Baghsar Fort
{{Short description|Ancient fort near Bhimber, Pakistan}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Baghsar Fort
| native_name = {{nq|قلعہ باغ سر}}
| native_language = Urdu
| image = Baghsar_fort.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = Southern side of the fort, observation point visible.
| location = Bhimber, Pakistan
| built =
| architect =
| architecture = Indo-Islamic, Mughal
| coordinates = {{coord|33|02|22|N|74|12|22|E|region:PK|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin =
| map_caption =
| embedded =
}}
Baghsar Fort ({{langx|ur|{{nq|باغ سر قلعہ}}}}) is an ancient fort built in Samahni Valley near Bhimber, Pakistan, close to a place known as Baghsar. The fort was constructed by Mughal rulers.{{Cite web|url=https://jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2007-weekly/nos-02-09-2007/foo.htm|title=Dumped into oblivion|first=Salman|last=Rashid|date=2 September 2007}}{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zn8I4qEew9oC&pg=PA186|title=Pakistan and the Karakoram Highway|page=186|isbn=9781741045420|last1=Singh|first1=Sarina|year=2008|publisher=Lonely Planet }} Some parts of it are currently closed to visitors, due to it being right beside the line of control between Pakistan and India.{{cite web | url=https://jang.com.pk/news/869599 | title=قلعہ باغ سر... کشمیر کا تاریخی ورثہ }}
History
Very little knowledge is available about the true history of the fort. In the 15th century, Bhimber was under control of a local chieftain Jasrat, who is known to have constructed a series of forts in the region. Bhaghsar fort may have been first constructed during his reign.{{Cite book |last=Charak |first=Sukh Dev Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KhtIAAAAIAAJ&q=A+Short+History+of+Jammu+Raj |title=A Short History of Jammu Raj: From Earliest Times to 1846 A.D. |date=1985 |publisher=Ajaya Prakashan |language=en|page=72}} Later it came under control of Mughals, who may have re-constructed it. Godfrey Vigne, an English traveller who extensively travelled through Kashmir, mentioned it as Bagh Sar castle in his book.{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iEKovgEACAAJ|title=Travels in Kashmir, Ladak, Iskardo, the Countries Adjoining the Mountain-Course of the Indus, and the Himalaya, North of the Panjab; Volume 1|page=238|isbn=9780344244087|last1=Vigne|first1=Godfrey|year=2018|publisher=Creative Media Partners, LLC }}
Layout
Outer perimeter consists of boundary wall and thirty eight small rooms while inner side of the fort consists of darbar hall, a water pond and forty three rooms. There are three entrances to the fort. Northern main entrance, south eastern entrance and the entrance to inner perimeter. Observation point is prominent on the south eastern corner. There is a firing bay on western wall. Fort is surrounded by embrasures in the walls to allow archers to fire and remain under cover. There is a big room along the southern wall. Here the ruler of the time was used to meet his courtiers and delegates.
Tomb of Jahangir
Mughal emperor Jahangir on his way to Lahore from Kashmir died somewhere in between Chingus Sarai, Rajouri and Sarai Saadabad, Bhimber.{{cite book |last1=Allan |first1=J. |last2=Haig |first2=Sir T. Wolsely |last3=Dodwell |first3=H. H. |editor-last=Dodwell |editor-first=H. H. |editor-link=H. H. Dodwell |year=1934 |title=The Cambridge Shorter History of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_48AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA398 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=398}} To preserve his body his entrails were removed and buried in Baghsar fort. Then body was sent to Lahore where it was buried in mausoleum built along the banks of Ravi.
Conservation
Despite being on line of control, structure of the fort is still intact. But it is severely neglected by government in regard to conservation.
See also
{{commonscat|Baghsar Fort}}
- List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan
- List of forts in Pakistan
- List of museums in Pakistan
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Cultural heritage sites in Azad Kashmir |state=autocollapse}}
{{Cultural heritage sites in Pakistan}}{{Castles in Pakistan}}