Mankera Fort I 13 Castles Conquered by One Cannon Ball I Stronghold of Its Time Now a Pile of Mud 

#mankera #bhakkar #thaldesert
Mankera Fort I 13 Castles Conquered by One Cannon Ball I Stronghold of Its Time Now a Pile of Mud
Special Thanks: Malik Ahmed Khan, Historian, Researcher
Jahangir Khan Bijarani, Basti Bijarani, Behal
Music: Binu Kumar, Kerala, India
‪@SoundSFX‬ (Under License)
Mankera Fort is a ruined fort situated in the Thal Desert in Mankera, Punjab, Pakistan. The construction of the fort began under Nawab Sarbuland Khan Sadozai, the last Muslim ruler of Mankera, in 1804 and was completed after his death in 1816.
The site of the fort has historical significance dating back to 540 CE, when Raja Mal Khira of the Mal tribe established the Mal Khir Kot fortress, which later evolved into Mankera. Following various rulers, including Arab and Muslim dynasties, the fort underwent several renovations. During their rule, the Mekan tribe also contributed to the fort's maintenance.
In 1380 CE, the fort underwent major renovations, including heightened walls and additional defensive structures. Over three centuries, successive rulers, including the Langah, Hot, Mirani, Rind, Jiskani, and Kalhora Balochs, maintained and modified the fort.
The fort saw further development under Nawab Sarbuland Khan, including the addition of a mosque in 1804. However, following the Sikh invasion led by Ranjit Singh in 1821, the mosque was repurposed, and a nearby Hindu temple was established. After this period, the fort suffered from neglect, leading to a gradual decline in its structural integrity.
Spanning around fifty acres, the fort features defensive walls that are twenty feet high and over twenty feet thick, with four gates and corresponding towers at each cardinal point, each exceeding 45 feet in height. The fort's original design included a moat, forty feet wide and fifteen feet deep, accompanied by twelve adjacent wells. However, the internal gardens that once existed are no longer present.
The siege of Mankera, also known as the fall of Mankera was fought from 7 December 1821 to 1 January 1822 by the Sikh forces led by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Mankera forces led by Nawab Hafiz Ahmad Khan.
The Sindh Sagar Doab was fully under the rule of Kingdom of Mankera and Mitha Tiwana. The chief of Mankera Nawab Hafiz Ahmad Khan had the most control over the region. Mohammad Khan, the previous chief of Mankera had build 12 forts outside the Mankera fort to make it impossible for someone to invade the fort. The fort used to be a part of the Bhangi Misl until they lost it and an independent state was formed. Instead of paying taxes to the Sikh Empire, the Nawab paid to the Durrani Empire or Kabul. Adding on to that point Mankera held the 3 important towns of Leiah, Bhakkar and Dera Ismail Khan. The caravan transportation route from Iran and Baluchistan also went through the territory of the Nawab. This is what made Mankera an important asset for the Sikh Empire to have. Therefore in the Dusshera of 1821, he headed with his army to annex Mankera.
Ahmad Yar Khan Tiwana decided to aid the Sikh forces during the battle to settle old scores with the Nawab. Hari Singh Nalwa was invited to join the expedition. When he was heading to join the Maharaja with 7,000 troops, he was attacked by 25,000 tribesmen which led to the Battle of Mangal in which the Sardar defeated the tribesmen and continued to go to the Maharaja until meeting him at Mitha Tiwana.
The Sikh forces arrived at Mankera on 9 November 1821. They took Bhakkar without a fight and Dera Ismail Khan and Leiah were taken by the Sikhs with a fight. Next the entire army re-gathered and laid siege to the fort of Mankera. Since Mankera was situated in the middle of a sandy desert, the Sikhs dug up 25 wells for people to drink from. Nawab Hafiz Khan knowing that he could not resist any longer offered terms of surrender. These terms stated to be able to leave the fort with personal things and to be given the town of Dera Ismail Khan as a jagir. The terms were accepted and the Nawab came out after 25 days of being besieged.
After this siege, the land between the Jhelum and the Indus was annexed by the Sikh Empire. It was also the key of having influence over the Derajat region.
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