In the heart of Jalna city lies an unfamiliar fort named Mastagad. This fort, absent from lists curated by fort enthusiasts, remains unknown even to many residents of Jalna itself. Due to sheer neglect, the fort—now under the ownership of the Jalna Municipal Council—has fallen into ruin. The municipal office, once located here, has been relocated elsewhere, leaving the site abandoned. The citadel, located on an elevated part of the city along the Kundalika River, currently houses a water tank that supplies drinking water to the city. This bastion, built in the early 18th century by Nizam-ul-Mulk, is now the only remaining part of what was once a larger fort. The area is still known as Mastagad, but most locals are unaware of its identity as a fort. ... Therefore, when asking for directions, one should inquire about the old municipal office. The square-shaped fort spans approximately 2 acres. Except for the side facing the main road, the remaining three sides of the fort’s walls are still intact. The lower portion of the fort is constructed using well-dressed stones set in lime, while the upper sections are made of brickwork. The eastern entrance gate, including its arched structure and wooden doors, still stands. Above the arch is a Persian inscription stating that this gate was built by AsafJah in 1723. For vehicular access, the original gate was sealed off and an adjacent portion of the wall was broken to build a new path—this is now the main entry point. While the inner buildings may have been demolished during the construction of the municipal office, many architectural elements such as the fort walls, parapets, passageways within the walls, and loopholes still survive and are visible upon entering. To the right of the entrance, one can walk along the wall to reach a bastion overlooking the river. From this vantage point, two more bastions facing the river can be seen. On a central bastion to the west lies the tomb of a Sufi saint, beside which is an inscription in Urdu engraved on the wall. Within the premises of the fort, two medium-sized cannons can be seen placed on a raised platform. If one takes a walk around the exterior of the fort, there are six bastions in total—three facing the river, two on the western side, and one on the eastern side. On the riverside, the height of the wall reaches approximately 35 feet. During the medieval period, Jalna was a bustling city and a major trading centre. It had a thriving textile industry. In the text Lilacharitra, the original name of the city is mentioned as "Hirawal," which gradually evolved into Jalinapur and eventually Jalna. During Akbar's reign, Jalna was under Mughal control. Abu'l-Fazl, the author of Akbarnama, is said to have resided here for some time. Later, the region came under the control of the Nizam Shahi dynasty. Under Malik Ambar, Jalna saw considerable development. His officer, Jamshed Khan, excavated the Moti Talav (lake) to the west of the city and built several Dharamshala (rest houses). The Kala Masjid near the Makka Gate was constructed during this period. Additionally, he built five small lakes throughout the city. When Diler Khan marched toward Bijapur, Shivaji Maharaj led a raid on Mughal territory between the Bhima and Godavari rivers. After plundering cities like Dharangaon and Chopda, he reached Jalna, located on the banks of the Kundalika River, north of Aurangabad, on 16 November 1679. Although Prince Muazzam was then stationed in Aurangabad, Shivaji Maharaj attacked Jalna without hesitation and looted the entire city for four days. On 22 November 1679, after completing the raid, the Maratha army, along with their spoils, reached Patta Fort near Akola. As Jalna was a major Mughal trading post, the entire city was surrounded by a defensive wall known as Nagarkot, which had two main gates—Murti Gate and Mirza (Hyderabad) Gate. While the fortification around the city has now vanished due to urban expansion, both of these gates still survive. During Shivaji’s raid, Mastagad had not yet been constructed. It was later, in 1723, that AsafJah I ordered his commander, Kabil Khan, to build a fort at Jalna. The fort was constructed on a mound to the east of the city along the Kundalika River, and it is this very fort that is today known as Mastagad. Later, Tukoji Holkar captured the fort. In April 1805, Colonel Murray of the British Army attempted to seize the Jalna Fort, which was then under the control of Yashwantrao Holkar, but he failed. While the fort was still in Maratha possession, Yashwantrao Holkar undertook some restoration work. After his death, the region briefly came under the influence of the Shinde. In 1803, following the Battle of Asse near Bhokardan where Colonel Stevenson defeated the Marathas, the area fell into the hands of the Nizam. After the Marathwada Liberation Struggle post-independence, Jalna taluka was merged into Aurangabad district. Although the people may have forgotten the history of this fort, Mastagad still stands tall as a testimony to the valour of Yashwantrao Holkar.
© Suresh Nimbalkar