Chini Mahal - Historical landmark in Daulatabad - Aurangabad, India

Once covered in blue Chinese tiles and now only fragments of these tiles have survived to remind us of the long-gone affluence. Place needs some maintaining but still worth a visit with the rest of the Daulatabad fort. The view from top is worth the climb

Golgonda sultan Abul Hasan Tana shah was kept here as prisoner of war,by Emperor Aurangazeb,&Bijapur sultan sikkandar as well.

Chini mahal is used as a prison by Aurangzeb and he immure the Abul Hasan for 12 years in this building. It's a very important buliding in fort.

The thought provoking Chini Mahal is all that remains of Chini Mahal, which is ironically known as the Chinese Mahal. This blue tiled palace was used by Aurangzeb to imprison the for the last king of Golconda, Abdul Hasan Tana Shah until his death. Now in ruins, the palace was once covered with blue stones, and that's why it was called the Chini Mahal. Chand Minar is a part of the Daulatabad Fort, so along the Chini Mahal, one can visit the various other places like Chand Minar, Jama Masjid, etc. How to reach: Chini Mahal marks the entrance of the Daulatabad Fort. So as to reach here, one can either trek or hire a cab from anywhere in the main city.

Chini Mahal is a double storied castle situated inside the Daulatabad Fort complex. Located at a distance of 16 km from Aurangabad, Chini Mahal served as the royal prison and held many of the royal captives of Emperor Aurangzeb. Also known as China Palace, Chini Mahal was once a beautiful mansion and was inlaid with glazed blue and white enamelled encaustic tiles. Now only patches of the porcelain tiles remain on the facade of the Chini Mahal, showcasing the extreme craftsmanship of those who built this castle. The upper floor of the Chini Mahal is well ventilated with arched windows and is reached by stone steps. The roof of the Chini Mahal has fallen down. The last of the Qutab Shahi Kings of Golconda, Abul Hasan Tana Shah, and the last Sultan of Bijapur, Sikander, were held as captives by the Moghul Emperor, Aurangzeb. Best enjoyed during the months from October to March and suitable for the whole family, one can also visit the other monuments inside the Daulatabad Fort complex while visiting Chini Mahal. An entry fee of Rs. 5 is levied at the entrance. Chini Mahal is easily reached from Aurangabad as it lies on the Ellora-Aurangabad Road.

It's a tough job to climb to the palace carrying water and snacks will be very helpful do not try in hot weather as there is hardly shade to take shelter. It's very important and worthy to see the palace.

The Chini Mahal a VIP prison built by Aurangzeb. In this prison, he kept Abul Hasan Tana Shah of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty of Hyderabad. The Chini Mahal is the ruin of a building once of great beauty. In it Abul Hasan Tana Shah, the last of the Qutb Shahi kings of Golconda, was imprisoned. In this Chini Mahal, Sambhaji maharaj was kept.

e city is said to have been founded c. 1187 by Bhillama V, a Yadava prince who renounced his allegiance to the Chalukyas and established the power of the Yadava dynasty in the west.[20] During the rule of the Yadava king Ramachandra, Alauddin Khalji of Delhi Sultanate raided Devagiri in 1296, forcing the Yadavas to pay a hefty tribute.[21] When the tribute payments stopped, Alauddin sent a second expedition to Devagiri in 1308, forcing Ramachandra to become his vassal.[22] In 1328, Muhammad bin Tughluq of Delhi Sultanate transferred the capital of his kingdom to Devagiri, and renamed it Daulatabad. Some scholars ague that the idea behind transfering the capital was rational, because it lay more or less in the centre of the kingdom, and geographically secured the capital from the north-west frontier attacks. In the Daulatabad fort, he found the area arid & dry. Hence he built a huge reservoir for water storage & connected it with a far-away river. He used siphon system to fill up the reservoir. However, his capital-shift strategy failed miserably due to lack of application & other factors. Hence he shifted back to Delhi & earned him the moniker "Mad King". The next important event in the Daulatabad fort time-line was the construction of the Chand Minar by the Bahmani ruler Hasan Gangu Bahmani, also known as Ala-ud-Din Bahman Shah (r. 3 August 1347 - 11 February 1358). Hasan Gangu built the Chand Minar as a replica of the Qutb Minar of Delhi, of which he was a great fan of. He employed Iranian architects to built the Minar who used Lapis Lazuli & Red Ochre for coloring. Currently, the Minar is out of bounds for the tourists, because of a suicide case. As we move further into the fort, we can see the Chini Mahal, a VIP prison built by Aurangzeb. In this prison, he kept Abul Hasan Tana Shah of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty of Hyderabad. The antecedents of Abul Hasan Tana Shah, the last Qutub Shahi king are shrouded in mystery. Although a kinsman of the Golconda royals, he spent his formative years as a disciple of renowned Sufi saint Shah Raju Qattal, leading a spartan existence away from the pomp and grandeur of royalty. Shah Raziuddin Hussaini, popularly known as Shah Raju, was held in high esteem by both the nobility and commoners of Hyderabad. Abdullah Qutub Shah, the seventh king of Golconda was among his most ardent devotees. He died in prison leaving no male heir to the throne.