Chauragarh

Chauragarh was a great stronghold of the Gond kings of Garha-Mandla, built on the edge of the Satpura plateau overlooking the Narmada valley. Its defences encompassed two hills, with tanks and wells to supply the fortified heights. Sangram Shah established the fort as a royal centre, and its position made it a prize for armies seeking control of the rich country below.

In 1564 the Mughal commander Asaf Khan stormed Chauragarh after defeating Queen Durgavati; her son Bir Narayan died in the fighting. The Bundela ruler Jujhar Singh attacked the fort in 1634 and killed the Gond king Prem Shah. Prem Shah’s son Hirde Shah recovered the throne with Mughal help, but further Bundela pressure led him to shift his capital to Ramnagar. A century later Chauragarh served as a refuge for Narhar Shah against the Marathas, who ended Gond rule in 1781.