Kumbhalgarh
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Kumbhalgarh
Fortress on the western border of the State of Udaipur, Rajputana, situated in 25° 9' N. and 73° 35' E., about 40 miles north of Udaipur city. It stands on a rocky hill 3,568 feet above sea-level, and commands a fine view of the wild and rugged scenery of the Aravallis and the sandy deserts of Marwar. It is defended by a series of walls with battlements and bastions built on the slope of the hill, and contains a number of domed buildings which are reached through several gateways along a winding approach. The chief of these buildings is the Badal Mahal, or ' cloud palace,' which, as its name implies, rises high above the rest. The fort is named after Rana Kumbha, who built it between 1443 and 1458 on the site of a still more ancient castle which tradition ascribes to Samprati, a Jain prince of the second century B.C. It is said to have been taken by Shahbaz Khan, one of Akbar's generals, in 1576. During the Maratha disturbances the armed band of Sanyasis or ascetics, who formed the garrison, revolted; but in 1818 Captain Tod, then Political Agent, obtained possession of the place by arranging for the arrears of pay due to them, and the fort was restored to the Maharana. Kumbhal- garh is also the name of one of the parganas or subdivisions of the Udaipur State, the head-quarters of which are at Kelw.ara.
