Rajgad Fort

About Rajgad Fort:

• Rajgad Fort, also known as the Ruling Fort, was the capital of the Maratha Empire under the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for almost 26 years, after which the capital was moved to the Raigad Fort.
• Location:
  • It is a hill fort situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra.
  • It is located in the Sahyadri mountain ranges at an elevation of 1,395 meters above sea level.
• Features:
  • It comprises three terraces (machis) and a citadel (Balekilla).
  • There are four gates called Gunjavane, Pali, Alu, and Kaleshwari or Dindi gate.
  • The diameter of the base of the fort was about 40 km (25 mi) which made it difficult to lay siege on it, which added to its strategic value.
  • The fort’s ruins consist of palaces, water cisterns, and caves.
  • Rajgad boasts the highest number of days stayed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on any fort.
• The Rajgad Fort was also one of the 17 forts Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kept when he signed the Treaty of Purandar in 1665 with the Mughal general Jai Singh I, leader of the Mughal forces. 
• Apart from the Maratha empire, Rajgad Fort has been a part of the Adilshahi dynasty, Nizamshahi dynasty, Mughal empire, and others. After everyone else, the British empire owned the fort.