Fort Cum Prison

The fort of Ahmadnagar which was the main centre of political activity and the residence of the Nizamshahi Sultans of Ahmadnagar soon became the prison for royal prisoners when the fort passed on to the Moghals.

In 1681-82 Yesubai and her daughter Bhavanibai were imprisoned in the fort of Ahmadnagar. She was released from jail by the efforts of Sambhaji. However, she was again imprisoned in the fort of Ahmadnagar after the capture of Sambhaji and was there till the death of Aurangzeb.

Tulaji Angre was kept behind the bars in the fort by Peshwa Nanasaheb. Similarly, the imposter of Sadashivaraubhau was also locked up in this fort where he later died.

Peshwa's famous nobleman Sakharam Hari Gupte was detained in the fort of Ahmadnagar under the orders of Nana Phadnis. For siding with Raghoba Dada, Chinto Vitthal Rairikar was also imprisoned in the same fort. Morobadada Phadnis, cousin and a rival of Nana Phadnis. was kept in this fort. He opposed the submission of the tort to Daulatrao Shinde. whereupon he was removed from Ahmadnagar to the fort of Ratangad.

Nana Phadnis who was instrumental in imprisoning many Maratha noblemen in this fort was himself locked up in the fort by Daulatrao Shinde. He was brought to the fort by deceit and was immediately imprisoned. He was asked to pay a ransom of two crores in 1798. However, he was released on promise of paying Rs. 10 lakhs and an additional sum of Rs. 15 lakhs on his being restored to the post of Phadnavis. He was released from the Ahmadnagar fort on July 15, 1798.

Two Divans of the Shindes, viz., Baloba Tatya and Sadashiv Malhar, were imprisoned in the fort where both of them breathed their last. Bhagirathibai Shinde died in the fort on August 15, 1799 while in captivity.

Chhatrapati Shivaji IV of Kolhapur was locked up in the fort of Ahmadnagar. He died in the fort on December 25, 1883 as a result of a kick he received from his bodyguard Mr. Green. At the time of his death there was no one by his side excepting the bodyguard mentioned above and a doctor. The event created a stir in Maharashtra and raised a storm of protest against the British. Ultimately it led to the imprisonment for 101 days for Lokmanya Tilak and Agarkar at the Dongri prison. During the Second World War German prisoners of war were stationed in the fort. They were employed on works of excavation.

During the Quit India Movement of 1942 many of the leaders of the national freedom struggle were kept under confinement in the fort of Ahmadnagar among whom could be mentioned luminaries such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Barrister Asaf Ali, Dr. Sayyad Mahmud, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant, Acharya Shankar Rav Deo, Shri P. C. Ghosh, Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Acharya Kripalani, Acharya Narendra Deo and Dr. Hare Krishna Mehtab. Though the British Government kept the news of their confinement in the Ahmadnagar fort a closely-guarded secret, it ultimately leaked out. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote his famous work ' Discovery of India ' while in confinement at the Ahmadnagar fort.

During 1942 Quit India Movement, Shri Achyutrav Patwardhan, a great freedom-fighter, a socialist and a social reformer, did under-ground work at Ahmadnagar in a distinguished manner.

Though the fort now is under military command it attracts a large number of tourists as a place of historical interest.