The Palace in Ain-i-Akbari
Over the past century much ink has been spilt for decoding the architecture of the palace at Barabati Fort mentioned in Abul Fazal’s Ain-i-Akbari. What was noticed for its grandiosity has remained more of an enigma.
When Thomas Motte, the British agent of Governor of Bengal Robert Clive visited Cuttack in 1766 he was charmed by the external grandeur of the Barabati Fort with its ramparts, watch towers and a towering edifice in its middle.
From the bank of Mahanadi River, Motte, who was on his way to Sambalpur to explore the possibility of diamond trade saw a striking resemblance of the citadel at Barabati with Windsor Castle located on the bank of the River Thames in England.
In his account Motte wrote: “Cuttac (Cuttack) appears from hence a noble city. The rising ground on which it is situated, the stone wall by which it is defended from the force of the stream; the great number of mosques with which it is adorned and the regular appearance of the citadel strongly resembling the west side of Windsor Castle, unite to make the perspective view of the place extremely grand.”
Motte’s account gives credence that the palace mentioned in Ain-i-Akbari was intact in the second half of 18th century.
The Barabati Fort served as the residence of all sovereign powers who ruled over Orissa after Ganga ruler Anangabhima Deva III constructed it towards the end of 12 th century. But the citadel was taken note of after it came under the control of the Mughal Empire.
The palace caught the attention of Abul Fazal during his purported visit to Barabati Fort along with Emperor Akbar’s General Mansingh in 1592. Ain-i-Akbari was compiled in Persian in 1594-95.
That there was a Navatala Prasad (Nine Storied Palace) at Barabati Fort gained ground with the publication of the first English translations of the Ain-i-Akbari in the 1890s.
According to Francis Gladwin’s translation Abul Fazal wrote – “In Cuttack there is a fine palace, built by Raja Mukund Deo, consisting of nine stories. The first storey is for elephants, camels and horses; the second for artillery and military stores, where are also the quarters for the guards and other attendants; the third is occupied by porters and watchmen; the fourth is appropriated for the several artificers; the kitchens make the fifth range; the sixth contains the Raja’s public apartments; the seventh is for the transaction of private business; the eighth is where the women reside; and the ninth is the Raja’s sleeping apartment”.
The translations triggered a disagreement over the palace as most historians felt it not reasonable to believe that the palace was nine stories tall. What baffled them the most was the location of elephants in the first storey.
Historians by and large have been of the consensus that Abul Fazal had meant to say the palace had nine ashianas and the Persian word was misinterpreted and translated as nine stories. But they differed on the interpretation of Ashianas.
While some read it as nine courtyards arranged horizontally in rows instead of nine floors vertically on top of another, others visualised it as nine courts at different heights if not one above the other.
By far the most acceptable interpretation of Ain-i-Akbari by some historians has been the portrayal of the palace as a structure having nine courts standing on platforms of increasing heights, the ninth one being at the highest level. The nine courts were constructed in a circular manner with separate rising paths to each from the ground floor, giving the palace the appearance of a towering edifice, which Motte saw in 1766.
The Barabati Fort was devastated with the British takeover from the Marathas in 1803. In 'Orissa : Its Geography, Statisstics, History, Religion, and Antiquities', Andrew Stirling who visited Barabati Fort in 1818 stated - “No traces of the famous palace of Raja Mukand Deo nine stories in height, mentioned in the Ayin Akberi, are to be found within the walls of fort Barabati, but the fragments of sculptured cornices, etc., which have been dug up at different times, and more especially a massive candelabra, or pillar furnished with branches for holding lights, formed of the fine grey indurated chlorite or pot stone, are probably the remains of some large and splendid edifice.
”During excavations undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the mound within the Barabati Fort in 1989-91, 32 pillars possibly of a Central Hall of the palace were unearthed. The ASI archaeologists found in some of the 32 pillars, two building phases, indicating that the palace was rebuilt at least once.
In his report Director of Barabati Fort Excavation Dr B K Sinha said: “Abul Fazl in Ain-i-Akbari refers to a nine ashiana palace built by Mukunda Dev and since the period of his reign was only 8 years, it is possible that instead of building a new palace the Raja enlarged the existing palace”. His report entitled Excavations at Barabati Fort, Cuttack, Orissa, 1989-91 appeared inCuttack Millennium Committee and Celebration published in Cuttack: 1000 years, Volume I, printed by the Cuttack City Millennium Committee.
