The Mughal Empire

Mughal Forts in Rajasthan

Chittor

The fort of Chittor, situated on a long ridge overlooking the plains of Mewar in southern Rajasthan, was the principal stronghold of the Sesodia dynasty of Mewar and fortresses in India. The fort was, in effect, a fortified town, with a substantial population, an elaborate water supply, and a series of magnificent palaces and temples. The fort had been the seat of the Mewar rajas since the seventh century, and it was the principal symbol of Rajput independence and resistance to Muslim rule.

The fort was besieged by Akbar in 1568, and the siege was operations of the reign. The Mughal army that gathered at Chittor in the autumn of 1568 was substantial, and it included a powerful siege train under the command of the mir-i-atish. The garrison of the fort, commanded by the Sesodia raja Udai Singh, made a heroic defence, and the fort was eventually taken by storm after a prolonged siege. The capture of Chittor was followed by the sack of the city and the massacre of a substantial portion of the population, and the event remained a defining moment in the history of Rajput-Muslim relations for centuries to come. The fort was subsequently incorporated into the Mughal imperial establishment, and a substantial Mughal garrison was installed. The fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is monuments of the Mughal architecture tradition in Rajasthan.

Ranthambore

The fort of Ranthambore, situated on a hill in the eastern Aravalli range, was the principal stronghold of the Rajput rajas of Ranthambore and a major centre of resistance to Mughal authority. The fort was of considerable strategic importance, for it commanded the principal routes from the Gangetic plain into Gujarat and Malwa. The fort had been a centre of resistance to the Delhi Sultanates since the thirteenth century, and it was incorporated into the Mughal Empire only in 1569, after a prolonged siege by Akbar.

The siege of Ranthambore, like that of Chittor, was conducted with a substantial siege train, and the fort was eventually taken by storm. The capture of Ranthambore was a major strategic success, for it secured the Mughal hold on eastern Rajasthan and prepared the way for the conquest of Gujarat in 1572–73. The fort was subsequently incorporated into the Mughal imperial establishment, and it remained a centre of the Mughal administration of the region throughout the seventeenth century. The fort is now part of the Ranthambore National Park, and it is examples of the Rajput-Mughal military architecture of the region.

Kumbhalgarh

The fort of Kumbhalgarh, situated in the western Aravalli range south of Udaipur, was one of the most formidable fortifications in Rajasthan. The fort was built by the Sesodia ruler Rana Kumbha in the fifteenth century, and the famous outer wall extended for several kilometres along the ridge of the Aravallis, making it one of the most extensive fortifications in early modern India. The fort was never taken by the Mughals by storm, and it remained a centre of Sesodia resistance to Mughal authority throughout the period of Mughal rule. Its resistance to Mughal authority was a major factor in the gradual accommodation between the Sesodia rajas and the Mughal emperors, and the eventual agreement of the Sesodias to acknowledge Mughal suzerainty in the reign of Jahangir was a consequence in part of the recognition that the conquest of Kumbhalgarh was not a practical proposition. The fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jodhpur and the Mehrangarh

The fort of Jodhpur, also known as the Mehrangarh, situated on a hill overlooking the modern city of Jodhpur, was the principal stronghold of the Rathore dynasty of Marwar. The fort was built in the fifteenth century by Rao Jodha, the founder of the Rathore dynasty, and it was the seat of the Rathore rajas throughout the medieval and early modern periods. The fort is one of the largest in Rajasthan, and its massive walls and bastions make it one of the most impressive fortifications in India.

The Rathores of Marwar entered the Mughal mansabdari system in the early seventeenth century, and the fort of Jodhpur was an important centre of the Mughal administration of the western frontier. The fort’s relations with the Mughals were not always easy, and the Rathore rising of the early eighteenth century, examined on the Mughal decline page, was a major crisis of the imperial system. The fort is now a major tourist attraction, and the palace complex within the fort is one of the most impressive examples of the Mughal palaces tradition of the region.

Jaisalmer

The fort of Jaisalmer, situated in the heart of the Thar desert, was the principal stronghold of the Bhatia dynasty of Jaisalmer and a major centre of the caravan trade between India and Central Asia. The fort was built in the twelfth century by Rawal Jaisal, and it was the seat of the Bhatia rajas throughout the medieval and early modern periods. The fort was famous for the distinctive yellow sandstone of its walls, and it was one of the most picturesque fortifications in India.

The Bhatias of Jaisalmer were relatively minor players in the politics of the Mughal period, and they generally accommodated themselves to Mughal suzerainty without serious resistance. The fort of Jaisalmer was an important centre of the caravan trade, and the customs revenues of the town were a significant source of income for the Bhatia rajas. The fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Rajasthan.

Amer and Jaipur

The fort of Amer, situated on a hill overlooking the modern city of Jaipur, was the principal stronghold of the Kachwaha dynasty of Amber and centres of the Rajput-Mughal alliance. The Kachwahas were the first of the major Rajput clans to submit to Mughal authority, and the marriage of Akbar to the Kachwaha princess Harkha Bai in 1562 marked the formal beginning of the alliance. The fort of Amer was the seat of the Kachwaha rajas throughout the period of Mughal rule, and the palace complex within the fort is one of the most impressive examples of the Rajput-Mughal palace architecture of the region.

The city of Jaipur, founded in 1727 by the Kachwaha raja Jai Singh II, was the new capital of the Kachwaha state, and the city became a major centre of arts and learning in the eighteenth century. The architecture of the city, including the famous Hawa Mahal, is examples of the Rajput-Mughal architectural tradition, and the Jantar Mantar, the astronomical observatory founded by Jai Singh II, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bikaner

The fort of Bikaner, situated in the desert country of northern Rajasthan, was the principal stronghold of the Rathore cadet branch of Bikaner and a major centre of the Mughal administration of the western frontier. The fort was built in the late fifteenth century by Rao Bika, a younger son of the Rathore chief of Marwar, and it was the seat of the Bikaner rajas throughout the period of Mughal rule. The Bikaner Rathores were among the most loyal supporters of the Mughal emperors, and the rajas of Bikaner served the empire in several of the most important campaigns of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The fort is famous for its distinctive red sandstone walls and for the elaborate defences developed for the desert environment, and the palace complex within the fort is one of the most impressive examples of the Rajput palace architecture of the region. The city’s Junagarh fort, built in the late sixteenth century, is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan that was not built on a hilltop, and it is famous for the quality of its internal decoration.

Sources

  • Catherine B. Asher, Architecture of Mughal India (1992), ch. 6.