I will bring to light some fascinating aspects
from the depths of history's ocean.
Questions that have remained unresolved until now
will finally find their answers.
A glimpse into the past,
with something new revealed in every moment of the present.
We will talk about ancient science,
the logic of architects,
famous personalities,
and every unsolved mystery buried in history.
Only on "History Hunter".
In today's episode,
we will explore why the 16th century Golconda Fort
was far ahead of its time.
If history didn't exist, our present wouldn't either.
All of life's secrets are hidden within history.
Another new encounter will happen today,
unveiling a new chapter of history.
We'll embark on an exciting hunt with me, Maniesh Paul.
Only on "History Hunter".
So, let's begin the hunt.
And yes, I came here in my brand new MG Hector.
This is powerful, with awesome mileage,
full-of-tech featuring India's largest screen
and luxurious interiors.
This is MG Hector Diesel.
In the 16th century,
conversations could be heard from nearly a kilometre away
within this fort.
They were far ahead of their time.
They were so advanced in science and technology,
which is why they built such a fort.
Golconda is not simply a fort.
It is a science lab.
This is the birthplace of some legendary diamonds in the world.
It includes the infamous Kohinoor, Hope Diamond,
and Darya-e-Noor.
The world didn't believe
that diamonds could exist anywhere else other than Golconda.
It was a trading centre between the east and west coast.
The water supply system here was simply hi-tech.
The system for bringing water was quite simple,
utilising gravity.
Why was this fort considered impregnable in the 16th century?
If you observe all the doors of this fort,
they all allow entry in a restricted manner.
The story goes that water used to come from a secret lake,
that's why no one could do anything,
but its water source was protected.
How was this fort so scientifically advanced in the 16th century?
What secrets does this fort hold that are waiting to be revealed?
We will find out all
in today's episode of History's Hunter.
Hi, I am at the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.
Here, in every emotion,
there's an expression using eggplant.
If someone gets annoyed,
they might say, "Don't talk nonsense."
And if someone is sad, they might say,
"Eggplant, why does this happen to me?"
But please don't worry. I am not here to sell eggplant.
Today's hunting scene is set, my friend.
If successful, I'll celebrate by making eggplant and eating it.
Ladies & Gentlemen, let's find out how in those days,
conversations could be heard
a kilometre away at Golconda Fort without mobile phones.
Was it a natural phenomenon, or something supernatural,
or perhaps the invention of a genius?
We'll find out all about it on History Hunter!
Eggplant!
We'll need to go back several years to around the year 1143,
to solve the mystery of the sound
which could be heard from nearly 1 kilometre away.
According to the legend,
a shepherd boy found an idol on this hill,
and later, in 1143,
the Kakatiya King built a mud fort here
and named it Golconda.
In Telugu, Golaconda means "Shepherd's Hill."
Subsequently, in the 16th century,
it was ruled by the Qutub Shahi Dynasty.
Golconda was not just the name of a fort or a city.
Golconda was a fort with a population and a city.
Alongside this, it was also a sultanate.
Around 1496,
they laid the foundation for a new fort
that was built into a very strong fortress.
During the Qutub Shahi Dynasty's reign,
this fort was upgraded
using advanced technology,
especially employing architectural acoustics here.
Oh! You might be thinking that I'm swatting away mosquitoes.
No, no!
I am at the magnificent Golconda Fort's Bala Hissar Gate,
also known as the "Clapping Portico."
To enter inside, one has to follow an intercom system,
which is a 400-year-old process.
I am trying that out here.
By the way,
communication here happens not through words but through claps.
The sound of the clap will reach
the Baradari area located in Golconda.
The ruler will be sitting there,
and he will hear that sound.
The guard towers, which were situated at an elevated location,
were manned day and night by guards
who needed to communicate with each other.
So this was important from both
defence and communication perspectives.
Inside Golconda, when you enter the palace area,
there is an enclosure
where you can hear whispers from one corner to another.
This unique phenomenon is not seen in any other enclosure.
Architectural acoustics played a crucial role
in security at Golconda.
It was a heavily fortified fort with eight gates,
87 octagonal bastions,
and over 100 cannons deployed by the Qutub Shahi army.
