Ranthambore Fort lies within the
Ranthambore National Park, near the city of
Sawai Madhopur in
Sawai Madhopur district of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. the park being the former hunting grounds of the
Maharajah
Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great Monarch, king" or "high king".
A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Em ...
s of
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known as ...
until the time of
India's Independence. It is a formidable fort having been a focal point of the historical developments of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. The fort is believed to be constructed by the
Chahamanas Chahamanas may refer to:
;The ruling dynasties belonging to the Chauhan clan included–
*Chahamanas of Shakambhari (Chauhans of Ajmer) (c. 551 – 1194 CE)
* Chahamanas of Naddula (Chauhans of Nadol) (c. 950 – 1197 CE)
* Chahamanas of Jalor
...
. In the 13th century the
Delhi Sultanate captured it for a brief time. The fort provides a panoramic view of the surrounding Ranthambore National Park and is now a popular tourist attraction.
In 2013, at the 37th session of the
World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance ...
, Ranthambore Fort, along with 5 other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
under the group
Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
History
The oldest settlement in the area near Sawai Madhopur was around the Ranthambhore fort. The exact origin of the Ranthambore fort is still disputed but it is generally accepted that there was a settlement at the site of the Fort, as far back as the 8th century A.D. It is widely believed that the construction of the Ranthambhore Fort was started during the reign of the
Chauhan
Chauhan, historically ''Chahamana'', is a clan name historically associated with the various ruling Rajput families during the Medieval India in Rajasthan.
Subclans
Khichi, Hada, Songara, Bhadauria, Devda etc. are the branches or subclan ...
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
King Sapaldaksha in 944 AD. Another theory stipulates that King Jayant, also a Chauhan rajput, built the Ranthambore Fort during 1110 AD. It is most likely that the construction of the fort commenced during the mid 10th Century A.D. and continued for a few centuries after that.
Under Chauhans
Its earlier name was Ranastambhapura (Sanskrit: ''Raṇa-sthaṃba-pura'', "City of the Battle Post"). It was associated with
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
during the reign of
Prithviraja I of
Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty in the 12th century. Siddhasenasuri, who lived in the 12th century has included this place in the list of holy
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
tirthas. In the Mughal period, a temple of Mallinatha was built in the fort.
After the defeat of
Prithviraja III (
Prithviraj Chauhan) in 1192 CE, the fort came under the control of the Muslim
Ghurid ruler
Muhammad of Ghor
Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad ibn Sam ( fa, معز الدین محمد بن سام), also Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, also Ghūri ( fa, معز الدین محمد غوری) (1144 – March 15, 1206), commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor, also Gh ...
.
The Delhi Sultan
Iltutmish captured Ranthambore in 1226, but the Chauhans recaptured it after his death in 1236. The armies of Sultan
Nasiruddin Mahmud, led by the future Sultan
Balban, unsuccessfully besieged the fortress in 1248 and 1253, but captured from Jaitrasingh Chauhan in 1259. Shakti Dev succeeded Jaitrasingh in 1283, and recaptured Ranthambore and enlarged the kingdom. Sultan
Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji briefly besieged the fort in 1290-91 but was unsuccessful in capturing it. In 1299,
Hammiradeva sheltered Muhammad Shah, a rebel general of Sultan
Ala ud din Khalji, and refused to turn him over to the Sultan. The Sultan
besieged and conquered the fort in 1301.
Under Mewar
The fortress was captured by various kings of
Mewar
Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch an ...
. Ranthambore was under the direct rule of Rana Hamir Singh (1326–1364),
Rana Kumbha (1433–1468) and
Rana Sanga
Sangram Singh I ( IAST: Rāṇā Saṅgrāma Siṃha; c. 1482 – 1528 CE), popularly known as Rana Sanga or Maharana Sanga, was an Indian ruler from the Sisodia dynasty. He ruled Mewar, the traditional territory of Guhilas (Sisodias) in presen ...
(1508–1528).
