Forts North and East of Agra

The Maps

Original map courtesy of the University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.(Click to enlarge).

The Forts

1. Agra – 27.1798478,78.0223918
2. Awagarh – 27.4521515,78.4875405
3. Unknown near Etah – 27.623724,78.6763251
4. Quila Vijaygarh/Bijaigarh – 27.7367806,78.2265562
5. Aligarh – 27.930171,78.0634832
6. Charra/Chara/Chharra – 27.9264693,78.3942425
7. Kotla Firozabad – 27.2737344,78.4604958
8. Sasni – 27.7040666,78.0927622
9. Bishangarh – 27.1096191,79.4116366
10. Patiali – 27.6922256,78.998968
11. Dadon – 27.945083,78.4568238
12. Muhammadabad/Mohammadabad – 27.3064836,79.4259703
    I am not sure about this one. Someone on Wikimapia thinks it was a fort.
13. Hathras – 27.5930062,78.0610907
14. Kuraoli/Kurawali – 27.3903375,78.9699841
15. Mainpuri – 27.2375105,79.0266122

Jaigarh-Nahargarh-Amber forts complex

I had previously mentioned how group of forts come together to create a unified line of defense. In most cases, the separate forts are built over centuries to suit the needs of different rulers, whose threat perceptions change over centuries. One such group is the Nahargarh–Jaigarh–Amber forts complex in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The Southern End of the Aravallis
The complex commands a strategic location at the southern end of the Aravalli range and protects Jaipur from the North while a few ridges of the Aravalli’s cover the eastern approaches to the city. In its hay days, it must have provided excellent defenses against Mughals in Delhi and Agra, which are both to the North-East and East, respectively.

The Fortifications
The white lines below follow the fortifications that are visible in Google Maps.

The fortifications connect the three forts into a single entity. I’ve managed to discern the general axes along which the forts must’ve connected and covered the hills.

There are remnants of a wall/fortification that can be seen in the terrain map above, running along the top of the ridge on the left which runs away North-east towards Delhi.

The strategic importance of the area reflects in the fact that a modern day fort exists on the hillock adjacent to Jaigarh in the form of an IAF radar station. It is not surprising given the fact that a similar high ground does not exist towards the west for another 100KMs or so.