2| A Visit to a Historical Place
“The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are no longer strong.”
Winston Churchill
Study trips are a part of college life and routine. These are arranged off and on by the administration of schools, colleges and universities. They are organized in order to enhance the knowledge of the students. The most interesting trips are to some historic places. It not only gives a chance to have a peep into ( look into ) our past history, but it also tells us the tales, which these historical buildings bear on their faces.
Last Monday our history teacher told us that we would visit a famous ancient Ruthas Fort. The objective was to get information about our past history as well some enjoyment. We were told to be prepared ourselves for a long journey and some eatables for lunch. We were to start early in the morning. So we made all these arrangements and the next morning departed with our history teacher on our college bus. The journey was rather longer than the previous trip. Hence students divided themselves into two groups and started singing and hurling jokes at each other. Soon we reached Dina from where we bought more eatables and some cold drinks. Though we were tired, we were with great spirit.
“The lessons of the past are ignored and obliterated in a contemporary antagonism known as the generation gap. “ Spiro Agnew
We reached the fort after three hours. Rohtas Fort (Urdu: قلعہ روہتاس; Qila Rohtas) is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Jehlum in the province of Punjab. The fortress was built during the reign of Sher Shah Suri. The fort was also designed to overpower the local Gakhar tribes of the Potohar region.
It was quite a vast fort with high walls and huge gates. The Rohtas Fort has 12 gates. All of them are built-in ashlar stones. It is said that its walls were 100 feet high and 30 feet wide. The height of the outer wall varies between 10 and 18 metres, with a thickness that varies between 10 and 13 metres. The fortified walls have 68 bastions at irregular intervals, with 12 monumental gateways providing access to the inner fort. The ramparts follow the hilltop's contours.
Its ruins were telling the tales of various invasions. It had many parts to visit. There was a complete village in it with a high school, dispensary and a cemetery. It had three colossal gates named after its builders. We went to the North gate on Fort jeeps especially designed to travel through the fort.
“Those who do not respect history are condemned to repeat it” George Santayana
The walls have up to 3 terraces located at different levels. Each level was connected to the other by way of a staircase. The uppermost terrace has merlon-shaped battlements from which muskets could be fired, and from which soldiers could also pour molten lead. The walls were built in sandstone laid in lime mortar mixed with bricks. The gates are in grey Ashlar masonry. Some portions have been built using burnt bricks.
There we sat on the terrace and had our lunch. We gathered the trash and threw it into a waste bin. After that, we played cricket for some time. The sun now began to descend and our teacher was delivering us a lecture over the history and importance of this fort. We were reflecting over the bloody fights in our minds.
“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.”
Karl Marx
Soon we were on our way home. The bus was racing on the road and my mind was looking at the scenes of those advancing armies and soldiers who once lost their lives in order to conquer this fort that at that time stood the onslaughts ( attacks ) of time as well armies. Now it was given way ( left ) to time. The castle was helpless like us before time.
The bus at once stopped at the college stop and I came out from my historical dreams and we went home remembering this memorable trip afterwards. It taught us a lesson that time does not forgive at all and takes its toll ( deaths ) on what may come in its way.
“There are miles to go before I sleep, miles to go.” Robert Frost
“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Related to Topics on YouTube
Learn English with Masood
Click here to read 4. Environmental Pollution
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment