Narnala
Narnala Fort or Narnala Qila Sarkar, also known as Shahnoor Fort, is a hill fortress in the Satpura Range of Vidarbh, Maharashtra, India, named after the Rajput Solanki Chaulukya Ruler, Raja Narnal Singh, also known as Narnal Singh Swami.
Later, in the late 17th century, it was under Maratha Empire, controlled by Bhonsle of Nagpur Kingdom and their reliable regent and Sardar, earlier the ruler of Narnala, the Solanki Rajput Qiledar family of Rao Rana mentioned above.The fort was occupied by several Indian dynasties at various times in history — 1) Yadava dynasty 2) Rajgond of Devgarh-Nagpur (around 1400 CE) 3) A Somvanshi Kshatriya Chaulukya Rajput ruler Narnal Singh Swami 4) Bahmani Sultanate (1422–1436) 5) Farooqui dynasty (1437) 6) Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk (1490) 7) Rao Rana Narnal Singh Solanki 8) Burhan Imad Shah, Imad Shahi Dynasty (1572) 9) Ahmadnagar Sultanate 10) Mughals (1597–98) 11) Maratha Empire (1701–1803), Raje Parsoji Bhosale's regent & descendant of the Rao Rana, later known as the Thakur Rajput Qiledar and their descendants, until 1803.
Kunwar Rao Narnal Singh, earned the title 'Rao Rana" becoming "Rana" of the Mahurgad & special rights of the Narnala fort, from Imadshahi Dynasty ruler, son of Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk, ruler of Berar Sultanate a Kannada Hindu, converted to Islam.
His younger brother got special rights of the Narnala fort, by Rajgond of Deogarh, later continued by son of Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk.
After the fall of Gonds, they were invited to join Marathas by Raja Bahadur Bhonsle of Nagpur who discovered this family to be of great valour and experienced in Narnala and surrounding forts.
A younger brother of the then Qiledar Thakurrao Rana (Sarpatil-Deshmukh), shifted his capital to from Malkapur to Nadgaon, dividing the family in two parts.
Occupied since at least the Khalji dynasty, the fort is well known for the Muslim saint Burhanuddin, "Bagh Sawar Wali", and it is said that many white tigers were seen with him at that time.
Climate of Narnala fort is classified as Humid subtropical as per Köppen-Geiger climate classification with mild to cool winters (November to March), wet Monsoon season (June to October) and hot long summer (March to June).
The first fortifications, according to local legend, were made by Narendrapal or Narnal Singh Swami, a descendant of the Somvanshi Kshatriya Pandavas and at the time Emperor of Hastinapur, a branch from Somvanshi Kshatriya Chalukya ruler of Ayodhya, whose descendant "Rao Rana Narnal Singh", later in early 16th century ruled Narnala for some years.
[3] In 1487, Narnala along with Gawilgarh came under the control of Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk, the founder of Imad Shahi dynasty at Ellichpur (or Achalpur).
He appointed some regents to rule different parts and forts of the empire, for e.g. Rao Rana Narnal Singh Solanki as Governor of Narnala and sometimes Gawilgad.
In 1597–98, the fort was captured by Akbar's officers, Saiyid Yusuf Khan Mashhad and Shaikh Abul Fazl, and renamed Shanur.
Ahmad Shah Bahmani got the fort repaired in around 1425, when he constructed Gavilgad with a view to obstructing the invaders from the north frontier of his kingdom.
The path passes two other strong gateways and one slighter one before entering the heart of the fort, and climbs meanwhile to the uppermost glials.
After his expedition across the Gangetic plains in 1017, of Al-Biruni to compose his Tarikh Al-Hind in order to understand the Indians and their beliefs.
It is decorated with conventional lotus flowers, a rich cornice, and later flourished with Arabic inscriptions, and flanked by projecting balconies with panels of stone lattice-work displaying considerable variety of design.
[6] An inscription records the fact that the gate was built in the reign of Shahab-ud-din Mahmud Shah (Bahmani) by Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk in 1486.
The fort still display " Ashtakamal" eight petals Lotus which was the symbol of Narnal Singh's Solanki dynasty Goddess Khimaj or Mahalaxmi.
Hence it is evident that Islamic rulers made changes in Narnal Singh's original architectural construction and converted the place in Mughal/Islamic form.
