103-628: The Gujari Mahal Archeological Museum or State Archaeological Museum , sometimes called the " Gwalior Fort Museum ", is a state museum in Gwalior , located in the fortress of Gujari Mahal. It displays numerous artifacts of the region, including a fragment of the Garuda capital of the Heliodorus pillar from Vidisha . The palace of Gujari Mahal was built by Tomar Rajput ruler Man Singh Tomar for his wife Mrignayani who belonged to Gujjar tribe. She demanded
206-619: A shikhara . The temple was originally dedicated to Vishnu . It was extensively damaged during Muslim raids, then restored into a Shiva temple by installing a liṅga , while keeping the Vaishnava motifs such as the Garuda. It was refurbished between 1881 and 1883. Close to the Teli ka Mandir temple is the Garuda monument, dedicated to Vishnu , is the highest in the fort. It has a mixture of Muslim and Indian architecture . The word Teli comes from
309-578: A UNESCO world heritage site . Kumaragupta I was also a worshipper of Kartikeya . Skandagupta , son and successor of Kumaragupta I is generally considered to be the last of the great Gupta emperors. He assumed the titles of Vikramaditya and Kramaditya . He defeated the Pushyamitra threat, but then was faced with invading Kidarites (sometimes described as the Hephthalites or "White Huns", known in India as
412-463: A South Indian barrel-vaulted roof on top. It has a masonry tower in the North Indian Nagara architectural style with a barrel vaulted roof 25 metres (82 ft) in height. The niches in the outer walls once housed statues but now have Chandrashalas (horseshoe arches) ventilator openings in the north Indian style. The Chandrashala has been compared to the trefoil , a honeycomb design with
515-618: A campaign lasting until 409. His main opponent Rudrasimha III was defeated by 395, and he crushed the Bengal chiefdoms. This extended his control from coast to coast, established a second capital at Ujjain and was the high point of the empire. Kuntala inscriptions indicate rule of Chandragupta II in Kuntala country of Karnataka . Hunza inscription also indicate that Chandragupta was able to rule north western Indian subcontinent and proceeded to conquer Balkh , although some scholars have also disputed
618-569: A museum in India is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a location in Madhya Pradesh is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gwalior Fort The Fort of Gwalior or the Gwalior Fort is a defence hill fort in Gwalior , India . Mughal Emperor Babur called it the "pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind " because of its impregnability and magnificence and it has also been nicknamed
721-487: A musician and a poet, and calls him the "king of poets". Such claims are corroborated by Samudragupta's gold coins, which depict him playing a veena . Samudragupta appears to have directly controlled a large part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in present-day India, as well as a substantial part of central India. Besides, his empire comprised a number of monarchical and tribal tributary states of northern India, and of
824-552: A place value as in the modern decimal notation), which is located on the way to the top. The inscription is around 1500 years old. Siddhachal Jain Rock Cut Caves were built in 15th century. There are eleven Jain temples inside Gwalior fort dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras . On the southern side are 21 temples cut into the rock with intricately carved of the tirthankaras. Tallest Idol is image of Rishabhanatha or Adinatha,
927-573: A separate palace for herself with a regular water supply through an aqueduct from the nearby Rai River. The palace has been converted into an archaeological museum. Rare artifacts at the museum include Hindu and Jain sculptures dated to the 1st and 2nd centuries BCE, miniature statue of Salabhanjika , terracotta items and replicas of frescoes seen in the Bagh Caves . 26°14′02″N 78°10′12″E / 26.234°N 78.170°E / 26.234; 78.170 This article related to
1030-401: A series of receding pointed arches within an arch. The entrance door has a torana or archway with sculpted images of river goddesses, romantic couples, foliation decoration and a Garuda . The vertical bands on either side of the door are decorated in a simple fashion with figures that are now badly damaged. Above the door are a small grouping of discs representing the dama laka ( finial ) of
1133-522: A temple of Shiva ) was built by Vikramaditya Singh, the elder son of Maharaja Mansingh. He was a devotee of shiva. The temple was destroyed during Mughal period but now has been re-established in the front open space of the Vikram mahal. This chhatri (cupola or domed shaped pavilion) was built as a memorial to Bhim Singh Rana (1707–1756), a ruler of Gohad state. It was built by his successor, Chhatra Singh. Bhim Singh occupied Gwalior fort in 1740 when
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#17328694404751236-570: A variety of subjects, are also thought to have been committed to written texts around this period. Hinduism was followed by the rulers and the Brahmins flourished in the Gupta empire but the Guptas were tolerant towards people of other faiths as well. The empire eventually died out because of factors such as substantial loss of territory and imperial authority caused by their own erstwhile feudatories, as well as
1339-461: Is ochre coloured sandstone covered with basalt . There is a horizontal stratum, 342 feet (104 m) at its highest point (length 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and average width 1,000 yards (910 m)). The stratum forms a near-perpendicular precipice. A small river, the Swarnrekha, flows close to the palace. The exact period of Gwalior Fort's construction is uncertain. According to a local legend,
