History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c68.s1.4

v4.c68.s1.4

Two miles due west of this stone bridge, some 160 yards north of the Musi river, lies the fort of Golkonda,[*] the impregnable stronghold of the Deccan. It is an irregular rhombus, with a rough pentagon (the *Naya Qila*) annexed to its north-eastern face. A strong crenellated wall of granite, over four miles in length and of great thickness, surrounds the fort, which is further defended by 87 semi-circular bastions, each from 50 to 60 feet high and built of solid blocks of granite cemented together, some of them weighing more than a ton. The eight massive gates could have safely defied any artillery known to the 17th century. On the walls were mounted a vast display of cannon, some of them being very fine specimens of the mediæval gun-founder's art. Outside is a deep ditch, 50 feet broad, with stone retaining walls, and along the entire southern side there are traces of a second parallel moat still visible.