Jhansi Fort

Jhansi Fort crowns a rocky hill called Bangira in the city of Jhansi, in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. It was built in 1613 by Bir Singh Deo, the Bundela ruler of Orchha, about 18 kilometres to the east, as a strategic stronghold. Control of the fort passed to the Marathas in the 18th century after the Peshwa's forces were granted the area, and Jhansi became a Maratha-ruled state. Under the Maratha governor Raghunath Rao Newalkar and his successors, the town was developed, and the fort was strengthened. After the death of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao in 1853, the British East India Company applied the Doctrine of Lapse and annexed the state, setting the stage for the events of 1857.

The fort is best known for the 1857 uprising, in which Rani Lakshmibai, the widow of Gangadhar Rao, led the defence against the British forces under Sir Hugh Rose. After a siege in March and April 1858 the fort fell, and the Rani escaped to join other rebel forces, dying in battle at Gwalior in June 1858. She is remembered across India as a symbol of resistance, and the fort is the central place associated with her story.

The massive granite walls are about 4 to 5 metres thick, with ten gates and bastions that carried cannon. Inside, visitors can see the Karak Bijli cannon, the Shiv Mandir, the Ganesh Mandir, the Panch Mahal and the Rani's garden. A spot on the ramparts is pointed out as the place from which Lakshmibai is traditionally said to have leapt with her horse, though the account is part of local tradition. A small museum within the grounds exhibits sculpture, weapons and inscriptions of the Bundela and Chandela periods. The Archaeological Survey of India maintains the fort, and the walls, gateways and parapets are in fair condition, with some sections showing weathering and repair. A sound-and-light show narrates the history in the evening on scheduled days. The hill gives wide views over Jhansi, and the fort is often combined with Orchha, the Bundela capital, as a day trip.