Navratangarh (Doisagarh) was one of the capitals of the

Nagvanshi dynasty The Nagvanshis of Chotanagpur (also known as the Khokhra chieftaincy), was an ancient Indian dynasty which ruled the parts of Chota Nagpur plateau region (modern-day Jharkhand) during much of ancient, medieval and modern period. Phani Mukut Rai ...

, who ruled parts of what is now the state of

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...

, India. It is located in

Sisai block Sisai block is a CD block that forms an administrative division in the Gumla subdivision of Gumla district, in the Indian state of Jharkhand. History Gumla became a subdivision of Ranchi district in 1902 and it became a separate district in ...

Gumla district Gumla district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Gumla town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Etymology For centuries, the place was a meeting center for people from the hinterland who flocked ...

. It is said that king

Durjan Shah Durjan Shah was a Nagvanshi king in the 17th century. He had built Navratangarh fort. Early life He succeeded Bairisal. Immediately after accession to Nagvanshi throne, he threw away all allegiance to the Mughals. Mughal Invasion and Impriso ...

shifted his capital from

Khukhragarh Khukhragarh was one of the capitals of Nagvanshi dynasty, who once ruled in parts of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is located in the Bero block in the Ranchi Sadar subdivision of Ranchi district. Geography History Nagvanshi ruler Bhim Karn s ...

to Navratangarh. He constructed the fort between 1636 and 1639. The palace was a five-storeyed structure with its "water-gate" and ''garh-khai'' (moat) arrangement. It has a ''kiaclmy'' (court), a treasury house and a prison-cell with its underground dungeon. It was declared national heritage in 2009.

Geography

Location

The fort is located in

. It is located in around 30 km from

Gumla Gumla is a city which is the district headquarters in the Gumla subdivision of the Gumla district in the state of Jharkhand, India. History Gumla began as a hamlet. A week-long "Cow Fair" (''Gau-Mela'') took place every year, where items in d ...

and 75 km from

Ranchi Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area ...

Area overview

The map alongside presents a rugged area, consisting partly of flat-topped hills called ''pat'' and partly of an undulating plateau, in the south-western portion of

Chota Nagpur Plateau The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the bas ...

. Three major rivers – the Sankh, South Koel and North Karo - along with their numerous tributaries, drain the area. The hilly area has large deposits of

Bauxite Bauxite is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (Al(OH)3), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) and diaspore (α-AlO(O ...

. 93.7% of the population lives in rural areas. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the district. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

History

It is said that king

shifted his capital from

to Navratangarh. He constructed the fort between 1636 and 1639 CE. After his release from Mughal captivity, the Raja decided to build the fort. Navratangarh was in a strategic location as it was surrounded by forests, hills and rivers. King

Ram Shah Ram Shah ( ne, राम शाह; reign before 16061636) was the king of the Gorkha Kingdom (present-day Gorkha District, Nepal). He was the son of King of Gorkha Purna Shah and brother of Chatra Shah. He acceded in the throne in c. 1606 after ...

built

Kapilnath Temple Kapilnath Temple near Navratangarh, is a 17th-century temple dedicated to Shiva in Gumla district of Jharkhand. It was built king Ram Shah, in 1643 CE. Many people come to worship daily and in Shivratri festival. History Earlier the capital of ...

in 1643. He succeeded by Raghunath Shah. He also built several temples.

Yadunath Shah Yadunath Shah was a Nagvanshi king in the 18th century. His capital was at Navratangarh. He succeeded Raghunath Shah and ruled from 1790 to 1724 CE. He shifted his capital from Navratangarh to Palkot. In 1719, Ranjit Rai, the Chero ruler of Pal ...

shifted capital to

Palkot Palkot is a village in the Palkot CD block in the Basia subdivision of the Gumla district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. History During 18th century, Nagvanshi king Yadunath Shah shifted his capital from Navratangarh to Palkot due to Mughal ...

due to Mughal invasion.

References

Palaces in India Villages in Gumla district Gumla district {{India-palace-stub