Uttar Pradesh is not merely Agra Fort and the Taj. Beneath its agrarian surface lies one of India's most layered military landscapes — Mughal river-bastions guarding the Ganga, Chandela hill-forts commanding the Vindhya plateau, Bundela palace-citadels in the ravines of Bundelkhand, Rohilla Afghan strongholds along the Terai, and thousands of zamindari garhs that once controlled every road, river-crossing, and trade route across the Indo-Gangetic plain.
This is the most comprehensive fort-by-fort survey of UP ever assembled for a general audience — organised by Administrative Division, then District, with builder, dynasty, era, condition, and protection status for every site. Use the navigation above to move straight to any division.
8ASI-Listed Major Forts
~30State-Protected Sites
150+Unprotected / At-Risk
3000+Years of Fort History
5Living Heritage Hotels
Marker key:
ASI-Protected
State-Protected
Private / Heritage Hotel
Unprotected / Ruins
01 — Agra Division
Agra · Firozabad · Mainpuri · Mathura
Why Agra Division Matters
Home to two UNESCO World Heritage fortified complexes — Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri — Agra Division was the beating heart of the Mughal Empire. These are the most visited forts in India; yet the surrounding districts hide lesser-known Jat, Rajput, and Maratha fortifications that most tourists never see.
Agra District
Agra Fort (Lal Qila)
Agra · Bank of Yamuna
Built1573 CE by Emperor AkbarStyleMughal — red sandstone; 2.5 km perimeterUsed byAkbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, AurangzebConditionExcellent — active tourism
UNESCO · ASI Protected
Fatehpur Sikri Fort Complex
Agra · 40 km west of Agra city
Built1571–73 CE by AkbarStyleIndo-Islamic; Buland Darwaza, Panch MahalSignificanceFirst planned Mughal imperial capitalConditionExcellent
UNESCO · ASI Protected
Mathura District
Govardhan Fort Ruins
Mathura · Govardhan Hill
Built byBharatpur Jat rulers (18th century)RoleGuard-post for pilgrim routesConditionPartial remains
Unprotected
Kotwali Fort Mound
Mathura · City centre
OriginKushan/Gupta era; reused by later rulersSignificanceMythological links to Krishna legendsConditionArchaeological mound, encroached
ASI-Sensitive Zone
Mainpuri District
Mainpuri Fort (Fort Katra)
Mainpuri · Town centre
Built byLocal rulers, possibly Maratha-associatedStyleLaterite/brick; mostly ruinsConditionPoor
Unprotected
02 — Aligarh Division
Aligarh · Hathras · Kasganj · Etah
Aligarh Fort (Aligarh Qila)
Aligarh District — ASI Monument S-UP-5
Built1524–25 CE by Muhammad (son of Ibrahim Lodi's governor)Expanded byMughals, Marathas (Sabit Khan), French engineersStylePolygonal fort on raised ground; deep moat; Mughal-European hybridSignificanceSite of 1803 Anglo-Maratha Battle of Aligarh; 1857 uprisingConditionModerate — used by AMU Botanical Dept
One of the finest examples of Mughal-era fortification adapted by Maratha and then French military engineers, the Aligarh Fort represents the extraordinary layering of powers that contested control of the Doab in the 18th century. Its famous moat and bastions are still intact.
ASI Protected
Hathras Fort (Raja Dayaram Fort)
Hathras · Kila Gate area
Built byRaja Dayaram, early 19th centurySignificanceResisted British siege of 1817ConditionPartially intact; converted to residential use
Unprotected
Awagarh Fort
Etah · Awagarh town
Built byJadon Rajputs, 12th century onwardExpanded byRaja Balwant Singh (19th century)FeaturesHill fort, inner ramparts, gardens, palaceConditionGood — tourism permitted by descendants
Privately Held
03 — Jhansi Division
Jhansi · Jalaun · Lalitpur
Bundelkhand — India's Fort Country
No region of UP is more saturated with fortifications than Bundelkhand. The Bundela Rajputs built prolifically across the 17th century, leaving a trail of lakeside forts, ravine citadels, and hilltop bastions from Jhansi to Lalitpur. The Chandelas before them were equally prolific. The entire landscape is a living military archive.
Jhansi Fort
Jhansi District — Built on Bangira Hill, 1613 CE
BuilderRaja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha (Bundela)DynastiesBundela → Maratha (Newalkar) → BritishFeaturesMassive stone walls, 10 gates, watchtowers, Rani Mahal, templesSignificanceSite of Rani Lakshmi Bai's legendary resistance, 1857ConditionExcellent — sound-and-light show nightly
ASI — Monument of National Importance
Baruasagar Fort
Jhansi · 20 km from Jhansi city
Built byBundela kings (Raja Udit Singh), 17th centuryFeaturesHilltop fort overlooking Baruasagar Lake; stone bastionsConditionPartially preserved; scenic viewpoint
State Protected
Kalpi Fort
Jalaun · On banks of the Yamuna
OriginKachhwaha clan (9th–11th century); modified by Afghans, MughalsLater rulersSher Shah Suri, Akbar, Marathas, BritishSignificanceSher Shah Suri died near this fort in 1545ConditionPartial ruins remain
State Protected
Deogarh Fort
Lalitpur · Near Betwa River
Built byGupta & Pratihara dynasties; expanded by Gonds & BundelasNearbyDashavatara Vishnu Temple (5th century CE)ConditionRuins and stone walls visible
ASI Protected
Talbehat Fort
Lalitpur · On Jhansi–Lalitpur rail line
Built byRaja Bharat Shah (Bundela)FeaturesLakeside fort, watchtowers, thick wallsConditionFairly preserved
State Protected
04 — Chitrakoot Division
Banda · Chitrakoot · Hamirpur · Mahoba
Kalinjar Fort
Banda District · Naraini Tehsil · Vindhya Range
DynastyChandela (10th century); older legends link to 7th century Raja KedarArchitecture7.5 km wall perimeter; seven gates; Neelkanth Mahadev temple withinBesieged byMahmud Ghazni, Sher Shah Suri (died here 1545), Mughals, BritishConditionPartially ruined but major sections intact; open to tourists
Kalinjar is often called "the fort that could never be taken." Perched on the Vindhya plateau with sheer cliff faces on three sides, it held out against every major medieval conqueror. Sher Shah Suri finally breached it — but died from a gunpowder explosion during the siege. An unmissable site for serious fort-travellers.
