History of Ajmer

The sacred town of Ajmer boasts of its rich history. This place belonged to the mighty Chauhan Dynasty of Rajputs who are still remembered for building in the 7th century Taragarh, the first ever hill fort in the country. The place was also under the rule of the great Hindu king Raja Prithvi Chauhan till he got defeated in 1192. In 1193 defeating Prithwiraj Chauhan, Gajni's Mohhammad Ghori took the possession of the town. From that time the struggle between the Mughals and the Rujputs started for the control of the fort. The town was completely shattered when Taimur attacked it suddenly.

The year 1556 witnessed the shift of power and for the first time, the holy town came under the rule of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar who made it his headquarter in Rajasthan. He built a magnificient fort which still attracts the visitors. Many memorials of Shahjahan also can be seen here. Aurangzeb captured the Mughal throne in 1659 after defeating his brothers. Later it was taken over by the Scindhia dynasty. In 1818 it went to the British rulers.

Ajmer might have lost its old charm and certainly not a pleasant town as it was during 17th century but today it stands for a balanced equilibrium of Hindu and Muslim culture.