Rohtas

High above the valley of the Son stands Rohtasgarh, a hill fort whose formidable position made it a place of refuge as well as a seat of power. Inscriptions attest to its medieval past, while its palaces, mosques and reservoirs bear witness to the rulers who later occupied it. Sher Shah Suri took the fort in 1539, and his general Haibat Khan built the Jami Masjid there in 1543.

Under the Mughals, Raja Man Singh, governor of Bihar and Bengal, made Rohtasgarh a residence and added a palace, gardens and water tanks. The fort also sheltered Prince Khurram during his rebellion against his father Jahangir in 1621, before Aurangzeb used it as a prison. After his defeat in 1763, Mir Qasim sought refuge here; the fort was subsequently handed to Captain Goddard, whose men destroyed its stores and defences.