Location: Madhya Pradesh StatemMap
Constructed: 8th century
Museum
Open: 10am- 5pm Sun- Thu
Closed: Fridays, public holidays
Gwalior Fort is an early medieval citadel situated
in Madhya Pradesh State in India. It was constructed in the 8th
century. The construction acquired a modern look in the XIV-XV
centuries, but the fortress itself has been known since the VI-VIII
centuries. A fort was built on a hill made of ocher sandstone and
basalt. The height above the surrounding area is about 90 m, the
highest point of the hill is more than 100 m. In addition, there was
an intersection of trade routes in this area, and the location on
the top increased visibility and facilitated defense. It has long
been the center of Malwa. In 1399, when the attacks of Tamerlane
increased the political instability of the territory, the fortress
passed into the hands of the military leader Tomar, who built
several palaces. In 1519, Fort Gwalior was captured by the Lodi
dynasty. At the beginning of the XVIII century the fortress was led
by the Gokhad dynasty. Later, the fortress until 1948 was part of
the Principality of Gwalior. The complex is currently owned by the
state.
Interestingly, it was the fortress that gave the name to the later
built city of Gwalior. The name itself comes from the name of the
hermit Gwalip, who once lived here.
Today, the Gwalior Fortress remains one of the largest building
complexes in India: its length is about 2 km, the width in some
places reaches 1 km. So far, six palaces, six temples, a mosque,
eight pools and rare monuments of Indian architecture of the XI
century have been preserved. Giant Jain statues reaching a height of
18 m were carved in the thickness of the cliff against the walls of
the fortress in the 15th century. Also, visitors are attracted by
the panoramic view of the city and the surrounding area.
The foundation of this fort made of red sandstone was laid by
Surajsen Kachhwaha, which was later transformed into a fort by Man Singh
Tomar. There are two ways to reach this fort built on a high plateau.
One is called 'Gwalior Gate' and this route can be climbed only on foot.
Vehicles can climb through a route called 'Oorvai Gate' which involves a
narrow road with a very steep slope. The huge statues of Jain
Tirthankaras have been carved very beautifully and minutely on the big
rocks around this road. The height of three hundred and fifty feet of
the fort is a witness to the invincibility of this fort. Amazing
examples of medieval architecture are located in the inner parts of this
fort. Gujri Mahal, built in the 15th century, is one of them which is a
symbol of the intense love of King Mansingh and Queen Mriganayani. The
external part of this palace has been preserved in its original form by
the State Archeology Department, but the internal part has been
converted into a museum where rare ancient sculptures are kept which
according to carbon dating are of the first century AD. These rare
sculptures have been obtained from the areas around Gwalior.
This
fort has been present in Gwalior city for more than 1000 years. One of
the most impregnable forts of India, this huge fort passed through many
hands. It is built on a sandstone hill and is at a height of 100 meters
above the plain. The outer wall of the fort is about 2 miles long and
its width ranges from 1 kilometer to 200 meters. The walls of the fort
are very steep. This fort has witnessed many battles in times of turmoil
and has also celebrated many festivals in times of peace. Its rulers did
justice to the fort, keeping many people captive. The events organized
in the fort are grand but the sounds of the Jauhars are deafening.
The fortress, conical in shape, is built on a solitary knoll surrounded by other similar hills to the south-east, south and south-west, which, when viewed from a distance of at least 6 km, has the shape of an amphitheatre. A small, non-permanent river called Swarnrekha flows near the palace. The rock formations that dominate the Fort vary in the ocher range and are overlain by basalt. The rocks of the hill, although made up of a horizontal layer, almost form a perpendicular precipice. The Fort is located at an altitude of around 102 m. at its highest point, it has a length of 2.4 km and an average width of 270 m.
Early times
The history of the Fort is indelibly linked to that of
the ancient kingdom of Gwalior, ruled by several Rajput kings. The first
information on the Fort is found in a Government of India publication on
Gwalior, in which there are traces of an inscription from 525 in a sun
temple, said to have been built by the Hunnic emperor (Chioniti)
Mihirakula ( Sveta Huna ruler in 510 during the reign of the Huns in
India).
