Ranthambore

Ranthambore Fort crowns a high plateau above the wooded hills of eastern Rajasthan. Steep cliffs and massive walls protect a complex of temples, palaces and reservoirs. Its commanding position made it one of the strongest forts of Rajputana, and the shrine of Ganesha within its walls drew worshippers as well as soldiers.

The Chauhan ruler Hammir defended Ranthambore against the Delhi sultan Alauddin Khalji in 1301. After a prolonged siege the fort fell, an event remembered in accounts of Rajput resistance. It subsequently passed through the hands of the Delhi sultans, the rulers of Mewar and the Hadas of Bundi. In 1569 the Mughal emperor Akbar besieged the fort and secured its surrender from the Hada ruler Surjan. Its later history remained bound to the shifting relationships between the Mughal court and Rajput houses.