Gwalior Fort History: Tomars, Mughals & the Scindias

Few forts in India have changed hands as often as Gwalior's. It sits on a long sandstone ridge that rises steeply above the city, which made it valuable to almost every power that ruled the region.

Local tradition dates the fort to a far older beginning, and the oldest surviving temples on the plateau, such as the Teli ka Mandir, are usually placed around the 8th and 9th centuries. The fort passed through the hands of several dynasties over the following centuries.

The fort's best-known chapter belongs to the Tomar rulers, and above all to Man Singh Tomar, who reigned from the late 15th century into the early 16th. He built the Man Mandir Palace, with its coloured tiles and carved facades, and commissioned Gujari Mahal for his queen Mrignayani. He was also a patron of music, and the tradition of Gwalior's classical music is closely tied to his court.

After the Tomars, the fort came under the Mughals, and later served as a state prison. In the 18th century the Marathas, and then the Scindia family, took control, and Gwalior became the seat of one of the most important princely states. The Jai Vilas Palace in the city below was built in the 19th century as the family's residence.

The fort has always been more than a military site. Gurudwara Data Bandi Chhor commemorates the sixth Sikh Guru, who was held here. The rock-cut Jain figures cut into the cliff are a reminder that pilgrims and monks were as much a part of its story as soldiers.

In 1858 Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi died fighting near Gwalior, and a memorial in the city marks the place.

Exact founding dates and some of the older stories vary between sources, so treat any single date as approximate. Timings, ticket rules and dates change from year to year, so confirm the current details before you travel.