In addition to armouries, there were numerous advanced defence systems
such as secret passages and many others installed within this fort.
All the doors inside the fort
allow entry in a restricted way.
All these mechanisms are designed to control pressure, momentum,
and for breaking purposes.
The walls of Golconda,
constructed using the header and stretcher technology,
are incredible.
This construction method is the strong point of Golconda,
making it an impregnable fort.
For extended periods, people used to besiege the fort,
but there was never a shortage of food and water inside.
Water was a crucial commodity.
Usually, during those times, water supplies were cut off,
forcing people to surrender.
The story goes that the water came from a secret lake,
making it impossible for anyone to intervene,
as the water source was protected.
One minute.
But I read that Aurangzeb conquered it in 1687.
It is said that Aurangzeb attacked thrice
and succeeded only in the third attempt.
There was an employee from the Qutub Shahi period
who betrayed them.
He assisted Aurangzeb
and allowed his army to enter.
Oh! Got it.
But what was there in this fort that so much was spent on security?
What was the reason
that Aurangzeb struggled for 8 months to conquer this fort?
Golconda became more famous because of its market,
a trading centre for diamonds which was inside the fort.
And these precious diamonds were mined
from the famous Kollur Mines in this area.
It is said that Golconda
was the diamond capital of the world in those days.
The most famous diamond, Kohinoor,
and others like, Dariya-e-noor were also extracted from these mines.
Golconda city was the centre point for such trade.
To control the Kollur Mines,
it was necessary to have control over Golconda.
Perhaps that's why Golconda was necessary for Aurangzeb.
Obviously, where there was trading of valuable goods,
upgraded security was necessary.
Moreover, architectural acoustics
had also significantly fortified the security.
When we discuss the principle of sound,
it states that at a given temperature,
which is 15 degrees Celsius,
sound can travel up to a distance of 330 metres per second.
Keeping this principle in mind, wherever we need to transmit sound,
the requirement for so many interfaces is needed.
An interface can be considered as a kind of relay station,
consisting of simple structures
where the only requirement is the concave shape of the dome,
polished dome, polished pillars, and polished flooring.
These elements help transmit sound from one place to another.
It has to be acknowledged, the Qutub Shahis were innovative,
and Golconda was an extraordinary fort built by them.
To truly understand the uniqueness of this fort,
I met with Dr. Sanjay Subodh, a professor at Hyderabad University.
Sir, how is Golconda Fort different from other forts?
It's different in a way that here you'll see acoustics...
- Yes. - ...hydrology,
and these elements are integrated in such a manner
that it feels like it's a science lab at play.
Wow!
Sir, I understand acoustics, but what is hydrology?
Do you know,
where the water used to come from in this 400 ft high fort?
Sir, you are right, there are no wells or water reservoirs.
Exactly, let me show you.
Sir, at that time,
there was no water body or municipal corporation
around the Golconda Fort.
So, sir, how was the water supply managed for this fort?
This is the uniqueness of this fort.
There was a Durgam Cheruvu about 7 km away from here,
which has a sewage system even today.
Water used to come from there, passing through
- the Qutub Shahi tombs. - Wow!
The water would enter at this height.
After entering, it would accumulate in this tank.
Now, this entire system works on the principle of siphoning.
Wow!
Now, you might ask, what is the principle of siphoning?
Absolutely.
This is the same system that is functioning in our apartments today.
You see the tank
- on top of our apartment? - Yes.
Water is filled there.
From there, it comes down.
First, on the ground floor, then the first floor,
then the second floor, and so on.
- So gravity works on the water. - Yes. Okay.
Once the water is drawn from the secluded lake
and enters the Qutub Shahi tombs,
another scientific principle
comes into play called Boyle's law.
What they used to do there was not just rely on gravity
but also manipulate the dimensions of the pipelines slightly
to create pressure in the water.
When pressure was applied to the water,
irrespective of the height, the water could be made to reach.
Today, we have gadgets.
We used GPS and found that the Durgam Cheruvu,
from where the water came,
is about 10 metres above sea level
compared to Golconda Fort.
This entire mechanism operated without any human labour
or mechanical device.
Solely using the force of gravity,
water used to flow all across the Golconda Fort.
