Jaigarh Fort
Encyclopedia
Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort (Rajasthani
/Hindi
: जयगढ़ क़िला) is situated on the premonitory called the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles
) of the Aravalli hill ranges; it overlooks the Amber Fort
and the Moata Lake, near Amber
in Jaipur
, Rajasthan
, India
. The fort was built by Sawai Jai Singh III in 1726 to protect the Amer Fort and the palace complex within it and was named after Jai Singh II.
The fort, rugged and similar in structural design to the Amber Fort
, is also known as Victory Fort. It has a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) along the north-south direction and a width of 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi). The fort features a cannon named “Jaivana”, which was manufactured in the fort precincts and was then the world's largest cannon on wheels. The palace complex (Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Vilas Mandir and Aram Mandir) located within the fort has a well-tended garden where the royal family resided, the Shubhat Niwas (an assembly hall of the warriors), an armoury and a museum.Jaigarh Fort and Amber Fort are connected by subterranean passages and considered as one complex.
The fort is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from Jaipur city. It stands on a short diversion from the Jaipur-Delhi Highway, which leads to the Jaivana cannon at the Dungar Darwaza ('Darwaza' means "gate"), the same road leads to another important fort called the Nahargarh Fort
. It can also be approached from the Amer Fort over a short climb along a steep hill track, arriving at the Awami Gate near the fort museum.
Amber was known in the ancient and medieval period as Dhundhar
(meaning attributed to a sacrificial mount in the western frontiers) and ruled by the Kachwaha
s from the 10th century onwards. The history of Amber and Jaigarh is indelibly linked to these rulers, as they founded their empire at Amber.
The fort is highly fortified with thick walls of red sandstone and is spread over a layout plan with a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) and a width of 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi); it has an impressive square garden (50 metres (164 ft) square) within it. Ramparts in each corner are sloping and provide access to the upper level structures. The palaces have court rooms and halls with screened windows. A central watch tower on a raised ground provides excellent vistas of the surrounding landscape. The Aram Mandir and the garden within its courtyard, on the northern side of the fort complex, has a triple arched entrance "The Awani Darwaza" which was refurbished in recent times to get fine views of the Sagar Lake (an artificial lake); water from this lake used to be transported to the fort in pouches loaded on elephant backs and also by humans carrying water pots. The triple arch gateway with fortification walls above it is painted red and yellow. It is oriented in an east west direction and faces west. The architectural features are of Indo-Persian style with cyclopean walls built with dressed stone and plastered with lime mortar. There are two temples within the fort precincts, one is the Ram Harihar temple of the 10th century and the other one is the Kal Bhairav temple of 12th century vintage.
The water supply facilities in the fort was met by creating water harvesting structures in the vicinity in the Aravalli catchment and conveying water through a canal on the west side of the fort over a 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) distance (seen at site) to be stored in three underground tanks below the central courtyard (one tank was used by prisoners for bathing, the second was used to store gold and jewellery and the third one was empty; the largest tank had capacity to store 6 million gallons of water. These tanks also created a stir in the recent political history of the fort when they were searched for hidden treasure stashed for gemstones and jewellery (said to have been kept hidden safely by the royal family), which turned out be untrue. It was also rumoured that a treasure belonging to the Kachwaha
rulers of Amber had been stacked in the fort precincts. The search had been ordered during the Emergency declared by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
during 1975–1977. A futile search was also launched, in 1977, of all the buildings in the fort, by the Income Tax department, using metal detectors. There was also a Parliament Question on this issue where a question was posed whether a "Search for treasure carried out from 10th June 1976 till November 1976 by the Income Tax Authorities at Jaigarh Fort on the Jaipur Delhi Road was closed to ordinary traffic for one or two days so as to make way for military trucks carrying treasures to the residence of the then Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi?". However, the search carried out for treasures by an Army unit at Jaigarh Fort, after a three-month search had found no treasures. It was then conjectured that Sawai Jai Singh probably used the treasure to build the city of Jaipur.
Armoury
The armoury chamber here has a wide display of swords, shields, guns, muskets and also a 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) cannon ball. Pictures on display are old photographs of Jaipur's Maharajas namely, Sawai Bhawani Singh and Major General Man Singh II who served in the Indian Army
as senior officers.
