Sabalgarh Fort



Sabalgarh Fort (सबलगढ़ क़िला Sabalgarh Qila) is a 16-17th-century hill fort near Sabalgarh, Madhya Pradesh, central India. This fort is situated on a large rock in the northeastern part of Sabalgarh, which may have also contributed to the city's name. The foundation of the Sabalgarh fort was laid by a Gurjar King, Sabala Singh, with the surrounding town also named Sabalgarh. Presently, the fortress is in ruins and is infamous for stories of hauntings and ghosts. The fort consists of a defensive structure and one main palaces and many other buildings. The fort has been controlled by a number of different rulers in its history.

Etymology
Sabalgarh means place of strong fort. "Sabal" means strong and "Garh" means fort.

History
Sabalgarh belonged to the raja of Karaoli, a petty state in Rajasthan and now a Tehsil, having a fort and a pool, In August, 1795, Maratha forces under Lakhwa Dada attacked Sabalgarh. After a stubborn struggle, they reduce the strong fort of Sabalgarh to submission and after there they attacked Bijaipur and it was also captured and placed in charge of Ambaji Ingale. In 1806, Daulat Rao Scindia imprisoned Ambaji and demanded Sabalgarh, from him but he refused, though later on he surrendered a few places in the territory to the raja of Karaoli. The raja thus came into the possession of Sabalgarh. But these places was again taken back by Scindia’S forces and incorporated in his dominions. It was at Sabalgarh, as mentioned earlier, that Daulat Rao sindia and Jaswant Rao Holker met for an alliance against the East India Company in 1805. The fort of Sabalgarh is noteworthy among the medieval monuments. There is a ‘Bandh’ built in the Scindia period behind the fort. The foundation of Sabalgarh was laid by a ‘Gujar’ named Sabla of Baisla clan. The fort was constructed on a high cliff by Gopal Singh Bainsla, the Raja of Karauli. Sikandar Lodhi sent an army to take control of the fort. The Marathas, in their campaign through northern India, retook the fort and returned it to the Raja of Karauli.

In 1795, the fort was taken by Khande Rao, who built a house within the fort. Lord Vallejali Daulat Rao Scindia (1764-1837) also lived in this fort during his regime. The fort was captured by the British in 1804. The area around the fort was added to the kingdom of Scindia in 1809.

Structure
Sabalgarh Fort is built in the Rajasthani style. It has three main gates, and many temples are located within the fort, such as Jagannath Ji Temple. Other historical buildings in the fort include Naval Singh Haveli and the Royal Court (kacheri).