Great Gun at Deeg Fort - 1900

Photograph of the Great Gun at Dig Fort in Rajasthan, taken by the studio of Priyalall & Company in c.1900. In 1722 Badan Singh (r.1722-33), a Sinsini Jat, founded the state of Bharatpur and became Raja of Dig, the new state capital. He was succeded by his son Suraj Mal (r.1733-63), who raised the power of the Jats to its zenith and built the fort as the strong central citadel of Dig in 1730. It is square in plan, reinforced by twelve massive bastions, and is surrounded by a moat and ramparts 8 km long. It was further defended by cannons which stood on the highest bastions. This is a view of one of them with an Indian standing next to it to give an indication of its considerable scale.

The album of 'Views in the Bharatpur State and Neighbourhod' was presented to the India Office in 1912 by the Festival of Empire, held in 1911 at Crystal Palace in London to mark the coronation of George V. The Maharaja of Bharatpur was among the exhibitors in the Indian Section of the Imperial Exhibition held as part of the Festival.

Source : British Library