Chittorgarh fort
| Chittor Fort | |
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| Part of Chittorgarh | |
| Rajasthan, India | |
A view of Chittorgarh Fort
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 Chittor Fort
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| Coordinates | 24°53′11″N 74°38′49″E / 24.8863°N 74.647°E |
| Site history | |
| Battles/wars | Mewar Kings against Allauddin Khilji in 1303 AD, Bahadur Shah, Sultan of Gujarat in 1535 AD and Emperor Akbar in 1568 AD |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Maurya dynasty, Bappa Rawal, Hammir Singh, Rana Sanga, Rana Kumbha and Udai Singh II |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii |
| Designated | 2013 (36th session) |
| Part of | Hill Forts of Rajasthan |
| Reference no. | 247 |
| State Party | India |
| Region | South Asia |
The Chittor Fort or Chittorgarh is one of the largest forts in India. It is a World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is today situated in the Chittorgarh town. It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha (691.9 acres) above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort precinct has several historical palaces, gates, temples and two prominent commemoration towers. These monumental ruins have inspired the imagination of tourists and writers for centuries.
From 7th century, the fort was ruled by the Mewar Kingdom. It was attacked three times by Muslim rulers: In 1303 Allauddin Khilji defeated Rana Ratan Singh, in 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat defeated Bikramjeet Singh and in 1567 Akbar defeated Maharana Udai Singh II who left the fort and founded Udaipur. Each time the men fought bravely rushing out of the fort walls charging the enemy but lost every time. Following these defeats, Jauhar was committed thrice by more than 13,000 ladies and children of the Rajput soldiers who laid their lives in battles at Chittorgarh Fort, first led by Rani Padmini wife of Rana Rattan Singh who was killed in the battle in 1303, and later by Rani Karnavati in 1537 AD. Thus, the fort represents the quintessence of tribute to the nationalism, courage, medieval chivalry and sacrifice exhibited by the Mewar rulers of Sisodia and their kinsmen and women and children, between the 7th and 16th centuries. The rulers, their soldiers, the women folk of royalty and the commoners considered death as a better option than dishonor in the face of surrender to the foreign invading armies.
In 2013, at the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Chittorgarh Fort, along with 5 other forts of Rajasthan, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
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