FORTS OF RAJASTHAN(Ranthambhore)
FORTS OF RAJASTHAN (Ranthambhore)
THE famous fort of Ranthambhore near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, stands on an isolated rock 1578 feet above sea level and is surrounded by a massive wall strengthened by towers and bastions. The fortress witnessed many sieges and battles but today ail that is there are the remains of a palace, a mosque, tomb of a saint and barracks for the garrison.
The fortress of Ranthambhore is said to have been constructed by Maharaja Jayant in the 5th century A.D. The Yadavas ruled over it till they were expelled by Prithviraj Chauhan in the 12th century. Govinda, Prithiviraj's grandson, established himself at Ran- thambhore and ruled as a feudatory of the Delhi Sultanate. But Sultan lltut- mish coveted the fort. He got Govinda's descendant Viranarayana deceitfully killed and in 1226Delhi'sforcesoccupied the fortress. But he could not hold it for long. Viranarayana's uncle Vagh- bhata who had escaped and taken refuge with the Sultan of Malwa was making efforts to capture the fort. The Sultan of Malwa also had an eye over the fortress and tried to assassinate Vagh- bhata. Having come to know of his host's designs well in time, Vaghbhata himself slew the Sultan and founded a small principality on the borders of Malwa and the old kingdom of Ranthambhore. On lltutmish's death when an opportunity arose, he marched on Ranthambhore and invested it so successfully that in the beleaguered fort 'water was regarded as milk, grass as sugarcane and fuel as sandal'. In less than three months 'the Sakas' fled away for their lives.
In 1248 Ulugh Khan (later on Balban) moved out to invade Ranthambhore but had to return discomfited to Delhi. After Balban's death for some time there was no one at Delhi to check the growth of the Chauhan state of Ranthambhore. In 1290 the Khaljis succeeded the Slave dynasty and the very first Khaiji king Jalaluddin marched towards Ranthambhore and invested it In 1292. The Sultan ordered manjaniks to be erected, sabats to be built and the siege to be pressed with vigour. But Hamir Deo, the ruler of Rantham bhore defended it gallantly. He led out sorties so effectively that the Khaiji army was thrown into utter confusion, forcing the Sultan to give up the idea of capturing Ranthambhore for the time being.