The Chaturbhuj temple (dedicated to five armed Hindu
gods, a Vishnu temple), located on the road leading to the Fort, is
dated 875 and is very similar to the Teli-Ka-Mandir which also dates
back to around the 8th century.
Historical research traces the construction of the fortress back to
727 (legend says 275) by a local leader called Surya Kacchawa Sena, who
was governor of a village called Sihonia and located about 12 kilometers
from the hill on which the Fort stands today . During a hunting trip,
Kacchawa Thakur Surajsen, met a hermit called Sage Gwalip (also 'Galava'
in some tales) who gave him water and told him of a cure for his illness
with the waters of a reservoir located there. near what is now called
Surajkund.
King 'Suraj Pal' who reigned 36 years; he was
succeeded by his son
Rasak pal who reigned one year; his son
succeeded him
Narhar Pal who reigned 11 years and died on a hunting
trip. Narhar Pal built the Mahadev Temple and founded the Narhar Tela
village. He succeeded him
'Amar Pal'who was succeeded by his son
'Bheem Pal'who built the Bheemeshwar Mahadev temple. Bheem Pal reigned
36 years and succeeded him
Gang Pal who reigned for 21 years and left
the throne to his son
Raj Pal who ruled for 10 years leaving the
throne to
Bhoj Pal who ruled for 9 years and built the famous
Chaturbhuj Rai casket, a manifestation of the god Krishna. It is famous
for being made from a single monolith. Bhoj Pal left the throne to his
son
Padam Pal who reigned 9 years. He built the famous
Lakshmi-Narayan chest. He succeeded him
Anang Pal, according to
legend, met Sage Gwalip who was the author of the fate of his family.
Sage Gwalip gave him the knowledge to forge gold from base metals and
his 5 tola gold coins were put into circulation. He left the government
at
Indra Pal who reigned for only 3 years. It happened to him
Jeet
Pal who ruled for 14 years and built the Jeet Durga temple. He succeeded
him
Basant Pal who reigned 17 years and left the kingdom to
Dhund
Pal who ruled for 11 years
Lakshman Pal reigned for 4 years and left
the throne to his son
Nahar Pal who reigned only two years. He left
the throne to
Bhandar Pal who built the Bhander Fort and reigned for
11 years. His son took over
Ajaz Pal who reigned 9 years. He was
succeeded by a long list of rulers:
Aspal
See Pal
Bhoj Pal
JBhairone Pal
Gunpat Pal
Chaura Sookh Pal
Gaoo Munt Pal
Nagish Pal
Budh Pal
Madh Pal
Bir Pal
Kant Pal
Keerat Pal
Danee Pal
Bhip Pal
HamirTal
Chatar Pal
Bhomindra Pal
Dheer Pal
Nagendra Pal
Sudh Pal
Sindhoo Pal
Madhoo Pal
Over Pal
Budnu Pal
Jay Pal
Sandhan Pal
Balbhadra Pal
Gundharap Pak
Saij Pal
Devendra Pal
Ramchandra Pal
Dhondar
Pal
Saromand Pal
Pardaman Pal
Rasak Pal
Deepak Pal
Anant
Pal
Gaj Pal
Jugdeesh Pal
Gunjee Pal
Ram Deve Pal
Seewani
Pal
Hirchand Pal
Birakh Pal
Tilak Pal
Bijay Pal
Dhander
Pal
Nain Pal
Herlaik Pal
Pratap Rudra Pal
Kaisar Pal
Asad
Pal
Indra Pal
Maun Pal
Karam Pal
Esar Pal
Mon Pal
Sagar Pal
Bishambar Pal
Ratan Pal
Dhore Pal
Budha Pal
From Suraj Pal, founder of the dynasty, to Budha Pal last on this
list, there were 84 kings who reigned over a period of 989 years under
the patronymic of Pal, a solid proof of the long period of continued
peace enjoyed by India under its indigenous rulers. Budha Pal's son took
the name Tej Karan and this coincided with the prophecy of the saint
Gwalpa, who had predicted that Suraj Pal's lineage would continue as
long as the patronymic Pal was used.
