A Glimpse of some
Forts in India
By
Ananya Chatterjee
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Why I chose this topic?
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What is a Fort?
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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)
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Why were Forts built?

From very early history to modern times, walls have been
a necessity for many cities

Uruk, in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) was one of the
world's oldest known walled cities

The Ancient Egyptians also built fortresses on the
frontiers of the Nile Valley to protect against invaders
from its neighboring territories

Many of the forts of the ancient world were built with mud
brick
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History of Forts in India

Forts are important architectural relics of the long history of India

The capital of each Raja or King had a fort, around which a
township grew and developed
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This pattern can be seen in many Indian cities such as Delhi, Agra,
Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai
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Two forts in India are UNESCO world heritage sites
Agra Fort
Red Fort
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10 Famous Forts of India
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Qila Mubarak
Fort William
Amber Fort
Mehrangarh Fort
Jaisalmer Fort
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Chittorgarh Fort
Agra Fort
Golconda Fort
Lal Qila/Red Fort
Gwalior Fort
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For every Fort let’s answer the
following
Where is it?
 When was it built and by whom?
 Features of the fort

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Qila Mubarak
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Qila Mubarak
The oldest surviving fort in India is the Qila
Mubarak at Bathinda (Punjab)
 Built in 90-110 AD, by Emperor Kanishka and
Raja Dab
 Facts

 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)
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Fort William
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Fort William
It is situated in Kolkata, on the Eastern banks
of the River Hooghly
 Built in 1781, during the early years of the
Bengal Presidency of British India
 Facts

 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
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Amber Fort
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Amber Fort
Located in Amber (near Jaipur)
 Built in 1592, by Raja Man Singh
 Facts

 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
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Mehrangarh Fort
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Mehrangarh Fort
One of the largest forts in Jodhpur
 Built in 1459, by Rao Jodha (Rathore Ruler)
 Facts
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 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
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Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Kella)
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Jaisalmer Fort
One of the largest forts in world, located in
Jaisalmer
 Built in 1156, by Rawal Jaisal (Rajput Ruler)
 Facts
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 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
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Chittorgarh Fort
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Chittorgarh Fort
Also called Water Fort, located in Chittaur
 Built in 7th century AD, by Mauryans
 Facts

 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
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Agra Fort
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Agra Fort
Located in Agra near world famous Taj Mahal
 Completed in 1573, under Akbar the Great
 Facts

 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)
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Golconda Fort
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Golconda Fort
Located in Golconda, near Hyderabad
 Built in 13th century by the Kakatiya Kings
 Facts
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 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)
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Red Fort (Lal Qila)
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Red Fort
Located in New Delhi
 Built in 1648 by Emperor Shah Jahan
 Facts
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 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 15th, 1947)
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Gwalior Fort
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Gwalior Fort
Located in Gwalior (birthplace of Mia Tansen)
 Built in 8th century by Tomar Rulers
 Facts

 Emperor
Babur described it as “The pearl in the
necklace of the forts of Hind”
 Inside the Fort, Gurjari Mahal and Man Mandir
palace
 First epigraphic evidence of “0” (Shunya in
Sanskrit) was found on a tablet near a 9th century
Hindu temple
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Thank You!
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