Kuchesar Fort

Kuchesar Fort, (alternatively known as Mud Fort Kuchesar or simply as the Mud Fort) is located at Kuchesar, in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India, approximately 84.3 kilometers (52.4 miles) east of Delhi. Several royal heirs inhabited Kuchesar Fort to enhance their profiles, which increased the trading post's popularity. Eventually, government officials closed the fort down due to a significant number of deaths and illnesses. In 1790, the fort was conferred upon the Singh family on a perpetual lease by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. The fort served as the erstwhile seat of the Jat Kingdom of Uttar Pradesh.[1]

In 1994, the fort was restored and turned into a hotel known as the Mud Fort Kuchesar[2] or Rao Raj Vilas,[3] and has become a popular tourist attraction for the city. The hotel preserves the fort's mid-18th century influences and reflects the vibrant mix of cultures.

Description

The main palace was built on top of a large bastion. Although it has been restored, the fort retains much of its original 18th-century architecture with the addition of several turrets built during the British era. In the lineage of (Dalal) was born a certain Bhual. He and his three brothers Jagram, Jatmal and Gurva, are credited with founding a principality in Kuchesar. Bhaul had one son named Maujiram and two grandsons named Ramsingh and Chhatar Singh.

History

Kuchesar Fort was built in 1734 as an opium trading post, by the rulers of Kuchesar,[4] which belonged to the Dalal clan of the Jat people. In 1763 Afrasiab Khan, governor of nearby Koyal, took over the fort with a plot involving a royal eunuch spiking drinks with opium. The Jat rulers reclaimed the fort in 1782 and have held it ever since.[5] After the Pashtun Najib ad-Dawlah bestowed the Jat family with the title of Rao Bahadur, the fort served as the seat of the Jat Kingdom of Uttar Pradesh.[6] After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Jat people competed with Marathas, Rohillas, French colonists, traders, explorers, and the British East India Company for control of the area. In 1790, the fort was granted to Ajit Singh's family on a perpetual lease by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.[7] This grant was reaffirmed by the British in 1803.[8] Kuchesar Fort was also a Center for the Rai Brahmins or Bhatts (a branch of the Kashmiri Brahmins), who were the Rajkavi of Kuchesar State, performing a role similar to that of a poet laureate.

Geolocation

The fort is located in the Ganges River basin 24 kilometers from the bank of the river.[9] Located at Kuchesar, in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India, approximately 84.3 kilometers (52.4 miles) east of Delhi.

Restoration and present-day operations

The Kuchesar fort was originally made of mud, and this is why it is also called "Mud Fort".[10] In 1994, residents began to restore the fort, Neemrana Hotels transforming it into a heritage-style hotel known as Mud Fort Kuchesar or Rao Raj Vilas.[11][12] The restoration project included the design and construction of a new dining hall, swimming pool,[13] and residential units for families, the balconies of which bear a resemblance to Mughal architecture with their arches and lattice edges.[14] The structure has a mixture of Indian hospitality and elements of the British era.[15] Mud Fort Kuchesar has also become a popular tourist attraction for the city. Scenes from the 2017 Indian film The Hungry, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Tisca Chopra, were filmed there.[16]

References
  1. Aamod Mud Fort https://www.aamod.in/mudfort-kuchesar/. Retrieved 23 November 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "Mud Fort Kuchesar". mudfortkuchesar.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  3. "History of Kuchesar's Jat Rulers". kuchesarfort.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  4. "Mud Fort | District Bulandshahr, Government of Uttar Pradesh | India". Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  5. admin. "History – Welcome to Rao Raj Vilas". Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  6. "Kingdoms of South Asia - Minor Indian Kingdoms of the Jats". historyfiles.co.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  7. "Kuchesar Fort - Kuchesar Fort Bulandshahr Uttar Pradesh - Kuchesar Fort Bulandshahr Uttar Pradesh India". India My World. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  8. "Fort Kuchesar". Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  9. https://www.mudfortkuchesar.com/
  10. "Car Hire in Bulandshahr - Musafircab". www.musafircab.com. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  11. "Fort Kuchesar". Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  12. https://www.cleartrip.com/activities/delhi/mudfort-kuchesar
  13. "Aamod Mudfort Kuchesar". Aamod Mudfort Kuchesar. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  14. "Kuchesar Mud Fort, as a Heritage Hotel". worldarchitecture.org. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  15. "Heritage Hotel Mud Fort Kuchesar | Uttar Pradesh". mudfortkuchesar.com. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  16. "India's women directors make a mark at Toronto film fest". hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

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