Satpula
Encyclopedia
Satpula is a remarkable ancient water harvesting dam
or weir
located about 800 m (2,625 ft) east of the Khirki Masjid
that is integral to the compound wall of the medieval fourth city of the Jahanpanah in Delhi
, with its construction credited to the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shah Tughlaq (Muhammad bin Tughluq
) (1325–1351) of the Tughlaq Dynasty
.
The objective of building the weir was for providing water for irrigation
and also, as a part of the city wall, to provide defense security to the city against attacking armies..
Satpula is a usage in Urdu
and Hindi languages, which literally means “seven bridges”.
was in distress due to very high expenses incurred on the war campaign in South India
(Deccan) and also due to the Sultan establishing his southern capital at Daulatabad. Both these acts necessitated increasing taxes to enhance the treasury coffers to meet large expenses. But people were dissatisfied and distressed with these developments. Some tribal groups, such as the Chaghatai tribes, had rebelled, launched raids on many places in North India
and even posed serious threats to Delhi, when the Sultan was on his south Indian campaign. In the period between 1334 and 1344, repeated droughts had caused famines that were further compounded by the Black Plague. These two natural calamities had added to the suffering of the people in the country. Urgent solutions had to be found to remedy the distress conditions. One of the viable options planned was of building the Satpula, the seven arches bridge or gate controlled weir/dam, to tap the water resources of the local nallah (stream) feeding the Yamuna river, which could be used to bring large areas of flat land in the vicinity under controlled irrigated agriculture
to grow food crops to stem the famine conditions. This solution was also thought to provide the much needed defense to the walls of the newly built city of Jahanpanah.
was identified in a large open plain on the northern side for providing water supplies from the proposed storage behind the Satpula, to grow irrigated crops to sustain a large population.
Thus, a reliable water storage reservoir in the arid
region of Delhi, which has the Thar desert
on its west, was built as the headworks or weir across the Barapulla Nallah. Even though no epigraphic evidence is available to date the Satpula, a reasseacrh study report has conjectured that it could be dated to the same time as the four–eyyan Mosque (first of its kind in India) called Jami built by Muhammad bin Tughluq
in 1343.
The Satpula across the stream was built as a gate controlled weir
. The total length of the structure is 79.5 m (261 ft). It has been constructed in stone masonry. The eleven bays of the weir controlled by sluice gates cover a total length of 54.5 m (179 ft). These eleven bays consist of eleven water tunnels (sluices), each 14.6 m (48 ft) in length, 3.2 m (10 ft) in height, and 2.2 metre in width. These are located at different levels, with seven main bays at the lowest level. The balance two additional bays on each bank, on the far east and west sides, are at a higher level. The control arrangements seen now are in the form of gate
grooves to operate vertical slide gates. When built, wooden vertical sluice gates made of heavy boards of size 16 cm (0.5249343832021 ft) in thickness, 3 m (10 ft) width, and more than 3 m (10 ft) in height, were operated by a rope and pulley arrangement to control flow of water; the wooden gates have since disintegrated but the gate groves are visible in each bay. The gates of the sluices were closed as a defensive measure against possible attack in the dry season when no storage remained in the dam. Each bay of the weir has an arched opening. On both banks of the weir identical towers (defensive bastions, projecting on the south and north sides) of 5.97 m (20 ft)) diameter, but with octagonal shape chambers, are built, which once functioned as madrasa (Islamic school of learning). Hence, the Satpula is also known as "Madarsa". The second level sluice bays on both banks lead to arched corridors. The walls of the octagonal chambers have graceful decorations. The stream tapped by this weir, has been diverted now further east. The indication of the use of the sluices of the structure, either as a dam or for defense purposes, could be gauged from the platforms provided at the appropriate levels. Silt
deposition in the storage area of the reservoir
side at the southern end is also seen now.
