BANAWALI SEAL

Places Of Interest

  Introduction

  The Fatehabad district made significant contribution to the Haryana heritage and Banawali, and were pre-Harappan, and Harappan settlements and centr6s of. activity during pre-historic times.  The Asokan pillars at  Fatehabad (originally of Agroha or Hansi) and now the latest sensation of the area of village Kunal are important..

  During. the medieval period, the district :.rose into prominence continually. Important monuments like forts, gates, palaces, mosques and mausoleums at Fatehabad and the importance of the ,district during Sultanate and Mughal rule.

  The following pages describe the places of interest which are known for their antiquity or have acquired importance on account of their economic and industrial development.

  Banawali (Tehsil Fatebabad)

  The ancient mound of Banawali previously called Vanawali, lies 14 kms, north-west of Fatehabad on the right.bank of the Rangoi Nala oa,290 37' 5' north latitude and 750 23',6' cast longitude.  This proto-historic mound spread over an area of I sq. kms., rose to a height of about 10 metres due to successive settlements on the earlier rubble,.

  The archaeological excavations done here by the Department of Archaeology, Haryana have revealed a 'well constructed fort town o the Harappan period overlying an extensive proto-urban settlement of the pre.-Harappan culture. If the discovered ancient relics are pieced together, a fairly coherent picture emerges and it can be conjured up that if Kalibangan was a metropolitan town over; the lower middle valley of the Saraswati, Banawali was possibly one over the upper middle course of that river.

  The era of the pre-Harappan period (2703 B.C.-2300 c. D.C.) is characterized by the typical pottery, settlement pattern and architecture. -A wide range of to those found at Kalibangan

in Rajasthan, illustrates the developed ceramic art of the settlers here.

  A  rich variety of shapes and designs speaks highly Of the level of their socioeconomic existenc6 and their aesthetic taste.   The houses were built roughly along cardinal directions and points to definite town planning. Constructed usually of mould-made bricks, we find, occasionally, structures made of kiln-baked bricks. The civilization seems to have been conversant with the technology of copper smelting.  Among personal ornaments, beads of gold,- semi-precious stones, terracotta and

steatite and bangles of clay, shell, faience and copper .have been. recovered during the course of excavation.  The overall picture presents a   fair degree of advancement - achieved by  the pre-Harappans by the middle of the - 3rd millennia B.C.

  While 'the p're-Harappan culture was still young, a new' set of people occupied Banawali.  'They' soon built a 'well planned and fortified township in the 'classical chessboard pattern'. The broad arterial streets, running from north to south, have been found straight and uninterrupted, whereas those, running from east to west, were usually narrow and staggered.  This planning, perhaps protected the, town from the blistering winds of the west and. severe monsoon, rains of ' the south-west. The town seems to b divided in two sub-joined fortified areas, one separato t6d from the other by a' six-to-seven-metre thick wall running centrally across the mound from north to south. A narrow opening, pro I vided through the defence wall in the centre of the mound, was, perhaps meant for communication between the two parts of. the city blocks, of which the better fortified western side was dominated by the elite, while the commoners and business communities -lived in the eastern wing. This postem gate was guarded by a massive, square bastion. Planned mud-brick houses, with several rooms, a kitchen, a '.toilet, etc. are found built on either side. of the roads and lanes. Their sanitary arrangements depended on the Use of sanitary pottery jars which served as washbasins, as also for soakage purposes. Except in a few places, which demanded constant use of water, structures were usually made of. Sun baked bricks meticulously moulded into various sizes. 'Numerous' household items like ovens, hearths, tandoors and blades made' of chert and other stones, and sophisticated, ce'ramics known for their faniciful shapes have been excavated. The principal kinds of pottery recovered includedvases, fruit stands, chalice cups' handled clips, 'S-shaped jars' perforated jars, cooking handis,beakers, basins, rooters, etc:

  Among painted motifs,peacocks, pipal and banana leaves, trees, deer, 'stars, fish, flowers, '.intersecting circles, checker-board patterns and honeycomb patterns are of special -interest. It is noteworthy that the pre-Indus ceramic tradition ,Continues here throughout, whereas at Kalibangan, - it dies out , half-way through. The Harappan seals 'recovered here' depict a, rhinoceros, ibex, wild goat, unicorn, -a composite animal with a tiger's body and horns and the cubical weights and gamesman type of weights made of stones and ivory or . bone reveal a great degree of precision and superb craftsmanship of the Harappan artists.  Gold, copper and bronze pieces found here indicate that' they had a profound knowledge of metallurgy. Among ornaments have been found beads of gold, copper, agate, carnelian,'Iapis lazula, faience, shell, bone and clay, bangles of . copper, faience shell and terracotfa, and pipal leaf'shipbd ear rings of faience. 

  Certain figurines of mother Goddess and the like suggest that the Harappans were very fond of decorating their-. persons with elaborate headgear, ear rings, necklaces, garlands, etc., Copper and bronze were used for weapons and tools as also for ornaments and items included arrows, spearheads, razor blades, chisels, fish hooks, beads,, rings, bangles, antimony rods, wires and hair pins. Iron, however, was not known to them. . Terracotta figurines of bulls, ; buffaloes, deers, dogs, rhinoceros and. birds are not only -the evidence of their folk art tradition, but also throw welcome light on the fauna of those bygone days.,

  The site has attracted . the attention' of Indian archaeologists and in importance, it rivals Kotdljl and Chanhuo (gind-Pakistan). Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Surkotda and Lothal (Gujarat), Rakhigarhi (Hisar district) and Mitathal (Bhiwani district).

