterite huge and beautiful structures unique in nature

54 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER - 2020 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 throughout the kingdom, why Mukunda Deva 14. Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab – “History of Orissa” would have not built a huge nine-storey building – Page 348 for himself, that too, inside a fort like Barabati? 15. Sushil De – “Orissa Historical Research Journal, Volume - VI, Part – I – Page 53 So from all that we know from the 16. Sushil De – “Orissa Historical Research Journal, discussion till now it is inferred that it is quite Volume - VI, Part – I – Page 53 possible and strongly felt that there was a nine- 17. James Fergusson – “History of Indian and storey palace inside the fort of Barabati which Eastern Architecture” – Volume – II – Page 48 – was built by King Mukunda Deva in 1560 AD. 49 18. Dr. Rajendra Lal Mitra – “Antiquities of Orissa” References: – Volume II – Page 164 01. Abul Fazl – “Ain-i-Akbari” – Vol. II – Translation: 19. Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra – Odia Book Francis Gladwin – Page 13 “Barabati Durga” – Chapter IV 02. Abul Fazl – “Ain-i-Akbari” – Vol. II – Translation: 20. W. W. Hunter – “Statistical Account of Bengal, Colonel H. S. Jarrett –Page 127 Volume XVIII (Cuttack)” – Page 83- 84 03. C. R. Wilson – “Early Annals of the English in 21. Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra – Odia Book Bengal” – Volume I - Page 7 “Barabati Durga” – Chapter IV 04. John Murray – “Historical Account of 22. Sushil De – “Orissa Historical Research Journal, Discoveries and Travel” – Volume II – Page 161 Volume - VI, Part – I – Page 53 05. C. R. Wilson – “Early Annals of the English in 23. Sushil De – “Orissa Historical Research Journal, Bengal” – Volume I - Page 7 Volume - VI, Part – I – Page 53 06. Thomas Motte – “Asiatic Annual Register, 24. Sushil De – “Orissa Historical Research Journal, Volume I (1799)” – “Miscellaneous Tracts” – Volume - VI, Part – I – Page 53 Page 61 25. Mahesh Shantaram – “Top 14 Things to Know 07. Andrew Stirling – “Orissa: Its Geography, About History of Orissa” – Statistics, History, Religion, And Antiquities” historydiscussions.net/historyoforissa 08. James Fergusson – “History of Indian and 26. C. R. Wilson – “Early Annals of the English in Eastern Architecture” – Volume – II – Page 112 Bengal” – Volume - I – Page 13 – 113 27. Rajendra Lal Mitra – “Antiquities of Orissa – 09. James Fergusson – “History of Indian and Volume II” – Page 164 Eastern Architecture” – Volume – II – Page 48 – 28. Jadunath Sarkar – ‘Barabati’ – “Orissa Historical 49 Research Journal,” – Volume VI – Part I – Page 10. Dr. Rajendra Lal Mitra – “Antiquities of Orissa” 52 – Volume II – Page 164 11. William Wilson Hunter – “Statistical Account of Bengal, Volume XVIII (Cuttack)” – Page 83- 84 12. Manmohan Ganguli – “Orissa Review - Orissa Monument Special, 1949” – Page 14 13. Jadunath Sarkar – ‘Barabati’ – “Orissa Historical Sudhansu Sekhar Rath, 62 Som Vihar, Saleswar, Research Journal,” – Volume VI – Part I – Page P.O. Jayapur, Bhubaneswar – 752101, Email: 52 [email protected].

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