Gwalior Fort

Fort of Gwalior
Fort of Gwalior
India
	The "Man Mandir" at Gwalior Fort.
Site information
Type	Fort
Owner	Hunas (5th century); Pratihara dynasty (8th–10th century); Kachchhapaghata Dynasty (10th–12th century); Delhi Sultanate (12th–13th century); Tomar Dynasty (14th–16th century); Captured by Babur (1526); Sur Empire (1540–1542); Mughal Empire (1542–1725); Jats of Gohad (1725–1735); Briefly captured by East India Company (1735–1740); Scindia Dynasty (mid 18th century; 1755–1948); Briefly captured by British Empire (1858–86); Government of India (1948–present);
Open to; the public	Yes
Location
	Fort of Gwalior Fort of Gwalior
Coordinates	26°13′49″N 78°10′08″E / 26.2303°N 78.1689°E
Site history
Built	6th century, The modern-day fort, consisting of a defensive structure and six palaces with several Temples. Later renovated by Scindias in 1916
In use	Yes
Materials	Sandstone and lime mortar
Battles/wars	Numerous
Events	Numerous

The Fort of Gwalior or Gwalior Fort is a 6th-century hill fort in Gwalior, India. Mughal Emperor Babur described it as the "pearl amongst the fortresses of Hind and not even the winds could touch it's masts" due to its grandeur and magnificence. It was nicknamed as the "Gibraltar of India" for its impregnability and defensive structure. The fort dates back to the 5th century, perhaps earlier making it one of the oldest defense forts in India. Ancient Sanskrit inscriptions record the name of the fort as "Gopgiri".

The current structure has stood since at least the 8th century, and the inscriptions and monuments found within the fort complex indicate that it may have existed as early as the beginning of the 6th century.

The modern-day fort comprises a defensive structure and six palaces, two of which were built by the Tomar ruler Man Singh Tomar (reigned 1486–1516 CE). It has witnessed the changing fortunes of the Kushanas, the Nagas, the Guptas, the Hunas, the Pratiharas, the Kachchhapaghatas, the Tomaras, the Pathans (Sultanate), the Surs, the Mughals, the English, the Jats, and the Scindias.

The present-day fort includes several notable palaces, few of them are Man Mandir, Vikram Mandir, Karn Palace, Shah Jahan Palace, Jehangir Palace, and Gurjari Mahal. Gurjari Mahal was commissioned by Man Singh Tomar, for his 9th wife Mrignayani, who belonged to the Gurjar community.

A stone inscription found engraved in the walls of Chaturbhuj Temple (famously known as Zero Temple) close to the top of the fort contains the second-oldest known record (after the Bakhshali manuscript) of the numeral "zero" with a place value, as used in decimal notation. The inscription is around 1,500 years old.