The picturesque situation of Amber at the mouth of a rocky mountain gorge, in which nestles a lake, has attracted the admiration of travellers, including Victor Jacquemont and Reginald Heber.[1] It is seen to be a remarkable example for its combined Rajput-Mughal architecture. The Amber Fort, a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site, is the top tourist attraction in the Jaipur area.
Amber region also known as Amer or Dhundhar and was controlled by Meena chiefs of five different tribes who were under suzerainty of the Bargurjar Rajput Raja of Deoti. Later a Kachhwaha prince Dulha Rai destroyed the sovereignty of Meenas and also defeated Bargurjars of Deoli and took Dhundhar fully under Kachwaha rule.[2]
Amber Fort was built by Maharaja of ParmarRajputs, appreciated by Raja Man Singh I. Amber was ruled from 1590 to 1614 AD by Mughal Emperor Akbar's NavaratnasRaja Man Singh I, which included the built palace. The palace includes several spectacular buildings, such as the Diwan-i-Khas, and the elaborately painted Ganesh Pole built by the renowned warlord Mirza Raja Jai Singh I (Man Singh I's grandson). The old and original fort of Amber, dating from earlier Rajas or the Mair or Maidh period, is what is known in the present day as Jaigarh Fort, which was actually the main defensive structure rather than the palace itself. The two structures are interconnected by a series of encompassing fortifications.[7]
Amber was capital of the Kachwaha until 1727 when the ruler of Amber, Sawai Jai Singh II founded a capital Jainagara (Jaipur), named after him, about nine kilometers south of Amber. After the founding of this new town, the royal palace and houses of prominent persons were shifted to Jaipur. The priests of Shila Devi temple, who were BengaliBrahmins, continued to live in the fort (to this date), while the Jaigarh fort above the palace also remained heavily garrisoned. The capital of Kachwaha was supplanted by the modern city of Jaipur, which is the capital of the Rajasthan state in India.[citation needed]
Controversy over renovation practices
Poor site management and development pressures have dramatically altered the historical integrity of Amber. The building that rings around the Jaleb Chwok courtyard "has been converted to a market place with shops selling showpieces and dresses. They have cafeterias, cyber cafés, etc.", according to the Times of India.[8] In the summer of 2009, the Rajasthan High Court launched a three-member panel charged with investigating the controversial renovations and determining to what extent the cultural heritage of the site was compromised.[9]
^Sinha, Amita; Rajora, Neha (2014). "Gaze and the picturesque landscape of Amber, India". Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes. 34 (4): 309–322. doi:10.1080/14601176.2013.874305. Amber predates the Kachhawa rulers — Kakil Dev captured Amber from Mina tribesmen in 1037 CE, laid the foundation of the fortification system and built the Ambikeshwar Mahadev Temple. When his great grandson Rajdev shifted the capital from Khoh to Amber, the settlement began to grow. Amber Palace was substantially enlarged by Man Singh in 1600 CE with additions by Jai Singh I and Sawai Jai Singh II until the first quarter of the eighteenth century.