The Mandalgarh Fort lies at a distance of 54 km from Chittorgarh. This fort is of historical significance due to many ferocious battles fought in medieval ages. This fort was built by the chief of Balnote Clan of Rajputs and is considered to be the oldest fort of Rajasthan. It lies on a rocky hill which is at a height of 1850 feet from the ground level.

The Fort of Bhilwara Mandalgarh :

It is surrounded by massive wall which is half a mile in length. Although the Mandalgarh Fort Bhilwara is not so formidable, but is surrounded by barren rocky terrain and is full of gigantic heaps of rocks, which could have made it difficult for the invading armies to siege the fort. The Mandalgarh Fort is witness to many heroic accounts and numerous invasions during medieval ages.

Mandalgarh Fort Bhilwara was captured twice in fifteenth century by Mahmud Khilji of Malwa. It was alternately ruled by Ranas of Mewar and Mughal Sultans. It was granted to Raja Roop Singh os KishanGarh in 1650 by Shah Jahan. In 1660 Rana Raj Singh retook it back from Raja Roop Singh. In 1700 Jhujar Singh Chief of Pisangan ruled this place. In 1706 Rana Amar Singh recovered it and till now it is has been under the possession of his descendants.

Attractions and Monuments in Mandalgarh Fort Bhilwara

The Mandalgarh Fort Bhilwara has Sagar, Jasesar and Sagari tanks for storage of water. This fort also has palaces of Rathore Ramsingh, Governor’s residence and Cenotaph of Chanana Gujar. It is also home to Jain temple built in Jain style which is visited by many tourists. There is a grand cenotaph of famous Mughal General which has a solid roof resting on 32 pillars.

The defense system of fort during those days can still be seen today. It has semi-circular openings for canons to be shot. The fort also has a temple which is for the worship of Lord Shiva and other Hindu gods.

Gogunda, located on Aravalli hills is a small town of Jhala Rajputs situated at a distance of 35 kilometers from Udaipur. This is a historical place which is famous for the Battle of Haldighati, also known as the Battle of Gogunda, which was fought in June 1576 between Maharana Pratap and the Mughal army.

Gogunda Mewar:

Gogunda is home to many Hindu and Jain temples. Maharana Udai Singh 2, the founder of Udaipur died in Gogunda in 1572. Maharana Pratap was crowned as a king in 1572 at Gogunda. Gogunda was the estate of Jhala clan and was a strategically significant place for Maharana Pratap.  Gogunda was then the temporary capital of Mewar. He later made Kumbhalgarh his new seat of government. From Kumbhalgarh he began using guerilla war tactics against his enemies.

Just before the Battle of Haldighati, the final war council was held by Maharana Pratap in Gogunda. This war was fought between

Rana Pratap

Maharana Pratap and the Mughal army. Maharana Pratap was accompanied by his brave and loyal Rajput Generals and warriors. They were hugely outnumbered in comparison with Mughal army led by Man Singh. Maharana Pratap and his men fought valiantly against their enemies, but lost due to the overwhelming number of their enemies. Maharana Pratap was deeply wounded in the battle and fell unconscious, but it was his faithful horse Chetak who saved his life by taking him away from the battle zone.

Gogunda was captured by Man Singh, the Mughal commander of Amber. He made Gogunda his temporary headquarters. In 1611, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir invaded Gogunda and captured it. He was desperate to eliminate Mewar resistance and was successful in capturing other areas of Udaipur. In 1615, a peace treaty was agreed between Amar Singh and Mughal Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan). This treaty was later sacked by Emperor Shah Jahan.

The town of Gogunda is also the site for another significant battle in which the Crown Prince Jai Singh was successful in capturing the army of Akbar.

Dewair lies at the northern edge of Mewar. It connects the regions of Gujarat, Malwa, Marwar and Ajmer. Dewair is located between the mountain ranges which lies at close proximity to Madaria and Kumbhalgarh. Dewair was ruled by different clans from Mer to Deora Rajputs in ancient times. This is a historical place from where Maharana Pratap used to implement his guerilla warfare tactics, which was very effective in making all the efforts of Mughal military campaigns futile. Devair is the fine example of Maharana Pratap’s supremacy over the Mughals in the Rajputana.

Dewair Rajsamand:

In 1582 at Dewair, Maharana Pratap successfully defeated the Mughal forces. This incident turned out to be the turning point in Mewar- Mughal history. Till this incident Maharana Pratap was defensive in his approach and tactics, but after this victory Maharana Pratap took offensive measures against Mughal rule and within a very short period of time he was successful in reclaiming back most of the territory that was lost to the Mughal invaders.

There were several accounts of valor when Maharana Pratap and his son Kr. Amar Singh displayed gallantry against their enemies. In one of the incidents Maharana Pratap vertically slashed Bahlol Khan through his armor with a single powerful blow of his sword. In another incident Kr. Amar Singh, son of great Maharana Pratap killed Sultan Khan with his spear.

When most of the Maharajas had chosen to live a life of suppression under Mughal rule, Maharana Pratap was determined to live a life in independent discomfort and continue his struggle against the Mughals. Although Maharana Pratap may have lost the battle against Mughals in Haldighati, but in due course of time he managed to win the war against them. In 1852, on the very auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashmi, Maharana Pratap was rewarded with a historic victory. This resulted into liquidation of about 36 Mughal military outposts in Mewar. This humiliating defeat demoralized Akbar and he finally stopped all his military campaigns against the glorious land of Mewar.