Written by: Dr. Saba Noor
Posted on: September 28, 2020 | 
| 中文
Approaching Naukot Fort
Hidden away from the major cities of Sindh, one can find remnants of ancient kingdoms and rulers, who battled for power and control of the province before the British took control in 1843 CE. One such relic is the fascinating and enigmatic Naukot Fort, which marks the passageway into the vast and mysterious Thar Desert. Located 63km outside the city of Mirpurkhas and 150km away from the city of Hyderabad, the Fort and the town of the same name which surrounds it, means “New City” in the local vernacular. However, contrary to its name, the Fort and its creators have a long history that is of immense interest to history buffs and tourists.
Naukot Fort was built under the command of Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur, one of the founders of the Talpur dynasty, in 1814 CE. Although the Talpur rulers built several forts in the Thar Desert (such as Islamkot, Singaro and the Mithi Forts), none compare to Naukot in size and grandeur. The Talpurs were a Baloch tribe who arrived in Sindh in 1680 CE, but did not gain power until 1775, four generations later. Although they initially worked alongside the ruling Kalhora dynasty, the death of several Talpurs leaders by Kalhoras lead to the historic Battle of Halani in 1743 CE, which marked the beginning of Talpur rule in Sindh.
As opposed to being seen as alien invaders like the Arabs earlier or the British later, the Talpurs are associated with unifying the scattered kingdoms of Sindh. They are remembered as patrons of art and literature, and also some of the first people to record the Sindhi language.
The Arched Gateway and A Barrack Room
Historians found that Talpurs were not as prone to brutality and fratricide as the Mughals and Kalhoras. According to Mr. Manzoor Kureshi, the Talpurs treated Sindh as their personal fief, to be divided amongst various branches of their families to ensure peace and tranquility in the kingdom. He backed up this statement by noting that while the Kalhoras faced 81 uprisings in their 80 years of rule, the Talpurs only experienced two in their 60 years of rule. For instance, by establishing Naukot Fort as his stronghold, Mir Karam Ali consolidated his power in the desert, ensured agriculture tax collection in the area, and guarded it against the sudden attack of the Rajputs.
Though the fort is bare and not very large, compared to other forts in Pakistan, it is still quite a sight to behold. Less than a kilometer long, it was uniquely built with burnt bricks in mud mortar, as opposed to traditional materials like iron and wood. It is surrounded by nine semi-circular bulwarks, two of them guarding the arched entrance that is 7 meters tall, four at the corners and one each in the middle of the northern, southern and western walls.
A Fort Bulwark
Inside the fort are the remains of a few rooms, which some have suggested were barracks or residential quarters. There is also a large courtyard which served as a royal court in the Talpur era, around which a number of rooms are scattered. There is also a smaller room, which may have been a dungeon or ammunition storage, but historians are unsure. One can usually find a tour guide near the entrance, who can take visitors on a tour from the quarters at the bottom to the very top of the Fort. These guides are often from the nearby towns, and are great sources of the oral histories which surround the Talpur Kings and Thar region.
The Courtyard
Since the weather in the Tharparkar district is very extreme, exceeding 45 °C in the summers and dropping below 10°C during winters, the best time to visit this area is just after the annual rains during September, when parts of the desert become fertile and colorful. Naukot Fort becomes something of a tourist attraction after rain, as one can see a panoramic view of the rich and changing landscape of the Thar desert from its top. Tourists and families from nearby areas often visit Naukot during these cooler months, walking through the still-intact structure and trying to imagine what the Fort was like during the 19th Century.
The View from the Top
In recent times, the Fort has been under the control of the Department of Culture of the Provincial Sindh Government as a protected monument. In July 2011, it experienced large-scale destruction due to heavy rains that eroded its mud walls. By the end of the rainy season, the outer wall and entrance gate completely collapsed. In 2012, the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) was set up for the preservation of historical and cultural monuments in Sindh, and they especially focused on restoring the Fort. While most of the damage seen in 2011 has been repaired, EFT is still dealing with restoring some older sections of the Fort, such as the merlons and elephant-proof gates, and preventing water accumulation inside the fort walls. They have repeatedly appealed to the local government for funds, but not much progress has been made post-2015.
Places like Naukot Fort are not just unique and interesting tourist sites, but are also useful to understanding the priorities of those who built them. Researching and documenting pre-colonial Sindhi dynasties is as important for preserving Sindhi culture, as is the conservation of heritage sites. It is the responsibility of the Sindh Government to ensure that these vital parts of our past, be they tangible monuments or intangible information and oral histories, should not be lost in time due to negligence and poor planning.
A Restored Wall
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