1442-621: Is a 58 feet 4 inches high idol of Adinatha outside the Urvahi gate and a 35 feet high idol of Suparshvanatha in the Padmasana in Ek Paththar-ki Bawari (stone tank) area. Gopachal There are around 1500 idols on the Gopachal Hill , which includes the size from 6 inch to 57 feet in height. All the idols are carved by cutting the hilly rocks (rock carving) and are very artistic. Most of
1545-456: Is built around the edge of the hill, connected by six bastions or towers. The profile of the fort has an irregular appearance due to the undulating ground beneath. There are two gates: one on the northeast side with a long access ramp and the other on the southwest. The main entrance is the ornate Elephant gate ( Hathi Pol ). The other is the Badalgarh Gate. The Man Mandir palace or citadel
1648-566: Is known that from Chinese sources that the Simhala king Meghavarna sent rich presents to the Gupta emperor requesting his permission to build a Buddhist monastery at Bodh Gaya : Samudragupta's panegyrist appears to have described this act of diplomacy as an act of subservience. Samudragupta appears to have been Vaishnavite , as attested by his Eran inscription, and performed several Brahmanical ceremonies. The Gupta records credit him with making generous donations of cows and gold. He performed
1751-404: Is located at the northeast end of the fort. It was built in the 15th century and refurbished in 1648. The water tanks or reservoirs of the fort could provide water to a 15,000 strong garrison, the number required to secure the fort. The second oldest record of " zero " in the world was found in a small temple (the stone inscription has the second oldest record of the numeric zero symbol having
1854-461: Is no doubt that Gupta and Ghatotkacha held a lower status and were less powerful than Chandragupta I. Chandragupta I married the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi, which may have helped him extend his political power and dominions, enabling him to adopt the prestigious title Maharajadhiraja . According to the dynasty's official records, he was succeeded by his son Samudragupta . However, the discovery of
1957-476: Is not clear as to how much time he spent as a prisoner. The year of his release appears to have been either 1611 or 1612, when Guru Hargobind was about 16 years old. Persian records, such as Dabistan i Mazahib suggest he was kept in jail for twelve years, including over 1617–1619 in Gwalior, after which he and his camp were kept under Muslim army's surveillance by Jahangir. According to Sikh tradition, Guru Hargobind
2060-520: Is often referred as a Painted Palace because the painted effect of the Man Mandir Palace is due to the use of styled tiles of turquoise, green and yellow used extensively in a geometric pattern. The Hathi Pol gate (or Hathiya Paur), located on the southeast, leads to the Man mandir palace. It is the last of a series of seven gates. It is named for a life-sized statue of an elephant (hathi) that once adorned
2163-614: The Aryabhatiya , making significant contributions to mathematics including developing a Place value system , an approximation of π of 4 decimal places, trigonometric functions, and Squared triangular numbers . Varāhamihira wrote the Pancha Siddhanta developing various formulas relating sine and cosine functions. Yativṛṣabha made contributions on units of measurement. Virahanka described Fibonacci numbers . Indian astronomy also saw progress in this era. The names of
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#17328694404752266-467: The Ashvamedha ritual (horse sacrifice), which was used by the ancient Indian kings and emperors to prove their imperial sovereignty, and issued gold coins (see Coinage below) to mark this performance. The Allahabad Pillar inscription presents Samudragupta as a wise king and strict administrator, who was also compassionate enough to help the poor and the helpless. It also alludes to the king's talents as
2369-770: The Aulikara King Yashodharman c. 532 CE . A 2019 study by archaeologist Shanker Sharma has concluded that the cause of the Gupta Empire's downfall was a devastating flood which happened around the middle of the 6th century in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar . In the heart of the former Gupta Empire, in the Gangetic region, the Guptas were succeeded by the Maukhari dynasty and the Pushyabhuti dynasty . The coinage of
2472-511: The Battle of Haldighati . He was killed in the battle along with his three sons (which included Shalivahan Singh Tomar , the heir-apparent) Guru Hargobind , on 24 June 1606, at age 11, was crowned as the sixth Sikh Guru. At his succession ceremony, he put on two swords: one indicated his spiritual authority ( piri ) and the other, his temporal authority ( miri ). Because of the execution of Guru Arjan by Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Guru Hargobind from
2575-696: The British between 1808 and 1844. In January 1844, after the Battle of Maharajpur , the fort was occupied by the Gwalior State of the Maratha Scindia family, as a protectorate of the British government . During the 1857 uprising , around 6500 sepoys stationed at Gwalior rebelled against the Company rule, although the company's vassal ruler Jayajirao Scindia remained loyal to the British. The British took control of
2678-569: The British governor Warren Hastings restored the fort to the Ranas of Gohad. The Marathas recaptured the fort four years later, and this time the British did not intervene because the Ranas of Gohad had become hostile to them. Daulat Rao Sindhia lost the fort to the British during the Second Anglo-Maratha War . There were frequent changes in the control of the fort between the Scindias and
