Gwalior Fort, seen from the Residency - 10 December 1868

Water-colour painting of Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh by Stanley Leighton (1837-1901), 10 December 1868. Inscribed on the mount in pencil is: 'Gwalior from the Residency. Thurs. 10 Dec. 1868.'

The fortress of Gwalior stands on a long, narrow, rocky outcrop of sandstone which rises 300 feet above the surrounding countryside. The foundation of the fort is very ancient; an inscription within records that a Temple of the Sun was erected in 510, but local legend asserts that it was erected by Suraj Sen who was cured of his leprosy by an ascetic called Gwalior. It has been the contested possession of a succession of rulers including the Rajputs, Mughals, Marathas and the British. During the period of Tonwar Rajput rule between 1398 and 1518, the fortress rose to great prominence. It was later taken by Sindhia, one of the powerful Maratha chiefs, in the mid-18th century and in 1886 was ceded by the British to the dynasty in exchange for Jhansi.

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