Ran Mul the Chief of Ambere
(Jeypore) had a daughter who married Tej Karan of Gwalior, who soon
became very attached to a wife who brought him elephants, horses and
other property as dowry. While still a guest in his father-in-law's
house, he was offered succession to the kingdom of Ambere on the
condition of his consent to move his residence to Ambere since the
reigning ruler of that place had no male children who could succeed him
in the event of his death . The ambitious and calculating Tej Karan
immediately accepted the offer, as the Gwalior State at that time was
less important than the Ambere kingdom. During his absence from Gwalior
the affairs of the principality were managed by Ram Deva Prahar who
after two years of successful administration officially requested to be
recognized as the de facto ruler of the State and was granted the
authority to govern and reign. The state then passed from the dynasty of
Pal to the family of Pratihars.
List of Pratihar rulers of Gwalior:
Pramal Dev
Salam Dev
Bikram Dev
Ratan Dev
Shobhang Dev
Narsinh Dev
Pramal Dev
In 1023 Mahmud of Ghazni attacked the fortress, but was repelled. In 1196, after a long siege, Qutb al-Din of Delhi, the first Turkish sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, conquered the fortress but lost it in 1211. It was then reconquered in 1231 by Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi, of the vassal dynasty of the Sultanate of Delhi. When Tamerlane invaded Delhi and created anarchy in the region, Narasingh Rao, a Hindu leader, captured the Fort.
There were two Rajput brothers of the Tanwar clan called Parmal Deva
(Veer Singh) and Adhar Deva of Esamamola village located in the Perganna
of Dandrolee. One night while it was pitch dark and the rain was falling
torrentially, the sultan happened to find himself standing at a balcony
from where he saw two soldiers carrying out their duty, while the rest
of their companions were fast asleep. Both advanced towards the emperor
who, learning that they belonged to the detachment under the command of
Sikandar Khan, was very pleased with their conduct and their devotion to
their sovereign. He then told them to make any request that would be
granted. They told their story, that they had always been loyal to their
king, but were unable to serve the state diligently until their children
were forced to wander in the jungle for want of a decent home. They
concluded their recitation, in true Rajput style, with the request to
have a residence for their families in Gwalior
The Sultan ordered
them to report to Durbar the next day, when their petition would be
granted without any further solicitation on their part. The Rajputs were
well acquainted with the customs of the Eastern courts and were aware of
the difficulties they would encounter in attempting to gain access to
the presence of the Sultan in the formal Durbar. The Emperor, however,
assured them of his good will towards them and when at the appointed
time the two brothers stood at a respectful distance from the Sultan's
audience hall, he summoned them both into his presence and gave them
Gwalior as Inam (reward). They brought the ruler's mandate to the Syads
- hereditary charge of the Fortress - but he did not consider it since
he would have deprived him of the hereditary possession of the fortress.
The two Rajputs however continued their work towards the Syads with
much submission but they thought of a stratagem to achieve the desired
end. Since they had ingratiated themselves with the Syads, they were
invited to a dinner in their honor at a village called Raneepura where
the descendants of the Arab Prophet's grandchildren had taken refuge
with their families. Food mixed with intoxicating drugs was served, in
pure oriental style and the guests, after having eaten their last meal
on earth, retired to rest in the tents provided for them by their host,
when at a given signal, a band of Rajputs , who were hidden in a
secluded place, quickly came out with swords in hand and killed the poor
innocents in their sleep for having disobeyed the mandate of their
legitimate sovereign.
Vir Singh (or Pramal Dev) or Bir Sing Deo
1375, took the Fort from Sayyid king of Gwalior.
Uddhharan Dev,
brother of VirSingh Dev, reigned for a time
Lakshman dev Tomar
Viramdev 1400 or Virsingh Dev.
Ganapati Dev Tomar 1419
Dugarendra
(Dungar) Singh 1424, consolidated Gwalior as the most powerful territory
in central India. He built the Ganesha Pole.
Kirti Singh Tomar 1454,
Fought with Rana Kumbha of Mewar against King Muhommadan of Malwa
(Mehmood Khilji).
