Date:

Kumbhalgarh: The Great Wall of India

Kumbhalgarh is a Mewar fortress and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Aravalli Hills, in the Rajsamand district in western India.

The fort was built during the 15th century by Rana Kumbha, the ruler of the Mewar kingdom of western India. Out of the 84 forts in his dominion, Rana Kumbha is said to have built 32 of them, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate.

- Advertisement -

The site was first occupied with a defensive structure, built by King Samprati of the Maura Age on account of strategic importance during the 6th century.

The present fort is built on a hilltop 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level on the Aravalli range, the fort has a perimeter wall that extends 36 km (22 mi), making it one of the longest walls in the world (described as the “Great Wall of India”) with seven fortified gateways.

Kumbhalgarh: – Image Credit : DIVYA GEHLOT

From its strategic position, it is possible to see many miles into the Aravalli Range and the sand dunes of the Thar Desert. With frontal walls measuring fifteen feet thick, the fort remained almost impregnable to direct assault despite multiple failed sieges.

Ahmed Shah I (ruler of the Muzaffarid dynasty, who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate) attacked the fort in 1457 but found the effort futile. There were further failed attempts in 1458–59 and 1467 by Mahmud Khalji (a 15th-century sultan of the Malwa Sultanate).

- Advertisement -

The general of Akbar the Great, Shabhbaz Khan, is believed to have taken control of the fort in 1576. But it was recaptured by Maharana Pratap in 1585. Finally in 1615 the Mewar kingdom surrendered against the Mughal forces sent by Emperor Jahangir under the command of Prince Khurram where it took the combined armies of Delhi, Amber, and Marwar to breach its defences by poisoning the forts water supply.

Temples in Kumbhalgarh- Image Credit : Honzasoukup – CC BY 3.0

Among the internal buildings, are the ruins of the palace complex, over 360 temples, 300 ancient Jain (Jainism, traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion) and the rest Hindu.

The fort remained occupied till the 19th century when it was taken over by the British and later returned to Udaipur State.

Header Image Credit : Antoine Taveneaux

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

African figurines found in Israel reveal unexpected cultural connections

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Cologne University have made an unexpected discovery in Israel’s Negev Desert: carved figurines with apparent African origins.

Ancient ritual drug use found at Chavín de Huántar

Archaeologists have identified traces of psychoactive plants used in ceremonial rituals at Chavín de Huántar in Peru’s Ancash Region.

“Bollock” shaped dagger among new discoveries at Gullberg fortress

A report on the recent excavations at Gullberg fortress is providing new insights into the history of one of Sweden’s most strategically important castles.

Roman coin hoard among largest discovered in Romania

A metal detectorist has unearthed a giant coin hoard from the Roman period near the village of Letţa Veche in southern Romania.

Study reveals vast Aztec trade networks

A new study by Tulane University, in collaboration with Mexico’s Proyecto Templo Mayor, reveals new insights into the extensive obsidian trade networks of the Mexica (Aztecs).

Archaeologists begin exploration of recently discovered Roman town

In 2024, archaeologists from AOC Archaeology, working on behalf of East Park Energy, discovered the remains of a Roman town south of Great Staunton in Cambridgeshire, England.

Rare find offers new insights into ancient Dacian quarrying

A rare set of stonemason tools from the Dacian kingdom period has been discovered at Măgura Călanului in Hunedoara county, Romania.

Buried Buddhist treasures found in temple complex

The Fine Arts Department in Thailand has announced the discovery of a collection of ancient relics at the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex in Sung Noen District, northeastern Thailand.