This is the personal web space of Pt. Suresh Kaushik. Astrology is his favourite hobby. Many famous astrologers of Chandigarh are his students. He is fond of Horticulture and history. Religion and Spirituality is the main strength of life.
Harekrushna Mahatab is a well known figure in the state of Orissa. He was a freedom fighter, politician and former Chief Minister of Orissa. He is known as Utkal Keshari.
DrHarekrushna Mahatab was born on 21st November 1899, in the village Agarpada, situated in Bhadrack District of Orissa. Harekrushna Mahatab's father's name was Krushna Charan Das and mother's name was Tohapha Debi. Harekrushna Mahatab studied in BhadrakHigh School. He passed his Matriculation from there and to pursue higher education, he joined RevenshawCollege, Cuttack. But Harekrushna Mahatab could not continue his higher studies, because in 1921, he participated in the Independence Movement of India and left his higher studies.
Harekrushna Mahatab's Participation in Independence Movement and Political Career - Harekrushna Mahatab joined Indian Independence movement in 1921 and was imprisoned several times. In 1922, he was sent to jail for protesting against British Authorities. In 1924, he became the Chairman of Balasore District Board. He was also member of Orissa and Bihar Council. He joined Mahatma Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and was arrested along with other freedom fighters. From 1930 to 1931, he was the President of Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee. In 1932, Mahatab became the General Officer Commanding of Congress for Puri session. But the party was banned by the British Government and Harekrushna Mahatab was arrested. In 1934, he protested against 'Untouchability' and took steps to open the Temples of Orissa to all. In 1937, he again became the President of Utkal Pradesh Congress Committee. He also worked with Subhas Chandra Bose in the Congress Working Committee from 1938 to 1950.
In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi led the Quit India Movement and people protested the British Government all over the country. Harekrushna Mahatab also strongly participated in 'Quit India Movement' and was arrested. He was in jail from 1942 to 1945. On 23 April, 1946, Harekrushna Mahatab became the Chief Minister of Orissa and served Orissa as the Chief Minister till 12 May, 1950. Then he became the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1950. In 1952, Harekrushna Mahatab became the Secretary General of the Congress Parliamentary Party. In 1955, Mahatab was posted as the Governor of Bombay, but he resigned from the post in 1956.
Mahatab again became the Chief Minister of Orissa on October 19, 1956 and remained in the position till February 25, 1961. When Harekrushna Mahatab was the Chief Minister of Orissa, he did some development and notable work for the state of Orissa and for the people of Orissa. Harekrushna Mahatab had also a significant role in the construction of Hirakud Dam Project. The capital city of Orissa was shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar during his period.
In 1962, Harekrushna Mahatab was elected as a member of Loksabha. Though in 1966, he became the Vice-President of the Indian National Congress, he resigned from the post and left Congress Party in the same year. He returned to Orissa and formed a new Party Orissa Jana Congress. In 1976, during Emergency, Harekrushna Mahatab was arrested and sent to jail for protesting. Harekrushna Mahatab made 'Gandhi Karma Mandir' in his village Agarpada. Harekrushna Mahatab was the founder of the Oriya Daily Newspaper Prajatantra. Harekrushna Mahatab was the Chief Editor of the monthly Oriya journal 'Jhankar'.
Honours Given To Harekrushna Mahatab - Harekrushna Mahatab was choosen as the PresidentOrissaSahityaAcademy. He was also the President of Sangit Natak Academy for some periods. Harekrushna Mahatab received 'Sahitya Academy Award' in 1983 for his book GanMajlisAndhraUniversity had honoured Harekrushna Mhatab with Doctorate Degree. Harekrushna Mahatab was also honoured with D.Litt from UtkalUniversity. SagarUniversity honoured Harekrushna Mahatab with Doctorate of Law. Harekrushna Mahatab was honoured with the Title Utkal Keshari. Harekrushna Mahatab's wife's name was Malati Devi. His son Bhartruhari Mahatab is a member of Loksabha from Biju JanataDal (BJD) and also the Chief editor of Oriya Newspaper 'Prajatantra'. Harekrushna Mahatab Died on January 2, 1987.
