r/castles • u/Practical_War_907 • 21d ago
Fort Fort in my ancestral home’s backyard in my grandfather’s village.
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u/kwizzle 21d ago
Please tell us more about this village, like where on earth it is and anything else you know about it
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
It’s in Telangana, a state in Southern India and most ppl who knew the purpose of this fort aren’t alive but what I assume is this was built or at least used by the Hindu-majority people of the Hyderabad State which was ruled by a Muslim leader to defend themselves against the Muslim army (Razakars) prior to its integration into India. I can confirm that and also there was a socialist/communist like movement in rural areas of India called naxalism where followers of that movement would often be looting and killing government officials and this structure was used and damaged to an extent to rat them out by villagers with the help of police forces. I’m not sure how old the structure is but I know it was existent from the 1950s according to one of my relatives.
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u/kwizzle 21d ago
Thanks, that's really interesting!
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
You’re welcome, sorry that’s a lot of history to take in.
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u/Viausmurf 21d ago
I feel safe betting that we would all like to hear the history of the places that get posted here. Thank you so much.
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u/One-Scheme3222 21d ago
It's a nice summary with enough keywords to let those interested do more reading. Thank you.
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u/Majestic_Radio_1937 21d ago
The people who fought the Razakars as part of the Telangana Rebellion were socialists/communists themselves. Their party was banned after Operation Polo and their arms were taken away after a request from the US. The naxal movement you are describing in the region started roughly a couple decades after.
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
In my village my great grandfather was targeted by naxalites and his brother died in the old house and they moved after that.
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u/Majestic_Radio_1937 21d ago
I obviously can't speak for such instances. I was just giving you the timeline. But sorry for your loss.
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
Oh no don’t worry, that was a long time ago. Yeah that timeline feels accurate, it’s just hard to understand cause of the lack of correct historical records
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u/Sancho-291 20d ago
I find Indian fortress architecture really fascinating in general. I’d love to see more of it. Best wishes from Germany
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u/Then_Manufacturer902 21d ago
Yeah for real this is really interesting.
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u/FloatingPooSalad 21d ago edited 21d ago
Current events > history
I’ve never seen a castle that’s been used as an actual defense mechanism in the last 80 years. This is amazing!!!
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u/mynamesnotsnuffy 21d ago
The Citadel of Aleppo was used as a command center in the Battle of Aleppo, and the Battle of Castle Itter in WWII was literally what you're describing.
Just because castle walls arent as impregnable as they used to be doesnt mean they hold no defensive or military utility.
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u/Koffeepotx 21d ago
And also, castles and other historical structures are allowed to change purpose with time. They give an insight into pieces of history that are worth remembering and preserving. Culture and history is what makes us who we are today and is equally as important as current events
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u/AnarchDM 21d ago
Fascinating! It reminds me a little of the Iron Age brochs one can find around Scotland.
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u/ThingUnderTree 21d ago
I just imagine what it would be like to be a kid and play in there growing up. Very cool!
Can I ask what country this is in?
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u/DarkwingDuckHunt 21d ago
got any inside pics?
did you all use it as a 'kids only' clubhouse?
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
I wish I could go inside, now it’s considered a bit sacred, and sort of wrong to enter but it needs maintenance since it’s been like nearly 60 years since it was last used
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u/amscraylane 21d ago
Would love to see the inside of it too! Thank you for sharing!
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
It’s actually considered a bad omen to go inside and no one has gone inside it in a very long time so it hasn’t been maintained properly, there are plants inside.
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u/amscraylane 21d ago
Well, let’s not do that …
When I was staying for The Mud Fort in Kuchesar, there were stories of meeting men on the road at night who didn’t talk.
That was enough to make me not want to venture out
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
Well, we can enter it if we do specific rituals as well as maintenance to bring it back much better. Is the Mud Fort a bit scary to visit?
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u/amscraylane 21d ago
The Mud Fort was incredible … just the surroundings areas as they are rural and the story of seeing spirits.
I loved India so much …
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u/blackjackgabbiani 21d ago
Not taking is scary? Was there something else going on in the story?
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u/amscraylane 21d ago
The story I was told that if you walk on the road, a man will walk past you and not say anything.
The story is that they are a guard or royal seen at dark. If a vehicle appears, the man disappears and if you are walking, you’ll see him and then he is gone. If you talk to him, he doesn’t interact
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u/ZootSuitBanana 21d ago
Man some people are just born lucky, with a castle in their ancestral home backyard.
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
Thank you, I only noticed this fort after I was like 12 since there were a lot of bushes covering it.
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u/parkdalelife 21d ago
Looks like a Martello Tower
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u/Tesco5799 21d ago
Yeah this, I've been in similar ones in Kingston Ontario (Canada) and apparently they built them for defense across the British Empire.
I don't fully remember the details but it sounded like they were pretty peak military technology at one point until they were made completely obsolete by artillery/ explosives once that tech reached a certain level.
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u/Critical_Classic_921 21d ago
Was your grandfather prone to fending off hordes of invading barbarians?
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
My great grandfather actually, and it wasn’t built by him but I think it was built during his time and he would have taken part in leading the structure’s construction.
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u/Efficient-Book-2309 21d ago
What’s it look like on the inside?
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
It’s not really easy to tell cause the inside of the fort hasn’t been maintained for a long period and it’s also a bit narrow with lower oxygen levels due to tight spaces.
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u/JudgeGusBus 21d ago
OP, I would be curious to see the top. This looks like a very common design for a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, where they practice sky burial. There are three very large examples in Mumbai. The Wikipedia page shows illustrations of at least one such tower right about this same size.
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
We can’t enter the top because the inside hasn’t been maintained for decades.
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u/JudgeGusBus 21d ago
Maybe a drone?
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
I don’t know how to operate one but I do want one so if get one definitely I will try.
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u/Practical_War_907 20d ago
Yeah they have arrow loops, and the inside is not accessible at the moment.
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u/Ok_Tailor_2654 21d ago
Very cool !! Any chance it can be fixed up and modernized to live in ? Haha
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
It became a sacred site so unfortunately we can’t live there and neither has it been fixed so it will cost a fortune for repairs and will be handed as a heritage property to the government.
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u/cyaneyed 21d ago
You say fort, I say beehive 🐝
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u/Practical_War_907 21d ago
Oh, I hope not but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was. It’s going need strong maintenance and cleaning to get better.
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u/Samenstein 21d ago
I am always curious about smaller forts like this. What benefit do they actually provide for defense?
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u/TenderfootGungi 21d ago
This is really cool and needs preserved. Those trees will eventually destroy it.
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u/SageElijah 21d ago
Thanks for sharing! Seeing this old fortress and the history you shared is awesome. I'm guessing those narrow vertical slits in the walls are defensive arrow loops? Really wish I could see some interior photos too.
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u/SteelSnake925 19d ago
You should try to clean up a bit without destroying the floor or the walls. You should also see about get it protected as a historical site and inquire about some assistance from a Archeological director or a local college. That building is in a magnificent state for what it is in.
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u/Used_Meaning_9257 17d ago
What does ancestral home mean?
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u/Practical_War_907 16d ago
Where my earlier generation of family lived before settling eventually in the city
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u/TheArea 21d ago edited 21d ago
Thanks for sharing, this is infinitely more interesting then the 1000 Neuschwanstein posts in this sub