Museum
The museum is located to the left of the Awami Gate; it has exhibits of photographs of the Royalty of Jaipur, stamps and many artefacts, which include a circular pack of cards. A spittoon of 15th century vintage and also hand drawn plan of the palaces are seen in the museum.
s. It is now home to the Jaivana – at the time of its manufacture in 1720, it was the world's largest cannon
on wheels of the Early Modern Era. The foundry where it was manufactured is also located here. A plaque at the entrance to the enclosure where the Jaivan Cannon is displayed gives relevant information on the history of the Cannon, its size and use. This cannon was never used in any battle as the Rajput rulers of Amber had friendly relations with the Moghuls. This testifies to well-preserved features of fort. The cannon was fired only once with a charge of 100 kilograms (220.5 lb) of gunpowder and when fired covered a distance of about 35 kilometres (21.7 mi).
The Jaivana was manufactured during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh II (1699–1743) at a foundry in Jaigarh. The barrel is 20.19 feet (6.2 m) in length and weighs 50 tonnes. It has a diameter of 11 inch. The barrel has decorations carved on it which depict trees, an elephant scroll and a pair of birds (ducks). It is mounted on wheels and has the mechanism of two back wheels mounted on roller pin bearings, to turn it 360° and fire in any direction. A tin shed was built to protect the cannon against weather. The cannon had a range of 22 miles and used 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) balls.
Jaigarh Fort (Rajasthani
Rajasthani language
Rajasthani Rajasthani Rajasthani (Devanagari: , Perso-Arabic: is a language of the Indo-Aryan languages family. It is spoken by 50 million people in Rajasthan and other states of India and in some areas of Pakistan. The number of speakers may be up to 80 million worldwide...
/Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: जयगढ़ क़िला) is situated on the premonitory called the Cheel ka Teela (Hill of Eagles
Eagles
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.With five number one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the...
) of the Aravalli hill ranges; it overlooks the Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Amer Fort is located in Amer , from Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India. It is one of the principal tourist attractions in the Jaipur area, located high on a hill. .Amer Fort was made by Meenas king Raja Alan Singh Chanda later occupied by Kachhawa rajput . Amer Fort is known for its artistic style,...
and the Moata Lake, near Amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
in Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The fort was built by Sawai Jai Singh III in 1726 to protect the Amer Fort and the palace complex within it and was named after Jai Singh II.
The fort, rugged and similar in structural design to the Amber Fort
Amber Fort
Amer Fort is located in Amer , from Jaipur, Rajasthan state, India. It is one of the principal tourist attractions in the Jaipur area, located high on a hill. .Amer Fort was made by Meenas king Raja Alan Singh Chanda later occupied by Kachhawa rajput . Amer Fort is known for its artistic style,...
, is also known as Victory Fort. It has a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) along the north-south direction and a width of 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi). The fort features a cannon named “Jaivana”, which was manufactured in the fort precincts and was then the world's largest cannon on wheels. The palace complex (Laxmi Vilas, Lalit Mandir, Vilas Mandir and Aram Mandir) located within the fort has a well-tended garden where the royal family resided, the Shubhat Niwas (an assembly hall of the warriors), an armoury and a museum.Jaigarh Fort and Amber Fort are connected by subterranean passages and considered as one complex.
Geography
The Jaigarh Fort, located on one of the peaks of the Aravalli range of hills is built about 400 m above the Amber Fort. It provides an excellent view of Aravalli hills and the Amber Fort down below.The fort is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from Jaipur city. It stands on a short diversion from the Jaipur-Delhi Highway, which leads to the Jaivana cannon at the Dungar Darwaza ('Darwaza' means "gate"), the same road leads to another important fort called the Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the pinkest city of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The view of the city from the fort is breath taking. Along with Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort it formed a strong defence ring for the city...
. It can also be approached from the Amer Fort over a short climb along a steep hill track, arriving at the Awami Gate near the fort museum.
History
Dhundhar
Dhundhar is a historical region of Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the districts of Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, and Tonk and the northern part of Karauli District...
(meaning attributed to a sacrificial mount in the western frontiers) and ruled by the Kachwaha
Kachwaha
Kachwaha are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727...
s from the 10th century onwards. The history of Amber and Jaigarh is indelibly linked to these rulers, as they founded their empire at Amber.
