Description
A fort, having a very chequered history. Several times it was destroyed and rebuilt. Under the Mughals it saw several ups and downs until it came into the possessions of the Durranis. It was destroyed by the Sikhs. It was residence of Shah Shuja. Its court was oblong, and had high walls, painted with the figures of cypresses. In the middle was a pond and fountains. At the end of the court was a high building, the lower storey of which was solid wall, ornamented with false arches, but without doors or windows; over this was another storey, the roof of which was supported by pillars and Moorish arches highly ornamented. In the center arch sat the king, on a very large throne of gold or gilding. The old magnificent Bala Hisar along with its Shalimar Garden was destroyed by the Sikhs and was rebuilt by Hari Singh after the Battle of Nowshera while Burnes notes that it was rebuilt in the time of Sardar Khurruck Singh. It was built mostly of unburnt bricks, and is rather imposing in appearance, but of no great strength. The British later replaced the mud walls with brick masonry.
