Bangalore Fort

The confirmed history of the Bangalore Fort is traced to 1537, when Kempe Gowda I (pictured), a chieftain of the Vijayanagara Empire, widely held as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a mud fort and established the area around it as Bengaluru Pete, his capital. Kempe Gowda moved from his ancestral land of Yelahanka to establish his new principality, having obtained support from King Achutaraya. One version for the site selection process for the fort and the Bengaluru Pete is that during a hunting expedition along with his Advisor Gidde Gowda, Kempe Gowda went westward of Yelahanka and reached a village called Shivasamudra (near Hesaraghatta), some from Yelahanka where, in a tranquil atmosphere under a tree, he visualized building a suitable capital city with a fort, a cantonment, tanks (water reservoirs) and temples for people of all trades and professions. It is also said that an omen of an uncommon event of a hare chasing away a hunting dog at the place recommended its selection. A dream of the goddess Lakshmi (the Hindu Goddess of wealth) that prophesied a prosperous future, further sealed his decision on the place for his capital. Therefore, on an auspicious day in 1537, he conducted a ground breaking ritual and festivities by ploughing the land with four pairs of decorated white bulls in four directions, at the focal point of the junction of Doddapet and Chikkapet, the junction of the present day Avenue Road and Old Taluk Kacheri Road (OTC). In the words of the British chronicler Mark Wilks, "Resistance was everywhere respectable." With the capture of the Bangalore Fort the Army of British East India Company replenished supplies and obtained a strategic base from where it could attack Srirangapatna, Tippu Sultan's capital. File:The Death of Colonel Moorehouse at the Storming of the Pettah Gate of Bangalore 7 March 1791.jpg|The Death of Colonel Moorhouse at the Storming of the Pettah Gate of Bangalore File:British Plaque, Bangalore Fort.JPG|Siege of Bangalore (1791) British Plaque, Bangalore Fort File:MANTE(1800) p7.428 STORMING BANGALORE - 1791.jpg|Storming and taking of Bangalore by the Marquis Cornwallis == Fort structure ==

The Bangalore fort, ca. 1791, was described as follows: File:Old Fort at Bangalore (MacLeod, p.144, 1871) - Copy.jpg|Old Fort at Bangalore (MacLeod, p. 144, 1871) File:The Dodda Pet, Bangalore (Caine, 1891, p.523) - Copy.jpg|The Dodda Pet, Bangalore (Caine, 1891, p. 523) File:Fort and Pettah of Bangalore (p.139, 1849) - Copy.jpg|Fort and Pettah of Bangalore (p. 139, 1849) File:Bangalore Fort.jpg|Bangalore Fort in 1860 showing fortifications and barracks File:Fort, Bangalore (1855) - Vibart Collection, Views in South India.jpg|Fort, Bangalore (1855) - Vibart Collection: Views in South India File:OldFortBangalorePhotoOnline 1024x1024.jpg|Old Fort Gate of Bangalore (1883), by Albert Thomas Watson PENN (1849–1924) File:BengaluruPalaceFortOldPhoto 1024x1024.jpg|Palace inside the Fort of Bangalore (1883), by Albert Thomas Watson PENN (1849–1924) What remains of the fort today is just the Delhi Gate, and the rest has been demolished. It was originally about a km in length. Stretching from the Delhi Gate, up to the present KIMS campus. Within the Bangalore Fort were the present Victoria Hospital, the Kote Venkataramana Swamy temple, Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, Makkala Koota park, the armoury in the Bangalore Medical College campus, Fort High School, Fort Church, Minto Ophthalmic Hospital, and the present KIMS hospital and campus. ==Kote Venkataramana Temple==

The Fort Church, Bangalore, was located within the Bangalore Fort. The church was demolished to make place for the construction of the Vani Vilas Hospital. The Government of Mysore allotted land in Chamrajpet for construction of a new church, and this is now the St. Luke's Church. Early records refer to this church as the Drummer's Chapel, constructed by British soldiers after the fall of Tipu Sultan. The Fort Church, Bangalore was the first protestant church to be raised in Bangalore. The Church was moved during the construction of the Vani Vilas Hospital and is now the St. Luke's Church, Chamrajpet. ==Fort Cemetery==

The Fort Cemetery, where the officers who fell in the Siege of Bangalore were buried, is illustrated in Robert Home's book, Select Views in Mysore, the country of Tipu Sultan, published by Robert Bowyer, London, 1794. Home's painting shows the graves of Captains James Smith, James Williamson, John Shipper, Nathaniel Daws and Jeremiah Delany, Lieutenant Conan and Lieutenant-Colonel Gratton. As recorded in 1895, The cemetery was located just outside the Fort Church, with the church being responsible for its maintenance. The cemetery had cypress trees, rose bushes and flowers. The Government of Mysore, had constructed a wall and gate for the cemetery. However, as recorded in 1912 by Rev. Frank Penny in his book The Church in Madras: Volume II, the cemetery no longer existed. The record of the offers who fell in the battle for the Bangalore Fort in 1791, were transferred to the cenotaph, raised by the Government of Mysore. ==Fort School==

