Unearthing
Bala-Hissar: Peshawar’s Fortified Jewel through the Ages
The fort of Bala-Hissar in the heart of the old city in Peshawar
was used as the fortified royal living quarters for the Durrani kings of
Afghanistan. Ge compound word Bala-Hissar derives from Persian, meaing a
“fortress raised or high post”. Ge name was given by the Afghan Pashtun King
Timur Shah Durrani who ruled Afghanistan from 1773 to 1793 and had it
constructed at the siteof an older fortification.
Bala-Hissar sits on high ground in the northwest corner of Peshawar
city. The primary passage of the fort faces the Grand Trunk (GT) road that
joins Peshawar with Afghanistan and Central Asia in the west and stretches out
towards Pushkalavati (Charsadda), Hund and Taxila towards the east. It is a
heritage site hidden within the city of Peshawar that now serves as the
headquarters of the Frontier Corps of Pakistan.
Bala-Hissar was revamped during Sikh rule and later under the
British Raj. Its fortified quarters cover a territory of around 40,000m2
divided into 10 sections. Ge fortress stands some 28m above ground level. Ge
fort’s royal quarters were located considerably away from the old city of
Peshawar, however the city has spread into the territory and the fort is now
situated at the heart of the expanded city, offering a panoramic view of the
city and the Peshawar valley beyond.
History tells us that it was Mughal King Babur who first
established a stronghold at the fort’s location in 1526 when he conquered the
Peshawar city. Credible historical references reveal how the Afghans decimated
this post after Afghan King Sher Shah Suri forced Mughal Emperor Humayun to
flee to Iran. It was Emperor Humayun who had the fortification reconstructed
prior to his bid to conquer Kabul. He needed the fortifications at Peshawar to
wrench back his Indian Empire from the Suri at a later stage.
The fort was decimated yet again in 1834 in a battle for Peshawar
between the Sikhs and the Afghans. Hari Singh Nalwa, the famous general of King
Ranjit Singh of Lahore, had the fort reconstructed and named it Sumergarh. Hari
Singh Nalwa had a plaque fixed over the entrance of the post saying the fort
was built by the revered Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bahadur. When the British Raj
assumed control over Peshawar, they built the external dividers of the
Bala-Hissar in 1849. After Pakistan’s independence in 1947, Bala-Hissar was
turned into the headquarters of the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force
founded during the British Raj in 1948. A ceremonious changing of guard happens
ten minutes before nightfall every day. Gere is a fascinating military gallery
within the Bala-Hissar fort having weapons, garbs, photos and different relics
from the long history of the Frontier Corps.
During October 2015 earthquake, many parts of the fort were damaged
but they were soon rebuilt. The plaque set on the fortress mentions that it is
the most established landmark of Peshawar and is aged some 2000 years.
.Source/credit: https://gandhara.gov.pk/SiteImage/Downloads/Bala%20Hisar%20Fort%20.pdf
https://www.travelmypakistan.com/qila-bala-hissar/ https://www.globalvillagespace.com/fort-balahisar-in-the-walled-city-of-peshawar/