Acharya J. B. Kriplani ( Prisonar no 6) popularly known as Acharya Kriplani, was born at Hyderabad, Sind, on 11th November, 1888. His academic career was marked by unrest due to his frequent involvement with nationalistic ideas. Having obtained an M.A. in History and Economics he began teaching in 1912 and continued in different places till 1927. In 1917 he first came into cntact with Gandhiji during the Champaran Satyagraha which turned him into a fully dedicated nationalist.
From 1927 onwards he was engrossed in Ashram work in Gujarat and in the political movements of the Indian National Congress. During his days at Gujarat Vidyapeeth he came to be known as "Acharya", a name that stayed with him during his lifetime. He served as a General Secretary of the Indian National Congress from 1934 to 1946 and was arrested several times for his part in the National Movements.
He was elected Membaer of the Consituent Assembly of India from 1946 to 1951. He resigned from the Congress in 1951. He resigned from Praja Socialist Party also in 1954 and remained an Independent for the rest of his Parliamentary life. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952, 1957, 1963 and 1967. The Acharya passed away on 19th March, 1982.
Dr. Syed Mahmud (1889-1971): A Great Nationalist ( Prisoner No 5)
It should not be surprising for many that one of the greatest nationalist politicians of colonial Bihar, in terms of political standing in the organizational structure of the Congress, was an Alig, yet he was denied chief ministership (in 1937 and also in 1952) without any acceptable justification, which irked Maulana Azad. Small wonder then that the Publication Division of the Govt. of India has not published his biography (Builders of Modern India Series, a tribute paid to a large number of nationalists, many of whom may not be matching his stature). Ironically, highly funded department of History, AMU, has equally ignored its alumnus in undertaking researches on his life and times. It would be in the fitness of the things that at least the alumni networks should commemorate this great personality, named Syed Mahmud.
He was born in the village Syedpur Bhitari, Ghazipur (UP). His father’s name was Md Umar and grandfather’s name was Qazi Farzand Ali. His ancestors had come to Bihar during the Lodis (and had subsequently migrated to Ghazipur, only to return back to Bihar). But his political life started in Aligarh where he received his education during 1901-08. Here he was among those few students, who were trying to make Muslims join the ongoing anti colonial nationalist struggle led by the Indian National Congress. He, along with his friends, participated in the annual session of the Congress in 1905 at Benaras, presided over by G.K. Gokhale, the political guru of both Gandhi and Jinnah. (It was this session where the resolution of free compulsory primary education was adopted). It was the time when the MAOCollege (later AMU), Aligarh was undergoing a great churning; students had started expressing their anti colonial proclivities.
In February 1907, he led a strike against the British manned management of the college. It started with disciplinary action against a sharp student, Raja Ghulam Husain, who had some confrontation with a constable in the annual exhibition (numaish). Violating the assurance given by the European Principal to Mohsinul Mulk, six students (including the three students viz. Syed Mahmud, Tasadduq Sherwani and Abdur Rahman Bijnori) were punished. This administrative high handedness led to student unrest and the college was closed down till 2nd April 1907. The enquiry committee submitted its report subsequently only to invite many controversies, notes of dissent; and the anti colonial assertion of the students was major concern of the European staff. Growing proximity of the students with the Congress was their great worry. They had formed a secret anti British ‘society’ in 1903 where matters and strategies to expel out the British from India were deliberated. All this earned them epithets like ‘Qaum’ for S. Mahmud and ‘Agitator’ for A.R. Bijnori. During those days the hostel rooms of the students were decorated with the portraits of the Sultan of Turkey, The German Kaiser and of Gokhale. They were the anti British symbols. On 5th February1907, few days before the agitation, a large number of students had assembled at the Aligarh Railway Station to welcome Gokhale, who delivered a mesmerizing speech on education. Syed Mahmud had then got elated and said, ‘Now I can die happily; seeing these Muslim students, I am assured of the freedom of my country’. Later this anti British group of students was joined by others like Saifuddin Kitchlew. They remained opposed to the Muslim League leaders like Syed Ameer Ali and Nawab Salimullah, who displayed loyalty towards the British. In 1908 when Aligarh was the venue of the annual session of the Muslim League, Syed Mahmud strongly condemned and agitated against those resolutions which demonstrated pro-British feelings.
