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Pharwala Fort (Punjabi language:قلعہ پھروالہ) is a 15th-century fort located near Kahuta Tehsil, about 40 km from Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan. The fort is naturally defended on one side by the Himalayas and on the other by the Soan River. It is spread over an area of , and was once the capital of the Pothohar Plateau Chieftaincy.
It is located near the Mai Qumro Mosque in Bagh Juggian, considered the oldest mosque in Islamabad. The mosque is located on the west bank of the Soan River.
During the invasion of Timur in 1398, it was under the control of Khokhar or Gakhars chieftain Jasrat, who possibly re-fortified it. The Mughal emperors Babur conquered the fort in 1519, but afterwards the Gakhars reconciled with him. As a result, their lands were given back to them.
The Gakhars hence joined Humayun cause when he was overthrown by Sher Shah Suri, who built the Rohtas Fort around 100 km south of the Pharwala Fort. He attacked the Pharwala Fort in 1540, as the Gakhars continuously attacked the Rohtas Fort. After Sher Shah died in 1545, his son, Islam Shah Suri, carried on the war effort, leading to a series of attacks against the Gakhars at Pharwala Fort. The ownership of the fort changed hands several times during these years, but the Gakhars were never completely defeated during this time. The Gakhars faced their next threat from Gujjar Singh Bhangi, one of the Sikh rulers of Lahore. He was able to subdue them and gain their territories in the surrounding areas, but the Pharwala Fort continued to be under the control of the Gakhars.
The Gakhars' command over the fort ended in 1818, when Anand Sing Thepuria of Rawalpindi seized all of their lands. However, in 1928, some of their property rights in Pharwala were given back to them.
In 1857, the fort came under British Raj and remained under them until 1947. The fort was then handed over to the Government of Pakistan. In 1980, the Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums declared the fort a “protected” site.
However, over the years, the fort suffered from neglect and disrepair. Several parts of the fort, including the fortification walls, had collapsed with time. Encroachments by nearby houses also affected the structure.
In September 2023, the Department of Archaeology and Museums started conservation and preservation works on the once-neglected fort. This included clearing dense foliage from the surrounding area, excavating two-feet-deep debris, engaging the local community to ensure security arrangements, and establishing various facilities to support the conservation efforts. The renovated fort was declared open to the public in January 2024.
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