Taragarh Fort, Ajmer
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 Interactive map of Taragarh Fort | |
| Location | Ajmer, Rajasthan, India |
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| Coordinates | 26°26′32″N 74°37′06″E / 26.442154°N 74.618288°E |
| Type | Fort |
| built by | Parmar Rajputs and Ajayaraja I |
Taragarh Fort is a fortress built upon a steep hillside in the city of Ajmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was constructed by Maharaja of Parmar Rajputs, and repaired by Ajayaraja Chauhan[1] and it was originally called Ajaymeru Durg.[2]
This fort was known for its strength and strategic importance. First Islamic attack on the fort was made in 724, during reign of Chauhan King Durlabhraj I, who bravely fought Muslim armies under caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik. In this war, King Durlabhraj I did not receive support from fellow rajput kings. This war witnessed India's second Jauhar conducted by queens of King Durlabhraj I, along with other females in Taragarh Fort. The war is also known for sacrifice of 7-year old Chauhan Prince Lot, who bravely fought the invading armies, and laid down his life.
Parmar Rajputs assisted in capturing Taragarh fort of Ajmer۔
Prithviraj, son of Rana Raimal of Mewar and elder brother of Rana Sanga, captured Taragarh fort of Ajmer during the end of 15th century, after slaying Governor Mallu Khan.[3][4][5] The fort is also called Taragarh, named after Prithviraj's wife Tarabai.[6] It remained under control of Mewar and later Rana Sanga granted it to Karamchand Panwar[7]
The fort later was conquered by the victorious Mughal armies in the aftermath of Battle of Khanwa in Rana Sanga of Mewar faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Emperor Babur, the Founder of the Mughal Dynasty . The fort served as the administrative center of the Mughal province of Ajmer and was an important military foothold for the Mughal Expansion into Rajputana. The fort remained under the nominal sovereignty of the Mughal Emperor though it was de facto in the hands of the Rajputs of Amber . With its strategic prominence lost, the fort fell into disuse and neglect.