Mangal Dev was the younger son of Kirti Singh and
had estates in 120 villages in Dhodri and Amba of Tomargarh, he tried to
reconquer Gwalior after the fall of the Tomars in 1516.
Kalyanmalla
Tomar 1479 fought with Rana Kumbha of Mewar against Muhommadan king of
Malwa (Mehmood Khilji).
'[Man Singh Tomar]' 1486, musician and father
of Dhrupat Gharana was the greatest of the Tomar kings of Gwalior.
Vikramaditya Tomar 1516 - 1518 - Ibrahim Lodhi conquered Gwalior Fort.
Ramshah Tomar 1526, was driven out of Gwalior, fought at Haldighati with
Maharana Pratap.
Salivahan Tomar-1576 he fought at Haldighati with
Maharan Pratap.
Only in 1519 did Ibrahim Lodi, of the Lodi Dynasty, take control of
the Fort. Following his death, the Mughal emperor Babar manipulated the
situation and took control of the Fort. But following the defeat
suffered by his son Humayun at the hands of Sher Shah Suri, the Fort
passed to the Suri Dynasty.
After the death of Sher Shah Suri in
1540, his son Islam Shah moved the capital from Delhi to Gwalior,
considering it safer to defend against frequent attacks from the west.
In the year 1553, when Islam Shah died, his successor ʿĀdil Shāh Sūrī
appointed the Hindu warrior Hemu, also known as Hem Chandra
Vikramaditya, as Prime Minister and head of the army of his kingdom.
ʿĀdil Shāh moved to Chunar as it was considered even safer. Hemu was
forced to leave the Fort several times to quell the rebellion in various
parts of northern India against the weak regime of ʿĀdil Shāh. The Fort
remained very active during the period 1553-56 as Hemu had fought and
won 22 battles, without ever losing this Fort. After defeating Akbar's
forces at Agra and Delhi in 1556, Hemu founded Hindu Raj as king
(Vikramaditya) in northern India and had his Rajyabhishake (coronation)
in the Purana Qila, near Delhi, as 'Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya on 7
October 1556. The capital was shifted from Gwalior to Delhi, once again,
and he became the king based in the Purana Qila.
Akbar later took
the Fort and made it a special prison for important prisoners. In this
prison fort during the Mughal dynasty, a series of unfortunate royal
prisoners were housed and put to death. Akbar confined his first cousin
Kamran there and subsequently put him to death. Aurangzeb imprisoned his
brother Murad and then killed him. Likewise he had his brother Dara
Shikoh's sons, Suleyman and Sepher Sheko killed.
The Jat dynasty also briefly ruled at Gwalior Fort. Following the
decline of the Mughal empire, Gwalior Fort was usurped by the Gohad
dynasty in the person of the Jat king Rana. Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana
(1707–1756) and Maharaja Chhatar Singh Rana (1757–1782) occupied Gwalior
Fort three times:
from 1740 to 1756 by Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana,
from 1761 to 1767 by Maharaja Chhatra Singh Rana,
from 1780 to 1783
by Maharaja Chhatra Singh Rana.
Subsequently, the control of the
Fort underwent a series of changes. In 1736, Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana,
Jat king conquered Malwa and Gwalior Fort by defeating the Mahrattas and
held the fort for the period 1740-1756. In 1779, it was conquered by the
Scindia clan of the Maratha empire, who maintained a garrison there, but
possession was taken over by the East India Company. In August 1780,
control passed to Chhatar Singh, the Rana of Gohud who defeated the
Mahrattas. In 1784, Mahadji Sinde (Commander of the Maratha Empire),
once again recovered the Fort. There were frequent changes in the
control of the Fort between the Sindes and the British between 1808 and
1844. However, in January 1844, after the Battle of Maharajpur, the Fort
came under the control of the Sindes, but as a protectorate of the
British Crown.