2781-647: The Chaulukya - Paramara dynasties, who issued so-called Indo-Sasanian coinage , on the model of the coinage of the Sasanian Empire , which had been introduced in India by the Alchon Huns. In contrast to the Mauryan Empire , the Guptas introduced several military innovations to Indian warfare. Chief among these was the use of siege engines , heavy cavalry archers and heavy sword cavalry. The heavy cavalry formed
2884-557: The English , the Jats , and the Marathas represented by the powerful Scindia dynasty who have left their landmarks in the various monuments which are still preserved. The present-day fort consists of a defensive structure and two main palaces, "Man Mandir" and Gujari Mahal , built by Man Singh Tomar, the latter one for his Gurjar wife, Queen Mrignayani. The second oldest record of " zero " in
2987-451: The Gibraltar of India. The history of the fort goes back to the 5th century or perhaps to a period still earlier. The old name of the hill as recorded in ancient Sanskrit inscriptions is Gopgiri. The current structure of the fort has existed at least since the 8th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as
3090-594: The Gupta era . The period, sometimes described as Pax Gupta , gave rise to achievements in architecture, sculpture, and painting that "set standards of form and taste [that] determined the whole subsequent course of art, not only in India but far beyond her borders". Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural centre and established the region as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in India and Southeast Asia . The Puranas , earlier long poems on
3193-705: The Jai Vilas Mahal . The fort and its premises are well maintained and house many historic monuments including palaces, temples and water tanks. There are also a number of palaces ( mahal ) including the Man mandir palace, the Gujari mahal, the Jahangir palace, the Karan palace, the Vikram mahal and the Shah Jahan palace. The fort covers an area of 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) and rises 11 metres (36 ft). Its rampart
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3296-591: The Maharajadhiraja . A large number of his copper coins also have been found from the Eran - Vidisha region and classified in five distinct types, which include the Garuda , Garudadhvaja , lion and border legend types. The Brahmi legends on these coins are written in the early Gupta style. According to the Gupta records, among his sons, Samudragupta nominated prince Chandragupta II, born of queen Dattadevi , as his successor. Chandragupta II, Vikramaditya (Brave as
3399-889: The Pallava kingdom in the south, and defeated Vishnugopa, the Pallava regent of Kanchi . During this southern campaign, Samudragupta most probably passed through the forest tract of central India, reached the eastern coast in present-day Odisha , and then marched south along the coast of the Bay of Bengal . The Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions that rulers of several frontier kingdoms and tribal aristocracies paid Samudragupta tributes, obeyed his orders, and performed obeisance before him. The frontier kingdoms included Samatata , Davaka , Kamarupa , Nepal and Karttripura . The tribal aristocracies and kingdoms included Malavas , Arjunayanas , Yaudheyas , Madrakas , and Abhiras , among others. Finally,
3502-707: The Parasika , then the Huna and Kamboja tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys respectively. Thereafter, the king proceeded into the Himalaya mountains to reduce the mountain tribes of the Kinnaras , Kiratas , as well as India proper. In one of his works Kalidasa also credits him with the removal of the Sakas from the country. He wrote 'Wasn't it Vikramaditya who drove the Sakas out from
3605-506: The Sweta Huna ), from the northwest. He repelled a Huna attack around 455 CE, but the expense of the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. The Bhitari Pillar inscription of Skandagupta , the successor of Chandragupta, recalls the near annihilation of the Gupta Empire following the attacks of the Kidarites . The Kidarites seem to have retained the western part of
3708-531: The 1st Tirthankara, is 58 feet 4 inches (17.78 m) high. Main Temple Urvahi The entire area of Gwalior fort is divided into five groups namely Urvahi, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and the Southeast areas. In the Urvahi area 24 idols of Tirthankar in the padmasana posture, 40 in the kayotsarga posture and around 840 idols carved on the walls and pillars are present. The largest idol
3811-644: The 6th century CE . The Guptas were traditionally a Hindu dynasty. They were patronizers of Brahmanism and allowed followers of Buddhism and Jainism to practice their religions. Sanchi remained an important centre of Buddhism. Kumaragupta I (455 CE ) is said to have founded Nalanda . Modern genetic studies indicate that it was during the Gupta period that Indian caste groups ceased to intermarry (started practising/enforcing endogamy ). Some later rulers however seem to have especially promoted Buddhism . Narasimhagupta Baladitya ( c. 495 –?), according to contemporary writer Paramartha ,
3914-517: The 9th century. The fort definitely existed by the 10th century, when it is first mentioned in the historical records. The Kachchhapaghatas controlled the fort at that time, most probably as feudatories of the Chandelas . From 11th century onwards, the Muslim dynasties attacked the fort several times. In 1022 CE, Mahmud of Ghazni besieged the fort for four days. According to Tabaqat-i-Akbari , he lifted
4017-674: The Alchons are said to have altered the hierarchy of ruling families and the Indian caste system . For example, the Hunas are often said to have become the precursors of the Rajputs . The succession of the 6th-century Guptas is not entirely clear, but the tail end recognised ruler of the dynasty's main line was King Vishnugupta , reigning from 540 to 550. In addition to the Huna invasion, the factors, which contribute to
