Gwalior Fort

The Fort of Gwalior or Gwalior Fort is a 6th-century hill fort in Gwalior, India. Mughal Emperor Babur described it as the "pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind and not even the winds could touch its masts" due to its grandeur and magnificence. It was nicknamed the "Gibraltar of India" for its impregnability and defensive structure. The fort dates back to the 5th century, perhaps earlier making it one of the oldest defense forts in India. Ancient Sanskrit inscriptions record the name of the fort as "Gopgiri". The current structure has stood since at least the 8th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within the fort complex indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. The modern-day fort comprises a defensive structure and six palaces, two of which were built by the Tomar ruler Man Singh Tomar (reigned 1486–1516 CE). It has witnessed the changing fortunes of the Kushanas, the Nagas, the Guptas, the Hunas, the Pratiharas, the Kachchhapaghatas, the Tomaras, the Pathans (Sultanate), the Surs, the Mughals, the English, the Jats, and the Scindias. The present-day fort includes several notable palaces, few of them are Man Mandir, Vikram Mandir, Karn Palace, Shah Jahan Palace, Jehangir Palace, and Gurjari Mahal. Gurjari Mahal was commissioned by Man Singh Tomar, for his 9th wife Mrignayani, who belonged to the Gurjar community. A stone inscription found engraved in the walls of Chaturbhuj Temple (famously known as Zero Temple) close to the top of the fort contains the second-oldest known record (after the Bakhshali manuscript) of the numeral "zero" with a place value, as used in decimal notation. The inscription is around 1,500 years old. Etymology The construction of the fort is associated with a local legend, and the exact date of its construction is therefore unknown. According to this legend, a local king named Suraj Sen ruled the region around the 3rd century CE. He suffered from the then incurable leprosy. One day, while hunting at Gopgiri (Gop mountain), he met a sage named Gwalipa or Galav, who miraculously cured the disease by asking him to drink water from a sacred pond. When the king was cured, he decided to build a wall around the pond, later known as Suraj Kund, and constructed the fort on the Gop Hill and named it "Gwalior" meaning abode of Saint Gwalipa. Subsequently, a bustling city developed around the fort. However, historical Sanskrit inscriptions and Gupta period records refer to the site as Gop Parvat (Gop Mountain), Gopachala Durg, Gopgiri, and Gopadiri, all of which mean "cowherd's hill". Topography The fort is built on an outcrop of Vindhyan sandstone on a solitary rocky hill called Gopachal. The ridge is long, thin, and steep. The rock formations of the Gwalior range consist of ochre-coloured sandstone overlain by basalt. There is a horizontal stratum which rises to 342 feet (104 m) at its highest point, extending roughly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length, with an average width of about 1,000 yards (910 m)). It has a near-perpendicular precipice. A small river, the Swarnrekha, flows close by. History The inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. A Gwalior inscription describes a sun temple built during the reign of the Huna emperor Mihirakula in the 6th century. The fort definitely existed by the 8th century, when it is first mentioned in the historical records. From the 11th century onwards, the Muslim dynasties attacked the fort. In 1022 CE, Mahmud of Ghazni besieged the fort for four days. According to Tabaqat-i-Akbari, he lifted the siege in return for a tribute of 35 elephants. Bahauddin Tourghil, a senior slave of the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor captured the fort in 1196 after a long siege. The Delhi Sultanate lost the fort for a short period before it was recaptured by Iltutmish in 1232 CE. In 1398, the fort came under the control of the Tomars. The most distinguished of the Tomar rulers was Maan Singh, who commissioned several monuments within the fort. The Delhi Sultan Sikander Lodi tried to capture the fort in 1505 but was unsuccessful. Another attack, by his son Ibrahim Lodi in 1516, resulted in Maan Singh's death. The Tomars ultimately surrendered the fort to the Delhi Sultanate after a year-long siege. Within a decade, the Mughal Emperor Babur captured the fort from the Delhi Sultanate. The Mughals lost the fort to Sher Shah Suri in 1542. Afterwards, the fort was captured and used by Hemu, the Hindu general and, later, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi, as his base for his many campaigns, but Babur's grandson