    Fatebabad (Tahsil Fatebabad)

  Fatehabad, the headquarters of the tahsil and the sub-division  and districtof the same name, lies in 290 3' north latitude and 750 30' east longitude, at a distance of about 48 kilonietres north-west of Hisar on Delhi-Hisar-Sulemanki road.  Its population was 22,630 in 1971 against the population of 12,461 in 1961.

  Thetown was founded by the emperor Firuz ShahTughlaq andnamed after his son Fatch Khan in A.D. 1352.  The site on which the town was founded was a hunt i@ng ground.  He dug a charmer from the Ghaggar in order to supply the town with water. He also built a fort which is now in ruins, the fortification walls can be seen on the east. of the town.  He also built three forts in the neighboring villages in the name of his three sons.

  The old,town was surrounded by a wall which has been dismantled to a great extentexcept near the fort.

  Formerly, Fatehabad was an important trade centre for the export of surplus grain but with the construction of Rewari-Bhatinda railway line which runs about 20 kilometres to the west of the town, the trade shifted to Bhattu. But the town assumed greater importance after the Independence when metalled roads provided important link and the earlier importance of the town was revived.

  An important monument is a Lat or a stone pillar measuring slightly less than 5 metres in height and 1. 90 metres in circumference at the base. It was erected in the centre of an Idgah. The lower portion of the pillar is a mono-block of light buff sandstone and is possibly the remaining part of the pillar that lies in the mosque at Hisar.  It is more than likely that both these pillars once made a single monolithic pillar which was possibly erected by Asoka at Agroha or Hansi.  Firuz Shah Tughlaq had a craze for taking away such columns and transplanting them among his favourite complexes.  The Asokan epigraph that was once engraved on the pillar was systematically chiselled off for writing the Tughlaq inscription recording the genealogy of Firuz Shah in beautiful Tughra Arabic characters carved in high belief.

  There are two inscriptions, one on a light coloured rectangular sandstone studed into the left of the screen-wall of Idgah, immediately behind or to the west of lat, praising the emperor liamayun and the other one is on a rectangular sand-stone placed on the outer wall of the mosque enclosure and contains a well-known invocation to Ali in Arabic.  The mosque can still be seen in good conditions but lies in disuse.

  The other monument is a small and a beautiful mosque known as Humayun Mosque. The legend assigns the association of the mosque to the Mugbal Emperor Humayun who on his flight after his defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri happened to pass through Fatehabad on Friday and is said to have prayed at this mosque.  The inscription praising Emperor Humayun was originally found here and later studded into the screen-wall of the Idgah.  The mosque is said to have been repaired by one Nur Rehmat in the early eighties of the last century.

  There are facilities for stay at P.W.D. rest house, H.S.E.B. rest house, market committee rest house and dharamsalas. The town is well provided with schools, college, hospital and other basic necessities.

  Tohana(Tehsil Tohana)

  Tohana, the headquarters of the tahsil of the same name lies in 291143' north latitude and 75054' east longitude at a distance of about 70 kms. from Hisar on Bhiwani-Hansi-Barwala-Tohana-Munak road.  The population of the town was 16,789 in 1971 against 12 394 in 1961.

  Tohana can be identified with ancient Taush ya na mentioned by Panini.1

After, the fall of Kurus, the town alongwith towns like Indraprastba, Hisar, Sonepat, Rohtak and Rodi seems to have come under the Nandas and MauryaS.2 Local traditions arttributes the foundation of the town to one Anangpal, and Anangsar tank named after him still e'xists in the town. There is an old Baoli near tahsil building. it is said that it was connected with Anangsar tank through a tunnel. An old Shiva temple and Gugga Mari exist in the – town.

  The town was deserted during tile famine of 1783 and was repeopled in 1801 when Lt. Bourquin, the deputy.of General Peron of Scindhia rebuilt it.

  After Independence, particularly after the formation of Haryana, the town assumed importance.  It was upgraded from a sub-tahsil to tahsil and became an important road junction and a grain market. The town is provided with a Market Committee rest house, a Canal rest house (Baliyala), schools, college , hospital, bus stand and other basic amenities.

  Ratia (Tehsil Fatehabad)

  The town is located on the bank of the Ghaggar about 23 kms. north of Fatehabad in 29041'- north latitude and 75034' east longitude.  The population of the town was 7,740 in 1971 as against 5,348 in- 1961.

  Local traditions a ttribute the foundation of the town to Rattan Nath, a sadhu with extra-ordinary powers who medicated at the site and the town was named after him.'The- town was deserted, during the famine of - 1783 but was repeopled in 1816 by one Rattan Singh Jat and the Patiala chief erected a fort and an outposts

  It is an up-coming mandi town and is well provided with basic amenities.

  1.    V.S. Agrawala, Panini Kalina Bkaratoyarsha, (Hindi) Banaras, Samvat, 2012.

  2.           Silk Ram Phogat, Rohtak and Hissar Districts throguh the ages, Jotirral of Haryana Studies, Vol. V, No. l@2, 1973, P. 2.