4120-527: The Gupta Empire. Skandagupta died in 467 and was succeeded by his agnate brother Purugupta . Following Skandagupta's death, the empire was clearly in decline, and the later Gupta coinage indicates their loss of control over much of western India after 467–469. Skandagupta was followed by Purugupta (467–473), Kumaragupta II (473–476), Budhagupta (476–495), Narasimhagupta (495–530), Kumaragupta III (530–540), Vishnugupta (540–550), two lesser known kings namely, Vainyagupta and Bhanugupta . In
4223-509: The Gupta homeland in the present-day Bengal region in Ganges basin, based on the account of the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing . According to Yijing, king Che-li-ki-to (identified with the dynasty's founder Shri Gupta ) built a temple for Chinese pilgrims near Mi-li-kia-si-kia-po-no (apparently a transcription of Mriga-shikha-vana ). Yijing states that this temple was located more than 40 yojanas east of Nalanda , which would mean it
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4326-454: The Guptas were supportive of thriving Buddhist and Jain cultures as well, and for this reason, there is also a long history of non-Hindu Gupta period art . In particular, Gupta period Buddhist art was to be influential in most of East and Southeast Asia. Many advances were recorded by the Chinese scholar and traveller Faxian in his diary and published afterwards. The court of Chandragupta II
4429-542: The Hindi word meaning oil. The Saas Bahu Temples were built in 1092–93 by the Kachchhapaghata dynasty. Dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, These are pyramidal in shape, built of red sandstone with several stories of beams and pillars but no arches. Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor was built during 1970s and 1980s at the place where 6th Sikh Guru Hargobind Sahib was arrested and held captive by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1609 at
4532-497: The Huns. The Hun invader Toramana was defeated by Bhanugupta in 510. The Huns were defeated and driven out of India in 528 by King Yashodharman from Malwa , and possibly Gupta emperor Narasimhagupta . These invasions, although only spanning a few decades, had long term effects on India, and in a sense brought an end to Classical Indian civilisation . Soon after the invasions, the Gupta Empire, already weakened by these invasions and
4635-655: The Imperial Gupta Army. The best extant information comes from the Sanskrit mahakavya (epic poem) Raghuvaṃśa written by the Classical Sanskrit writer and dramatist Kalidasa . Many modern scholars put forward the view that Kalidasa lived from the reign of Chandragupta II to the reign of Skandagupta and that the campaigns of Raghu – his protagonist in the Raghuvaṃśa – reflect those of Chandragupta II. In Canto IV of
4738-589: The Jat ruler of Gohad. The Maratha general Mahadaji Shinde ( Scindia ) captured the fort from the Gohad Rana Chhatar Singh, but later lost it to the British East India Company . On 3 August 1780, a Company force under Captains Popham and Bruce captured the fort in a nighttime raid, scaling the walls with 12 grenadiers and 30 sepoys . Both sides suffered fewer than 20 wounded total. In 1780,
4841-409: The Maukharis and Pushyabhutis followed the silver coin type of the Guptas, with portrait of the ruler in profile (although facing in the reverse direction compared to the Guptas, a possible symbol of antagonism) and the peacock on the reverse, the Brahmi legend being kept except for the name of the ruler. In the western regions, they were succeeded by Gurjaradesa , the Gurjara-Pratiharas , and later
4944-489: The Mughal Satrap , Ali Khan, surrendered. In 1754, Bhim Singh built a bhimtal (a lake) as a monument at the fort. Chhatra Singh built the memorial chhatri near the bhimtal. The Gujari Mahal now a museum, was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar for his wife Mrignayani, a Gujar princess. She demanded a separate palace for herself with a regular water supply through an aqueduct from the nearby Rai River. The palace has been converted into an archaeological museum . Rare artefacts at
5047-571: The Raghuvamsa, Kalidasa relates how the king's forces clash against the powerful, cavalry-centric, forces of the Persians and later the Yavanas (probably Huns) in the North-West. Here he makes special mention of the use horse-archers in the king's army and that the horses needed much rest after the hotly contested battles. The five arms of the Gupta military included infantry, cavalry, chariotry , elephantry and ships . Gunaighar copper plate inscription of Vainya Gupta mentions ships but not chariots. Ships had become integral part of Indian military in
5150-461: The Rajas to be freed along with him as well. Jahangir allowed Guru Hargobind to free as many rajas he could as long as they are holding on to the guru while leaving the prison. Guru sahib got a special gown stitched which had 52 hems. As Guru Hargobind left the fort, all the captive kings caught the hems of the cloak and came out along with him. The Man mandir palace was built by the King of Tomar Dynasty – Maharaja Man Singh in 15th century. Man Mandir
5253-457: The Sun), ruled from 375 until 415. He married a Kadamba princess of Kuntala and of Naga lineage ( Nāgakulotpannnā ), Kuberanaga. His daughter Prabhavatigupta from this Naga queen was married to Rudrasena II , the Vakataka king of Deccan . His son Kumaragupta I was married to a Kadamba princess of the Karnataka region. Chandragupta II expanded his realm westwards, defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa , Gujarat and Saurashtra in
