Navratangarh (Doisagarh) was one of the capitals of the

Nagvanshi dynasty The Khokhra chieftaincy, also known as the Nagvanshi dynasty, was a principality that ruled the parts of Chota Nagpur plateau region (modern-day Jharkhand) during much of the medieval and early-modern period. The chieftaincy came to prominence wh ...

, who ruled parts of what is now the state of

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

, India. It is located in Sisai block of

Gumla district Gumla district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Gumla town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Etymology For centuries, the place was a meeting center for people from the hinterland who flocked ...

. It is said that king

Durjan Shah Durjan Shah was a Nagvanshi king in the 17th century. He had built Navratangarh fort. Early life He succeeded Bairisal. Immediately after accession to Nagvanshi throne, he threw away all allegiance to the Mughals. Mughal invasion and impriso ...

shifted his capital from

Khukhragarh Khukhragarh was one of the capitals of Nagvanshi dynasty, who once ruled in parts of the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is located in the Bero block in the Ranchi Sadar subdivision of Ranchi district. Geography History Nagvanshi ruler Bhim K ...

to Navratangarh. He constructed the fort between 1636 and 1639. The palace was a five-storeyed structure with its "water-gate" and ''garh-khai'' (moat) arrangement. It has a ''kiaclmy'' (court), a treasury house and a prison-cell with its underground dungeon. It was declared national heritage in 2009.

Geography

Location

The fort is located in Sisai block of

. It is located in around 30 km from

Gumla Gumla is a city which is the district headquarters in the Gumla subdivision of the Gumla district in the state of Jharkhand, India. History Gumla began as a hamlet. A week-long "Cow Fair" (''Gau-Mela'') took place every year, where items in ...

and 75 km from

Ranchi Ranchi (; ) is the capital city and also the largest district by population of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern ...

Area overview

The map alongside presents a rugged area, consisting partly of flat-topped hills called ''pat'' and partly of an undulating plateau, in the south-western portion of

Chota Nagpur Plateau The Chota Nagpur Plateau () is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and th ...

. Three major rivers – the Sankh, South Koel and North Karo - along with their numerous tributaries, drain the area. The hilly area has large deposits of

Bauxite Bauxite () is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)), and diaspore (α-AlO(OH) ...

. 93.7% of the population lives in rural areas. Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the district. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.

History

It is said that king

shifted his capital from

to Navratangarh. He constructed the fort between 1636 and 1639 CE. After his release from Mughal captivity, the Raja decided to build the fort. Navratangarh was in a strategic location as it was surrounded by forests, hills and rivers. King

Ram Shah Ram Shah (; reign before 16061636) was a king of the Gorkha Kingdom (present-day Gorkha District, Nepal). He was the son of Gorkha king Purna Shah and brother of Chatra Shah. He acceded to the throne after his brother's death. He expanded his k ...

built Kapilnath Temple in 1643. He succeeded by

Raghunath Shah Raghunath Shah was a Nagvanshi king in the 17th century. He succeeded his father Ram Shah in 1663. His capital was at Navratangarh. He built several temples during his reign. According to Lal Pradumn Singh, writer of the book ''Nagvansh'' (19 ...

. He also built several temples. Yadunath Shah shifted capital to

Palkot Palkot is a village in the Palkot CD block in the Basia subdivision of the Gumla district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. History During 18th century, Nagvanshi king Yadunath Shah shifted his capital from Navratangarh to Palkot due to Mug ...

due to Mughal invasion.

References

Palaces in India Villages in Gumla district Gumla district Nagpuri culture {{India-palace-stub