(ASI) has recently carried out restoration works of the Satpula. This restoration now permits access to the wide parapet of the bridge to fully view the impressive engineering structure. The restoration works carried out by ASI, for specially identified monuments, is in sync with the slogan ‘Welcome to Historical City of Delhi’ adopted by the Commonwealth Secretariat for the 2010 Common Wealth Games to be held in Delhi. The restoration works of the Satpula is at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakhs (US $ 40,000) for conservation of the monument to highlight its structural elegance by improving its overall view, enhancing environmental aesthetics and its illumination.
. It is close to the present city suburb of Saket
on the Press Enclave Road. In the medieval period, it connected four principal cities namely, the Qila Rai Pithora (the first city of Delhi – Lal Kot or Qutub complex), Siri (with the Siri Fort
forming the second city of Delhi), Tughlaqabad
(the third city of Delhi) and Jahanpanah (the fourth city of Delhi, the boundary limits of which encompassed the other earlier built three cities)..
It is locally believed that the waters stored by the weir had healing powers because the sufi saint
Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud is reported to have used the waters of this reservoir for daily oblations before offering prayers at the Mosque.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
or weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
located about 800 m (2,625 ft) east of the Khirki Masjid
Khirki Masjid
Khirki Masjid, approached from the Khirki village in South Delhi and close to the Satpula or the seven arched bridge on the edge of southern wall of Jahapanah , was a mosque built by Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul Tilangani, the Prime Minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq Dynasty...
that is integral to the compound wall of the medieval fourth city of the Jahanpanah in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, with its construction credited to the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shah Tughlaq (Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
) (1325–1351) of the Tughlaq Dynasty
Tughlaq dynasty
The Tughlaq dynasty of north India started in 1321 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq. The Tughluqs were a Muslim family of Turkic origin...
.
The objective of building the weir was for providing water for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and also, as a part of the city wall, to provide defense security to the city against attacking armies..
Satpula is a usage in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Hindi languages, which literally means “seven bridges”.
History
During the second decade rule of Sultan Muhammad Shah Tughlaq, the economic conditions of the Delhi SultanateDelhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
was in distress due to very high expenses incurred on the war campaign in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
(Deccan) and also due to the Sultan establishing his southern capital at Daulatabad. Both these acts necessitated increasing taxes to enhance the treasury coffers to meet large expenses. But people were dissatisfied and distressed with these developments. Some tribal groups, such as the Chaghatai tribes, had rebelled, launched raids on many places in North India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
and even posed serious threats to Delhi, when the Sultan was on his south Indian campaign. In the period between 1334 and 1344, repeated droughts had caused famines that were further compounded by the Black Plague. These two natural calamities had added to the suffering of the people in the country. Urgent solutions had to be found to remedy the distress conditions. One of the viable options planned was of building the Satpula, the seven arches bridge or gate controlled weir/dam, to tap the water resources of the local nallah (stream) feeding the Yamuna river, which could be used to bring large areas of flat land in the vicinity under controlled irrigated agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
to grow food crops to stem the famine conditions. This solution was also thought to provide the much needed defense to the walls of the newly built city of Jahanpanah.
Topography
The location of the Satpula, which is a part of the east–west wall protecting the southern part of Jahanpanah, drains a catchment comprising a series of low hills on the south, east, and west. The stream draining the catchment area, known as Barapulla Nallah was planned to be tapped to store the run–off water of the catchment. Command area for irrigationIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
was identified in a large open plain on the northern side for providing water supplies from the proposed storage behind the Satpula, to grow irrigated crops to sustain a large population.
Thus, a reliable water storage reservoir in the arid
Arid
A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
region of Delhi, which has the Thar desert
Thar Desert
The Thar Desert |Punjab]] province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.-Location and description:...
on its west, was built as the headworks or weir across the Barapulla Nallah. Even though no epigraphic evidence is available to date the Satpula, a reasseacrh study report has conjectured that it could be dated to the same time as the four–eyyan Mosque (first of its kind in India) called Jami built by Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
in 1343.