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#17328694404755356-423: The Vaishya varna. According to historian R. S. Sharma , the Vaishyas – who were traditionally associated with trade – may have become rulers after resisting oppressive taxation by the previous rulers. Critics of the Vaishya-origin theory point out that the suffix Gupta features in the names of several non-Vaishyas before as well as during the Gupta period, and the dynastic name "Gupta" may have simply derived from
5459-407: The age of 14 years on the pretext that the fine imposed on his father, 5th Sikh Guru Arjan Dev Ji had not been paid by the Sikhs and Guru Hargobind. According to Surjit Singh Gandhi, 52 Hindu Rajas who were imprisoned in the fort as hostages for "millions of rupees" and for opposing the Mughal empire were dismayed as they were losing a spiritual mentor. On getting released Guru Hargobind requested
5562-410: The beginning of the 6th century, making it one of India's oldest defence fort still in existence. The modern-day fort, embodying a defensive structure and two palaces was built by the Tomar Rajput ruler Man Singh Tomar (reigned 1486–1516 CE). It has witnessed the varying fortunes of the Guptas , the Hunas , the Pratiharas , the Kachhwahas , the Tomaras , the Pathans , the Surs , the Mughals ,
5665-419: The city of Gwalior in his name. Contrary to that the fort has been referred in Sanskrit inscriptions and in Gupta period to as Gop Parvat(Gop Mountain), Gopachala Durg, Gopgiri, and Gopadiri, all which mean “cowherd’s hill. The fort is built on an outcrop of Vindhyan sandstone on a solitary rocky hill called Gopachal. This feature is long, thin, and steep. The geology of the Gwalior range rock formations
5768-508: The coins issued by a Gupta emperor named Kacha have led to some debate on this topic: according to one theory, Kacha was another name for Samudragupta; another possibility is that Kacha was a rival claimant to the throne. Samudragupta succeeded his father around 335 or 350 CE, and ruled until c. 375 CE . The Allahabad Pillar inscription, composed by his courtier Harisena , credits him with extensive conquests. The inscription asserts that Samudragupta uprooted 8 kings of Āryāvarta ,
5871-421: The control of Vishayapati s (district lords ). A Vishayapati administered the Vishaya with the help of the Adhikarana (council of representatives), which comprised four representatives: Nagarasreshesthi , Sarthavaha , Prathamakulika and Prathama Kayastha . A part of the Vishaya was called Vithi . The Gupta also had trading links with the Sassanid and Byzantine Empires. The four-fold varna system
5974-422: The core of the Gupta Army and were supported by the traditional Indian Army elements of war elephants and light infantry . The utilisation of horse archers in the Gupta period is evidenced on the coinage of Chandragupta II , Kumaragupta I and Prakasaditya (postulated to be Purugupta ) that depicts the kings as horse-archers. There is a paucity of contemporary sources detailing the tactical operations of
6077-410: The decline of the empire include competition from the Vakatakas and the rise of Yashodharman in Malwa . The last known inscription by a Gupta emperor is from the reign of Vishnugupta (the Damudarpur copper-plate inscription), in which he makes a land grant in the area of Kotivarsha ( Bangarh in West Bengal ) in 542/543 CE. This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by
6180-478: The early Gupta emperors have been discovered. This theory is also supported by the Purana , as argued by the proponents, that mention the territory of the early Gupta emperors as Prayaga , Saketa , and Magadha areas in the Ganges basin. The recently found silver coin of Sri Gupta in Uttar Pradesh further attest the origin of Guptas around Kāśī – Kannauj region and his rule was only limited to Kāśī (present day Varanasi ). Another prominent theory locates
6283-400: The early Jaina sculptures of Gwalior have survived in fairly good condition so that their former splendour is not lost. The Teli ka Mandir is a Hindu temple built by the Pratihara emperor Mihira Bhoja . It is the oldest part of the fort and has a blend of south and north Indian architectural styles . Within the rectangular structure is a shrine with no pillared pavilions ( mandapa ) and
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#17328694404756386-684: The empire was founded by Gupta and the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I , Samudragupta , Chandragupta II , Kumaragupta I and Skandagupta . The high points of this period are the great cultural developments which took place primarily during the reigns of Samudragupta , Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I . Many Hindu epics and literary sources, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana , were canonised during this period. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa , Aryabhata , Varahamihira and Vatsyayana , who made great advancements in many academic fields. Science and political administration reached new heights during
6489-405: The empire. The Kidarites as well probably confronted the Gupta Empire towards the end of the rule of Kumaragupta I, as his son Skandagupta mentions in the Bhitari pillar inscription his efforts at reshaping a country in disarray, through reorganisation and military victories over the Pushyamitras and the Hunas . He was the founder of Nalanda University which on 15 July 2016 was declared as
6592-461: The fort from January 1661 to December 1672. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Jat ruler of Gohad , Bhim Singh Rana seized the Gwalior Fort in the Battle of Gwalior . The Marathas had captured many territories held by the declining Mughal Empire in Northern and Central India after the death of Aurangzeb. The Maratha incursions into North India were raids by the Peshwa Bajirao . in 1755–1756, The Marathas took over Gwalior fort by defeating
