The first time that I read about Daud Khan was when I was writing a blog about Palamu Fort many years back. Back then I wanted to see the Daud Khan Fort in Aurangabad, Bihar but that wish took time, and finally, around eight years later I was here in Aurangabad at Daudnagar where one can still see the remains of his fort.
How To Visit Daud Khan Fort
The remains or rather I should say ruins of the fort can be seen at Daudnagar a place that was named after him. Daudnagar is located between Sasaram and Aurangabad, the north between the two towns following the course of the river Sone.
Since I was based out of Sasaram for this trip I traveled in a rental car covering Daudnagar along with other tourist places around Sasaram.
If you are coming by train then I would suggest Sasaram Junction because there are other tourist attractions in Sasaram which you can visit. The nearest airport will be Gaya.
This fort is well-pointed on a map and can be easily navigated by using a mobile device. Do keep in mind to use the widest road available to approach the fort. The fort is located within a densely populated locality and some lanes are extremely narrow so it is advisable to follow the path which I have attached at the end of the blog post.
Short History Of Daud Khan Panni
His name was Daud and his ancestors were from Afghanistan and belonged to the Panni Pashtun tribe. Khan was usually a title conferred to someone for their bravery thus the name “Daud Khan Panni”.
If you see the history Daud Khan has served many Mughal rulers starting from Dara Shikoh then Aurangzeb and finally Bahadur Shah. He died while the empire was headed by a puppet ruler (Farrukhsiyar)
1659 Daud Khan was appointed the Subedar of Patna a role which he had till 1664.
His first major claim to fame was the victory over the Chero kings. For many years the Palamu region of Bihar was not in full control of the Mughals on top of that the Chero kings had defaulted on the annual tax that they owed to the Mughal rulers. To sort this once in for all Aurangzeb ordered Daud Khan to march towards Palamu. In 1661 Daud Khan on the orders of Aurangzeb defeated the Chero king finally bringing this region into full control of the empire.
Aurangzeb gifted the areas in and around Daudnagar in Aurangabad to Daud Khan for his successful mission to Palamu. Daud Kahn started the construction of the fort at Daudnagar in the year 1663 and was completed in 1673. It is to be noted here that by the time the fort was completed, Daud Khan had already moved to southern India.
In 1702 when he was the Faujdar of Hyderabad and Karnatik, Aurangzeb had ordered to blockade of Fort St. George when belonged to the East India Company in Madras demanding additional taxes/revenue. He had laid siege to the fort for three months.
During 1713 – 1715 Daud Khan was appointed the viceroy of Gujarat with his death finally coming to him on 6th September 1715. He was killed by Hussain Ali Khan in Burhapur during a battle.
What To See At Daud Khan Fort?
The very first impression was how small the size of the fort was and the second impression was how little remains of the original fort. Visually what can be seen now are only the boundary walls, two main entry gates on each side, the canopy structures (watch towers) on the four corners of the boundary wall, some room-like sections (stable) within the boundary wall, and the only big structure that can be seen is the small building at the center.
A close look at this building at the center will surely make you realize that this must have been a mosque. The rooms within the ruins can surely be made up and especially the top tomb-like structures on the roof will give clues to the structure.
There are no written records as to whether Daud Khan used to stay here or just had built this small fortress with a mosque since the town was named after him (Daudnagar).
The sad part is that there is hardly any maintenance of this monument. The southeastern corner of the fort wall has turned into a garbage dump and the local municipal authorities have also placed a large blue garbage vat out here making this into somewhat an official dump yard. The western gate is somewhat in a better position than its eastern counterpart.
On seeing us the locals approached us thinking of us as government officials and requesting us to inform the authorities to assign some funds for the maintenance of this place. I was a bit annoyed and in turn, told the locals that they first needed to take care of this precious piece of history. They need to ensure the unauthorized encroachments and the removal of garbage from the premises.
This open field around the mosque ruins has become a playground for the local kids and a grazing ground for the bovines.
Location Of Daud Khan Fort On Map
I travelled to Sasaram as a part of Wiki Loves Monuments documenting the various historical places in the state of Bihar.
Resources
The Mughal Empire by John F Richards
Journal of The Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol-73
The Indian Empire by Robert Montgomery Martin
Bihar Tourism
Jagran
Dainik Bhaskar
Other Blogs On Bihar
Rohtasgarh Fort – Sasaram
Kumhrar Excavation Heritage Park
Places To Visit Around Bodhgaya
Golghar – Patna
Barabar Caves – Day Trip
Dungeshwari – Mahakala Cave Bodhgaya