The Fort Church, managed the Fort School from the end of the 19th century. The church provided furniture, study maps, and managed accounts, all overseen by the Fort Church School Committee. The Diocesan Magazine, records that on 29 December 1909, with Miss. Rozario as the head mistress (serving from 1893 to 1909), a school function being organised for the present and old students of the Fort School, by J W Hardy, Lay Trustee of the Fort Church, with prize distribution by E A Hill, School inspector and Rev. G H Lamb. In 1911, the head mistress was Miss Page, as recorded by the Diocesan Magazine. There still exists a Fort School at Chamrajpet, with its building dating back to 1907. The School Building was built in 1907, and has amongst its students freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, cricketer G R Vishwanath, statesman V S Krishna Iyer, The Fort School is the oldest high school in the Banglore pete area. The school at present has 186 students in English Medium and 81 studying in Kannada Medium. Majority of the English Medium students are from Tamil and Telugu families, studying all subjects in English, English language, mother tongue language and Kannada as third language. ==Present status==

All that remains of the fort is the Delhi Gate and remnants of two bastions. After they captured the fort in 1791, the British started dismantling it, a process that continued till the 1930s. File:Old Bangalore Fort, Front View.JPG|Existing Gate of the Bangalore Fort File:Bangalore Fort Inside.jpg|Inside the Bangalore Fort File:Bangalore Fort 2.jpg|Inside the Bangalore Fort ==Sketches of James Hunter==

James Hunter served as a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery. He was a military painter, and his sketches portrayed aspects of military and everyday life. Hunter served the British India Army and took part in Tipu Sultan Campaigns. Hunter has sketched different landscapes of South India, including Bangalore, Mysore, Hosur, Kancheepuram, Madras, Arcot, Sriperumbudur, etc. These paintings were published in 'A Brief history of ancient and modern India embellished with coloured engravings', published by Edward Orme, London between 1802 and 1805, Some of his paintings of Bangalore Fort are below File:The North Entrance Into The Fort Of Bangalore -with Tipu's flag flying-.jpg|The North Entrance into The Fort of Bangalore [with Tipu's flag flying] by James Hunter (d.1792) File:The South Entrance Into The Fort Of Bangalore..jpg|The South Entrance into The Fort of Bangalore by James Hunter (d.1792) File:The Mysore Gate At Bangalore.jpg|The Mysore Gate at Bangalore Fort by James Hunter (d.1792) File:The Delhi Gate Of Bangalore.jpg|The Delhi Gate Of Bangalore by James Hunter (d.1792) File:The Third Delhi Gate Of Bangalore.jpg|The Third Delhi Gate Of Bangalore by James Hunter (d.1792) File:A Street Leading To The Palace Of Bangalore.jpg|A Street Leading to the Palace Of Bangalore by James Hunter (d.1792) (the gateway in the end is on the right side of next 2 photos) File:The Square And Entrance Into Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore..jpg|The Square And Entrance into Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore, by James Hunter (d.1792) File:'Square at Bangalore' and on reverse 'The Entrance of Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore Feby. 92'.jpg|'Square at Bangalore' and 'The Entrance of Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore Feb 92, by James Hunter (d.1792) File:North Entrance Of Tippoo's Palace At Bangalore.jpg|North Entrance Of Tippoo's Palace at Bangalore, by James Hunter (d.1792) File:North Front Of Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore..jpg|North Front Of Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore, by James Hunter (d.1792) File:West Front Of Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore.jpg|West Front Of Tippoo's Palace, Bangalore by James Hunter (d.1792) Other British sketches of Bangalore Fort File:The fort of Bangalore, from a village outside the main gate.jpg|The fort of Bangalore, from a village outside the main gate, by an anonymous artist, c. 1790–1792. File:Captain Alexander Allan's 'Views in the Mysore Country 1794'.jpg|Muslim graves, around the Bangalore Fort (1974), from Alexander Allan's Views in the Mysore Country 1794 File:North view of Bangalore from the pettah, shewing the curtain and bastions that were breached.jpg|North view of Bangalore from the pettah (view from the present Avenue Road, facing Fort) shewing the curtain and bastions that were breached, by Robert Home (1752–1834) File:South View of Bangalore.jpg|View of Bangalore Fort, from the Kempegowda South Tower. South view of Bangalore with the fortress in the distance by Robert Home (1752–1834) in 1792 File:East view of Bangalore, with a small shrine and a dismounted horseman in the foreground, and cattle grazing beyond..jpg|View of Bangalore Fort, from the East, with a small shrine and a dismounted horseman in the foreground, and cattle grazing beyond, by Robert Hyde Colebrooke (1762–1808) in 1791 File:East view of Bangalore, with the cypress garden, from a pagoda..jpg|East view of Bangalore, with the cypress garden, from a pagoda, by James Hunter (d. 1792). Bangalore Fort as seen from the east (Cypress Gardens in today's Lalbagh) File:Plan of Bangalore (with the Attacks) taken by the English Army under the Command of the Rt. Honble. Earl Cornwallis - March 22nd 1791.jpg|Ink wash of a plan of Bangalore by Robert Home (1752–1834) in 1791. Plan of Bangalore (with the Attacks) taken by the English Army under the Command of the Rt. Hon. Earl Cornwallis KG etc. March 22, 1791. Part of 22 drawings along with a map and three plans completed by Home, whilst accompanying the British army under Cornwallis during the 3rd Mysore War 1791–1792 File:View of the inside gate at Bangalore with the guard room.jpg|View of the inside gate at Bangalore with the guard room, by James Fittler (1758–1835) after sketches of Robert Home (1752–1834) ==References==