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| 26°26′32″N74°37′06″E / 26.442154°N 74.618288°E | |
| Location | Ajmer, Rajasthan, India |
|---|---|
| Type | Fort |
| built by | Parmar Rajputs and Ajayaraja I |
Taragarh Fort is a fortress built upon a steep hillside in the city of Ajmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was constructed by Maharaja of Parmar Rajputs, and repaired by Ajayaraja Chauhan [1] and it was originally called Ajaymeru Durg. [2]
This fort was known for its strength and strategic importance. First Islamic attack on the fort was made in 724, during reign of Chauhan King Durlabhraj I, who bravely fought Muslim armies under caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. In this war, King Durlabhraj I did not receive support from fellow rajput kings. This war witnessed India's second Jauhar conducted by queens of King Durlabhraj I, along with other females in Taragarh Fort. The war is also known for sacrifice of 7-year old Chauhan Prince Lot, who bravely fought the invading armies, and laid down his life.
Parmar Rajputs assisted in capturing Taragarh fort of Ajmer and rejected Islam, Islamic conversions, Islamic Beliefs.
Prithviraj, son of Rana Raimal of Mewar and elder brother of Rana Sanga, captured Taragarh fort of Ajmer during the end of 15th century, after slaying Governor Mallu Khan. [3] [4] [5] The fort is also called Taragarh, named after Prithviraj's wife Tarabai. [6] It remained under control of Mewar and later Rana Sanga granted it to Karamchand Panwar [7]
The fort later was conquered by the victorious Mughal armies in the aftermath of Battle of Khanwa in Rana Sanga of Mewar faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Emperor Babur, the Founder of the Mughal Dynasty . The fort served as the administrative center of the Mughal province of Ajmer and was an important military foothold for the Mughal Expansion into Rajputana. The fort remained under the nominal sovereignty of the Mughal Emperor though it was de facto in the hands of the Rajputs of Amber . With its strategic prominence lost, the fort fell into disuse and neglect.
There are three gateways to the fort known as Lakshmi Pol, Phuta Darwaza, and Gagudi ki Phatak. There were 14 bastions in the wall of this fort. Most parts of these gateways are now in ruins. The largest of its battlements is the 16th-century bastion known as the Bhim Burj, on which was once mounted a large cannon called Garbh Gunjam, or 'Thunder from the Womb'. In the fort are water reservoirs.
The fort also holds a shrine dedicated to Miran Saheb ki Dargah, who lost his life in 1202 CE during a Rajput attack. He was slain in a perfidious Rajput attack that took place while he and his men were conducting their prostration (namaaz). [8] [9]
After conquering the fort of Kandahar, Emperor Jahangir built this Marble Cage (Kathera) in the dargah of Meera Syed Hussain in 1615. [10]
Ajmer is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the nickname the Heart of Rajasthan.
Sangram Singh I, commonly known as Rana Sanga, was the Rana of Mewar from 1508 to 1528 CE. A member of the Sisodia dynasty, he controlled parts of present-day Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh with his capital at Chittor. His reign was admired by several of his contemporaries, including the first Mughal Emperor Babur, who described him as the "greatest Indian ruler" of that time. The Mughal historian Abd al-Qadir Badayuni called Sanga the bravest of all Rajputs along with Prithviraj Chauhan also known as Rai Pithaura.
Pratap Singh I, popularly known as Maharana Pratap, was king of the Kingdom of Mewar, in north-western India in the present-day state of Rajasthan, from 1572 until his death in 1597. He is notable for leading the Rajput resistance against the expansionist policy of the Mughal Emperor Akbar including the Battle of Haldighati and the Battle of Dewair.
The Sisodia was an Indian royal dynasty belonging to the clan that ruled over the Kingdom of Mewar, in the region of Mewar in Rajasthan. The name of the clan is also transliterated as Sesodia, Shishodia, Sishodia, Shishodya, Sisodya, Sisodiya, Sisodia.
Nagaur is a city and municipal council in Nagaur district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagaur District. The Nagaur city lies about midway between Jodhpur and Bikaner.
Chittorgarh is a major city in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold of the Rajput State of Medapata. The city of Chittorgarh is located on the banks of river Gambhiri and Berach.
Kumbhalgarh, also known as the Great Wall of India, is a fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills in Kumbhalgarh in the Rajsamand district of the Rajasthan state in India. Situated approximately 48 km (30 mi) from Rajsamand city, 84 km (52 mi) from Udaipur, it was built during the 15th century by Rana Kumbha. The wall of Kumbhalgarh is one of the longest continuous walls in the world, spanning 38 kilometers. It is also the birthplace of great king and military leader Maharana Pratap of Mewar.