Akbar recaptured it in 1558. Akbar made the fort a prison for political prisoners. For example, Abu'l-Kasim, son of Kamran and Akbar's first cousin was held and executed at the fort. The last Tomar king of Gwalior, Maharaja Ramshah Tanwar, who had then taken refuge in Mewar and had fought at the Battle of Haldighati. He was killed in the battle along with his three sons (which included Shalivahan Singh Tomar, the heir-apparent). Guru Hargobind, on 24 June 1606, at age 11, was crowned as the sixth Sikh Guru. At his succession ceremony, he put on two swords: one indicated his spiritual authority (piri) and the other, his temporal authority (miri). Because of the execution of Guru Arjan by Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Guru Hargobind from the very start was a dedicated enemy of the Mughal rule. He advised the Sikhs to arm themselves and fight. The death of his father at the hands of Jahangir prompted him to emphasise the military dimension of the Sikh community. Jahangir responded by jailing the 14-year-old Guru Hargobind at Gwalior Fort in 1609, on the pretext that the fine imposed on Guru Arjan had not been paid by the Sikhs and Guru Hargobind. It is not clear as to how much time he spent as a prisoner. The year of his release appears to have been either 1611 or 1612, when Guru Hargobind was about 16 years old. Persian records, such as Dabistan i Mazahib suggest he was kept in jail for twelve years, including over 1617–1619 in Gwalior, after which he and his camp were kept under Muslim army's surveillance by Jahangir. According to Sikh tradition, Guru Hargobind was released from the bondage of prison on Diwali. This important event in Sikh history is now termed the Bandi Chhor Divas festival. Aurangzeb's brother, Murad Bakhsh and nephew Sulaiman Shikoh were also executed at the fort. The killings took place in the Man Mandir palace. Sipihr Shikoh was imprisoned at Gwalior Fort from 1659 to 1675. Aurangzeb's son, Muhammad Sultan was imprisoned at the fort from January 1661 to December 1672. After the death of Aurangzeb, the ruler of Gohad, Bhim Singh Rana seized the Gwalior Fort in the Battle of Gwalior (1740). The Marathas had captured many territories held by the declining Mughal Empire in Northern and Central India after the death of Aurangzeb. The Maratha incursions into North India were raids by the Peshwa Bajirao. in 1755–1756, the Marathas led by Scindias took over Gwalior fort by defeating the ruler of Gohad. The Maratha general Mahadaji Scindia captured the fort from the Gohad Rana Chhatar Singh, but later lost it to the British East India Company. On 3 August 1780, a Company force under Captains Popham and Bruce captured the fort in a nighttime raid, scaling the walls with 12 grenadiers and 30 sepoys. Both sides suffered fewer than 20 wounded total. In 1780, the British governor Warren Hastings restored the fort to the Ranas of Gohad. The Marathas recaptured the fort four years later, and this time the British did not intervene because the Ranas of Gohad had become hostile to them. Daulat Rao Sindhia lost the fort to the British during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. There were frequent changes in the control of the fort between the Scindias and the British between 1808 and 1844. In January 1844, after the Battle of Maharajpura, the fort was occupied by the Gwalior State ruled by Scindia Dynasty, as a protectorate of the British government. During the 1857 uprising, around 6500 sepoys stationed at Gwalior rebelled against the Company rule, although the company's vassal ruler Jayajirao Scindia remained loyal to the British. The British took control of the fort in June 1858. They rewarded Jayajirao with some territory but retained control of the Gwalior Fort. By 1886, the British were in complete control of India, and the fort no longer had any strategic importance to them. Therefore, they handed over the fort to the Scindias. The Scindias continued to rule Gwalior until the independence of India in 1947 and built several monuments including the Jai Vilas Palace. In 2025, the Government of Madhya Pradesh participated in heritage and tourism investment initiatives that included proposals for conservation and development linked to Gwalior Fort and the wider cultural network of the region. At a state tourism conclave, investment proposals of around ₹3,500 crore were discussed, with plans including heritage works and infrastructure improvements benefitting historic sites such as Gwalior Fort and surrounding monuments. Structures The fort and its premises are well maintained and house many historic monuments including palaces, temples and water