History of Mehrangarh Fort

Mehrangarh Fort is situated in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. It is the crown that rises 400 feet above the ground level, on a hill with its surroundings plain and that makes it meld with the landscape.

It is one of the largest forts in Rajasthan and contains a museum today which showcases all the priceless relics of the courtly life that it used to serve.

 

 

The Mehrangarh Fort used to be the area of the ruling of the Rathore clan of the Rajputs. The Rathores had initially come to Pali, in Marwar i.e. central Rajasthan. They were said to have settled there to protect Brahmin clans from the local tribes and eventually expanded power in the region.

Rao Chunda (reign. 1384-1428) was the twelfth Rathore to rule Marwar, and he established his capital at Mandore. He had acquired that as a part of the dowry. His grandson, Rao Jodha (reigned 1438-89) was the one who began the works on the Mehrangarh Fort.

He chose a sire six miles to the south of the capital, on an isolated rock that was elevated and hence would serve for better natural defences. Jodhpur town sprang up around it from the ruler’s name. 

The fort was named Mehrangarh, which means ‘fort of the sun’. It is a reference to the clan’s mythical descent from the Sun God, Surya. The fort is over 500 yards long and its wall rises in places to a height of 120 feet. It is 70 feet thick.

 

 

The defence built by Rao Jodha was essential for his successors but not adequate. The fort’s foundation was threatened by the external forces for centuries. At first, it was the Delhi Sultanate and then later the Mughals who were a dominant influence over the region.

As the Mughals established themselves in India, they wanted to subdue the power of the Rajputs but not eliminate them completely. They preferred to form a system with them to come to terms of subsidiary alliance wherein the rulers would be serving the empire but would be allowed to retain their ancestral lands. 

 

 

From 1581-1678, the Rajput rulers accepted this proposal and were loyal allies to the Mughal empire. But the understanding with the Mughals became shaky even before and after this alliance was formed.

The city and the fort were overrun and the Rathores were reduced to deplorable conditions in their own kingdom. It resulted in the neighbouring states of Jaipur and Bikaner to also become volatile.

 

 

During unstable times like that, the fort of Mehrangarh was a powerful symbol of the strength of the Rajputs. It was not just a military base but also the central address of the rulers and their wives, of temples, shrines and places of worship. The many uses of the fort can be understood just by the various buildings that are built within it. 

The current head of the Rathore clan, Maharaja Gaj Singh II, has preserved the fort that had protected his predecessors and been of great importance to his ancestors for generations.