Built to deter foreign invaders, little remains of Nandna Fort today.

Byline: Nabeel Anwar Dhakku

CHAKWAL -- Overlooking the sleepy village of Baghanwala at the foot of the hills in one of the tracts of the Salt Range are the remains of Nandna Fort and Nandna Pass.

The fort, which is the site where Al Beruni accurately measured the circumference of the earth, is one of the remains of the era of the Hindu Shahi dynasty.

A more striking historical feature in the same area is the Nandna Pass, a stony passage through the hills that served as an ancient road connecting India to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The pass was used by invaders and traders alike until the construction of the fort, which was built at this strategic location to monitor travellers and ruled by a governor appointed by the Raja of Lahore.

Every foreign invader had to capture Nandna Fort before marching towards Lahore and Delhi.

When Alexander marched to his final battle with Raja Porus, he came through the Nandna Pass and fought Raja Porus on the banks of the Jhelum River.

According to the legendary historian Mohammad Qasim Firishta, in 1013 Mahmud of Ghazni 'drew his army against the fort of Nandan (sic) which is situated on the mountains of Belnat and was in the possession of the Indian prince of Lahore. Anandpal by this time was dead and his son had acceded to his government.

The remains of a mosque built after the fort was conquered by Mahmud of Ghazni.

When Pitterugopal, for that was the young prince's name, saw that he could not stand against the king in the field, he drew off his army towards Kashmir, leaving a good garrison for the defence of the place.

Mahmud immediately invested it and with mining and other arts of attack, assiduously employed himself, so that in a few weeks, the governor seeing his walls in ruins was under the necessity of begging to capitulate.'

Travel writer Salman Rashid told Dawn that the mountains of Balnet referred to the mountains of the revered Hindu Jogi Balnath.

Visiting Nandna Fort today is a...

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