tanks. There are also a number of palaces (mahal) including the Man mandir palace, the Gujari mahal, the Jahangir palace, the Karan palace, the Vikram mahal and the Shah Jahan palace. The fort covers an area of 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) and rises 11 metres (36 ft) above the surrounding terrain. Its ramparts are built around the edge of the hill and are connected by six bastions or towers. The fort has an irregular profile due to the undulating ground beneath it. There are two gates: one on the northeast side with a long access ramp and the other on the southwest. The main entrance is the ornate Elephant gate (Hathi Pol). The other is the Badalgarh Gate. The Man Mandir palace or citadel is located at the northeast end of the fort. It was built in the 15th century and refurbished in 1648. The water tanks or reservoirs of the fort could provide water to a 15,000 strong garrison, the number required to secure the fort. The second oldest record of "zero" in the world was found in a small temple (the stone inscription has the second-oldest record of the numeric zero symbol having a place value as in the modern decimal notation), which is located on the way to the top. The inscription is around 1500 years old. Major monuments Jain temples Siddhanchal Jain Rock Cut Caves were built in 15th century. There are eleven Jain temples inside Gwalior fort dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras. On the southern side are 21 temples cut into the rock with intricately carved of the tirthankaras. Tallest Idol is image of Rishabhanatha or Adinatha, the 1st Tirthankara, is 58 feet 4 inches (17.78 m) high. Main Temple Urvahi Valley The Gwalior Fort complex is divided into five areas: Urvahi, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. The Urvahi area contains 24 idols of Tirthankaras in the padmasana posture, 40 in the kayotsarga posture, and around 840 idols carved into the walls and pillars. The largest idol is a 17.8-metre (58 ft) statue of Adinatha located outside the Urvahi Gate, while a 10.7-metre (35 ft) idol of Suparshvanatha in the padmasana posture is located in the Ek Paththar-ki Bawari ("stone tank") area. Gopachal There are around 1500 idols on the Gopachal Hill, which includes the size from 6 inch to 57 feet in height. Gopachal hosts a statue of Bhagwan Parsvanath in padmasan posture 42 feet in height & 30 feet in breadth. This is also the place where Shri 1008 Supratishtha Kevali was traditionally believed to have attained nirvana. There are 26 more Jain temples on this hill. Mughal Invasion: In 1527, Babur army attacked Gwalior Fort and de-faced these statues. In spite of invasion the early Jaina sculptures of Gwalior have survived in fairly good condition so that their former splendour is not lost. Teli Temple The Teli ka Mandir is a Hindu temple built by the Pratihara emperor Mihira Bhoja. It is the oldest part of the fort and has a blend of south and north Indian architectural styles. Within the rectangular structure is a shrine with no pillared pavilions (mandapa) and a South Indian barrel-vaulted roof on top. It has a masonry tower in the North Indian Nagara architectural style with a barrel vaulted roof 25 metres (82 ft) in height. The niches in the outer walls once housed statues but now have Chandrashalas (horseshoe arches) ventilator openings in the north Indian style. The Chandrashala has been compared to the trefoil, a honeycomb design with a series of receding pointed arches within an arch. The entrance door has a torana or archway with sculpted images of river goddesses, romantic couples, foliation decoration and a Garuda. The vertical bands on either side of the door are decorated in a simple fashion with figures that are now badly damaged. Above the door are a small grouping of discs representing the dama laka (finial) of a shikhara. The temple was originally dedicated to Shakti. It was extensively damaged during Muslim raids, then restored into a Shiva temple by installing a liṅga, while keeping the Vaishnava motifs such as the Garuda. It was refurbished between 1881 and 1883. Garuda monument Close to the Teli ka Mandir temple is the Garuda monument, dedicated to Vishnu, is the highest in the fort. It has a mixture of Muslim and Indian architecture. The word Teli comes from the Hindi word meaning oil. Saas Bahu temples The Saas Bahu Temples were built in 1092–93. Dedicated to Lord Annirudha and Lord Shiva, These are pyramidal in shape, built of red sandstone with several stories of beams and pillars but no arches. Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor was built during 1970s and 1980s at the place where 6th Sikh Guru Hargobind was arrested and held captive by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1609 at the age of 14 years on the pretext that the fine imposed on his father, 5th Sikh Guru Arjan Dev had not been paid by the Sikhs and Guru Hargobind. According to Surjit Singh Gandhi, 52 Hindu Rajas who were imprisoned in the fort as hostages for "millions of rupees" and for opposing the Mughal Empire were dismayed as they were losing a spiritual mentor. On getting released Guru Hargobind requested the Rajas to be freed along with him as well. Jahangir allowed Guru Hargobind to free as many rajas he could as long as they were holding on to the guru while leaving the prison. Guru sahib got a special gown stitched which had 52 hems. As Guru Hargobind left the fort, all the captive kings caught the hems of the cloak and came out along with him. Palace Man mandir The Man mandir palace was built by Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century. Man Mandir is often referred as a Painted Palace due to the use of styled tiles of turquoise, green and yellow used extensively in a geometric pattern. Hathi Pol The Hathi Pol (or Hathiya Paur), is the principal entrance gate located on the southeast, leads to the Man mandir palace. It is the last of a series of seven gates. It is named for a life-sized statue of an elephant (hathi) that once adorned the gate. The gate was built in stone with cylindrical towers crowned with cupola domes. Carved parapets link the domes. Karn Palace The Karan mahal is another significant monument at Gwalior Fort. The Karn mahal was built by the second king of the Tomar dynasty, Kirti Singh. He was also known as Karn Singh, hence the name of the palace. Vikram Mahal The Vikram mahal (also known as the Vikram mandir, as it once hosted a temple of Shiva) was built by Vikramaditya Singh, the elder son of Maharaja Mansingh Tomar, a devotee of Shiva. The temple was destroyed during Mughal period but now has been re-established in the front open space of the Vikram Mahal. Chhatri of Bhim Singh Rana This chhatri (cupola or domed shaped pavilion) was built as a memorial to Bhim Singh Rana (1707–1756), a ruler of Gohad state. It was built by his successor, Chhatra Singh. Bhim Singh Rana were occupied the fort when the Mughal Satrap, Ali Khan, surrendered. In 1754, Bhim Singh built a bhimtal (a lake) as a monument at the fort. Chhatra Singh built the memorial chhatri near the Johar Kund. Assi Khambo ki Baoli Assi Khambo Ki Baoli, located near the Man Mandir Palace, is a step-well with 80 pillars and various chambers. It was built by Man Singh Tomar around 1500 CE. According to tradition, it was constructed in just five days by ancient Hindu engineers. The baoli served as a water storage during the siege of Gwalior in 1505 Museum The Gurjari Mahal now a museum, was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar for his wife Mrignayani, a Gurjar princess. She demanded a separate palace for herself with a regular water supply through an aqueduct from the nearby Rai River. The palace has been converted into an archaeological museum. Rare artefacts at the museum include Hindu and Jain sculptures dated to the 1st and 2nd centuries BCE; miniature statue of Salabhanjika; terracotta items and replicas of frescoes seen in the Bagh Caves. Other monuments Gates (Pol): The Gwalior Fort has several gateways. These includes the Alamgiri Darwaza, Ganesha Pol, Chaturbhuj Pol, Urvai Pol, Laxman Pol, Badal Pol and Hathi Pol. The Hathi Pol is the principal entrance situated at the south east part and Urvai Pol used by the Britishers during British Raj. There are several other monuments built inside the fort area. These include the Scindia School, started as an exclusive school for the sons of Indian princes and nobles. It was founded by Madho Rao Scindia in 1897. Gallery References Bibliography Konstantin Nossov; Brain Delf (2006). Indian Castles 1206–1526 (Illustrated ed.). Osprey. ISBN 1-84603-065-X. Paul E. Schellinger; Robert M. Salkin, eds. (1994). International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania. Vol. 5. Routledge/Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1884964046. Sisirkumar Mitra (1977). The Early Rulers of Khajurāho. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-8120819979. Tony McClenaghan (1996). Indian Princely Medals. Lancer. ISBN 978-1897829196. Tillotson G. H. R. "The Rajput Palaces – The Development of an Architectural Style" Yale University Press. New Haven and London 1987. First edition. Hardback. ISBN 0-300-03738-4 External links Interesting Facts About Gwalior Fort Gwalior Fort travel guide from Wikivoyage