Bot at 06:41, 28 March 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2017}}

{{Infobox building
| name = Loharu Fort
| status = State protected monument<ref name=ta1/>
| image =
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = A side view of the fort.
| altitude =
| building_type = Fort<ref name=ta1/>
| architectural_style = Combination of [[Rajput architecture|Rajput]], [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]] and [[Colonial_architecture#British_colonial_architecture|British colonial]]<ref name=ta1/>
| structural_system =
| cost =
| client =
| owner =
| current_tenants =
| location = [[Loharu]], [[Haryana]]<ref name=ta1/>
| location_country = India
| coordinates =
| groundbreaking_date =
| start_date =
| completion_date = 1570 CE<ref name=ta1/>
| opened_date =
| inauguration_date =
| renovation_date =
| height =
| other_dimensions =
| seating_capacity =
| main_contractor =
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}}

'''Loharu Fort''', built in 16th century, is a [[List of State Protected Monuments in Haryana|state protected archaeological monument]] in [[Loharu]] town in [[Haryana]] state of India.<ref>[https://www.goibibo.com/travel-guide/india/destination-bhiwani/places-to-visit/loharu-fort/ Loharu Fort], Goibibo.</ref><ref name=ta1>[https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/loharu-fort-bhiwani-to-be-state-protected-monument-302597 Loharu Fort, Bhiwani, to be state-protected monument], The Tribune, 27 Aug 2021.</ref> Fort is part of interstate [[Shekhawati|Shekhawati region]] which lies on the either side of Haryana-[[Rajasthan]] border in the sandy [[bagar tract]].

== History ==
{{anchor | History | Battle }}

After its foundation in 1570 CE, the control of Loharu fort passed from [[Shekhawati]] rulers to [[Alwar State]], then to [[British raj]] who gave [[Loharu State]] as a [[jagir]] to [[Nawab]] ''Ahmed Baksh Khan'', nawab of Loharu finally sold it to [[Government of Haryana]] (GoH) in 1971.<ref name=ta1/>

===Under Shekhwawati State ===

====Foundation ====

In 1570 CE, ''Arjun Singh'', [[Thakur (title)|thakur]] of Loharu constructed a mud fort at Loharu and which remain a ''kaccha'' mud fort till 1800.<ref name=ta1/> ''Arjun Singh'' was a descendant of Loharu's founder, [[Rao (title)|Rao]] ''Narhar Das''.<ref name=ta2>Sohan Singh Khattar and Reena Kar, 2021, [https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=M60zEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA308&dq=history+of+loharu+fort&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjj563egdLyAhVc7XMBHdPrDcwQ6AEwAHoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20loharu%20fort&f=false Know Your State Haryana], Arihant Publications, pp 308.</ref>

''[[Shekha of Amarsar|Rao Shekha]]'', the [[Shekhawat]] [[Kachhwaha]] [[rajput]] ruler of [[Shekhawati]], had originally divided Shekhawati into [[Shekhawati#Thikana|33 thikanas]], of which [[Loharu]] Fort was 33rd.

====First battle of Loharu (1671 CE) ====
{{anchor | First | First battle }}

There have been 2 major battles fought over [[Loharu]] Fort.<ref name=ta1/> '''1671 battle of Loharu''' or '''First battle of Loharu''' was fought in 1671 CE between ''Madan Singh'' of ''Loharu Thikana'' and the ''[[Hisar (city)#History|Mughal Governor of Hisar]]'' over former's refusal to pay the land revenue to [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]] during the reign of [[Aurangzeb]] (r. 1658–1707).

====Second battle of Loharu (~1770s CE) ====
{{anchor | Second | Second Battle }}

The '''Second battle of Loharu''' was fought, some time around or after 1770s CE, between the ''Kirat Singh'' of ''Loharu Thikana'' and ''Bhopal Singh'' of ''[[Khetri_Mahal|Khetri Thikana]]'' of ''[[Jaipur State]]'', who claimed ''Loharu'' as part of ''Khetri''. Bhopal Singh was killed in the battle outside [[Loharu]] Fort, and a commemorative [[chhatri]] was built at the place where he was cremated, which is located nearly 1 km from the fort.

===Under Alwar State ===

The control of the fort later passed to [[Alwar State]].<ref name=ta1/>

===Under British raj: Nawab of Loharu State ===

In 1803, [[British raj|British]] gave Loharu and [[pargana]] of [[Ferozepur Jhirka]] to the [[Nawab]] ''Ahmed Baksh Khan'' of [[Loharu State]], a [[princely state]] under [[company raj]], who then converted the mud fort into a ''pucca'' (brick and masonry) fort. Urdu poet ''[[Mirza Ghalib]]'' was married to ''"Umrao Begum"'', niece of Loharu's Nawab, ''Ahmad Bakhsh Khan'', and daughter of his younger brother, ''Mirza Ilahi Bakhsh Khan''.<ref name=ta1/>

===After 1947 independence of India ===

In 1971, then nawabs of Loharu, ''Aminuddin Ahmed Khan'' sold it to the Government of Haryana.

In 2021, GoH announced that the fort will be given the status of a state protected monument.<ref name=ta1/>

==Architecture==
{{anchor | Architecture }}

The Loharu Fort is built on 64 kanal and 18 marla, which is nearly eight acres. Present fort was built by Nawab Ahmed Baksh Khan in 1803 to replace the earlier Shekhwati mud fort constructed in 1570. The present fort combines three styles of architecture, [[Rajput architecture|Rajput]], [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]] and [[Colonial_architecture#British_colonial_architecture|British colonial]].<ref name=ta1/>

The Government of Haryana notification about the protected status for the fort states,<ref name=ta1/>
''"The south-wing of the fort contained the [[Divan (architecture)|Diwan]]-e-khas (special royal hall) and the [[Sheesh Mahal (Loharu Fort)|Sheesh Mahal]] or The Room Of Mirrors, which has Mughal/Rajput style details. The central part of the south wing contained a large [[Victorian architecture|Victorian style]] audience chamber and banquet hall. The right side of the south-wing consisted of the [[Zenana|Zanana]] [[Mahal (palace)|Mahal]] along with the kitchens. The left side of the south-wing was purely Mughal architecture. The east-wing was executed in the [[Haveli#India|Delhi Haveli style]] which was considered very fashionable at the time and was distinct from the [[Shekhawati#Architecture|Shekhawati Haveli]]"''.<ref name=ta1/>

==Conservation ==
{{anchor | Conservation }}

Since 1971, after being sold to the government of Haryana, the fort remained uninhabited, all of the north-wing collapsed and so did a part of the east-wing. Only the south-wing of the fort (containing the Farukh Manzil) survives in a dilapidated state.

In August 2021 GoH announced that after being given a ''State protected monument'' status, the fort will be conserved and developed into a tourist attraction.<ref name=ta1/> The details of the subsequent conservation project efforts are awaited by the civic society.

==See also ==

* [[List of State Protected Monuments in Haryana]]
* [[List of Monuments of National Importance in Haryana]]
* [[Tourism in Haryana]]
* [[Tourism in India]]
* [[Shekhawati|Shekhawati region]]
* [[Bagar tract]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{coords|28|25|49|N|75|48|27|E|display=title}}

{{Forts of Haryana}}
{{Forts in India}}
{{Tourism in India}}
{{Haryana}}

[[Category:16th-century forts in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1588]]
[[Category:Forts in Haryana]]

Loharu Fort - Revision history

Bot at 06:41, 28 March 2022