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A Glimpse of some
Forts in India
By
Ananya Chatterjee
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Why I chose this topic?
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What is a Fort?
A protected
enclosure,
building, or
position that
stands strong in
defense against
an enemy (e.g.
Red Fort)
A permanent
army post (e.g.
Fort Collins)
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Why were Forts built?
From very early history to modern times, walls have been
a necessity for many cities

Uruk, in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) was one of the
world's oldest known walled cities

The Ancient Egyptians also built fortresses on the
frontiers of the Nile Valley to protect against invaders
from its neighboring territories

Many of the forts of the ancient world were built with mud
brick
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History of Forts in India
Forts are important architectural relics of the long history of India

The capital of each Raja or King had a fort, around which a
township grew and developed

This pattern can be seen in many Indian cities such as Delhi, Agra,
Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai

Two forts in India are UNESCO world heritage sites
Agra Fort Red Fort
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10 Famous Forts of India
Qila Mubarak
Fort William
Amber Fort
Mehrangarh Fort
Jaisalmer Fort


Chittorgarh Fort
Agra Fort
Golconda Fort
Lal Qila/Red Fort
Gwalior Fort
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For every Fort lets answer the
following
Where is it?
When was it built and by whom?
Features of the fort
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Qila Mubarak
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The oldest surviving fort in India is the Qila
Mubarak at Bathinda (Punjab)
Built in 90-110 AD, by Emperor Kanishka and
Raja Dab
Facts
Razia Sultan (the first woman to take charge of
the Delhi throne ) was imprisoned here in 1204
Visited by Guru Nanak Dev (1515), Guru Teg
Bahadur (1665), Guru Gobind Singh (1705)
Qila Mubarak
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Fort William
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It is situated in Kolkata, on the Eastern banks
of the River Hooghly
Built in 1781, during the early years of the
Bengal Presidency of British India
Facts
It was named after King William III of England
Fort is built of brick and mortar in the shape of an
irregular octagon
In front of the Fort is the Maidan, the largest
urban park in Kolkata
Fort William
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Amber Fort
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Located in Amber (near Jaipur)
Built in 1592, by Raja Man Singh
Facts
Name derived from Amba Mata (Mother Earth)
Perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim Architecture
Fort is built with white marble and red sandstone
Inside looks like a palace with a huge courtyard,
Shila Mata (Kali) temple, residence of the
Maharaja, silver doors, mosaics, marble columns,
hand paintings ,sculptures
Amber Fort
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Mehrangarh Fort
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One of the largest forts in Jodhpur
Built in 1459, by Rao Jodha (Rathore Ruler)
Facts
The hill was called Bhaurcheerja, the mountain of
birds
Inside the Fort, there are majestic rooms called
Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal and
Takhat Vilas
Mehrangarh Fort
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Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Kella)
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One of the largest forts in world, located in
Jaisalmer
Built in 1156, by Rawal Jaisal (Rajput Ruler)
Facts
Stands on the golden stretches of Thar desert
Worlds only living Fort with quarter of Jaisalmers
population living inside
Sri Satyajit Ray created a famous detective film
Sonar Kella based on this Fort
Jaisalmer Fort
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Chittorgarh Fort
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Also called Water Fort, located in Chittaur
Built in 7
th
century AD, by Mauryans
Facts
Some believe Bhim (one of Pandava brothers)
built this fort
Inside the Fort, Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory),
Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame), Gaumukh
Reservoir, Rana Kumbha and Padmini Palace,
Meera Temple
Witnessed many Jauhars
Chittorgarh Fort
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Agra Fort
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Located in Agra near world famous Taj Mahal
Completed in 1573, under Akbar the Great
Facts
Inside the Fort, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwani-i-Khas,
Jahangiri Mahal, Khas Mahal, Anguri Bagh,
Golden Pavilions, Musamman Burj
When Aurangzeb imprisoned his father Shah
Jahan, he viewed the construction of Taj Mahal
from Musamman Burj (a tower with a marble
balcony, which provides best view of Taj Mahal)
Agra Fort
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Golconda Fort
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Located in Golconda, near Hyderabad
Built in 13th century by the Kakatiya Kings
Facts
Situated on a 400 feet high granite hill
Has amazing acoustics, where sound of a clap
from near the front gate can be heard on top of
the citadel
Many famous diamonds were excavated from
mines at Golconda (Hope Diamond at
Smithsonian in Washington DC, Darya-e-Noor)

Golconda Fort
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Red Fort (Lal Qila)
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Located in New Delhi
Built in 1648 by Emperor Shah Jahan
Facts
Shah Jahan moved the Mughal capital from Agra
to Delhi and created his palace in Red Fort
Served as capital of Mughals until 1857
Indian Independence celebrated with Flag
hoisting at Red Fort every year. Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru first hoisted the Indian Flag on
Independence Day (August 15
th
, 1947)
Red Fort
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Gwalior Fort
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Located in Gwalior (birthplace of Mia Tansen)
Built in 8
th
century by Tomar Rulers
Facts
Emperor Babur described it as The pearl in the
necklace of the forts of Hind
Inside the Fort, Gurjari Mahal and Man Mandir
palace
First epigraphic evidence of 0 (Shunya in
Sanskrit) was found on a tablet near a 9
th
century
Hindu temple
Gwalior Fort
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Thank You!