Having expelled out of Aligarh, he went to the Lincoln’s Inn of London to become a barrister. Later, wrote a thesis on Mughal Politics and Administration from the Cambridge. He also got influenced with Pan Islamism under the influence of W.S. Blunt and E.G. Brown. Here also he organized some students and developed ideological conflicts with Ameer Ali (d.1928), who was running the London branch of the Muslim League.
In 1909, in London he came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi and J.L. Nehru. In 1912, he obtained Ph.D from Germany and came back to India, and from 1913 he started his legal profession in Patna under the able guidance of Mazharul Haq. In 1915, he married Mazharul Haq’s niece. Throughout his career he insisted on communal harmony, played significant role in the Congress- League Pact of Lucknow in 1916. Served with the Home Rule League, AICC and gave up his legal practice to participate in the Khilafat Movement. He also authored, The Khilafat & England. In 1922, he was imprisoned. In 1923, he was elected Deputy General Secretary of the AICC. In 1929, with M.A. Ansari, he formed ‘Muslim Nationalist Party’ within the Congress, and became the General Secretary of the Congress, and served in this capacity till 1936. In 1930, along with M.l. Nehru and J.L. Nehru he was imprisoned in the Naini Jail of Allahabad, for his participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
The correspondences of Syed Mahmud reveal that by 1939, he had developed considerable disillusionment with the Congress on the issue of communalism, which he wanted to be addressed on priority. In fact, in 1937, when the Congress was going to form ministries in provinces, according to Maulana Azad, Syed Mahmud was the most deserving candidate for Chief Ministership in Bihar, but Rajendra Prasad played a game, called two essentially caste leaders viz. Shri Krishna Sinha (Bhumihar) and Anugraha Narayan Sinha (Rajput) from the Central Assembly and got S.K. Sinha ‘elected’. Azad expressed his agony in his India Wins Freedom (P.17), (blamed Rajendra Prasad who threw his weight behind S.K. Sinha), and said that ‘the Congress failed the test of Nationalism’. Whereas Rajendra Prasad’s Autobiography fails to defend the act, only thing he says that he did not repent the decision.
The S.K. Sinha led cabinet made him Minister for Education, Development and Planning in 1937. His emphasis was on providing primary education to largest possible number of people, worked for revision of curricula, appointed Urdu teachers in the PatnaUniversity. He fought for raising the proportion of Muslims in the government jobs and in the local bodies. To mitigate the Hindi-Urdu tension, he launched a bilingual (Urdu &Hindi) newspaper called Raushni. He also wrote a book, A Plan of Provincial Reconstruction (1939). It became so popular that several editions were re-printed in the same year. It displays his vision for the problems like public health, education and human resources, material resources of Bihar. This book dealt at length about rural indebtedness and agricultural finance. He was engaged in such exercise when other big leaders of Bihar were engaged in caste based factionalism, much lamented by R.M. Lohia, Jaya Prakash Narayan and Sahajanand Saraswati. During 1946-52, he was the Minister for Transport, Industries and Agriculture in Bihar. In 1949 he suggested Nehru to enter into a particular military pact with Pakistan in order to safeguard the nation from China which could not materialize. Pained with communal partition of India, an optimist in him motivated him to write another book Hindu Muslim Accord (1949), celebrating the ‘Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of India’. During 1954-57 he was the Union Minister of State for External Affairs but resigned due to eye troubles. He participated in the historic Bandung Conference (1955), where the Panchsheel was spelled out. He played remarkable roles in India’s useful diplomatic relations with the Gulf countries, Iran and Egypt.
By 1940s, the Muslim League leaders of Bihar had developed a low level hostility against him, so much so that they instructed their followers not to participate in the last rites (janaza) of his mother –in-law, the marriage ceremony of his daughter was sought to be disturbed by the lumpens claiming to be supporters of the Muslim League. In June 1961, the communal riots and the abdication of responsibilities by the state disillusioned him. It got further accentuated in the riots of 1964, when he started re-thinking the question of minorities in both India and Pakistan, founded the Muslim Majlis Mashaweraat (MMM), yet he warned against having exclusively identity based political party in the India’s secular democracy. He rather wanted it to act more as a pressure group. In April 1968 he left the MMM precisely because its leaders started talking in exclusivist language.