But the most significant event in the history of India that occurred at Gwalior Fort was the sacrifice of Rani Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi. She was regarded as one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and as a symbol of resistance to British rule in India. She became a legendary figure, regarded as India's "Joan of Arc". She fought many battles, but two are most noteworthy. The first battle against the British was at Jhansi in April 1858. Lakshmi Bhai was defeated and fled to form a rebel group. The other most famous battle was fought at Gwalior Fort against the Sinde (feudal lord of the English), which she and her allies, Rani Jhansi (widow of the commander of the Maratha Empire, the Peshwas and the Nawab of Banda, initially won on 1 June 1858 and Nana Saheb was appointed prime minister of the Peshwa-Maratha empire. But Sinde fled to Agra. However, the British continued to attack the Gwalior Fort unabated. In the ensuing battle on 16 and 17 June 1858, Lakshmi Bai brought the troops of Jhansi and Gwalior (left beyond the forces) to defend the pass upstream of the fort and the city of Gwalior. In the cavalry charge made by the English, she was killed.
The fort and other monuments attached to it are well maintained and
contain many historical monuments, Hindu and Jain temples (of the 11
shrines, seven are Hindu temples) and palaces, of which the most famous
are the Man Mandir, the Gujari Mahal (now an archaeological museum ),
the Jahangir Mahal, the Karan Palace and the Shah Jahan Mahal.
The Fort, which has a stunning appearance, was built on the long, narrow
and steep hill called Gopachal. The fortress covers an area of 3 km², is
approximately 12 meters high and is built on massive sandstone rocks.
The walls of the Fort are built along the entire edge of the hill, and
although of uniform height, they present an irregular appearance due to
the topography of the land on which they are built. It has two main
access doors, one from the north-east and the other from the south-west.
The bastions are located along the edges of the hill connected by six
towers. It is accessed through the north-east door via a long access
ramp. The main entrance called Pul Hathi ("Elephant Gate"), is accessed
after passing through six other gates. In addition to the Hathi Pul gate
at the entrance to the Palace, there is another large gate, called the
Badalgarh Gate. The Man Mandir palace or the citadel is located to the
north-east of the Fort. Its construction dates back to the 15th century
but it was renovated in 1648. The perimeter of the Fort also includes
many other monuments, such as palaces, temples and water tanks. The
water tanks or basins, created in the precincts of the Fort, were
capable of providing water supply for a garrison of 15,000 men, which
was estimated to require manpower to ensure the functioning of the Fort.
At the entrance from the south, there are temples, in finely carved
rock, built by the Tirthamkara Jains, placed along steep rock walls. A
12 meter tall statue has been identified as that of Parswanath, the
XXIII thrithankara (or saint). He escaped the demolition ordered by
Babur when he lost control of the Fort.
The prison is located under this palace where many royal prisoners of
the Mughal dynasty were incarcerated and killed.
The palace
witnessed the atrocities committed by the Mughal emperors. Aurangzeb
initially imprisoned his brother Murad in this Fort and then killed him
for treason. The name of the Fort is also marked by the reputation for
the sati practice (voluntary suicide on the pyre of the women of the
harem on the occasion of the funeral of the king of Gwalior defeated and
killed in battle in 1232.
Hathi Pol Gate (or Hathiya Paur) is the main gate of the Fort leading to the Man Mandir Palace built by Man Singh. It is the last gate built at the end of a series of seven gates. It takes its name from a life-size statue of an elephant (Hathi) that once adorned the gate's entrance. The stone gate on the south-east side of the palace has cylindrical towers. The towers are crowned with domes. Sculpted parapets connect the domes to each other.
The Gujari Mahal is a palace built by Raja Man Singh for the love of his wife Mrignayani, a Gujar princess, because she required a separate palace for herself, with regular water supplies brought by an aqueduct built from a spring near the Rai River. This mahal is well maintained as it has been converted into an archaeological museum. Rare artefacts on display at the museum include Hindu and Jain sculptures dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, Salabhanjika miniatures (visible only with special permission), terracottas and copies of frescoes found in the Bagh Caves.
