Munger Fort

Munger Fort
Part of Bihar
Bihar, India
East end view of the Munger Fort
Munger Fort is located in Bihar
Munger Fort
Munger Fort
Coordinates25°22′49″N 86°27′57″E / 25.3803°N 86.4658°E / 25.3803; 86.4658
TypeFort
Site information
Controlled byGovernment of Bihar
ConditionRuins
Site history
Built14th century
Built byMohhemadan kings of India
MaterialsGranite Stones and lime mortar

The Munger Fort, located at Munger (also spelt as Monghyr during the British Raj), in the state of Bihar, India, is built on a rocky hillock on the south bank of the Ganges River. Its history is not completely dated but it is believed that it was built during the early rule of Slave dynasty of India. The Munger town where the fort is situated was under the control of Muhammad bin Tughluq of Delhi (1325–1351 CE). The fort has two prominent hills called the Karnachaura or Karanchaura, and the other a built up rectangular mound deduced to be the location of a citadel of the fort with historical links.[1] The fort had a succession of Muslim rulers (Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Lodis, Nawabs of Bengal, followed by Mughal rulers, till it was finally acceded to the British by Mir Quasim (1760–72), after unseating his father-in-law Mīr Jafar on the grounds of old age, for a monetary reward negotiated by Vansittart. This deal involved payment by the East India Company's merchants of an ad valorem duty of 9 percent, against an Indian merchant's duty of 40%. The fort became a place of considerable importance to the British in Bengal till 1947 (Indian independence).[2][3][4][5]

The fort houses a number of religious and historic monuments such as the Tomb of Pir Shah Nufa (died 1497), Palace of Shah Suja, Tomb of Mulla Muhammad Said (died 1704 CE), the Kashtaharini Ghat on the Ganges River, Chandisthana (an ancient temple) and an 18th-century British cemetery. In recent times, a famous School of Yoga was established here.[1][5]

  1. ^ a b "Munger Fort". Directorate of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  2. ^ Jyoti, Shubra (1990). Munger, a land of tradition and dream. Gayatri Krishna Publication. pp. 9, 15 and 26. Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2009. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ "Munger (Monghyr)". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  4. ^ "A View of the Fort of Mongheer, upon the banks of the River Ganges". British Library On Line gallery. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b "The Former Glory of Bihar, Munger and Ganga-Darshan". Munger in Focus. Yoga magazine. 1983. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2009.