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1. Syed Viqar Ali says:
   June 17, 2025 at 11:04

   Historical Sann Gate Of Ranikot Of District Jamshoro, Sindh.
   Deputy Director, Sindh Coastal Community Development Project, Coastal Development Authority, Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh. e-mail. Info@Sepo.Com.Pk
   Abstract:
   Dewar-e-Sindh, Ranikot with a circumference of about 26km is reputed to be the largest unexplored fort in the world. Mohan Nai, a rain-stream enters the fort from its rarely used western ‘Mohan Gate’, where it is guarded by a small fortification, changes its name to ‘Reni’ or ‘Rani Nai’ or rain-stream and gives the fort its name. Since 1993, it has been on the list of tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is approximately 90 km north of Hyderabad, in vicinity of 25.8965N, 67.9025E. The original purpose and architects of Ranikot Fort are unknown. This fort has four such entrances or gates; Sann gate, Amri gate, Shah Per Darwaza (gate) and Upper Gate (Mohan gate). At sann gate there is one pillar in original position but renovated, in the bed of the river, and there are two bank joint pillars. Today visible collapsed pillar has a rectangular section with rounded corners having height about 4.25m and upper part consists of original limestone bedrock. Exact date of first construction of Ranikot is still unknown. But author is in the opinion that the first construction of Ranikot was done during the Indo Greek period that is from 184BC-70BC.
   Keywords:
   Dewar-e-Sindh, Ranikot, Sann gate, Jamshoro, Sindh.
   Introduction:
   For many years Ranikot has attracted attention to its architectural structure, military function, archaeology and chronology. Within Ranikot, there are two more fortresses; Meeri and Shergarh, each have five bastions. Meerikot takes its name from the word ‘Mir’ meaning top (for instance the top of a hill, chief of any Baloch tribe, etc.). Ranikot Fort is situated in the Kirthar Range, to the west of the River Indus at a distance of about 30 kilometers from the present day town of Sann, in Jamshoro District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. The Khirthars reach a height of about 7000 feet at Darhyaro, and Kutte-ji0Kabar in the northern Dadu and Larkana districts, but the height of hills near the Ranikot Fort is indeed less then 2000 feet. Ranikot is the most talismanic wonder of Sindh. Visible from five kilometers away its massive undulating walls twist and dip over the hills. Ranikot Fort has an approximate diameter of 6km. Its walls are on the average 6 meters high and are made of gypsum and lime cut sandstone and total circumference is about 26km. The original purpose and architects of Ranikot Fort are unknown. Some archaeologists attribute it to Arabs (Umayyad Governors, 711-750AD), or possibly built by a Persian noble under the Abbasids (751-854AD) by Imran Bin Musa Barmaki who was the Governor of Sindh in 836. Others have suggested a much earlier period of construction attributing to at times the Sassanians Persians (46-78AD) and at times to the Greeks (184BC-70BC). Despite the fact that a prehistoric site of Amri is nearby, there is no trace of any old city inside the fort and the present structure has little evidence of prehistoric origins. Hugues (1876) followed the Gazetteer of the province of Sindh, the fort was built in the early 19th century by Talpur Ameers (1783-1843AD), Mir Kharam Ali Khan and Mir Murad Ali Khan. Rashid (1978) declared that Ranikot was built by Parthians (175-283AD), and subsequently reinforced by later invaders. Panhwar (1981) was in confident that Ranikot was built by Talpurs rulers (1783-1843AD). Yousuf (1985) stated that it was built by Indo-Greeks (184BC-70BC) or Schythians (70BC-46BC). Baloch (2002) who quotes the authority of the Ghulam Ali Mail (Poet), it was completed between 1815 and 1819 (during Talpur rulers). Hasan (2006) stated that, most, or all of the Ranikot walls, were built in later prehistory by Amri culture people. Panhwar, M.H., (2006) disagrees upon the name’s history being related to Mirs of Sindh, stating that “Of two forts inside the main Rani Kot fort, the lower one is called Miri and is a word used in Seistan for small fortress. It has nothing to do with Mirs of Sindh”. Both the main Ranikot and the inner Meerikot have similar entrances - curved, angulated with a safe tortuous path. Recently Biagi and Nisbet (2009) carried out an archaeological survey on 30th January, 2009, and had visited Ranikot area as a possible flint source for the production of prehistoric chipped stone artefacts. On such occasion, a detailed examination of the Sann gate right pillar led to the discovery of many small (0.5-2cms) charcoal fragments, suggesting the possibility to date them by radiocarbon method, after their botanical identification.