This is absolutely unbelievable.
The Qutub Shahi's were not only Sultans but visionaries.
Indeed, an incredible technology was employed for the construction
of the water supply system.
Obviously, enemies didn't have a clue about it,
and the water remained well-protected.
The rest of the security was meticulously handled
by architectural acoustics.
The acoustic system that was designed was not solely
for defence purpose.
It was also meant to impress visitors.
When people arrived, their names would be announced from below
and then a reply came from above
that the king had granted permission to enter.
This setup was part of the overall experience.
Where everything was so advanced,
the entertainment at Golconda Fort was also at the next level.
But, whose responsibility was it?
Taramati and Premamati were two sisters.
They used to sing and dance.
It is said that one of the Qutub Shahi rulers
named Abdullah Qutub Shah,
had a romantic involvement with Taramati.
Interesting!
We'll need to understand this in depth,
we'll have to know where the entertainment chamber was,
what help the acoustics provided to the performances,
and where the performances used to take place?
Unfortunately, among the existing structures in Golconda,
there isn't any structure visible
where we can say that this could be the performance area.
However, the system from that time surely indicates
that a place might have been designated for performances.
Experts also suggest that Taramati's pavilion,
where she used to reside,
might have a connection through sound to Abdullah Qutub Shah,
who lived in a different part of the Golconda fortress.
And that distinct place wasn't just for residence,
it doubled as a performance centre as well.
We are exploring the architectural acoustic system here,
which was not only designed for security
but also had other uses, such as entertainment.
Both Taramati and Premamati, used to perform here.
And it is written that both were favourites of Abdullah Qutub Shah.
In those times, they were referred to as "Khwaas'
or "Khaas" or "Noor-e-Nazar" in Urdu.
If the king became fond of someone especially
or chose them among his favourites.
They were considered among his favourites.
Taramati's close proximity is also evidenced by the fact
that the place where Taramati lived had a connection through sound
to Abdulla Qutub Shah,
who resided in Golconda Fort's inner pavilion.
The legends suggest that Taramati used to perform
at a distant in Baradari,
and the Sultan would sit here and listen to her.
How could the sound be heard from such a distance?
The aerial distance between the fort
and Taramati's Baradari is
approximately a little over a kilometre.
So, how could the sound be heard clearly from there to here?
Was the same principle of sound working here
as Dr. Subodh explained,
where dome structures functioned like interfaces
aiding the travel of sound?
These interfaces catch the sound
and help in its distribution.
So if we consider the principle of sound
and try to ascertain how many interfaces might be present
between Taramati Baradari and Golconda,
my estimate is not more than three.
So if the sound emanates from Taramati Baradari,
it can reach the next point in one second,
then the next point in another second,
and can finally reach Golconda in the third and fourth second.
It is unfortunate that the evidence of the interface
is not present today.
So assuming that the sound from Taramati Baradari
was transmitted to Golconda,
one might wonder,
why the Sultan would need to listen to Taramati's performance
from such a distance
when he could easily hear and see it in his own chamber?
If the ruler placed her in a location
where only he could have the enjoyment of her performance
and the power of her sound,
then she might not be exposed to everyone.
If she is seated in Taramati Baradari
and wants to talk to Abdullah Qutub Shah,
she will speak there,
and the sound will reach Abdullah Qutub Shah
in the same way,
creating a dialogue between them.
It's not just music, it's communication.
Fantabulous!
Our ancient technicians were capable of achieving anything.
I am sure our modern sound equipment
and sound designers must have taken inspiration from these structures.
The Golconda hunt was exciting.
Here, I discovered water supply technology,
architectural acoustics,
defence mechanisms,
and the most amazing open-air acoustic technology.
Salute to the Qutub Shahi Dynasty
for constructing such a futuristic fort in mediaeval India.
Good news, hunt accomplished and bad news,
I didn't find a single diamond here.
I thought if I found even one,
I would name it "Manish-e-Noor" and then throw it away.
Oh, brother, when I didn't find one,
there is no harm in saying anything, right?
On that PJ,
this is your real diamond Maniesh Paul signing off
on History Hunter.
And remember,
don't be a troublemaker, be a History Hunter.
Subtitle Caption by ZestCorp