In Jalgaon district, there are very few forts which can be counted on one’s fingers. Bahadarpur fort is one such fort. Prior to 1906, the present two districts of Jalgaon and Dhule were one and the same Khandesh district. Bahadarpur fort was supplying supplies to the fort at Parola and Amalner. Bahadarpur fort is divided into two parts, Nagarkot and citadel. The citadel stands on a 50 feet high hill in the fort. The length of this square citadel is 250 x 150 feet and the area of the fort is about one acre. There are four circular bastions on each side of the ramparts and one of the large 40 feet tall bastion is covered with trees from the inside and is thus weakened. The fort near village is covered by encroachment. Due to lack of maintenance of the fort, locals still use the fort as a toilet. On the right side of the Bori river basin, you can see the 250 feet long rampart of the fort and its two bastions. ... The height of the ramparts is 20 feet from the river bed and one of the bastions is about 40 feet high. The second bastion remains up to the ramparts and there is a tomb on this bastion. The Persian language inscription on the fort is kept in the Gram Panchayat. The condition of the fort has deteriorated due to the ignorance of the locals. The fortifications and bastions built on one side of the village to strengthen the natural defenses of the Bori river basin are still visible today. The rest of the city was fortified with gates, ramparts, and bastions. A tour of the village reveals the remains of a fort and a mansion in many places. The villagers say that the village was fortified on all four sides and had gates in ramparts. This crumbling wall can still be seen in many places today. cannonballs can be seen outside many houses in the village. Outside the village, there is another 700 x 300 feet long structure fortified on all four sides. There is a mosque in this structure made out of stone and also three beautiful stone structures. There are five tombs in one structure and two tombs in the other. Beneath these three structures are basements. From the overall construction, it seems that these should be tombs of important people of some dynasty. This place reminds us of Alibag's Angre family's “Chatribaug”. You must see this place while visiting Bahadarpur Fort. Very little information is available about the fort. The fort was built in 1596 by Bahadur Khan Suri. In 1751, a battle took place between Nanasaheb Peshwa and Gaikwad at Bahadarpur on the banks of river Bori. In 1818, before attacking Amalner fort British Colonel Huskinson first captured bahadapur fort from the Peshwa to block the supply from this fort to amalner fort.
© Suresh Nimbalkar