   Discussion:
   Sann gate is one of the four gates of Ranikot which is about 20km from sann and it is the present-entrance gate. At sann gate there is one pillar in original position but renovated, in the bed of the river, and there are two bank joint pillars. Today visible collapsed pillar has a rectangular section with rounded corners having height about 4.25m and upper part consists of original limestone bedrock. Sahrai (1981) also wrote that one pillar of the sann gate is in the bed of the river, and out of two pillars one of them still stands at its original position, but the second one has been dis-joined and stands drifted at a small distance from its original place, by the gushing waters of the river during the monsoons. This fort has four entrances or gates; Sann gate which is on the eastern side of the fort, Amri Gate which is on the northern side, Shah per Darwaza (gate) which is on the southern side, Mehan gate or upper gate which is on the western side of the fort. The Eastern or the Sann gate is known about area of Sann to the east of the fort about 20km away. The Amri gate is known after the name of Amri, which is archaeologically a very well known and important place. Amri lies 16km north of Sann along the Indus River. This fort perhaps came to be built when Amri was still flourishing and hence the north eastern gate was named after this famous place as was the custom in those days to name gates of towns and forts after the famous places. The southern gate or the Shah per Darwaza (gate) lies on a lower plane than the Amri gate. The eastern or the Sann gate is the lowest gate; and finally the western gate is the upper-gate (Mehan gate), which is towards the upper citadel. Panhwar (1981) stated that sann gate is not of the original construction. It must have been repaired or renovated by Talpurs about 200 years back. Archaeologists point to 17th century as its time of first construction but now Sindh archaeologists agree that some of the present structure was reconstructed by Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur and his brother Mir Murad Ali in 1812 at a cost of 1.2 million rupees (Sindh Gazetteer, 677).
   It is true that the exact date of first construction of Ranikot is still unknown. But author is in the opinion that the first construction of Ranikot was done during the Indo Greek period that is from 184BC-70BC. The supporting arguments in this connection, author would like to elaborate that, Indo-Greeks, had under their control the whole of North-western South-Asia up to central Ganges-Jamuna Doab, did need to protect their frontiers including the area where Ranikot presently stands, and against parathions in the west. While Alexanders history of conquest of the area (325BC-323BC) included in present Pakistan is well recorded and he had no need to construct a fort like Ranikot within a very short time. Kushans (78-175AD) had controlled northern Sindh and Sassanians (283-356AD) had controlled Sindh for a short time, while Soomras (1011-1351AD) had ruled Sindh, besides their center of activity was the lower Sindh, so they could not have built fort. Although some archeologist are in opinion that, this fort was constructed in Umayyad Governors period. But in my eyes this statement has a poor base, because Umayyad Governors period is consist opinion only 39 years i.e. from 711-750AD, and this was a vexed period and such type of construction was not possible during this regime. Not only this, besides their center of activity was the lower Sindh like Habaris (850-1011AD), Abbasids (751-854AD), Soomras (1011-1351AD) and Sammas (1351-1524AD). So they could not have to build the fort like Ranikot location. This fort did not constructed by Brahmans (641-711AD and 715-725AD), because if they constructed Ranikot they should used it but they did not used this fort, that is why Muhammad Bin Qasim attacked Sehwan, reached Sehwan unnoticed and uninterrupted by the route through the hills lying only 7km west of Ranikot. During the period 1524-1591AD, Mughal Governors ruled like Arghoons and Tarkhans, but they controlled only large towns and cities for the purpose to extent of recovery of taxes and their control over the rural areas was limited. Besides, their history is also well recorded and carries no mention of the Ranikot. So they could not have built the Ranikot.
   To move towards the deep discussions at this stage author would like to complements to Col.Rashids first published article on the subject of Ranikot in Feburary 1965 and his team members who had visited Ranikot fort in January 1965. Why I am mentioning it, because not only having the position of first research article on the object but during this visit they had enjoyed the hospitality of G.M.Sayyed, who had been visiting the site for years and also some huts built or repairs carried out in the Miri enclosure, for his casual stay. G.M. Sayyed had an opinion that the fort may have been built by Bactrian Greeks (184-70BC), Scythians (70BC-46AD), Parthians (46-78AD) or Sassanians (283-356AD). So, author’s opinion is getting the support of mentioned above remarks of G.M.Sayyed. Other notable point is that, Ranikot and Great Wall of China have similarities. Author is fully agreed with Col. Rashid claims regarding similarities between the Great Wall of China and Ranikot fort but according the Panwar he does not hesitate to state direct connection between the builders of the two. Although his statement would require basic archaeological substantiation to reach such a conclusion but if it is true, then it should keep in mind that especially famous is the wall built between 220-206BC by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang and Bactrian Greeks period is 184-70BC in Sindh, near about 20 years of construction of Great Wall of China. This argument is very near to prove that Ranikot was constructed during the Greeks regime and after quarter century of construction of Great Wall of China. However this argument needs more historical support.
   Acknowledgements:
   The author is very grateful to Mr. Muhammad Umer Memon (P.D, SCCDP), Mr. Muhammad Ali Memon (SRIE,SCCDP), Mr. Khawar Pervaiz Awan (Director Fishries), Mr. Zahoor Hussain Abbasi (Director Fishries), and Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Larik (Dy:Director, Fishries) for providing facilities during the site visit.

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