Page 29 - Lohgarh

Lohgarh : The Largest Fort of the World w 29

young workers (who had military training as well). A huge quantity of
stones, lime and bricks were used to build this Fort. Such a massive
stock of construction materials could not have been brought by a couple
of hundred persons. A ‘tanda’ (trade caravan) of hundreds and
thousands of persons might have brought all this. Lakhi Rai Vanjara
already had an experience of building Forts and palaces. He had been a
supplier of building materials (stone, lime and timber) for the
construction of Red Fort Delhi and some Maratha Forts. He had built
his own palace, known as Matia Mahal, in Delhi and some other
buildings as well. So, it seems that Guru Har Rai Sahib had given this
duty to Lakhi Rai Vanjara who supplied material and provided force to
build this big Fort.
Not only building the Fort but even clothes, blankets, quilts, grains,
hand mills, oil pressers etc. must have been supplied by Lakhi Rai and
his sons and grandsons. Some Persian writers mention that when the
Sikhs abandoned the Lohgarh Fort, the Mughal soldiers entered the
Fort and plundered silk clothes. The silk clothes must have been brought
by Lakhi Rai from China and other parts of Central Asia, otherwise there
could not have been such precious clothes in that zone, where people
did not have even enough food.
As has been mentioned above, Lakhi Rai’s sons and grandsons were
a part of Banda Singh’s army, and, all of them died in battles against the
Mughals. When all of them had died, only then, the Mughlas might
have captured this Fort. The Mughal soldiers demolished the Fort and
carried the stones and bricks on the carts far away from that zone, so
that the Sikhs might not build this Fort again.

Who Built Lohgarh Fort & On How Much Time Did It Take to Build ?

Most of the historians say that a Fort existed there at the time of Banda
Singh Bahadur. After having captured some Forts (Samana, Ghurham,
Kapuri, Shahbad etc.) he must have captured this Fort as well. He got it
repaired and renovated, and, established his capital here. But, this is
just like a joke. The Fort is spread in at least 7000 acres of area on
dozens of hills; hence it could not have been built in some months or