ISLAMNAGAR, BHOPAL

Islamnagar was a Rajput town, called Jagdishpur until taken by an Afgan (Dost Mohammad Khan) in 1715. He founded the Bhopal State with Islamnagar as its capital. Fortifications were built within them are a palace, gardens and a charming village. Islamnagar is 11 km away on the Bhopal- Berasia road. 

Islamnagar was the palace of Bhopal's Afghan rulers and was built by Dost Mohammed Khan. Formal gardens surround the palace and the pavilion. The latter a synthesis of Hindu and Islamic decorative art, has columns lavishly embellished with floral motifs. Other monuments to see are the Hamam of the Chaman Mahal and the double-storied Rani Mahal.

RAMPARTS OF FATEHGARH FORT, BHOPAL, MADHYA PRADESH

Ramparts of Fatehgarh fort, Bhopal was architecture of the fort is largely Indian. (Begums of Bhopal’ by Shaheryar Khan). It is said that the Fatehgarh fort was built by Dost Mohhamad Khan in 1722. (‘The Royal Journey of Bhopal’ by SyedAkhtar Hussain’). Under the pressure of Dost Mohammad Khan to marry him,Rani Kamlapati committed suicide in 1723. (‘Banganga Se Halali’ by NiranjanVerma). There is no evidence of her giving up Bhopal until her death. Dost Mohammad Khan died in 1726.

Queen Kamlapati of Bhopal made the mostfatal mistake of hiring Dost Mohammad Khan for avenging the death of her husband. After killing her enemies, Khan killed her trusted bodyguards and left her with no options, but suicide. After her death, he renamed her fort ‘Fatehgarh’. However he renamed the fort on the name of his wife, a Rajput girl called Fateh Bibi. Fatehgarh Fort is the largest of living heritage sites in Bhopal.

A very large part of the fort is now in use by Kasturba Gandhi Medical College Bhopal. The residential quarters of the fort, including the royal balcony overlooking the upper lake and the city are used as a rest house and fort medical college. The main gate of the fort is adjacent to the Hamidia hospital and is used as a medical store now.

ABOUT BHOPAL

Bhopal (Hindi: भोपाल) is the capital city of one of the states in India called Madhya-Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. The city was the capital of the former Bhopal state. Bhopal is also known as the Lake City (or City of Lakes) for its various natural as well as artificial lakes and is one of the greenest cities in India.

When speaking about Bhopal, a glance on the history of the old city will enlighten anyone a lot. It became 'the capital in 1956', after India's freedom in 1947. 

The origin of the city dates back to the eleventh century when Raja Bhoj founded the ‘Bhojpal City’. However the Bhopal of today was built during the eighteenth century by ‘Dost Mohammed’.