RAS question
Achalgarh Fort near Mount Abu was built by:
Correct answer: (B) Rana Kumbha (rebuilt).
Achalgarh Fort near Mount Abu was originally built by the Paramara dynasty; Maharana Kumbha later rebuilt it and named it Achalgarh in 1452 C.E.
Explanation
The word ‘built’ in connection with Achalgarh Fort requires a distinction between the original construction and the later rebuilding. Rajasthan Tourism states that the Paramara dynasty built the original fort, while Maharana Kumbha rebuilt it and named it Achalgarh in 1452 C.E. Therefore, in a multiple-choice question about its later construction history, ‘Rana Kumbha (rebuilt)’ is the precise answer; he did not build the original fort. Achalgarh Fort lies about 26 kilometres north of Mount Abu, with Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple just outside it. This is why RAS questions often connect the fort with Mount Abu and the temple complex.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Raja Man Singh is associated here with Amer, whereas Maharana Kumbha rebuilt and renamed Achalgarh Fort.
- (C) Rao Jodha is associated with Mehrangarh Fort. The Paramara dynasty built the original Achalgarh Fort, and Maharana Kumbha rebuilt it in 1452 C.E.
- (D) Rana Sanga neither rebuilt nor renamed Achalgarh Fort; both acts are attributed to Maharana Kumbha.
Concept
This question tests the distinction between a fort’s original construction and its later rebuilding, along with the dynasties, rulers and temples associated with Rajasthan’s forts. Such details recur in RAS questions about builders, patrons and nearby temples, especially for forts in Mewar and around Mount Abu.