Tippu's Fort

 

Tippu's Fort Palakkad, Kerala

History 

 Palakkad Tippu's Fort is considered to be in the same location, since ages. The beautiful fort was built to its present grandeur, by famous ruler Hyder Ali of Mysore. The history before the reconstruction of the fort is less known. According to the historical records, King of Palakkad Achchan used to be a part of the Zamorin. However, with time, he detached himself of the rule of the Zamorins and crafted an independent state for himself. When the Zamorins attacked him, he asked for the help of Hyder Ali, who, knowing the strategic importance of Palghat, gamely took over Palakkad and gained control over the Palakkad Fort too. Since then, the place has always remained under the control of Sultans of Mysore or the British. Palakkad Fort has seen a number of rulers and has changed hands a number of times. It was taken by Colonel Wood in the year 1768. However, it was recaptured by Hyder Ali within a few months time. The fort was also captured by Colonel Fullarton in 1783 but he soon abandoned it. Later, the Zamorin troops captured it. In1790, the British invaded Palakkad Fort and recaptured it under the leadership of Colonel Stuart. They renovated it and used it as the base for their operations in this part of Kerala. The Fort was continually garrisoned until the middle of nineteenth century. Later in the twentieth century, the Fort was converted into a Taluk office. 

KunchanSmarakam Fort

 

KunchanSmarakam Fort Killikurshimangalam, Palakkad.

History 

Kunchan Nambiar was a renowned Malayalam poet, and inventor of Kerala?s own dance form - Ottamthullal. ?Smarakam? is a Sanskrit word, which means ?memorial?. Kunchan Smarakam Fort was built as a memorial for the great poet of Malayalam - Kunchan Nambiar. The fort is located at Lakkidi in Palakkad district. The place is popularly known as Killikurissi Mangalam - the birth place of Kunchan Nambiar. He spent his early years at Kudamaloor and his youth at Ambalappuzha. Some scholars believe that Kunchan Nambiar and Sanskrit poet Rama Panivada were same. In 1748, Kunchan Nambiar attended the court of Martanda Varma, and later moved to the court of Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma. Kunjan Nambiar, a genius and one of the renowned poets of Kerala, is credited to organize Thullal as a genre of poetry in Malayalam and as a dance form. During a temple festival, Kunjan Nambiar was playing the drum for a Chaakiaar. There, he made a mistake, which annoyed Chaakiaar who publicly dejected him. Kunjan Nambiar left the place quietly. Next day, when same Chaakiaar was performing, he began to sing and dance. In brief time, the audience turned to Nambiar?s antics, leaving the Chaakiaar without spectators. Kunchan Nambiar represented the golden age of Malayalam literature. Today, Kunchan Smarakam is a national monument. It is now under the governance of a committee appointed by the Government. 

Bekal Fort

 

Bekal Fort Kasargod, Kerala

History 

During Kolathiri kingdom's reign, Vekkolath Fort was identified by a number of scholars as the Bekal Fort. It is supposed that later the Bednore rulers rebuilt the fort and heavy renovations were done to improve it. Bekal Fort has supposedly served the Nayakas in establishing their dominance in the then called Malabar region. Later, the Nayakas found out the economic importance of the port and hence, they fortified the Bekal Fort subsequently. The renovations of Bekal Fort were started during the reign of Hiriya Venkatappa Nayaka. The renovations were finished during the period of Shivappa Nayaka - both of these rulers were of the Nayaka clan. The Nayakas needed the speedy completion of Bekal Fort's construction, so that they could use it for the defense of the port and also to curb any other overseas attack on the Malabar territory. For the same reasons, Chandragiri Fort was also erected by the Nayakas. Later on, Bekal Fort came under the majestic Tippu Sultan when he led a great military expedition to add the Malabar to his territory. Excavations were done in and near Bekal Fort, which led to the discovery of a number of coins and other artifacts that support the fact that the Bekal fort remained under the rule of a number of Sultans of Mysore. After the death of Tippu at the Anglo-Mysore war, the Fort came under the influence of British East India Company. Nowadays, the protection and maintenance has been undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India. 

Angelo Fort

 

Angelo Fort Kannur, Kerala, India

History 

 Angelo's Fort has an interesting historical background, as it has seen a number of rulers and invaders. This fort has also seen a number of battles almost all were fought for gaining the possession of this fort. After the construction of this fort in 1505 by Don Francesco de Almeida, it constantly remained under attacks from a number of native rulers in the Siege of Kannur in 1507. However, all their efforts were in vain, as the Fort provided its inhabitants security from any kind of attack. Later on, Almeida refused to surrender the fort to Afonso de Albuquerque who came to supersede himself as the new Governor. Almeida instead captured Afonso de Albuquerque and imprisoned him inside the Fort. In the year 1663, the Dutch captured the Kannur Fort from the Portuguese. They modernized the fort by adding the bastions Hollandia, Zeelandia and Frieslandia which are the major features of the present structure of St Angelo's Fort. The original Portuguese Structure was pulled down later. The Dutch later on sold the fort to a native king Ali Raja of Arakkal, in the year 1772. But in 1790 the British seized the Fort, renovated it into a military base and used it as their chief military station in Malabar. Today, St. Angelo?s Fort or Kannur Fort is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India, which takes care of its maintenance.

6 Pence Elizabeth II coins

  

       GRATIA REGINA ELIZABETH II DEI 2 1960

Pallippuram Fort

 

Pallippuram Fort Pallipuram, Cochin, Kerala

History 

The vibrant history of Pallippuram Fort attracts the tourists and scholars alike. A number of scholars visit this place every year. The fort was built by the Portuguese in the year 1503. Since then, it stands majestically on the land of Cochin. It was one of the major forts in this area, so it changed hands very often. It was captured by the Dutch invaders, in the year 1661, who came to India looking for the Indian spices which were really popular in the Western countries at that time. Later, the fort was purchased from the Dutch, with the help of the tactical diplomacy of the Raja Kesava Dasan who was the ruler of the State of Travancore in the year 1789. In the end of the reign of the Travancore rulers, the fort came under the maintenance of Kerala State Department of Archaeology. The fort has seen a number of rulers and hence, holds a special place in the history of Kerala. It has seen the glory and fall of a number of rulers and clans. This piece of architecture has become an integral part of the story of grandeur and tussles between a number of Indian and foreign rulers. 

Dhudengaaman

 

Egypt Dhudengaaman

Ramsas 2 Abusimpal

 

Ramsas 2 Abusimpal Egypt

Mysirinus His Wife

 

Mysirinus His Wife in Egypt