kalinjar fort rajastan

 




Kalinjar is a fortress-city in Banda district[1] of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was ruled by several dynasties, including the Guptas, the Vardhana dynasty, the Chandelas, Solankis of Rewa, Mughals and the Marathas.

The fortress has several temples dating back to the Gupta dynasty of the 3rd–5th centuries. It is strategically located on an isolated rocky hill at the end of the Vindhya Range, overlooking the plains of Bundelkhand.[2]

Kalinjar Fort is located on the Vindhya mountain range in Banda district. The fort is famous for its strong walls and massive gates. It houses several ancient temples, among which a Shiva temple holds special significance. The Neelkanth Mahadev Temple of Kalinjar is considered very ancient and sacred. According to legend, it is believed that Lord Shiva consumed the poison that emerged during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan) at this very place. 


Mythology

Kalinjar finds its mention in ancient Hindu mythological texts. According to Hindu legends, it is said that after the Samudra manthan, when Shiva consumed poison that turned his throat blue, he came to Kalinjar and defeated the kaal i.e. achieved victory over death. This is the reason why Shiva temple at Kalinjar is called Neelkanth (blue-throated). Since then, the hill has been considered a holy site.[3][4]

Early history

Kalinjar has also been mentioned in Buddhist literature, particularly in the travelogues of Buddha. The Chedi dynasty ruled here during the time of Gautama Buddha (563–480 BC). Following this, it was absorbed into the Maurya Empire and came to be known as Vindhya-Atavi.[5]

The fort eventually came under the rule of the Shunga dynasty and the Pandu dynasty. In the Prayag Prasathi inscription of the Allahabad Pillar this region is mentioned by the name Vindhya Atavi. The Fort was in the control of the Gurjara Pratiharas, and remained until the rule of Nagabhatta II. Chandela rulers used to be their Mandalik kings. The mention of Kalinjar is found in almost every text or inscription of that time.[6]

Medieval period

According to the 16th century Persian historian Firishta, the town of Kalinjar was established by one Kedar Raja in the 7th century. Rastrakutas later seized the fortress. The fort came to prominence during the Chandela rule. According to Chandela-era legends, the fort was built by a Chandela ruler.[7] The Chandela rulers used the title Kalanjaradhipati (lit. 'Lord of Kalanjara'), which shows their importance to the fort.[8]

In 1023, Mahmud of Ghazni attacked and received a tribute from Kalinjar,[9][10] Mughal emperor Babur captured the fort in 1526, when his forces drove away Raja Hasan Khan Mewatpatti. It was also the place where Sher Shah Suri met his death in 1545, when he was mortally wounded by a gunpowder explosion from one of his own cannons, with his soldiers capturing the fort before his death.[11][12][13] In 1569, Akbar captured the fort and it was under Mughal rule until its capture by the Marathas. Kalinjar played a prominent part in history down to the time of the Revolt of 1857, when it was held by a small British garrison. Both the fort and the town, which stands at the foot of the hill, are of interest to the antiquary on account of the remains of temples, sculptures, inscriptions, and caves.


In the early 18th century, the fort was captured by the Peshwa Bajirao after defeating the Mughal general Bangash Khan of Allahabad. 

Peshwa Bajirao II ceded Bundelkhand to the East India Company after his defeat in the Second Anglo-Maratha war. The fort came under the management of the East India Company in 1805-06. 

 during the first War of Independence in 1857, The Old Bhatta Aristocracy recaptured the fort driving Bundela back to Ajaygarh. 

In 1812, the British troops marched into Bundelkhand, and after a long battle, they were able to annex the fort. The British seizure of Kalinjar proved to be a great watershed, transferring the legacy of the old aristocracy into the hands of the new bureaucracy of officials, who showed their loyalty to British imperialism by damaging the captured fort. The damages caused to the fort can still be seen on its walls and open spaces



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