The Gond monuments of Ramnagar, Mandla

Description

The region formerly known as the Central Provinces of India and covering parts of the present-day states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra; was historically called Gondwana, “the Land of the Gonds’ or home of the largest heterogenous tribe of India, the Gond tribe. Four major kingdoms which ruled over Gondwana included the Garha-Mandla kingdom that reigned between 1300 AD to 1789 AD. The community has been primarily involved in hunting, food gathering, pastoral occupations, agriculture, martial assignments, trade and commerce, herbal medicine, and they were rulers as well.

Although their original culture was inclined towards a close relationship with nature and not political ambition of kingdom-building, the Gonds did not establish their kingdoms till after they were ruled by the Rajputs for some centuries. The Raj-Gonds or the ruling class eventually began employing the same maneuvers as their Rajput and Mughal counterparts for revenue generation and retaining power. The impact of these influences from their adversaries eventually got incorporated in the culture of the Gond community, including their built environment.

For a number of years, peace was maintained between the Gond kings of Garha Mandla and the neighbouring Bundelas. However in 1634, the Bundela king of Orchha, Jujhar Singh, took advantage of the absence of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan in Agra and political instability in the Deccan and attacked the Gond ruler Prem Shah and the fort of Chauragarh. Following this, was the betrayal of Prem Shah and his subsequent murder by Jujhar Singh.

The Bundela invasion of the Garha-Mandla kingdom and the death of Prem Shah was a big blow to the prestige of the Raj-Gonds. Prem Shah’s son, Hirde Shah, ascended the throne at Chauragarh in 1635 A.D. with the help of the Mughal royal forces and the ruler of Bhopal. The campaign of Jujhar Singh nevertheless made the vulnerability of the Mandla state apparent.  In 1651, the Bundelas finally captured Chauragarh. The subsequent event of Hirde Shah’s reign featured the shift of the capital of the kingdom from Chauragarh to Ramnagar, further deep in the forest and more difficult to access, in the neighbourhood of Mandla around 1657 A.D.

On the southern bank of the Narmada river in Ramnagar and Chaugan Rayotwari (present-day Jabalpur division of the state of Madhya Pradesh), the architectural complexes built by Hirde Shah still stand today. The location chosen for the royal palace, Moti Mahal, indicates Hirde Shah’s appreciation for beauty as well as preemptive defence measures for his new seat of government. Mughal and Rajput influences are evident in the architectural elements of these buildings.

The cluster of monuments include the following:

Moti Mahal (Rajmahal), Ramnagar, Mandla - 22°36'52.30"N, 80°30'40.73"E
Raibhagat ki Kothi, Ramnagar, Mandla -  22°36'50.54"N,  80°30'57.02"E
Vishnu Mandir (Suraj mandir), Ramnagar, Mandla -  22°36'48.23"N,  80°30'38.52"E
Begum Mahal, Chaugan Rayotwari, Mandla -  22°37'33.11"N,  80°31'38.46"E
Dalbadal Mahal, Chaugan Ryotwari, Mandla -  22°37'31.07"N,  80°31'7.51"E

Moti Mahal (Rajmahal), Ramnagar, Mandla - Monument category A under Directorate of Archaeology, Archives and Museums (MP)

Situated right on the thickly vegetated Narmada river bank, the north facing palace is 80 feet above the river and commands a view of both reaches of the bank. The MotI Mahal is a quadrangle, externally measuring 212 feet in length and 200 feet in breadth. It has a central courtyard measuring 167 feet by 156 feet with a stepped water feature in the middle. The structure is three storeys tall with long central rooms and small side rooms, connected by steep and narrow stairs. Arched colonnades separate the halls, royal bedrooms, durbar hall, dancing hall and the royal kitchen. A number of river-facing terraces and balconies indicate the visual link planned with the riverscape. The Moti mahal also has a basement with a network of tunnels and passages. It also has an elaborate drainage system, routing stormwater into the Narmada. There is also an external courtyard with arched galleries which was used as the horse stable. 

The Moti Mahal houses a stone inscription (which was previously in the Vishnu temple), considered one of the most important historical sources recording the genealogy of the Gond rulers of Garha Mandla. The inscription places the origin of the family in the beginning of the 7th century and describes the chronological reign of 54 Gond rulers.

The Moti Mahal has been declared a state protected monument since 1984.

Raibhagat ki Kothi, Ramnagar, Mandla - Monument category A under Directorate of Archaeology, Archives and Museums (MP)

Less than a kilometre towards the east is the Raibhagat ki Kothi (also called the Mantri Mahal), the residence that Hirde Shah built for his Dewan, Rai Baghat. It is south facing and the entrance has a high wall that creates privacy as well as blocks the harsh sun. This monument appears more symmetric with the central courtyard and the four domes on each corner. The entrance also has an ornate painted ceiling. The structure has larger rooms along the outer periphery and lower roofed rooms adjoining the central courtyard. It has been declared a state protected monument since 1984.