6695-420: The fort in June 1858. They rewarded Jayajirao with some territory but retained control of the Gwalior Fort. By 1886, the British were in complete control of India , and the fort no longer had any strategic importance to them. Therefore, they handed over the fort to the Scindia family . The Maratha Scindias continued to rule Gwalior until the independence of India in 1947 and built several monuments including
6798-462: The fort was built by a local king named Suraj Sen in 600 CE. He was cured of leprosy, when a sage named Gwalipa offered him the water from a sacred pond, which now lies within the fort. The grateful king constructed a fort and named it after the sage. The sage bestowed the title Pala ("protector") upon the king and told him that the fort would remain in his family's possession, as long as they bear this title. 16 descendants of Suraj Sen Pal controlled
6901-466: The fort was captured and used by Hemu , the Hindu general and, later, the last Hindu ruler of Delhi , as his base for his many campaigns, but Babur's grandson Akbar recaptured it in 1558. Akbar made the fort a prison for political prisoners. For example, Abu'l-Kasim, son of Kamran and Akbar's first cousin was held and executed at the fort. The last Tomar king of Gwalior, Maharaja Ramshah Tanwar , who had then taken refuge in Mewar and had fought at
7004-418: The fort, but the 17th, named Tej Karan, lost it. The inscriptions and monuments found within what is now the fort campus indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century. A Gwalior inscription describes a sun temple built during the reign of the Huna emperor Mihirakula in 6th century. The Teli ka Mandir , now located within the fort, was built by the Gurjara-Pratiharas in
7107-439: The fort. The Delhi Sultan Sikander Lodi tried to capture the fort in 1505 but was unsuccessful. Another attack, by his son Ibrahim Lodi in 1516, resulted in Maan Singh's death. The Tomars ultimately surrendered the fort to the Delhi Sultanate after a year-long siege. Within a decade, the Mughal Emperor Babur captured the fort from the Delhi Sultanate . The Mughals lost the fort to Sher Shah Suri in 1542. Afterwards,
7210-404: The gate. The gate was built in stone with cylindrical towers crowned with cupola domes. Carved parapets link the domes. The Karan mahal is another significant monument at Gwalior Fort. The Karn mahal was built by the second king of the Tomar dynasty, Kirti Singh. He was also known as Karn Singh, hence the name of the palace. The Vikram mahal (also known as the Vikram mandir, as it once hosted
7313-408: The identity of the Gupta emperor. Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076 – 1126 CE) mentions Chandragupta with his title and states: "Why should the glory of the Kings Vikramaditya and Nanda be a hindrance any longer ? He with a loud command abolished that (era), which has the name of Saka, and made that (era) which has the Chalukya counting". Despite the creation of the empire through war,
7416-407: The idols were built in 1341–1479, during the period of King Dungar Singh and Keerti Singh of Tomar dynasty . Here is a very beautiful and miraculous colossus of Bhagwan Parsvanath in padmasan posture 42 feet in height & 30 feet in breadth. It is said that in 1527, Mughal emperor Babar after occupying the fort ordered his soldiers to break the idols, when soldiers stroked on the thumb, a miracle
7519-457: The inscription mentions that several foreign kings tried to please Samudragupta by personal attendance; offered him their daughters in marriage (or according to another interpretation, gifted him maidens ); and sought the use of the Garuda -depicting Gupta seal for administering their own territories. This is an exaggeration: for example, the inscription lists the King of Simhala among these kings. It
7622-406: The invasion by the Huna peoples ( Kidarites and Alchon Huns ) from Central Asia . After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, India was again ruled by numerous regional kingdoms. The homeland of the Guptas is uncertain. According to one theory, they originated in the present-day lower-Doab region of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh , where most of the inscriptions and coin hoards of
7725-468: The late 490's the Alchon Huns under Toramana and Mihirakula broke through the Gupta defences in the northwest, and much of the empire in the northwest was overrun by the Huns by 500. According to some scholars the empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor Mihirakula . It appears from inscriptions that the Guptas, although their power was much diminished, continued to resist
7828-485: The lovely city of Ujjain ?'. The Brihatkathamanjari of the Kashmiri writer Kshemendra states, King Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the barbarians like the Sakas, Mlecchas , Kambojas , Greeks , Tusharas , Saka-Greeks , Hunas , and others, by annihilating these sinful Mlecchas completely". Faxian , a Chinese Buddhist monk , was one of the pilgrims who visited India during
7931-512: The museum include Hindu and Jain sculptures dated to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC; miniature statue of Salabhanjika ; terracotta items and replicas of frescoes seen in the Bagh Caves . There are several other monuments built inside the fort area. These include the Scindia School (Originally an exclusive school for the sons of Indian princes and nobles) that was founded by Madho Rao Scindia in 1897. Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire
8034-531: The name of a king mentioned by the 7th century Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, is believed to be a transcription of " Shri -Gupta" ( IAST : Śrigupta), "Shri" being an honorific prefix. According to Yijing, this king built a temple for Chinese Buddhist pilgrims near "Mi-li-kia-si-kia-po-no" (believed to be a transcription of Mṛgaśikhāvana ). In the Allahabad Pillar inscription, Gupta and his successor Ghatotkacha are described as Maharaja ("Great King"), while
