Gingee Fort Tamil Nadu History and Interesting Facts

Gingee Fort Quick Facts

Gingee Fort Overview

Jinji Fort or Senji Fort is a historical fort located in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This fort is located near Puducherry in Villupuram district. Seeing the construction of this fort, Chhatrapati Shivaji called this fort the most 'Impregnable Fort' of the country. This impregnable fort has endured several wars of successive dynasties over the years, from the Islamic Sultanate to the mighty French and British Empires.

ब्रThis fort was named 'Troy of the East' by the British. Located in South India, this fort is one of the most beautiful forts in the country, which attracts thousands of tourists to see it.

Gingee Fort History

The main sources for the past 200 years of Gingee's history are the Mackenzie Manuscripts and the Complete History of the Kings of Karnataka. According to the famous historian MGS Narayan, a small village called Melsari was called "Old Jinji" which is 4.8 km from present Jinji and is located at a distance. The remains of fortifications from about 1200 AD are still present in Old Jinji.

The earliest mention of the fort of Jinji is found in the inscription of Vikrama Chola (1120–63), who called himself the lord of Jinji fort and Senjiyar. Jinji has been ruled by various rulers and dynasties of South India. The fort was originally built by the Chola dynasty in the 9th century AD, which was modified by the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire during the 13th century when they defeated the Cholas.

The fort was rebuilt during the 15th to 16th centuries when Jinji Nayak became an independent king of the Vijayanagara Empire. The fort was built at a strategic location to deter any invading armies, which was later snatched by the Marathas led by Shivaji from the Bijapur sultans, which had been the center of the Maratha Empire for a few months. This fort was later ruled by the Mughals and after the arrival of the Franciscans, the fort came under their control.

Gingee Fort Interesting Facts

1. This Fort is located in the Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu. It is about 157 km from Chennai. and 72 km from Puducherry.
2. This Fort was first built by the Chola dynasties in the 9th century AD.
3. The Fort is located in the middle of a complex of 3 hills, known as the hills of Krishnagiri, Rajgir, and Chandrarendurga.
4. Spread over an area of ​​about 11 square kilometers, the length of the walls of this fort is about 13 km.
5. The Fort was built at a height of about 240 meters, a grass-protected area 80 feet (24 m) wide.
6. In the year 1677 AD, this fort was rebuilt by the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji to protect it from any invading army.
7. In the year 1691 AD, it was besieged from all sides by the Mughal generals Jul Fikar Khan, Asad Khan, and Kama Baksh, but it was defended by the chief Kshatriya of the Maratha Empire, Shantaji Ghorpade.
8. This Fort was captured by the Mughals in the year 1698 even before the escape of Chhatrapati Rajaram.
9. The Mughals later handed over this fort to the Nawabs of Carnatic, which was later given by the Nawabs to the French in 1750 AD, which the French ruled for a short time.
10. In the year 1761 AD, the British defeated Haider Ali and established their control over this fort, after which in the 18th century this fort came under the control of King Desinghu.