Structure
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
. The total length of the structure is 79.5 m (261 ft). It has been constructed in stone masonry. The eleven bays of the weir controlled by sluice gates cover a total length of 54.5 m (179 ft). These eleven bays consist of eleven water tunnels (sluices), each 14.6 m (48 ft) in length, 3.2 m (10 ft) in height, and 2.2 metre in width. These are located at different levels, with seven main bays at the lowest level. The balance two additional bays on each bank, on the far east and west sides, are at a higher level. The control arrangements seen now are in the form of gate
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
grooves to operate vertical slide gates. When built, wooden vertical sluice gates made of heavy boards of size 16 cm (0.5249343832021 ft) in thickness, 3 m (10 ft) width, and more than 3 m (10 ft) in height, were operated by a rope and pulley arrangement to control flow of water; the wooden gates have since disintegrated but the gate groves are visible in each bay. The gates of the sluices were closed as a defensive measure against possible attack in the dry season when no storage remained in the dam. Each bay of the weir has an arched opening. On both banks of the weir identical towers (defensive bastions, projecting on the south and north sides) of 5.97 m (20 ft)) diameter, but with octagonal shape chambers, are built, which once functioned as madrasa (Islamic school of learning). Hence, the Satpula is also known as "Madarsa". The second level sluice bays on both banks lead to arched corridors. The walls of the octagonal chambers have graceful decorations. The stream tapped by this weir, has been diverted now further east. The indication of the use of the sluices of the structure, either as a dam or for defense purposes, could be gauged from the platforms provided at the appropriate levels. Silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
deposition in the storage area of the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
side at the southern end is also seen now.
Restoration
The Archaeological Survey of IndiaArchaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
(ASI) has recently carried out restoration works of the Satpula. This restoration now permits access to the wide parapet of the bridge to fully view the impressive engineering structure. The restoration works carried out by ASI, for specially identified monuments, is in sync with the slogan ‘Welcome to Historical City of Delhi’ adopted by the Commonwealth Secretariat for the 2010 Common Wealth Games to be held in Delhi. The restoration works of the Satpula is at an estimated cost of Rs 20 lakhs (US $ 40,000) for conservation of the monument to highlight its structural elegance by improving its overall view, enhancing environmental aesthetics and its illumination.
Visitor information
Satpula is located about 800 m (2,625 ft) east of Khirki MasjidKhirki Masjid
Khirki Masjid, approached from the Khirki village in South Delhi and close to the Satpula or the seven arched bridge on the edge of southern wall of Jahapanah , was a mosque built by Khan-i-Jahan Maqbul Tilangani, the Prime Minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq Dynasty...
. It is close to the present city suburb of Saket
Saket
In Sanskrit, Saket means a place close to Heaven, thus a place where God resides. Saket was the ancient name of the city of Ayodhya, an important Hindu religious place, said to be the birthplace of Lord Rama...
on the Press Enclave Road. In the medieval period, it connected four principal cities namely, the Qila Rai Pithora (the first city of Delhi – Lal Kot or Qutub complex), Siri (with the Siri Fort
Siri Fort
Siri Fort, in the city of New Delhi, was built during the rule of Ala-ud-Din Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate to defend the city from the onslaught of the Mongols....
forming the second city of Delhi), Tughlaqabad
Tughlaqabad
Tughlaqabad Fort is a ruined fort in Delhi, stretching across 6.5 km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi Sultanate of India in 1321, as he established the fifth historic city of Delhi, which was later abandoned in 1327...
(the third city of Delhi) and Jahanpanah (the fourth city of Delhi, the boundary limits of which encompassed the other earlier built three cities)..
It is locally believed that the waters stored by the weir had healing powers because the sufi saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud is reported to have used the waters of this reservoir for daily oblations before offering prayers at the Mosque.