CleanupBot II: Removed empty portal template using script

2023-08-15T07:51:05Z

Removed empty portal template using script

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:21, 15 August 2023
Line 67:		Line 67:
	*[[Rockfort Express]]		*[[Rockfort Express]]

	~~{{Portal bar\|History\|Hinduism}}~~

	==References==		==References==

imported>Rasnaboy: Superscript not required

2021-08-11T17:10:13Z

Superscript not required

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox Historic building
|name = Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort
|image = The tank and Rockfort Trichinopoly.jpg
|caption =
|map_type =
|coordinates = {{coord|10.828|N|78.697|E|type:landmark_region:IN-TN|display=inline,title}}
|location_town = [[Tiruchirappalli]]
|location_country ={{flagicon|IND}} [[India]]
|architect = Various ([[Pallava dynasty|Pallavas]], [[Chola dynasty|Cholas]], [[Madurai Nayak dynasty|Madurai Nayaks]])
|client =
|engineer = Unknown
|construction_start_date = Various times since 580
|date_demolished =
|cost = Unknown
|structural_system =Indo Saracenic Dravidian Architecture.
|owner = [[Archaeological Survey of India]], [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]
|style = Dravidian
|size =
|website = {{URL|http://www.trichyrockfort.tnhrce.in}}
}}

'''Tiruchirappalli Rockfort''', locally known as '''Malaikottai''', is a historic [[fortification]] and [[temple]] complex built on an ancient rock. It is located in the city of [[Tiruchirappalli (Trichy)|Tiruchirappalli]], on the banks of river Kaveri, [[Tamil Nadu]], India. It is constructed on an {{convert|83|m}} high rock.<ref name="India">India
By Sarina Singh, Joe Bindloss, Paul Clammer, Janine Eberle</ref><ref name="historyjournalp119">{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Indian History|volume=59|publisher=Dept. of Modern Indian History|year=1981|title=A Historical Sketch of Trichinopoly Rock Fort|first=T.|last=Sundararaj|page=119}}</ref> There are two Hindu temples inside, the [[Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort]] and the [[Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort]]. Other local tourist attractions include the famous [[Pallava dynasty|Pallava]]-era [[Ganesha]] temple and the [[Madurai Nayak dynasty|Madurai Nayak]]-era fort. The fort complex has witnessed fierce battles between the Madurai Nayakas and [[Adil Shahi dynasty]] of [[Bijapur]], [[Carnatic region]] and [[Maratha Empire|Maratha Imperial forces]]. The fort played an important part during the [[Carnatic Wars]], helping lay the foundations of the [[British Empire]] in India. The Rockfort is the most prominent landmark of the city.<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/185 185]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Governments of India}}</ref>

==History==
The name "Rockfort" comes from frequent military fortification built here, first by the emperors of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]] and later by the [[British Empire]] during the Carnatic Wars. The oldest structure in the fort is a cave temple built by the Pallavas in 580. During the Chola period, the nearby town of Woraiyur was their capital, but the Pallavas did not keep control of this strategic city and lost it to the Pandyas. The Cholas reasserted themselves in the 10th century. Trichy continued to be in their possession until the decline of the empire, after which it became a Vijayanagara stronghold.
In the mid 14th century, the region was controlled by the [[Delhi Sultanate]] after [[Malik Kafur]]'s raid on [[South India]]. They were ousted and the region came under the control of Vijayanagara. During the early part of the 16th century, the region came under the control of the Madurai Nayaks, who were the earlier governors of Vijayanagara Empire. However, it was under the Nayaks of Madurai that Tiruchirapalli prospered in its own right and grew to be the city that it is today. The Madurai Nayaks constructed the Rock Fort Temple Lake along with major walls as foundations, establishing the town as a trading city and later, their capital.
During ruling period of Madurai Nayak Queen Meenatchi,
The fort palace was occupied by the invader Chanda Sahib, as he ruled in conjunction with the alliance with the [[Kingdom of France]]. He lost this command when his uncle, the [[Nawab of the Carnatic]] along with the British, seized the fort after the Carnatic wars. This enabled the British to gain a foothold in [[Tamil Nadu]] and later all of South India.

In modern times, the fort is maintained and administered by the Chennai Circle of the [[Archaeological Survey of India]]. The fort is one of the prominent tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="ASI">{{cite web|title=List of Monuments and Sites: Trichy sub circle|url=http://www.asichennai.gov.in/trichy_sub_circle.html|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref>

==Major battles==

===Nayak era===
As the Rockfort was the capital of the [[Madurai Nayaks]], the fort has witnessed fierce battles. One of the largest was the Battle of Toppur for supremacy between the [[Aravidu dynasty]] of Vijayanagara and the Madurai Nayaks. The former won, with support from the rulers of Mysore and [[Thanjavur]] in the 16th century. Later, the Nayaks faced fierce attacks from Adil Shahi, Mysorean and Imperial Maratha troops. The Fort complex formed the northwest territory to the Nayaks. During their two-century rule, they had occasional skirmishes with their neighbours, the [[Thanjavur Nayak kingdom]], the [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom]], and, more frequently, with the invading Adil Shahi, [[Kingdom of Mysore]], and Imperial Maratha armies.

