MUMTAZ MEHAL’S ROHTAS By Chander P Mahajan From Dehri-on-Sone (Bihar), it takes me about an hour to reach foot of hill over which is Rohtas fort, situated at about 1500 ft. above sea level. At the end of the climb of umpteen lime stone steps, probably meant for elephants, I reach a dilapidated gate with a Cupola after one and a half hours, on the boundary wall which is one of the gates for entry to the fort. Here is Shaukat Ali Niazi in his traditional dress holding a tall bamboo batten with an olive head, to greet me. He lives in a village in the vicinity. From here, one has to walk about a mile before the remains of the fort can be seen. Shaukat guides & narrates the story of the fort by bits and ends. The Hindu kings of Rohtas constructed a road through the jungle leading from the foot hill to the plateau, did the fortifications on the jungle roads and the four gates on the four ghats. The main fortifications at the Raja Ghat and the Katauthiya Ghat can still be seen. In 1539 A.D., the fort Rohtas passed out of the hands of the Hindu kings into those of Sher Shah Suri who was desperate to gain a foothold for himself having lost the fort at Chunar to Humayun. Sher Shah requested the ruler of Rohtas that he wanted to leave his children and treasure in the safety of the fort, while he was away fighting in Bengal. The king agreed and the first few palanquins had women and children.
But the later ones contained fierce soldiers, who captured Rohtas by ruse and forced the Hindu King to flee. During Sher Shah’s Reign 10000- armed men guarded the fort.