8137-518: The name of the dynasty's first king Gupta . Some scholars, such as S. R. Goyal , theorise that the Guptas were Brahmins , because they had matrimonial relations with Brahmins, but others reject this evidence as inconclusive. Based on the Pune and Riddhapur inscriptions of the Gupta princess Prabhavatigupta , some scholars believe that the name of her paternal gotra (clan) was "Dharana", but an alternative reading of these inscriptions suggests that Dharana
8240-445: The next king Chandragupta I is called a Maharajadhiraja (" King of Great Kings "). In the later period, the title Maharaja was used by feudatory rulers, which has led to suggestions that Gupta and Ghatotkacha were vassals (possibly of Kushan Empire ). However, there are several instances of paramount sovereigns using the title Maharaja , in both pre-Gupta and post-Gupta periods, so this cannot be said with certainty. That said, there
8343-534: The northern region, including the Nagas . It further claims that he subjugated all the kings of the forest region, which was most probably located in central India. It also credits him with defeating 12 rulers of Dakshinapatha , the southern region: the exact identification of several of these kings is debated among modern scholars, but it is clear that these kings ruled areas located on the eastern coast of India. The inscription suggests that Samudragupta advanced as far as
8446-520: The reign is remembered for its very influential style of Hindu art , literature , culture and science , especially during the reign of Chandragupta II. Some excellent works of Hindu art such as the panels at the Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh serve to illustrate the magnificence of Gupta art. Above all, it was the synthesis of elements that gave Gupta art its distinctive flavour. During this period,
8549-436: The reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II . He started his journey from China in 399 CE and reached India in 405 CE . During his stay in India up to 411 CE , he went on a pilgrimage to Mathura , Kannauj , Kapilavastu , Kushinagar , Vaishali , Pataliputra , Kashi , and Rajagriha , and made careful observations about the empire's conditions. Faxian was pleased with the mildness of administration. The penal code
8652-675: The rise of local rulers such as Yashodharman , ended as well. Following the invasions, northern India was left in disarray, with numerous smaller Indian powers emerging after the crumbling of the Guptas. The Huna invasions are said to have seriously damaged India's trade with Europe and Central Asia . In particular, Indo-Roman trade relations , which the Gupta Empire had greatly benefited from. The Guptas had been exporting numerous luxury products such as silk , leather goods, fur, iron products, ivory , pearl , and pepper from centres such as Nasik , Paithan , Pataliputra , and Benares . The Huna invasion probably disrupted these trade relations and
8755-419: The royal land have to pay (a portion of) the gain from it. If they want to go, they go. If they want to stay on, they stay on. The king governs without decapitation or (other) corporal punishments. Criminals are simply fined according to circumstances. Even in cases of repeated attempts at wicked rebellion, they only have their right-hand cut off. The king's bodyguards & attendants all have salaries. Throughout
8858-535: The seven days in a week appeared at the start of the Gupta period based on Hindu deities and planets corresponding to the Roman names. Aryabhata made several contributions such as assigning the start of each day to midnight. the earth's rotation on its axis, westward motion of the stars. Aryabhata also mentioned that reflected sunlight is the cause behind the shining of the Moon. In his book, Aryabhata, he suggested that
8961-640: The siege in return for a tribute of 35 elephants. Bahauddin Tourghil, a senior slave of the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor captured the fort in 1196 after a long siege. The Delhi Sultanate lost the fort for a short period before it was recaptured by Iltutmish in 1232 CE. In 1398, the fort came under the control of the Tomars . The most distinguished of the Tomar rulers was Maan Singh , who commissioned several monuments within
9064-543: The south-eastern coastal region of India. Ramagupta is known from a sixth-century play, the Devichandragupta , in which he surrenders his queen to the enemy Sakas and his brother Chandragupta has to sneak into the enemy camp to rescue her and kill the Saka king. The historicity of these events is unclear, but Ramagupta's existence is confirmed by three Jain statues found at Durjanpur , with inscriptions referring to him as
9167-422: The tax revenues that came with them. Furthermore, Indian urban culture was left in decline, and Buddhism , gravely weakened by the destruction of monasteries and the killing of monks by the hand of the vehemently anti-Buddhist Shaivist Huna king Mihirakula , started to collapse. Great centres of learning were destroyed, such as the city of Taxila , bringing cultural regression. During their rule of 60 years,
9270-577: The very start was a dedicated enemy of the Mughal rule. He advised the Sikhs to arm themselves and fight. The death of his father at the hands of Jahangir prompted him to emphasise the military dimension of the Sikh community. Jahangir responded by jailing the 14-year-old Guru Hargobind at Gwalior Fort in 1609, on the pretext that the fine imposed on Guru Arjan had not been paid by the Sikhs and Guru Hargobind . It