The Teli-ka-Mandir Temple is thought to have been built in the 8th
century but according to other scholars it is believed to be from the
11th century. Based on the sculptures and decorations present in the two
temples, Louis Fredric, an archaeologist, deduced that they are 8th
century sanctuaries. The temple is considered to be the oldest monument
in the Fort, which features a unique combination of various Indian
architectural styles (fusion of South and North Indian styles) and is
called a Brahmanical shrine. In practice, it has an unusual
configuration: a casket-like structure in a single chancel, without
pillars or mandapa, and a Buddhist barrel-vaulted roof atop a Hindu
mandir. The Buddhist architectural influence has been identified on the
basis of the Chitya, a type of hall and elegant toran decoration, at the
entrance gate. It was renovated in 1881-1883 with garden sculptures. In
plan, it is a rectangular structure. It has a tower built in masonry, in
the Nagari architectural style with an 8 meter high barrel vault. In the
past, the niches in the outer walls had sculptures but now have openings
with horseshoe arches or gavakshas (ventilation openings) with arched
motifs, in the North Indian architectural style. The gavaksha design,
has been compared to the trefoil, a honeycomb design with a series of
pointed arches set within an arch allowing for a "play of light and
shadow". The entrance door has a toran or arch with exquisitely carved
images of goddesses, romantic couples, foliation decorations, and an
emblem of Garuḍa. Diamond and lotus flower designs are present on the
horizontal band at the top of the bow, deciphered as an influence of the
Buddhist period. Originally the temple was dedicated to Vishnu, but was
then converted to the cult of Shiva. Details of the entrance door
decorations were described by one archaeologist as:
The
combination of vertical and horizontal bands produces a composition of
rectangular shapes, all within a large rectangle topped with an
elaborate honeycomb gavaksa motif design. The vertical bands on either
side of the door are simple and restrained, and although the figures
have been severely damaged, they still retain their grace, rhythmic
shape and movement. The small group of pleasant objects immediately
above the door suggest the finial or crown (damalaka) of an Indo-Aryan
sikhara.
The highest monument of the Fort is the statue of
Garuḍa, dedicated to Pratihara Vishnu. This structure is considered to
be a fusion of Muslim architecture and Indian architecture blended in
the Teli-ka-Mandir.
In the 10th century, under the control of the declining Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty of Gwalior, a regional dynasty called Kachchhapaghata began to be an armed power. During their rule they built some monuments, including two temples with the original name Sahastrabahu (Thousand Hands in the likeness of the god Vishnu), now known by the name of Sas-Bahu (which means: "mother-in-law and daughter-in-law"), one small and one large (both visible, but in ruins, although the smaller is more elegant and better preserved) which are located next to each other. These temples were initially dedicated to Vishnu. An inscription on the larger of the two records the construction date as 1093. A unique feature of these pyramid-shaped temples, built of red sandstone, is that they were built on several floors exclusively with the aid of beams and pillars, without arches that have been used for the purpose. The main temple looks surprisingly sturdy. The style of the smaller Sas-Bahu is a copy of the larger temple.
There are several other monuments built within the Fort area. These are: the Chhatri of Maharajas Bhim Singh and Bhimtal, the Scindia School (initially an exclusive school for the sons of Indian princes and nobles), a renowned institute founded by the late Maratha Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior in 1897, the Gurdwara Data Bandi built in memory of the sixth Sikh Guru Har Gobind.
While the Fort is located about 3 km from Gwalior city, the city is
very well connected to other cities of Madhya Pradesh and India by rail,
road and air. The Agra-Mumbai Highway (NH3) passes through Gwalior. The
city is connected to Jhansi by National Highway NH75, towards the south
of the city. To the north it is connected to the holy city of Mathura
via the National Highway NH 3. It is located 321 km from Delhi and 121
from Agra.
Gwalior is perhaps one of the few places where there
are narrow gauge and standard gauge railways still operational. Thus,
the city is well connected by trains with all areas of the country and
between these four metropolitan areas. There are direct trains to
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata (Howrah), Chennai, Trivandrum, Indore, Ahmedabad,
Pune, Jammu, Lucknow, Bhopal, Jaipur, Udaipur and other major cities.
Gwalior is the main station serving most of the long-distance trains.
Gwalior airport connects the city with Delhi, Indore and Bhopal. The
Delhi-Jabalpur route stops at Gwalior airport.