Under Hadas
During Rana
Udai Singh I
Udai Singh I (? –1473) Udaikaran or Udah, was the Rana (r. 1468–1473) of Mewar Kingdom. He was a son of Rana Kumbha.
Biography
Udai Singh killed his father, Rana Kumbha, in 1468 and thereafter became known as ''Hatyara'' (Murderer) ...
's reign (1468–1473) the fortress passed to the
Hada Rajputs of
Bundi. Sultan
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah, born Bahadur Khan was a sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom in India from 1526 to 1535 and again from 1536 to 1537. He ascended to throne after competing with ...
briefly captured the fortress from 1532 to 1535. The Mughal Emperor
Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, H ...
captured the fortress in
Siege of Ranthambore (1568)
In the siege of Ranthambore, on 8 February 1568, Akbar led a massive Mughal Army of over 50,000 men and besieged Ranthambore Fort. Akbar had become emboldened after his victories at the Battle of Thanesar and the siege of Chittorgarh and only ...
from Hadas.
Under Jaipur
The fortress passed to the
Kachwaha Maharajas of
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known as ...
in the 17th century, and it remained part of Jaipur state until Indian
Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the s ...
. The area surrounding the fortress became a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Jaipur.
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known as ...
state acceded to India in 1949, becoming part of the state of
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
in 1950.
Temples
Inside Ranthambore fort, there are three
Hindu temples dedicated to
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...
,
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hin ...
and
Ramlalaji constructed in 12th and 13th centuries from red Karauli stone. There is also a
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
temple of Lord
Sumatinath
Sumatinatha was the fifth Jain Tirthankara of the present age ( Avasarpini). Sumatinatha was born to a Kshatriya King Megha (Megharatha) and Queen Mangalavati (Sumangalavati) at Ayodhya in the Ikshvaku dynasty. His Janma Kalyanak (birthday) was ...
(5th Jain Tirthankar) and Lord
Sambhavanath
Sambhavanatha was the third Jain ''tirthankara'' (omniscient teaching god) of the present age ( Avasarpini). Sambhavanatha was born to King ''Jitari'' and Queen ''Susena'' at Sravasti. His birth date was the fourteenth day of the Margshrsha s ...
.
Nearby attractions
;Water gateways
#Kachida Valley
#Surwal Lake
#Sitla Mata
;Picnic sports
#Malik Talao
;Wild life
#Bakula
#Lakarda And Anantpura
#
Rajbagh Talao
#Ranthambore National Park
;Historical places
#Jogi Mahal
#Padam Talao
#Raj Bagh Ruins
#Ranthambhore Fort
#Ranthambhore School Of Art
#Ganesha temple
#Jain Temple
Gallery
RNP-A.JPG, The way inside the fort
RNP-8.JPG, History of Ranthambore Fort written on the wall
Ranthambore_Fort_Jain_Temple_Entrance.jpg, Jain temple at Ranthambore Fort
Battees Khamba (32 Pillars).jpg, Battees Khamba
Annapurna Temple.jpg, Annapurna Temple
Fine rock art at Ranthambhore Fort.jpg, Fine rock art at Ranthambhore Fort
Old tomb,ranthambor fort.jpg, Old tomb, Ranthambore Fort
Rani haveli.jpg, Rani Haveli
Ranthambore Fort Jain Temple.jpg, Ranthambore Fort Jain Temple
RNP-4.JPG, Entrance
Naulakha gate,ranthambor fort.jpg, Naulakha Gate, Ranthambhore Fort
See also
*
Hill Forts of Rajasthan
*
Chamatkarji
*
Sawai Madhopur District
*
Sawai Madhopur
*
Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History
*
Shilpgram, Sawai Madhopur
*
Sawai Madhopur railway station
References
External links
*
{{World Heritage Sites in India
Forts in Rajasthan
Rajput era
Tourist attractions in Sawai Madhopur district
World Heritage Sites in India
10th-century establishments in India
Buildings and structures completed in 944