It is believed that the Qutb Shahi dynasty had received hostile attention, due to its connection to Shambhuji and believed “Hindu influence,” which the emperor took offence to. To add salt to the injury, a letter sent by Abul Hasan (the then-sultan) to his officer in the Mughal camp was intercepted, in which Aurangzeb was referred to as a “mean-minded coward”.
This was enough to infuriate the fragile ego of Aurangzeb who immediately sent Prince Shah of Alam to attack Hyderabad. This effort, however, was met with resistance.
Attack after attack was blocked, and the fort held out for around eight months.
Eventually, it was treason which gave Aurangzeb control of the fort. Abul Hasan’s army was bribed with the offer of money, and the gates were thrown open to attack. Only one soldier, named Abdur Razzaq Lari, refused his offer of money and fought valiantly in defence of the fort. He sustained as many as 70 wounds to his person and is believed to have survived.
4. The Amazing Acoustics
Almost every tourist who enters the fort, claps. Why? Simply because one clap is all it takes to discover the wonder of the acoustics.
A clap inside the grand portico under the dome can be heard in the Bala Hisar pavilion, almost one kilometre away!
It is the carefully constructed arches within the walls that are the secret to the astonishing acoustics housed in the fort. The architects of Golconda are believed to have created it so that an army chief could listen to what his sentries were doing.
Materials that were known for their sound reflection properties were blended into the material that went into the walls, which can be seen in the echoes today. For example, according to a report by The Hindu, a stamp on one of the black stones in the prayer hall creates seven distinct echoes!
5. Secret underground passages, water systems, and more!
It is rumoured that there is a secret underground passage which connects the durbar halls from the top to one of the palaces at the bottom of the hill. It was meant as an escape route for the royals, but it has not been found till date.
The queens of yore believed that looking into a mirror could increase the dark spots on one’s face, so instead of mirrors, the fort was equipped with water pits, from which they could see their reflection.
The security measures of the fort are also impeccable. The entry gate was purposely kept slightly narrow so that if an army were to attack, an elephant would be unable to hit the door directly. Even if the wall was breached, there was a cannon placed at the entrance which would expel hot oil on enemies, as an added security measure.
During the hot summer months, ventilation was such that the hot winds of summer would turn cool. The mechanism used a water tank, which would cool the breeze.
Today, the Golconda Fort which stands on a granite hill in Hyderabad is just a shadow of its former beauty. Even then, just a walk through its hallowed halls, and not one person can deny the brilliance of the structure.
One has to wonder, how breathtaking was Golconda Fort in its heyday? What other secrets do these walls hold? Maybe, time will tell.