Chittorgarh Fort

Chittorgarh Fort is the largest hill fortress in India and a UNESCO World Heritage site, spreading across 700 acres atop a 590-foot rocky plateau. The ancient capital of the Guhilot and Sisodia dynasties of Mewar, Chittor embodies the highest ideals of Rajput chivalry, consecrated by three epic Jauhars (1303 against Alauddin Khalji, 1535 against Bahadur Shah, and 1568 against Akbar) and graced by the 9-storey Vijay Stambha and Kirti Stambha.

Detailed Historical Chronicle

Comprehensive Historical Annals of Chittorgarh Fort (चित्तौड़गढ़ दुर्ग)

1. Classical Origins: Chitrakuta & Bappa Rawal's Conquest (734 CE)

Rising like an immense stone galleon 590 feet (180 meters) above the plains of Mewar along the banks of the Gambhiri and Berach rivers, Chittorgarh Fort (*Chitrakuta*) is the supreme symbol of Rajput chivalry, sovereignty, and religious sacrifice (*Aan, Baan, Shaan*). Covering an expanse of 692 acres (2.8 km²), it is one of the largest fortresses in South Asia.

The Foundation by Chitrangada Mori According to local epigraphical tradition and the Kumbhalgarh Prashasti (1460 CE), the fortress was originally founded in the 7th century CE by King Chitrangada Mori of the Mori (Paramara) clan, who constructed the initial masonry fortifications and named the hill Chitrakuta.

Bappa Rawal's Ascension (734 CE) In 734 CE, Bappa Rawal, the consecrated founder of the Guhilot (Mewar) dynasty, took possession of Chittorgarh from the Mori chieftain Man Singh Mori. Advised by the Pashupata Shaiva ascetic Sage Harita Rishi, Bappa Rawal declared Lord Shree Eklingji as the true supreme sovereign of Mewar, establishing the tradition where the Maharanas ruled as the earthly regents (Diwans) of Eklingji. Chittorgarh remained the beating heart of Mewar sovereignty for eight centuries.

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2. The First Siege & Jauhar: Alauddin Khalji & Rani Padmini (1303 CE)

In January 1303 CE, Sultan Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate marched south with the full imperial host to subdue the kingdom of Mewar, commanded by Rawal Ratan Singh.

The Eight-Month Defense For eight months, the massive stone bastions and deep natural escarpments of Chittor resisted every assault by the Sultanate's catapults (manjaniqs). However, by August 1303, the defenders faced total exhaustion of food and water provisions.

The Sacred Jauhar & Kesariya To protect their chastity and clan honor from enslavement: 1. The Jauhar: On the night of August 25, 1303, Rani Padmini (Queen Padmavati), accompanied by 16,000 royal women, maidens, and children, descended into the subterranean vaulted chambers beneath Kumbha Palace and consigned themselves to the consecrated flames of Jauhar. 2. The Saka: The following dawn, Rawal Ratan Singh, along with the legendary Chundawat-Sisodia commanders Gora and his youthful nephew Badal, flung open the seven fortified pols (gates). Donning the sacred saffron robes (Kesariya), the Rajput cavalry charged into the Khalji ranks with swords in both hands, fighting to the last man. 3. Khalji's Cruelty: Enraged by the pyres of Jauhar and the heavy casualties suffered by his army, Alauddin ordered the cold-blooded massacre of 30,000 Hindu citizens of Chittor and renamed the fortress Khizrabad after his son Khizr Khan.

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3. The Sisodia Renaissance: Maharana Hammir Singh (1326 CE)

Mughal and Sultanate control of Chittor was short-lived. In 1326 CE, Maharana Hammir Singh, chieftain of the cadet branch of Sisoda (descended from Rahapa), organized a fierce guerrilla campaign from the rugged Kelwara hills.

Hammir outmaneuvered the puppet governor Maldeo Songara of Jalore, recaptured the fortress of Chittorgarh, and expelled the Delhi garrison. Hammir assumed the title of Maharana (Great King), formally establishing the Sisodia Dynasty, which governed Mewar without interruption into modern times.

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4. The Golden Era of Maharana Kumbha: The Tower of Victory (1433–1468 CE)

Under Maharana Kumbhakarna (Kumbha), Chittorgarh became the greatest architectural, cultural, and military hub in Northern India.

