BABA SAHEB BHASKAR RAO BHAVE

 BABA SAHEB OR   BHASAR RAO BHAVE  RULER OF NARGUND SAMSTHAN in present day  Gadag dist in Karnataka. It was built by Shivaji maharaj  to offer resistance to mughals and it was not easy to capture the fort. It was unlike other usual forts. It was built with only essential features like very strong bastions  ,amunition storage, water reservoir and  quarters for army. No unnesessary frills were added. It was under Maratha rulers for 15 years after its creation. Later, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb invaded the fort and captured it by defeating the Maratha army. However, the courageous Marathas again captured the fort from Mughal rulers under Ramrao Dadaji Bhave in 1707. In the 18th century Nargund Fort along with the surrounding region was under the authority of King Venkat Rao of the Bhave family, which was subservient to the Marathas. The suzerainty of the Maratha rulers over Nargund Fort remained till 1778, when it was captured by the King of Mysore, Hyder Ali. In 1784, Hyder Ali's son, Tipu Sultan, controlled the fort.     In 1857 it was under Bhaskar rao bhave. He rebelled against East India Company in 1857 war and gave a call for a revolt against the  company rule. He defeated army sent by the East India Company very bravely  in which the commanding officer  and political agent  Mason     of the attacking army was killed. However, soon  reinforcements arrived under Major Malcom and Bhave was captured after betrayal by  some locals . He was  captured, tried and hanged at Belgavi. Nargund fort in the centre of Nargund town stands today desolateas mute spectator to the valor and sacrifice of baba saheb in 1857 and also to shameful betrayal of his country man. The fort is unkept although under govt. Any one can enter the fort and there is no control and  at present the fort  is in state of ruins. It shows the apathy of the govt and also of locals towards a  great t historical monument. This is the usual  phenomenon in Free India. The priorities of govt are different  who are after vote catching  ways to remain in power all the time.