Vishnu Mandir (Suraj mandir), Ramnagar, Mandla - Monument category A under Directorate of Archaeology, Archives and Museums (MP)

This Hindu temple, which appears to resemble a Mughal tomb or a Bengali Pancha Ratna style temple, is a Vishnu mandir built by Rani Sundari, King Hirde Shah’s wife and queen. It is located thirty metres to the south west of the Moti Mahal. The inscription stone was originally in the Vishnu temple. The structure is square in plan, 56 feet on each side. A square room in the middle is covered by a dome and is surrounded by smaller domed rooms at each corner with an open verandah in the middle of each side. In addition to Vishnu, there were idols of Shiva, Ganesha, Surya and Durga. However, none of them remain. The Vishnu mandir has also been declared a state protected monument since 1984.

Begum Mahal (Chaugan Rayotwari near Ramnagar, Mandla)  - Centrally protected ASI monument

At a distance of 2.5 KM to the north east of the Moti Mahal is a structure called the Begum mahal believed to be built by King Hirde Shah for Chimni Rani, a Mughal princess.  It is a three storey tall structure with visible Mughal features in its architecture. The upper level has domed rooms in each corner and a central room with a vaulted roof. The north-west facing exterior of the palace features a water body. On either side of it are stairs that descend down towards it. 

Sporting Palace by name Dalbadal (Chaugan Rayotwari near Ramnagar, Mandla) - Centrally protected ASI monument

The Dalbadal mahal, a rectangular structure located between the Moti Mahal and the Begum Mahal, was built by King Hirde Shah for his generals and soldiers. Despite being a centrally protected monument, it is currently in a state of ruin. It appears that the structure had rooms along three sides of the wall.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

The monuments of Ramnagar represent the seat of power of the Garha-Mandla kingdom built by the King Hirde Shah in the late 17th century.  Following the conquest of the previous capital of Chauragarh, Hirde Shah shifted the capital further deep into the forest in order to make access more difficult and hence amplify security. The monuments are a manifestation of the unique amalgamation of the cultures of their adversaries - Rajputs and Mughals, achieved by the originally forest-dwelling Gond community. The geographical features of the site further indicates the planning principles adopted with respect to defence mechanisms and maintaining the visual link with the surrounding landscape of the dense forests on the banks of the Narmada river. Although not architecturally outstanding, the Gond monuments still bear testimony to the once significant reign of the Garha-Mandla kingdom of central India. The monuments represent an exchange of distinct contemporary cultures  which can contribute to the overall diversity of the list.

Criterion (ii): The Gond monuments and relics from the kingdom represent their dominance over central India before the rise of the Mughal empire. The fact that they built forts and not castles, suggested their inclination to retain their agricultural roots and continue farming traditions, rather than kingdom-building and urbanisation. 

The cluster of monuments in Ramnagar exhibit a combination of Mughal architectural features with minimal Rajput features. None of the monuments have excessive ornamentation since they were not intended as castles displaying artistic capacity or opulence.

Symmetricity of the structure, central open courtyards with water features, recessed archways in rectangular pediments, pointed archways, entrance courtyards, fluted domes, domes on all four corners, stone latticed screens are all architectural features influenced by Mughal architecture. One the other hand, projecting eaves, decorative stone parapets, domes cupolas / chattris, bangaldar roofs, multi-foil arches in the exterior facade especially entrance gateways, arched niches are characteristic Rajput features.

Criterion (iii): The Gonds are the largest tribal community in India, who have inhabited the dense forests of the Vindhyas, Satpura and Mandla in the state of Madhya Pradesh for centuries. Over the years, the tribe gradually lost power and its kingdoms. A number of legends and myths surround the traditions and practices, including the kinship system, of the Gonds. With respect to the built heritage of the Gond kingdoms, the group of monuments at Ramnagar is an exceptional example showcasing the glorious reign of the king, Hridayeswara or Hirde Shah, after he shifted his capital from Chauragarh. He was the last notable ruler of the Garha dynasty, who reigned for 42 years from his seat of power, Ramnagar.

The Moti Mahal which is built on the South bank of the Narmada river and towers 80 feet above it, was strategically designed to capitalise on the splendid view of both the banks, and presumably for the purpose of defence.

The Moti Mahal also houses the inscription slab, the only one of the Gond dynasty of Garha-Mandla, believed to be inscribed in 1667 A.D. It is a remarkable record of the genealogy of these rulers of Central India, placing the origin of the family in the early seventh century.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

Authenticity

The monuments at Ramnagar have maintained their originality in terms of form and design. The strategic choice of locations of the monuments, especially the Moti Mahal on the southern bank of the Narmada river, resulted from political factors. With building pressure from the Bundelas of the north and the Deogarh chieftains of the west and the south west, the Garha-Mandla kings retired from their former capital of Chauragarh to Ramnagar, near Mandla; a site which is much more remote and difficult to access. 