Description
The fort is highly fortified with thick walls of red sandstone and is spread over a layout plan with a length of 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) and a width of 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi); it has an impressive square garden (50 metres (164 ft) square) within it. Ramparts in each corner are sloping and provide access to the upper level structures. The palaces have court rooms and halls with screened windows. A central watch tower on a raised ground provides excellent vistas of the surrounding landscape. The Aram Mandir and the garden within its courtyard, on the northern side of the fort complex, has a triple arched entrance "The Awani Darwaza" which was refurbished in recent times to get fine views of the Sagar Lake (an artificial lake); water from this lake used to be transported to the fort in pouches loaded on elephant backs and also by humans carrying water pots. The triple arch gateway with fortification walls above it is painted red and yellow. It is oriented in an east west direction and faces west. The architectural features are of Indo-Persian style with cyclopean walls built with dressed stone and plastered with lime mortar. There are two temples within the fort precincts, one is the Ram Harihar temple of the 10th century and the other one is the Kal Bhairav temple of 12th century vintage.
The water supply facilities in the fort was met by creating water harvesting structures in the vicinity in the Aravalli catchment and conveying water through a canal on the west side of the fort over a 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) distance (seen at site) to be stored in three underground tanks below the central courtyard (one tank was used by prisoners for bathing, the second was used to store gold and jewellery and the third one was empty; the largest tank had capacity to store 6 million gallons of water. These tanks also created a stir in the recent political history of the fort when they were searched for hidden treasure stashed for gemstones and jewellery (said to have been kept hidden safely by the royal family), which turned out be untrue. It was also rumoured that a treasure belonging to the Kachwaha
Kachwaha
Kachwaha are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727...
rulers of Amber had been stacked in the fort precincts. The search had been ordered during the Emergency declared by the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
during 1975–1977. A futile search was also launched, in 1977, of all the buildings in the fort, by the Income Tax department, using metal detectors. There was also a Parliament Question on this issue where a question was posed whether a "Search for treasure carried out from 10th June 1976 till November 1976 by the Income Tax Authorities at Jaigarh Fort on the Jaipur Delhi Road was closed to ordinary traffic for one or two days so as to make way for military trucks carrying treasures to the residence of the then Prime Minister, Smt. Indira Gandhi?". However, the search carried out for treasures by an Army unit at Jaigarh Fort, after a three-month search had found no treasures. It was then conjectured that Sawai Jai Singh probably used the treasure to build the city of Jaipur.
Armoury
The armoury chamber here has a wide display of swords, shields, guns, muskets and also a 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) cannon ball. Pictures on display are old photographs of Jaipur's Maharajas namely, Sawai Bhawani Singh and Major General Man Singh II who served in the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
as senior officers.
Museum
The museum is located to the left of the Awami Gate; it has exhibits of photographs of the Royalty of Jaipur, stamps and many artefacts, which include a circular pack of cards. A spittoon of 15th century vintage and also hand drawn plan of the palaces are seen in the museum.
Jaivana cannon
Jaigarh Fort was a centre of artillery production for the RajputRajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s. It is now home to the Jaivana – at the time of its manufacture in 1720, it was the world's largest cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
on wheels of the Early Modern Era. The foundry where it was manufactured is also located here. A plaque at the entrance to the enclosure where the Jaivan Cannon is displayed gives relevant information on the history of the Cannon, its size and use. This cannon was never used in any battle as the Rajput rulers of Amber had friendly relations with the Moghuls. This testifies to well-preserved features of fort. The cannon was fired only once with a charge of 100 kilograms (220.5 lb) of gunpowder and when fired covered a distance of about 35 kilometres (21.7 mi).
The Jaivana was manufactured during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh II (1699–1743) at a foundry in Jaigarh. The barrel is 20.19 feet (6.2 m) in length and weighs 50 tonnes. It has a diameter of 11 inch. The barrel has decorations carved on it which depict trees, an elephant scroll and a pair of birds (ducks). It is mounted on wheels and has the mechanism of two back wheels mounted on roller pin bearings, to turn it 360° and fire in any direction. A tin shed was built to protect the cannon against weather. The cannon had a range of 22 miles and used 50 kilograms (110.2 lb) balls.