Bhatner Fort, also called Hanumangarh Fort is one of the oldest and strongest forts in India. It sits on the banks of the Ghaggar River in Hanumangarh city. the Bhatner fort is located at Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, about 419 km north- west of jaipur along multan-Delhi route and 230 km north-east of Bikaner. The old name of Hanuman Garh was Bhatner, which means ”FORTRESS OF BHATIS” It is believed to be 1700 years old and ranks as one of the oldest forts. The ancient fort stands on the bank of River Ghaggar. It was built in 253 CE by Bhupat, son of Bhati king of Jaisalmer. After losing a war, King Bhupat took shelter in the jungle around the Ghaggar River. There he constructed a safe haven for himself which came to be known as Bhatner. The entire fort is built of bricks, covering an area of 52 bighas. It is in the shape of a parallelogram, with a dozen bastions on each side. Painted Grey Ware (circa 1100-800 BCE) and Rang – Mahal Ware (1st-3rd century CE)have been found in wells situated along the wall. In the middle of the thirteenth century CE, Sher Shah Suri (Sher Khan ), a cousin or nephew of Balban (the Sultan of Delhi), was governer in these parts of the contry. he is said to have carried out repairs to the forts of Bhatinda and Bhatner.
Timur’s Attack: Timur invadedin 1398 and called it ”one of the strongest forts of India ” in his book Tuzuk-i-Timuri.
Akbar’s book: emperor Akbar mentioned it in Ain-i-Akbari.
Invaders’ Route: Stood on the Multan-delhi route. Blocked invaders from Central Asia.
Ruled by: Bhatis, Mahmud of Ghazni, Timur, Mughals, Johiyas, Chayals, and Bikaner rules.