In post-Independent Bihar, the Congress leaders acted only as caste leaders, established linear network of patronage distribution. For example, the Bhumihar and Rajput leaders had their ‘sub-contractors’ in many districts, who established a large number of high schools and colleges, offering recruitments to their caste fellows. These employees acted as their electoral strength/booth managers. Syed Mahmud did not develop this kind of linear networks of patronage distribution. Nadeem, the Urdu monthly from Gaya (Bihar), in its special number on Bihar, 1940, claimed that its idara had all the manuscripts to write a comprehensive biography, Hayat-e-Mahmud. But unfortunately nobody knows what happened to it. Presently a research is underway in the Dept of History, Jamia Millia Islamia. One hopes such researches will help us retrieve forgotten history about great luminaries like him.
Additional Information by: Saleem Kidwai, Professor, JNU, New Delhi - During his student days at Aligarh from 1901 to 1908 he had among his friends and class fellows persons like TAK Shervani, Abdurrahman Bijnori, Syed Husain and Saifuddin kitchlew. Though belonging to a very aristocratic family, Dr Mahmud was an ardent supporter of Congress from its very early days. He was elected joint General secretary of Congress along with Jawaharlal Nehru which resulted in close friendship between the two leaders. Nehru signed as witness at the marriage of Mahmud's daughter. After independence he was among few persons who could meet the Prime minister at his convenience. His correspondence with Nehru edited by historian V.N. Dutta throws ample light on intimate relationship. Like other nationalist Muslim leaders, Dr Mahmud had to suffer a lot, particularly at the hands Muslim League which carried a militant propaganda against nationalist Muslims. As Dr Mahmud wrote to Nehru on March 23, 1940 from Chapra: here Muslim League people conversed that nobody should take part in the burial of my mother-in-law as mine was a Congress family". The burial could only take place when Dr Mahmud's sons arrived next day from Patna.
Jawaharlal Nehru November 14th, 1989 marks the 100th birth annivarsary of Jawaharlal Nehru - India's first Prime Minister and the founder of almost all aspects of its modern growth. Jawaharlal Nehru was a multi-feceted personality. Loved by the people of India as a patriot and tireless fighter for freedom, he symbolised the newly emerging forces which have served to transform our age. Nehru was the foremost disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and translated the Mahatma's philosophy into a concrete plan of action for the independence of India.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was compelled to spend almost three years in solitude in Ahmednagar, away from political limelight, when the 'Quit India' movement had pushed the country to the brink of political war. Nehru's long imprisonment in Ahmednagar, away from the country's main political centres, had provided him with sufficient time to read, write and indulge in his favourite hobby — gardening.
The thinker and historian in Nehru, however, made the best use of his confinement to pen down his magnum opus Discovery of India, which hitherto remains a masterpiece on the Indian history.
His long incarceration in the Ahmednagar fort prison was probably the only time Nehru got to devote to his creative self. Within a couple of years following his release, Nehru was once again at the centre of the freedom movement and was later at the helm of the nation's affairs until his death.
Nehru was among the 12 members of the Congress Working Committee who were lodged at the Ahmednagar fort prison soon after their arrest following the launch of the Quit India movement on August 8, 1942. His co-prisoners included Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Acharya Narendra Dev and Acharya J.B. Kripalani.
The British had chosen the Ahmednagar fort to lodge Nehru and the other national leaders to prevent further intensification of the Quit India movement.During his confinement at the fort, Nehru used to work everyday in the rose garden he had developed himself. He had procured the flower seeds from the Pune-based Pocha Seeds company.
According to available records, the prison administration had provided Nehru with spades, pick-axes and other gardening equipment.
Although the other political prisoners did not take part in the gardening, Nehru was helped in this task by some other prisoners. Within a weeks, the roses in the garden had blossomed, creating a pleasant mood in the otherwise dull prison atmosphere.
