The illustrious history of Ranthambhore  has revolved around its famed fort. The glorious Ranthambhore fort, which is located within the Ranthambhore National Park today, near the city of Sawai Madhopur, was an extremely crucial stronghold for kings because it availed access to one of the busiest trade routes of the ancient world, connecting the East to the West and vice versa. Thus, the fort was extremely coveted and was ruled by several kings from the time it was built till India’s independence in 1947.

Who built the Ranthambhore fort?

It is still unclear under whose rule the Ranthambhore fort was built, but it is widely believed and accepted that the construction of the fort started in the mid-tenth century CE under the reign of the king Sapaldaksha, - a Rajput king of the Chauhan dynasty, and continued for a few decades post his demise.  

Which kings ruled Ranthambhore?

Across the medieval centuries, the Ranthambhore fort hosted a lot of kings belonging to various dynasties. Ranthambhore’s earlier name was Ranastambha or Ranastambhapura and during the rule of Prithviraj of Chahamana (Prithviraj Chauhan) in the 12th century CE, it was associated with Jainism.

But not for too long, as the Chauhans were defeated by Muhammad of Ghor who took control of the fort. Prithviraj’s son Govindraj accepted Ghor’s suzerainty and ruled the Ranthambhore fort as his vassal. His descendants made several attempts to break free from Muhammad’s clutches and rule the Ranthambhore fort independently, but none was successful.

In the coming centuries, Ranthambhore switched hands between several notable kings. Iltutmish - the Sultan of Delhi captured the fort in the 13th century and in the 14th century, the Mewar kings stamped their authority on the fort.

The Ranas of Mewar (Rana Hamir Singh, Rana Kumbha and Rana Sanga) ruled the Ranthambhore fort till the mid 16th century. Then in the famous siege of Ranthambhore 1568, Akbar the Great seized the fort.

In the 17th century, the fort came under the Kachwaha Maharajas of Jaipur.  During the mid 18th century, the Marathas were on the rise. To curb their influence, Sawai Madho Singh fortified the nearby village called Sherpur and renamed it ‘Sawai Madhopur’ to honour himself.

Sawai Man Singh who was the last ruler of the Jaipur state built a railway link between Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur at the twilight of the British rule.

The Ranthambhore fort remained a part of the Jaipur state until India’s Independence in 1947. The area surrounding the fortress became private hunting grounds for the Maharajas of Jaipur.

Subsequently, the state of Jaipur acceded to India in 1949 and became a part of the state of Rajasthan in 1950. In 2013, at the iconic Ranthambhore fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan along with five other forts in Rajasthan.

What is there Inside the Ranthambhore fort?

The Ranthambhore fort also dips into Indian mythology. There are three Hindu temples inside the Ranthambhore fort, dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva and Lord Ramlalji. They are believed to have been constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries from red Karauli stone. There also lies a Jain temple venerating the 5th Jain Tirthankar - Lord Sumatinath and Lord Sambhavanath.

When did Ranthambhore become a protected area?

As the human population grew around the Ranthambhore fort, the natural resources continued to be exploited. Trophy hunting was a matter of social rank and stature back in the day. The Maharajas hunted and proudly displayed their bounties.

However, the severe exploitation of the forest needed urgent conservation policies to be implemented immediately. Thus, in 1953, the Rajasthan forest act came into effect to provide legal protection to the forests surrounding the Ranthambhore fort. Although not adequate to safeguard the forest areas fully, this was a definite step to curb the exploitation.

Eventually, in 1955, the entire forest cover around Ranthambhore was declared as the Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary and all commercial activities in the forest were completely banned.

However as the tiger population continued to reduce drastically not just in Ranthambhore, but all over India, Project Tiger was introduced in 1973 by the government of India to conserve this charismatic big cat species. An area of 60 sq miles of Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary came under the Project Tiger scheme and was declared as the Tiger Reserve area.

More than 12 villages were relocated outside the sanctuary area by 1980 and an area of approximately 285 sq km was declared and established as the Ranthambhore National Park.

The modern history of Ranthambhore

Ever since then, more and more forest areas have come under the protected area of the Ranthambhore National Park. In 1983, 647 sq km of forest area adjacent to the northern side of the Ranthambhore National Park was named the Kela Devi Sanctuary and was included within Ranthambhore’s protected area. Similarly, in 1984, 130 sq km of forest expanse located on the southern periphery of the park was declared as the Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary. This landmass was also annexed to the Ranthambhore National Park.

These urgent conservation efforts put into immediate effective practice resulted in tiger numbers successfully beginning to recover. In the 2004 tiger census, Ranthambhore recorded about 45 individuals and in 2020, the count had increased to 71 individuals!

Conservation practices, significantly aided by advances in technology, must continue to be effectively implemented for the long-term survival of these iconic big cat species. The relentless efforts of all those involved, - from the on-field scientists and researchers to the entire forest department staff, must be given due credit. What they have done is truly commendable and must be lauded and celebrated!

What we feel about this ancient land and its forests

Over the years, Ranthambhore  has been home to some legendary tigers and tigresses and today, it truly is one of the prime places to spot a tiger in its element.

One can witness the perfect blend of history and natural history here at the Ranthambhore National Park and iconic photographs of a tiger against the Ranthambhore fort have taken the world by storm and lured in thousands of tourists to experience the same.

Countless dynasties have ruled here and have been blown away by the timeless winds of change. Today, the reigns of this fabled abode are in the paws of mesmerising big cat families who have established their own dynasties!

The times have changed and will continue to change, yet Ranthambhore will always remain a timeless destination.

The perennial beauty of the Ranthambhore National Park, with its innumerable breathtaking landscapes, is a treasure trove of opportunities for wildlifers to experience something special and is home to some of the most marvellous species of natural history on the planet!

It is a destination well worth putting at the very top of your holiday bucket list!