The Triumph over Allied Sultans (1437 CE) At the Battle of Sarangpur in 1437 CE, Kumbha crushed the combined invading armies of Sultan Mahmud Khalji of Malwa and Sultan Qutb-ud-din of Gujarat, capturing Sultan Mahmud alive.

The Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory, 1448 CE) To commemorate this civilizational triumph, Kumbha erected the immortal Vijay Stambha between 1440 and 1448 CE. Designed by master architect Jaita and his sons Napa, Puja, and Poma, the 9-story, 122-foot tower is completely covered inside and out with intricate stone carvings depicting the entire Hindu pantheon, Vedic deities, and musical ragas, crowned by the celebrated Kirti Stambha Prashasti composed by Kavi Atri and his son Maheshvara.

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5. The Second Siege & Jauhar: Bahadur Shah & Rani Karnavati (1535 CE)

In early 1535 CE, Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, equipped with advanced European siege cannons operated by the Portuguese mercenary Rumi Khan, laid siege to Chittorgarh.

The Sacrifice of Queen Mother Karnavati Mewar was temporarily weakened following the passing of Maharana Sanga. Queen Mother Rani Karnavati (Sanga's widow) sent the infant prince Udai Singh II across the mountains to Bundi for safety. Sensing the inevitable fall after Rumi Khan's mines blasted open the outer rampart: Rani Karnavati led 13,000 Rajput women into the roaring flames of the second Jauhar on March 8, 1535. Rawat Bagh Singh of Deolia (ancestor of the Pratapgarh royal house) assumed supreme command of the garrison, strapped on saffron robes, and fought to the death at the historic Padan Pol gateway.

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6. The Third Siege & Jauhar: Akbar's Siege & Immortal Chivalry (1567–1568 CE)

In October 1567 CE, Mughal Emperor Akbar encircled Chittorgarh with 70,000 imperial troops and dozens of heavy siege cannons (*Zarb-zan*). Having moved Maharana Udai Singh II and the royal family into the secure western Aravalli valleys (where Udaipur was founded), the defense of the fortress was entrusted to two legendary young chieftains:
1. Rao Jaimal Rathore of Merta (Age 60)
2. Patta Chundawat of Kelwa (Age 16)

The Four-Month Siege & The Musket Shot For four months, Jaimal and Patta repelled every Mughal storming party, rebuilding breached stone walls under heavy night bombardment. On the night of February 22, 1568, while directing the repair of the Lakhota breach under torchlight, Jaimal was spotted by Akbar, who fired his personal matchlock gun, Sangram, severely wounding Jaimal in the thigh.

The Third Jauhar (February 23, 1568) Realizing that the final hour had arrived, the third and most tragic Jauhar was ignited in three separate locations within the fort, led by Patta's mother and his young wife.

The Four-Armed Deity (Chaturbhuj Rathore) Unable to walk, Jaimal mounted the shoulders of his nephew, Kalla Rathore. Bearing swords in all four hands, Jaimal and Kalla fought like an incarnation of the four-armed warrior deity (Chaturbhuj), cutting down dozens of imperial guards outside the Hanuman Pol before dying together.

Young Patta Chundawat, dressed in wedding saffron, led the remaining cavalry into the Mughal lines until he fell near the Ram Pol. Akbar entered the fort on February 24, 1568, and in an act of vengeful fury, ordered the slaughter of 30,000 non-combatant Hindu civilians.

The Statues of Jaimal and Patta at Agra Fort Even Emperor Akbar was so profoundly awed by the unmatched chivalry of Jaimal and Patta that he commissioned life-sized statues of both heroes mounted on stone elephants and placed them at the main imperial entrance (Hathi Pol) of the Red Fort in Agra, immortalizing their names across world history.

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7. The 1615 Treaty of Amar Singh & Modern Heritage

In 1615 CE, following decades of continuous resistance by Maharana Pratap and his son Maharana Amar Singh I, Emperor Jahangir signed an honorable peace treaty. Chittorgarh was formally restored to Mewar on the condition that its fortifications would remain unrepaired as an eternal monument of heroic sacrifice.

On June 21, 2013, Chittorgarh Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan.