SSC
The historic Kalinjar Fort, where Sher Shah Suri was killed in 1545, is located in which state?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Uttar Pradesh
Detailed Solution
The Kalinjar Fort is located in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Bundelkhand region, near the border with Madhya Pradesh.
About Kalinjar Fort:
- It stands on a flat-topped hill of the Vindhya range, about 200 metres above the surrounding plain.
- It is one of the oldest and strongest forts in India.
- It is mentioned in ancient texts; according to tradition, Shiva drank the poison from the churning of the ocean here and overcame time ("kal-jar", "the destroyer of time").
- It contains the Neelkanth temple of Shiva, with a large image and rock-cut sculptures, and many water tanks.
History:
- It was an important stronghold of the Chandela kings of Bundelkhand (9th-13th centuries).
- Mahmud of Ghazni besieged it in the 11th century, and the Chandela king made peace with him.
- Qutbuddin Aibak captured it in 1202-03 from the Chandela king Paramardi.
- In 1545, Sher Shah Suri besieged the fort; he was killed when a rocket (or gunpowder) exploded during the siege, but his army captured the fort.
- Akbar captured it in 1569, and gave it to Raja Birbal as a jagir, according to tradition.
- It later came under the Bundela rulers and the Marathas.
- The British took control of it in 1812.
Significance:
Its strategic location on the routes between the Ganga valley and central India made it important to many rulers.
About Banda:
- It is a district in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
- The Ken river flows nearby.
About Bundelkhand:
- It is a region divided between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with towns such as Jhansi, Banda, Chitrakoot, Orchha and Khajuraho.
- It is known for its rugged terrain, forts and history of droughts.
Other forts of Bundelkhand:
Jhansi Fort, Orchha Fort and Datia Palace.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar have other forts.
Quick tip
Remember: Kalinjar Fort = Banda district, Uttar Pradesh (Chandela stronghold; Neelkanth temple; Sher Shah killed during its siege in 1545).
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.