During his leisure time, Nehru and the other Congress leaders also played badminton at the badminton court, specially built for them. Nehru's co-prisoners celebrated his birthday on November 14 in 1942, 1943 and 1944. His imprisonment in the Ahmednagar fort came to an end in March 1945 when the Bombay province government decided to move the imprisoned Congress leaders to their respective provinces. Nehru's daily programme in the prison included regular morning exercises, reading various periodicals and books, besides gardening.
When this was achieved in 1947, Nehru served the nation for 17 years as its Prime Minister. This was the period when firm foundations were laid for the creation of Modern India. Nehru played a leading role in the reconstruction of the international scene in the post World War II period and was a tireless champion of progressive forces and peoples liberation movements through out the world. He gave to international politics the philosophy of non-alignment and international co-operation based on panch sheel. Though modern and scientific in his outlok, he was a literary writer of great genius with an abiding understanding of the historical process.
Jawaharlal Nehru was truly a remarkable role model for our current generation. Born to luxury he yet learnt the virtues of asceticism during his numerous imprisonments in the cause of the freedom struggle. Though he was educated abroad, he yet identified himself completely with the poor and down-trodden in his country. A philosopher and idealist, he still embodied his vision for India in pragmatic terms and dreams translated into a practical charter of economic action. A humanist and democrat, Jawaharlal Nehru believed in the innate dignity and brotherhood of all mankind. Text: Courtesy Implementation Committee of Nehru Centenary.
One of the pioneers of India's freedom movement, Acharya Narendra Deo was born on 30th October, 1889, at Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh
, where his father, Shri Baldev Prasad, was an advocate. Educated at MuirCentralCollege, Allahabad & QueensCollege, Banaras. 1920 Quit his Lawyer's Profession and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement. Acharyaji was himself a lawyer by education, a staunch educationist by profession and an accomplished character of a selfless personality in life. Acharyaji is regarded as the founder of democratic socialist movement i India. He uncovered the new dimensions of Marxism with reference to nascent Indian
nationality and democratic ideals.
1926-36: Member of the Congress Working Committee. 1937-46: Member of Legislative Assembly of United Provinces. 1942 : Imprisoned for participation in Quit India Movement and detained in Ahmednagar Fort for 34 months. 1947-51:Vice-Chancellor of LucknowUniversity. Presided over the 7th Conference of the Socialist Party at Patna. 1950: President of Socialist Party & Kisan Sabha. 1952 : Vice Chancellor of BanarasHinduUniversity. 1954-56 : President of the Praja Socialist Party, Member of Rajya Sabha (Upper House) & Founder of "Sangharsh", a Socialist weekly. Also a renowned scholar on Buddhism.
He made continuous eforts throughout his life to set and implement socialist principles and ideals for socio-cultural reality. His role in the field of education, culture and literature was unique. He interpreted the liberalised essence of Indian culture. Acharyaji was also deeply interested in the philosophy and culture of Buddhism. His best compositions relate to Buddhism. In the words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Acharya's zeal and inteligence were unique. He was unique in honesty, heart and action. He reflected noble qualities by his behaviour and not just by speech.
The Acharya was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1938, and again in 1946. He was a member of the Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh, in 1952-54 and of the Rajya Sabha in 1954-56.
Acharya Narendra Dev died on 19th February 1956 in Tamil Nadu. Pt. J.L.Nehru called him an embodiment of scientific outlook, nobility of spirit, deep rooted humanism and compassion and erudite scholarship, who zealously worked for the preservation of the dignity of man and for the revolutionary transformation of human society.
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.
Ahmadnagar was a walled city with 11 gates. Walls around are still seen at some places but in a dilapidated condition and a few gates still exist. In what follows is reproduced an interesting description of these walls and gates as it appears in the old AhmadnagarDistrictGazetteer published in 1884:-
" The city walls built of stone and mud masonry below and white mud masonry above are twelve to thirteen feet high, six feet broad, and about three miles round. The walls were built about 1631 (H. 1042) by Sarjekhan, one of Shah Jahan's (1627-1658) nobles. The city is entered by eleven gates, the Jhenda and the Bava Bangali gates in the east, the Malivada or Railway and Fergusson gates in the south, the Nepti and Nalegaon gates in the west, and the Delhi, Tophkhana, Sarjapur, Mangal and King gates in the north. The Jhenda or flag gate is eleven feet wide by seventeen high.
