Reconstruction of Ranikot Fort in Sindh

Background. Ranikot Fort, also called the Great Wall of Sindh, stands near Sann in Jamshoro District. Archaeologists point to the 17th century as the time of its first construction, though the site is also described as a Gupta-era fort. By 1812 Sindh was ruled by the Talpur dynasty, whose rule began in 1783.

The Reconstruction. Sindh archaeologists agree that some of the fort's present structures were reconstructed by the Talpur dynasty in 1812 at a cost of 1.2 million rupees, per the Sindh Gazetteer. The fort was first restored by Nawab Wali Muhammed Leghari, Prime Minister of Sindh under the Talpur dynasty. Radiocarbon and related tests on a gate suggest renovation between the early 18th and early 19th centuries, before the British invasion, when the Kalhoras or, most likely, the Talpur Mirs ruled the area.

Aftermath. The battlements of Ranikot later formed the last capital of the Amirs of Sind before they were brought under British colonial rule. The Talpur dynasty's rule over Sindh lasted until 1846, when the East India Company captured Sindh. The fort was nominated for UNESCO world heritage status in 1993 and remains on the tentative list.