Lohagarh Fort ( transl. Iron Fort) is an 18th-century fort located at Bharatpur in

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It stands as a testament to the strength and ingenuity of the Jat rulers of Bharatpur, particularly Maharaja Suraj Mal, who commissioned its construction in 1732. The British army attempted to conquer this fort 13 times but they could not penetrate the fort even once. The inaccessible Lohagarh Fort withstood repeated attacks of British forces led by Lord Lake during the Siege of Bharatpur in January and February 1805 when they failed in all four attempts to storm the fortress.

History

Between December 1825 and January 1826, British troops under Lord Combermere initially surrounded the state's capital until on 18 January 1826 its fortress was stormed and captured. After this

siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

, Bharatpur became a princely state under British Raj control. Of the two gates in the fort, the one in the north is known as Ashtadhatu (eight metaled) gate while the one facing the south is called Chowburja (four-pillared) gate. Monuments in the fort include are Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas, and Kothi Khas. Jawahar Burj was built by Maharaja Jawahar Singh in 1765 to commemorate his victory over

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

at Battle of Delhi (1764). Jawahar Burj was also used for the coronation ceremony of the rulers. Fateh Burj was built by Raja Ranjeet Singh in 1805 for the commemoration of his win over the British at the Siege of Bharatpur (1805). These parts of the Fort are granted the status of State Protected Monuments in Rajasthan – Kamara Khas, Kishori Mahal, Hansarani Mahal, Kachahari Kala, Chaman Bagichi, Hammam & mudwall gates i.e. Mathura gate, Binarain gate, Atal Bandh gate, Anah gate, Kumher gate, Govardhan gate, Neemda gate, Chandpol gate, and bastion near Suraj pol. Following parts of Lohagarh Fort are recognized as Monuments of National Importance in Rajasthan - Jawahar Burj, Ashtadhatu Gateway, Moat surrounding the Fort wall, Fort walls including Chowburja gate and approach bridges at the Chowburja and Ashtadhatu gates.

History

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Further reading