The name of such a fort was also recorded in history, which has been seen by many rulers. How many rulers came prepared to achieve it, but returned empty handed. That is the fort of Kalinjar. currently it Uttar Pradesh It comes in the border of Banda district. The fort of Kalinjar, built on a 900-feet high hill of the Vindhya Mountains, has been holding many specialties inside itself. The history of this fort, built at a distance of 100 km from Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, is older than the reign of the Chandelas.
Kalinjar fort is also mentioned in Buddhist literature. This fort is also mentioned in the travelogue of Lord Buddha. This is such a fort that has seen the political and cultural phase of the country changing. This is the reason why many historians have been particularly interested in it.
That’s why the rulers were eyeing
at Kalinjar Fort Research It says, this is the fort on which Mahmud Ghaznavi, Qutubuddin Aibak and Humayun to Sher Shah Suri tried to capture, but did not succeed. He even put his life on the line. To achieve this, from Prithviraj Chauhan to Peshwa Bajirao left no stone unturned.
It has been said that winning it was like waving the flag of one’s valor in the princely states. It was built on a hill built between dense forests. As far as reaching the enemy’s army was almost impossible. The height of this fort with 5 meters thick walls was 108 feet. The hill on which this fort was built was very difficult to climb. Not only this, due to its height, it was impossible for the enemies to destroy it by attacking it with a cannon. It was counted among the strongest forts of its era.
Not only this, the Bundelkhand region is also known for the scarcity of water, but the hill on which it was built always used to seep water. This was also a matter of curiosity in its time. It is said that even after years of drought in Bundelkhand, water did not stop seeping from the hill of Kalinjar fort. Due to these qualities, many rulers dreamed of capturing it.
How many ruled?
At the time when the Sultanate of Delhi was ruled by the Mughals, when Sher Shah Suri tried to conquer this fort under the Chandel rule, he was killed in the battle. Sher Shah Suri was the ruler who defeated Humayun and established the Suri Empire. But in 1545 he died in capturing Kalinjar and this proved to be a golden opportunity for Humayun. As a result, Humayun again conquered Delhi and the Mughals ruled for the next 300 years.
Humayun tried to capture the fort but was unsuccessful. However, in 1569, Akbar won it and gifted it to Birbal, one of his Navaratnas. Even after this occupation, the desire to get Kallijar did not diminish among the rulers. There came a time when King Chhatrasal, with the help of Peshwa Bajirao, ousted the Mughals from Bundelkhand and died. In this way, till the arrival of the British, it remained a part of the princely state of Raja Chhatrasal.
What does history say?
The famous Chinese scholar Hiuen Tsang has recorded many information about Kalinjar fort in his rare memoir written in the 7th century. Evidence of how old this fort is from the Gupta period. Archaeological experts have found such inscriptions here which show that it has been present even in the Gupta period. After this this fort was part of the Sultanate of many kings.
There is a temple of Lord Neelkanth Mahadev in the fort.
The Chandela rulers ruled between the 9th to the 13th century. The Chandelas, who ruled for 400 years, made it their capital. Only after this the process of attacking it started. The examples of Gupta architectural style, Chandela style, Pratihara style, Panchayatan Nagar style are seen in this fort. There are 7 ways to enter this fort. in this There are many temples. This fort is also said to be the abode of the Hindu god Shiva. Here is the Neelkanth Mahadev temple.
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