A Glimpse of some Forts in India By

A Glimpse of some Forts in India By Ananya Chatterjee 1

Why I chose this topic? 2

What is a Fort? n n A protected enclosure, building, or position that stands strong in defense against an enemy (e. g. Red Fort) A permanent army post (e. g. Fort Collins) 3

Why were Forts built? n From very early history to modern times, walls have been a necessity for many cities n Uruk, in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) was one of the world's oldest known walled cities n The Ancient Egyptians also built fortresses on the frontiers of the Nile Valley to protect against invaders from its neighboring territories n Many of the forts of the ancient world were built with mud brick 4

History of Forts in India n Forts are important architectural relics of the long history of India n The capital of each Raja or King had a fort, around which a township grew and developed n This pattern can be seen in many Indian cities such as Delhi, Agra, Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai n Two forts in India are UNESCO world heritage sites Agra Fort Red Fort 5

10 Famous Forts of India n n n Qila Mubarak Fort William Amber Fort Mehrangarh Fort Jaisalmer Fort n n n Chittorgarh Fort Agra Fort Golconda Fort Lal Qila/Red Fort Gwalior Fort 6

For every Fort let’s answer the following Where is it? n When was it built and by whom? n Features of the fort n 7

Qila Mubarak 8

Qila Mubarak The oldest surviving fort in India is the Qila Mubarak at Bathinda (Punjab) n Built in 90 -110 AD, by Emperor Kanishka and Raja Dab n Facts n Razia Sultan (the first woman to take charge of the Delhi throne ) was imprisoned here in 1204 Visited by Guru Nanak Dev (1515), Guru Teg Bahadur (1665), Guru Gobind Singh (1705) 9

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Fort William 11

Fort William It is situated in Kolkata, on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly n Built in 1781, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India n Facts n It was named after King William III of England Fort is built of brick and mortar in the shape of an irregular octagon In front of the Fort is the Maidan, the largest urban park in Kolkata 12

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Amber Fort 14

Amber Fort Located in Amber (near Jaipur) n Built in 1592, by Raja Man Singh n Facts n Name derived from Amba Mata (Mother Earth) Perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim Architecture Fort is built with white marble and red sandstone Inside looks like a palace with a huge courtyard, Shila Mata (Kali) temple, residence of the Maharaja, silver doors, mosaics, marble columns, hand paintings , sculptures 15

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Mehrangarh Fort 17

Mehrangarh Fort One of the largest forts in Jodhpur n Built in 1459, by Rao Jodha (Rathore Ruler) n Facts n The hill was called Bhaurcheerja, the mountain of birds Inside the Fort, there are majestic rooms called Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal and Takhat Vilas 18

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Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Kella) 20

Jaisalmer Fort One of the largest forts in world, located in Jaisalmer n Built in 1156, by Rawal Jaisal (Rajput Ruler) n Facts n Stands on the golden stretches of Thar desert World’s only living Fort with quarter of Jaisalmer’s population living inside Sri Satyajit Ray created a famous detective film “Sonar Kella” based on this Fort 21

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Chittorgarh Fort 23

Chittorgarh Fort Also called Water Fort, located in Chittaur n Built in 7 th century AD, by Mauryans n Facts n Some believe Bhim (one of Pandava brothers) built this fort Inside the Fort, Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory), Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame), Gaumukh Reservoir, Rana Kumbha and Padmini Palace, Meera Temple Witnessed many Jauhars 24

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Agra Fort 26

Agra Fort Located in Agra near world famous Taj Mahal n Completed in 1573, under Akbar the Great n Facts n Inside the Fort, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwani-i-Khas, Jahangiri Mahal, Khas Mahal, Anguri Bagh, Golden Pavilions, Musamman Burj When Aurangzeb imprisoned his father Shah Jahan, he viewed the construction of Taj Mahal from Musamman Burj (a tower with a marble balcony, which provides best view of Taj Mahal) 27

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Golconda Fort 29

Golconda Fort Located in Golconda, near Hyderabad n Built in 13 th century by the Kakatiya Kings n Facts n Situated on a 400 feet high granite hill Has amazing acoustics, where sound of a clap from near the front gate can be heard on top of the citadel Many famous diamonds were excavated from mines at Golconda (Hope Diamond at Smithsonian in Washington DC, Darya-e-Noor) 30

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Red Fort (Lal Qila) 32

Red Fort Located in New Delhi n Built in 1648 by Emperor Shah Jahan n Facts n Shah Jahan moved the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi and created his palace in Red Fort Served as capital of Mughals until 1857 Indian Independence celebrated with Flag hoisting at Red Fort every year. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru first hoisted the Indian Flag on Independence Day (August 15 th, 1947) 33

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Gwalior Fort 35

Gwalior Fort Located in Gwalior (birthplace of Mia Tansen) n Built in 8 th century by Tomar Rulers n Facts n Emperor Babur described it as “The pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind” Inside the Fort, Gurjari Mahal and Mandir palace First epigraphic evidence of “ 0” (Shunya in Sanskrit) was found on a tablet near a 9 th century Hindu temple 36

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Thank You! 38