History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c38.s5.1

v3.c38.s5.1

The next place which Altamash attacked was the fort of Gwalior which had been spared by Kutubuddin on its submission. This was a strong place within the Mahomedan empire and required to be seized. This place was not now in the possession of the Kachhwahas who seem to have removed to Amber a more distant place. It was in possession of Parihāras who (according to Gwaliornāmā published by Prince Balawantrao Bhayyasaheb Scindia) had seized the place. The Gwalior Gazetteer states that the Parihāras took the fort from Kachhwahas in 1129 A.D. Solankhapāla from whom Kutubuddin took it was a Parihāra. It was put in possession of Altamash in 1210 and was retaken by the Parihāras and hence this attack by him. "In 629 H. (1232 A. D.) Altamash marched against the fort and invested it. Malikdeo (Raverty reads Mangaldev) son of Basil (Raverty reads Maldev) began the fight. For 11 months the army sat before it. At last Malikdeo fled at night. About 500 men received punishment before the tent of the king. After appointing officers to Gwalior the Sultan returned to Delhi." (E. II p. 327). We think that the men punished were those of the Sultan's army itself who had been careless enough to allow Malik to escape and not men of Malikdeo; for none is stated here to have been captured nor could they be described as punished. And further an inscription on the Gwalior fort existing in Babar's time showed that Rajput ladies on the fort destroyed themselves in a pyre and the place is still called Johartal (Gwalior Gazetteer p. 125). The Rajput soldiers must have either died in the attack on the investing army or escaped. The subsequent history of the fort of Gwalior is given by Prince Balwantrao Bhayyasaheb which we need not give here in detail. The place changed hands often, the Tuars taking it in the days of Timur and holding it for a time when it was taken again by Babar. During Mogul days it was used as a prison for princes. It was again taken by Bhadaura kings from whom it was taken by Scindia. From them it was taken by the English twice but it is now with Scindia.