The wall, which stretches on both sides, forms the wings of the doorway and is built with stones four feet from the ground, and for the remaining eight feet with burnt bricks and mud masonry, pointed with mortar. Inside a stone-stair leads up the wall to the flat top of the gateway to command a view of the ground in front when the gate was shut in times of danger. The Bava Bangali gate, 335 yards south of the Jhenda gate, is eleven feet wide by fourteen feet high. Except for two side bastions of stone below and brick and mud above, it is built like the Jhenda gate.
About 1,035 yards south-west of the Bava Bangali gate, an ornamented structure about 12'6" wide by 19'6" high, is the Fergusson gate built for easy access to the municipal market by the Municipality in 1881 and called after Sir James Fergusson, Bart., K. C. M. G., Governor of Bombay. About 300 yards west of the Fergusson gate is the Malivada gate, eleven and a quarter feet wide by thirteen feet nine inches high, with an open archway somewhat in the Gothic style, built of ashlar masonry. The gate has two strong stone side bastions, each about seventeen feet high. The parapets of the bastions which are about three feet high and are furnished with gun-holes are of burnt bricks and lime. The parapet over the flat part of the archway has openings for guns and is ascended by a stone-stair. The doors are of teakwood, about four inches thick, and like all the other gates have a small window to pass through at night, when the doors are closed from nine to five in the morning. Malivada is the strongest of the eleven Ahmadnagar gates. Close to the west of the doorway let into the wall in the centre of an arched recess specially built for it, an oblong inscribed black marble tablet, surmounted by an antlered stag's head and the Gaelic motto of the regiment, contains an inscription in memory of the officers and men of the 78th Highlanders who fell at the storming of the city on the 8th of August 1803.
To the right or east of the gateway close to the city wall is a plastered tomb (8' X 4' X 4') built in memory of an officer of the First Regiment of Madras Native Infantry who fell on the same occasion. The tomb which is kept in repair by the Public Works Department is enclosed by a wooden railing (14'6" X 8'6" X 7'8"), with square wooden bars fixed at six-inch intervals. The Nepti gate, 894 yards north-west of the Malivada gate, is nine feet wide by seventeen feet high and is much like the Bangali gate. The Nalegaon gate, 363 yards north of the Nepti gate, is nine feet wide by ten feet high, and is much like the Jhenda gate except that it has no bastions. The Delhi gate, 406 yards north-east of the Nalegaon gate, is twelve feet wide by fourteen feet high and has an open archway over the door, as in the Malivada gate. Like the Bangali gate it has two bastions of stone below and mud above. The Tophkhana gate, 359 yards north-east of the Delhi gate, is 10'6" wide by 12'6" high; it is like the Bangali and Nepti gates with bastions. The Sarjapur gate, 572 yards east of the Tophkhana gate, is eleven feet wide by fifteen feet high and is much like the Tophkhana gate. The Mangal gate, 410 yards north-west of the Sarjapur gate and 440 yards east of the Jhenda gate, is 10'6" wide by 14'6" high and is much like the Sarjapur gate. Between the Sarjapur and Mangal gates a small gate, three feet wide and six feet high, has been opened by the municipality for easy access to the municipal beef market. About 132 yards east of the Mangal gate near the Brahman cistern is the King gate about twelve feet wide opened by the Municipality in 1881. This is an old gate said to have been closed after the British occupation of Ahmadnagar (1803) to stop disputes between the people of the city and the privates of the Native Infantry Regiment which was stationed outside and close to this gateway. Besides these eleven two new gateways ten feet square have been opened in the city wall near the mission chapel for the convenience of the American Mission and one for the Collector's bungalow.".
Of the eleven gates, viz.,Jhenda gate, Bava Bangali gate, Fergusson gate, Maliwada gate, Nepti gate, Nalegaon gate, Delhi gate, Tophkhana gate, Sarjapur gate, Mangal gate and King gate only Malivada gate and Delhi gate are still in existence and those have been declared as historical monuments. Other gates have been demolished under the road-widening schemes.