The Battle of Khanwa was fought at Khanwa on 16 March 1527. It was fought between the invading Timurid forces of Babur and the Kingdom of Mewar led by Rana Sanga for supremacy of Northern India. The battle was a major event in Medieval Indian history although Timurids won at Panipat but at the time, the sultanate at Delhi was a spent force that was long crumbling. To the contrary, Kingdom of Mewar under the able rule of Rana Sanga and his predecessors, had turned into one of the strongest powers of northern India. The battle was among the most decisive battles in the Mughal conquest of northern India. It was among the earliest battles in Northern India where gunpowder was used to a great extent. The battle resulted in heavy casualties for both Timurids and Rajputs.
Chittorgarh, also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort covers 65 historic structures, which include four palaces, 19 large temples, 20 large water bodies, 4 memorials and a few victory towers.
The history of human settlement in the western Indian state of Rajasthan dates back to about 100,000 years ago. Around 5000 to 2000 BCE many regions of Rajasthan belonged as the site of the Indus Valley Civilization. Kalibangan is the main Indus site of Rajasthan, here fire altars have been discovered, similar to those found at Lothal.
The Kingdom of Mewar was an independent Hindu kingdom that existed in the Rajputana region of the Indian subcontinent and later became a dominant state in medieval India. The kingdom was initially founded and ruled by the Guhila dynasty followed by the Sisodiya Dynasty.
The Mughal–Rajput wars were a series of battles between various Rajput Kingdoms and Dynasties with the Mughal Empire. The conflict originated with the invasion of India by Timurid King Babur, to which the most powerful Rajput state, Kingdom of Mewar under Rana Sanga, offered staunch resistance. The conflicts went on since 1526 for over 200 years. The conflict can broadly be divided into three phases: 1526 to 1556, which was indecisive; the second happened between 1556 to 1679, largely in Mughal favour; and third between 1679 to 1799, a period marked by Rajput dominance.
The history of human settlement in the west Indian state of Rajasthan dates back to about 5,000 years ago.
The Battle of Khatoli was fought in 1517 between the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate under Ibrahim Lodi and the Kingdom of Mewar under Rana Sanga, during which Mewar emerged victorious.
The Battle of Dholpur in today's India occurred between the Kingdom of Mewar, led by Rana Sanga, and the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, commanded by Ibrahim Lodi, culminating in a victory for Mewar.
Gaur also known as "Gour" is a Hindu Rajput clan of India.. According to the Balmiki Ramayana uttar kand Gaur dynasty is descendants of the Bharata when Bharata ruled the Gandhara their dynasty named as Gaur, Bharta have two sons King Taksh and King Pushkal both established Takshila and Pushkalawati (Peshawar) kingdoms respectively.They have ancient ancestry and find mention by James Tod as one of 36 royal races in his book Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan The Gaur Rajputs once held a prominent position in Ajmer till the time of Prithviraj Chauhan.In 1198 A.D Gaur rajput ruled the whole Ajmer. Gorwar region gets its name from this clan. In later years they lost the territories ruled by them. In 15th century, they fought at least 13 battles with Shekhawats were defeated and were reduced to feudetory or jagirdars in Shekhawati region. They faced many betrayal. The Rajgarh territory was one of the last bastion of Gaur Rajputs during the times of Mughal Emperors, Humayun and Akber, which was lost to Kishan Singh in 17th century. Gaur Rajputs remained allies to Mughal till the time of Aurangzeb, whose political decisions, alienated Rathods, Sisodias, Hadas and Gaur Rajput from Mughals.
Prithviraj Sisodia, generally known as Kunwar Prithviraj, was the eldest son of Maharana Raimal of Mewar and heir apparent of Mewar, of the Sisodia Rajputs. His mother was Jhali Rani Ratan Kanwar. His rapidity of moving from one place to another and lightning speed of attack earned him the title of Udno Prithviraj, the flying Prithviraj. He added the regions of Godwar and Ajmer to the territory of Mewar.
The Mewar–Malwa conflicts were a series of wars between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Sultanate of Malwa. The conflict erupted due to mutual territorial expansion triggered by both sides on each other. The war was fought in the modern-day regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Rana branch of the Guhilas, following their successful recovery of the Rajput stronghold of Chittorgarh and the entire region of Mewar alongside Rajputana after the Battle of Singoli, embarked on an ambitious expansion at the cost of their neighbouring kingdoms. On the other side, with the invasion of Timur, the Delhi Sultanate grew weak and many of its provinces gained independence which included Malwa, adjacent to Mewar.
The Kingdom of Mewar - Delhi Sultanate Conflict was a series of military engagements between the Kingdom of Mewar under the Sisodiya dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate from the regime of Tuqhlaq Dynasty to the succeeding ones. The conflict erupted when the Sisodiya dynasty took the reigon of Mewar from Delhi Sultanate's rule. The conflict was fought in what is today the Indian states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
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