===Carnatic Nawabs===
During the mid 14th century, [[Chanda Sahib]], aided by the [[France|French]], made this fort his home base. He battled with the combined forces of the [[Carnatic Nawab]] and [[Great Britain|British]]. He was defeated in the Carnatic wars and was forced to cede his lands to the British.

===British periods===
In the late 18th century, [[Hyder Ali]] was a major threat to the British, as were the French who were still fighting for their colonial supremacy in this region. By now, the town was firmly established as a [[Cantonment]] town and the fort's gate was known as main guard gate. [[Robert Clive]] lived near the tank when he was in Tiruchirappalli.

==Architecture==

[[File:Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort.jpg|thumb|Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort]]
The rock is said to be one of the oldest formations in the world. It is 3.8 billion years old, making it as old as the rocks in Greenland and older than the [[Himalayas]].<ref>Pippa de Bruyn: "Frommer's India", Frommer's, 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-470-55610-8}}</ref> [[Quartz]], used in [[glass]] making, and [[feldspar]], used in [[ceramic]]s, are found in this rock formation.

As the name suggests, the Rock Fort [[Temple]] is situated on 83-metre-high outcrops. The [[Pallavas]] initially built this temple, but the Nayaks made use of its naturally fortified position and designed it again. It is a long climb up the 344 steps cut into the stone to the top.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rockfort Temple|url=https://www.trichycorporation.gov.in/cityvisit.php#menu|publisher=Tiruchirapalli Municipal Corporation|access-date=1 January 2014}}</ref>

The temple complex in the fort complex is a collection of three temples:
* the Manikka Vinayakar temple at the foot of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha
* the [[Ucchi Pillayar Temple]] at the top of the hill, dedicated to Lord Ganesha<ref name="India"/>
* the [[Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort|Taayumaanavar Koyil Shivastalam]], a rock-cut temple dedicated to a Nayaka-era saint, [[Tayumanavar]]. Mathrubutheswarar, dedicated to Lord [[Shiva]], has a lingam which is a projection of the rock itself. It is reached by a flight of steps on the way to [[Ucchi Pillayar Temple]].
[[File:Rockfort temple Tower.jpg|thumb]]

=== Rock-cut temple ===
[[File:Interior of a Temple on the Rock of Trichinopoly (IV, 1847, Vignette) - Copy.jpg|thumb|260px|Interior of a Temple on the Rock of Trichinopoly (1847)<ref name=Offering1847>{{cite journal|title=Interior of a Temple on the Rock of Trichinopoly |journal=Wesleyan Juvenile Offering|date=January 1847|volume=IV|page=Vignette|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1wEAAAAQAAJ|access-date=17 November 2015}}</ref>]]
There are two rock cut temples in the fort, one in the lower part of the fort called Lower Cave temple and other in the complex outside the Thayumanswamny on the way up to Uchi Pillayar Kovil, called the Upper Cave temple. An archaeological study in 2010 revealed that the layout of the rock-cut caves in the temple is similar to that of other rock-cut temples such as the [[Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple]] at Thiruvellarai and Pechipalai cave temple. The unfinished caves in the temple, along with the lower cave temples in Thiruvellarari and [[Tirupparankunram]], each have a shrine for Shiva in the east and Vishnu in the west, separated by a central bay between them. The study also revealed that the Lower Cave temple along with Kudumiyan Malai temple exhibited unique form of pillars, which are otherwise not seen in other temples in Tamil Nadu.<ref name="hindu4">{{cite news|title=Study uncovers interesting details of cave temple architecture |work=The Hindu|date=2010-10-27|access-date=1 November 2013|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/study-uncovers-interesting-details-of-cave-temple-architecture/article852218.ece}}</ref>

The rock-cut temple in the hill temple complex was built during the Pallava era and is named ''Lalitankura Pallaveswaram'', with several inscriptions attributed to [[Mahendravarman I]]. The Cholas, the Vijayanagara emperors and the Nayaks of Madurai have made extensive contributions here. The two-storey-tall Taayumaanava temples are considered to be a masterpiece of construction.

==See also==
*[[Tiruchirappalli Fort]]
*[[Rockfort Express]]

{{Portal bar|History|Hinduism}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.tiruchirappalli.nic.in/trichynew/TourPlaces/Rockfort.html Rockfort]

{{Forts in Tamil Nadu}}
{{Forts in India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Forts in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:History of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Tiruchirappalli]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Tiruchirappalli]]

Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort - Revision history

CleanupBot II: Removed empty portal template using script

imported>Rasnaboy: Superscript not required