Probably owing to the seclusion of the site, the state of conservation of the Moti Mahal, Rai Bhagat ki Kothi, Vishnu mandir and the Begum Mahal are fairly good. The Dalbadal mahal is however in a state of ruin despite being a centrally protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India. The vernacular settlement around the monuments maintain originality and are mostly unaffected by developmental pressures. Despite encroachments immediately around the Moti Mahal and the Vishnu mandir, the commanding view of the riverscape and the settlement as experienced from the Moti Mahal which is 80 feet above the river, is preserved.

The authenticity of the site is also based on the continuous association that the local Gond community has with the Moti Mahal and the other monuments as the home of their ancestors. Previous restoration efforts have taken into consideration community participation as an important stakeholder in the day-to-day management of the ancient monuments and is believed to have had a positive impact on the economic standing of the local village.  Even the current lifestyle of the Gond community  involves agriculture. The Moti Mahal poses as a backdrop for the weekly market of the Narmada River, where the local farmers from near and far buy and sell produce. This adds significant value to the historic landscape surrounding the monuments at Ramnagar, maintaining the fierce attachment that the community associates to them even today.

Efforts were made to reinforce the authenticity of the site in 2011 by the Madhya Pradesh Government. In order to prevent further impact on the authenticity of the monuments, guidelines need to be formulated and duly enforced through a comprehensive conservation management plan that addresses maintenance of the attributes of Gond architecture exhibited in Ramnagar, viewshed protection and management of the Narmada riverscape through a buffer zone, and stewardship of the monuments by the local Gond community. 

Integrity

The intactness of the attributes exhibited by the Gond monuments of Ramnagar (and Chaugan Rayotwari) like the Moti Mahal, Rai Bhagat ki Kothi, Vishnu Mandir, and Begum Mahal remain mostly unaltered. Dalbadal exists in a state of ruins and is a nationally protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India. The three former monuments have defined buffer zones under the MPAMASR Act (Madhya Pradesh Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act), but are affected by the unrestricted encroachment by the local community over the years around them. The Begum Mahal and Dalbadal are also protected from encroachments through the 100 m radius prohibited area for construction and mining, and a 200 m radius regulated area around the site prescribed under the AMASR Act.

They are also enduring the forces of decay. Notwithstanding, they still retain the important attributes that substantiate the proposed OUVs of the property. Given the proximity to the River Narmada, a few monuments suffer from water seepage due to the recurring  floods over the years. A comprehensive conservation management plan, with well-defined property boundaries and buffer zones is therefore necessary to preserve the settings of the monuments, improve the condition of the properties and prevent further deterioration of their integrity and strengthen the intrinsic relationship between the local community and the monuments.

Comparison with other similar properties

The Gond monuments at Ramnagar bear a unique testimony to the rise of the Gond kingdom of Garha-Mandla in northern Gondwana, present-day Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Despite the significant palaces and forts, as well as cities (like Nagpur) that the Gond Rajas built, the community has been continuously constructed as primitive and aboriginal tribes by colonial rule. This narrative is however contested through the recognition of the Gond antiquities that still exist today.

It is necessary to draw comparisons with sites that are both on the UNESCO World Heritage List and Tentative Lists which also occupy a unique position as remarkable interfaces between cultures, as testimony to glorious pasts, and as pieces of human artistic value.

The Royal palace of Abomey in Benin inscribed in 1985 as world heritage is the cultural expression of the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful kingdoms of the western coast of Africa, developed from the mid 17th century. The site consists of ten palaces spread over an area of 47 hectares. Each of the palaces is surrounded by walls and built around three courtyards. Although they are no longer inhabited, they exhibit great historical and cultural value especially because of the conditions and events that led to their creation, including its symbolism of the kingdom’s fight for independence against colonial occupation. The authenticity of the site is retained owing to the continuity of traditions at the site.

Similarly, the world heritage site of Fasil Ghebbi in the Gondar Region of Ethiopia inscribed in 1979 is a walled fortress city containing structures also marked by Hindu and Arab influences. It also underwent a Baroque style transformation brought to the region by Jesuit missionaries. Some of the monuments retain their original spirit and the local community ties significant importance to the surrounding landscape.

A parallel at the national level includes the world heritage site of Fatehpur Sikri, inscribed in 1986, the capital city of the Mughal Empire for ten years. The walled property covers an area of 60.73 hectares with a buffer zone of 475.54 hectares. The creation of the city of Fatehpur Sikri heavily influenced Mughal town planning since it was their first planned city consisting of architecturally impressive administrative, residential and religious buildings. Multiple edifices even exhibit a fusion of Indo-Islamic architectural elements. In terms of town planning, the roads were in a grid pattern and a well-structured drainage system. Fatehpur Sikri, like Ramnagar, bears a unique testimony to a civilization during its peak, which is also no longer inhabited.

Another comparable world heritage site from India is the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park which was inscribed in 2004. These remains of the 16th century capital built by Mehmud Begda are a cluster of archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties set within a hilly natural landscape. The structures include fortifications, palaces, religious, residential, as well as agricultural and water retaining structures. The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is historically significant since it is the only complete and unchanged pre-Mughal islamic city. The 14th century temples and water structures, along with the later capital’s religious, military and agricultural structures; exhibit a fusion of Hindu and Muslim architectural features.