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{{Infobox military installation
| name = Madakasira
| location = [[Madakasira]], [[Sri Sathya Sai district]], [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| nearest_town = 
| country = India
| image = MadakasiraFort-Top-View.jpg
| caption = Madakasira Fort
| type = Fort
| coordinates = {{coord|13.94375|77.26853|type:landmark|display=inline}}
| pushpin_map = India Andhra Pradesh#India
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
| ownership = Government of India
| built = 16th century
| materials =
| height =
| condition =
}}
'''Madakasira Fort''', also known as '''Simhagiri''', is a [[hill fort]] located in the [[Madakasira]] town of [[Sri Sathya Sai district]], in [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[India]].<ref name="DC_2019"/> The Government of India has designated it as a [[List of Monuments of National Importance in Andhra Pradesh|Monument of National Importance]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-12/usq%202232%20for%2016122021.pdf |title=Revenue from monuments in Andhra Pradedsh |date=2021-12-16 |access-date=2022-08-19 |publisher=Ministry of Tourism, Government of India }}</ref>

== History ==

According to the ''[[Kaifiyat]] of Madakasira'', in 1492, a man named Siruda Rangappa Nayaka established the present-day [[Madakasira]] village near an older village called Madakapalle or Mandavyapalle. He named the new village Matakapalle, and built a small fort on the local hill. He was defeated by Muslim chiefs who established their headquarters at the nearby [[Ratnagiri Fort, Andhra Pradesh|Ratnagiri]].<ref name="TVM_1976">{{cite book |editor=T.V. Mahalingam |author-link=T. V. Mahalingam |title=Mackenzie Manuscripts: Summaries of the Historical Manuscripts in the Mackenzie Collection |volume=2 |year=1976 |publisher=University of Madras |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=doKDzgEACAAJ |pages=316–317 }}</ref>

In the early 17th century, the fort was held by a local chief, who accepted the suzerainty of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]].<ref name="Mark_1980">{{cite book |author1=Mark Wilks |author2=Murray Hammick |title=Historical Sketches of the South Indian History |volume=2 |year=1980 |publisher=Cosmo |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Sketches_of_the_South_Indian/AnNDAAAAYAAJ }}</ref> The members of the family that established present-day Madakasira, near the former village of Madakapalle, were apparently chiefs of [[Sira, Karnataka|Sira]]. After the [[Bijapur Sultanate]] captured Sira, the ruler of Bijapur granted Madakapalle and the nearby [[Ratnagiri Fort, Andhra Pradesh|Ratnagiri]] to these chiefs. The rulers of Bijapur revoked and restored the grant several times.<ref name="Census_1961">{{cite book |title=Census of India, 1961: Anantapur district |url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Census_1961_Anantapur_district/mPZJk2hGnogC |year=1964 |publisher=Registrar General of India |page=cxii }}</ref>

In 1746, the [[Maratha Confederacy|Maratha]] adventurer [[Murari Rao]] established himself at [[Gooty Fort|Gooty]], and established his suzerainty over several nearby forts, including Madakasira.<ref name="Census_1981">{{cite web |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/28611/download/31793/27364_1981_ANA.pdf |title=Census of India 1981: District Census Handbook - Anantapur |page=3 |publisher=Government of Andhra Pradesh |year=1986 |editor=S. S. Jaya Rao }}</ref> The chief of Madakasira became his tributary.<ref name="Census_1961"/> In 1762, [[Hyder Ali]] of [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]] captured the fort after a 4-day siege, supported by the Portuguese troops led by Don António de Noronha, the Bishop of Halicarnasus. Two of Hyder Ali's Portuguese officers - Jose Reiz and Bento de Campos - died during the siege, and Noronha left the alliance shortly after.<ref name="CNWadia_1952">{{cite journal |author=C.N. Wadia |title=Career of Bishop Noronha (1752-1762) |journal=Journal of Indian History |volume=30 |issue=3 |year=1952 |page=283 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98845/page/n291/mode/1up }}</ref> Murari Rao regained control of the fort after sometime, but Hyder Ali recaptured it soon after.<ref name="DC_2019"/>

In 1792, Hyder Ali's son [[Tipu Sultan]] ceded the area to the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] as per the [[Treaty of Seringapatam]]. In 1800, the Nizam ceded it to the [[British India|British]].<ref name="Census_1981"/>

== Structures ==

The fort has several structures and caves, including seven gates. [[Murari Rao]] built several of these structures, including temples and the Hinduraya well. He also built a hill-top strcuture called ''Singe-moothi'' ("face of lion"), which has four pillars and a big bell. The hilltop has a palace called Rani Mahal, a horse shed, a gym and food storage points.<ref name="DC_2019">{{cite news |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/100319/anantapur-500-year-old-madakasira-fort-cries-for-attention.html |title=Anantapur: 500 year old Madakasira fort cries for attention |author=Nagabhushanam Hoskote |date=2019-03-10 |access-date=2022-08-19 |newspaper=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>

Sri Ramalingeswara temple exists close to the hilltop, with two water ponds. Venkateswara temple exists near the south gate of the fort, and was left incomplete at the time of Hyder Ali's invasion. The Garuda temple was consecrated in the 1990s.<ref name="DC_2019"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Forts in Andhra Pradesh}}

[[Category:Forts in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Sri Sathya Sai district]]
[[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Andhra Pradesh]]

Madakasira Fort - Revision history

Bot at 19:44, 30 September 2022