9373-507: The whole country, the people do not kill any living creature, not drink any intoxicating liquor, nor eat onions or garlic." Chandragupta II was succeeded by his second son Kumaragupta I , born of Mahadevi Dhruvasvamini. Kumaragupta I assumed the title, Mahendraditya . He ruled until 455. Towards the end of his reign a tribe in the Narmada valley, the Pushyamitras , rose in power to threaten
9476-512: The world through meditation ( Dhyana ). The Chinese monk Xuanzang also noted that Narasimhagupta Baladitya's son, Vajra, who commissioned a sangharama as well, "possessed a heart firm in faith". A study of the epigraphical records of the Gupta Empire shows that there was a hierarchy of administrative divisions from top to bottom. It was divided into 26 provinces, which were called Bhukti , Desha or Rajya . Provinces were also divided into vishayas or pradeshas (districts) and put under
9579-507: The world was found in a small temple (the stone inscription has the second oldest record of the numeric zero symbol having a place value as in the modern decimal notation), which is located on the way to the top. The inscription is around 1500 years old. As per the legends word Gwalior is derived from one of the names for Gwalipa . According to legend, Gwalipa cured the local chieftain Suraj Sen of leprosy, and in gratitude, Suraj Sen founded
9682-543: Was an ancient Indian empire on the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century CE to mid 6th century CE. It was the seventh ruling dynasty of Magadha . At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent . This period has been considered as the Golden Age of India by historians, although this characterisation has been disputed by some other historians. The ruling dynasty of
9785-566: Was brought up under the influence of the Mahayanist philosopher, Vasubandhu . He built a sangharama at Nalanda and also a 300 ft (91 m) high vihara with a Buddha statue within which, according to Xuanzang , resembled the "great Vihara built under the Bodhi tree ". According to the Manjushrimulakalpa ( c. 800 CE ), King Narasimhsagupta became a Buddhist monk, and left
9888-761: Was made even more illustrious by the fact that it was graced by the Navaratna (Nine Jewels), a group of nine who excelled in the literary arts. Among these men was Kālidāsa , whose works dwarfed the works of many other literary geniuses, not only in his own age but in the years to come. Kalidasa was mainly known for his subtle exploitation of the shringara (romantic) element in his verse. The 4th century Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits Chandragupta Vikramaditya with conquering about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India. After finishing his campaign in East and West India, Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) proceeded northwards, subjugated
9991-426: Was mild, and offences were punished by fines only. From his accounts, the Gupta Empire was a prosperous period. His writings form one of the most important sources for the history of this period. Faxian on reaching Mathura comments–– "The snow and heat are finely tempered, and there is neither hoarfrost nor snow. The people are numerous and happy. They have not to register their households. Only those who cultivate
10094-428: Was observed under the Gupta period but caste system was fluid. Brahmins followed non-Brahmanical professions as well. Kshatriyas were involved in trade and commerce. The society largely coexisted among themselves. Gupta administration proved to be highly conducive for the rapid growth of urban centers. The Chinese author Faxian described Magadha as a prosperous country with rich towns and large populations. Ayodhya
10197-464: Was regarded as the second capital. Chandragupta Vikramaditya took personal interest in the development of Ujjain as a major cultural center after its conquest. Indian mathematics flourished during the Gupta Empire. The Indian numerals which were the first positional base 10 numeral systems in the world originated from Gupta India. The Surya Siddhanta contains the Sine table. Aryabhata , wrote
10300-568: Was released from the bondage of prison on Diwali . This important event in Sikh history is now termed the Bandi Chhor Divas festival. Aurangzeb 's brother, Murad Bakhsh and nephew Sulaiman Shikoh were also executed at the fort. The killings took place in the Man Mandir palace. Sipihr Shikoh was imprisoned at Gwalior Fort from 1659 to 1675. Aurangzeb's son, Muhammad Sultan was imprisoned at
10403-553: Was seen, and invaders were compelled to run away. In the period of Mughals, the idols were destroyed, broken fragments of those idols are spread here and there in the fort. Main colossus of this Kshetra is Parsvanatha's, 42 feet high and 30 feet wide. Together with the place of precept by Bhagwan Parsvanath. This is also the place where Shri 1008 Supratishtha Kevali attained nirvana. There are 26 Jain temples more on this hill. Mughal Invasion: In 1527, Babur army attacked Gwalior Fort and de-faced these statues. In spite of invasion
10506-412: Was situated somewhere in the modern Bengal region. Another proposal is that the early Gupta kingdom extended from Prayaga in the west to northern Bengal in the east. The Gupta records do not mention the dynasty's varna (social class). Some historians, such as A.S. Altekar , have theorised that they were of Vaishya origin, as certain ancient Indian texts prescribe the name "Gupta" for the members of
10609-502: Was the gotra of her mother Kuberanaga. Gupta ( Gupta script : [REDACTED] [REDACTED] gu-pta , fl. late 3rd century CE) is the earliest known king of the dynasty: different historians variously date the beginning of his reign from mid-to-late 3rd century CE. Gupta founded the Gupta Empire c. 240 -280 CE, and was succeeded by his son, Ghatotkacha , c. 280 -319 CE, followed by Ghatotkacha's son, Chandragupta I , c. 319 -335 CE. "Che-li-ki-to",
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