ASI — Monument of National Importance
Mahoba District — Chandela Fort Country
Rahila Sagar Fortified Complex
Mahoba · Near city centre
Built byChandela king Rahila Deva, 9th centuryFeaturesTemple-fort complex with ramparts; sun templeConditionGood — accessible
ASI Protected
Gokhar Parvat Fort
Mahoba · Near Madan Sagar Lake
DynastyChandela, 9th–11th centuryFeaturesHill fort ruins; battlements still visibleConditionRuins
Unprotected
05 — Mirzapur Division
Mirzapur · Sonbhadra · Bhadohi
Chunar Fort
Mirzapur District · On Ganga, near Vindhyachal
OriginMauryan era (2nd century BCE); substantially rebuilt by Sher Shah SuriUsed bySher Shah Suri, Mughals, British (Warren Hastings)ArchitectureSandstone hill fort; triple defence walls; underground tunnelsConditionWell-preserved; active tourism destination
One of the oldest continuously occupied military sites in India, Chunar Fort commands a rocky promontory over the Ganga at a strategic river bend. Its sandstone was the same material used to build Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri — Akbar quarried stone from Chunar's hills. The fort's dungeons, tunnels, and riverside ghats make it a compelling day-trip from Varanasi.
ASI Protected
Sonbhadra District — Tribal Fort Country
Agori Fort
Sonbhadra · Near Chopan, Sone River Valley
Built byChero dynasty — pre-Mughal tribal kingdomArchitectureStone-built garrison on hilltop cliffSignificanceOldest non-Rajput dynastic fort in Eastern UPConditionPartially ruined; accessible
ASI-Monitored
Vijaygarh Fort
Sonbhadra · Near Robertsganj
Built byChero dynasty; expanded by BritishFamous forSetting of Devaki Nandan Khatri's novel "Chandrakanta"FeaturesHigh Vindhya cliff; temples, ponds, gatewaysConditionPartially intact
ASI Listed
06 — Prayagraj Division
Prayagraj · Pratapgarh · Kaushambi · Fatehpur
Allahabad Fort (Prayagraj Qila)
Prayagraj · At the Triveni Sangam
Built byEmperor Akbar, 1583 CEFeaturesRed sandstone walls; Chalees Satoon (40-pillared hall); Akshayavat tree; Patalpuri templeLater useBritish arsenal & military cantonmentConditionWell-preserved; still a military base — civilian access to some sections
Built byMughal-era outpost; renovated by Nawabs of AwadhSignificanceAdministrative seat before Nawabi palaces; destroyed 1857ConditionRuins — foundations and arches remain
ASI Protected
British Residency Complex
Lucknow · Gomti banks
Built byNawabs for British ResidentSignificanceEpicentre of the 1857 Siege of Lucknow — 87-day British defenceConditionWell-preserved as a 1857 war memorial
ASI Protected
Dalmau Fort
Raebareli · On the Ganga at Dalmau
Built byBara Bir; later fortified by Mughals & NawabsStyleElevated stone bastion overlooking GangaSignificanceCultural seat of poets; medieval garrison townConditionPartial ruins remain
ASI Protected
Shahabad Fort
Hardoi · Shahabad town
Built byDiler Khan under Shah Jahan's commandStyleMughal-Rajput fusion; mosque & inner palaceSignificanceImportant subah HQ during Mughal Awadh ruleConditionCentral gate and sections intact; mosque in use
Built byRajput Rajas of Amethi Estate (Bisen lineage)StyleFortified palace with bastions and moat tracesSignificancePower centre till early 20th centuryConditionGood — still occupied by descendants
Family Estate
Mankapur Fort
Gonda · Mankapur town
Built byRaja Dinesh Singh (Suryavanshi Rajput)StyleLarge palace-fort, live-in estateSignificanceHosted nationalist gatherings during Independence movementConditionMaintained — still occupied
Private Estate
09 — Gorakhpur Division
Gorakhpur · Kushinagar · Maharajganj · Deoria
Shahpur Fort (Tikri Kila)
Gorakhpur · Shahpur Tikri
Built byRajput zamindars (Tikri Estate), 17th–19th centuryFeaturesRed-brick walls, dungeons, arches — rare fortified zamindari haveliConditionPartially intact; some buildings still used privately
Unprotected
Nichlaul Fort
Maharajganj · Near Indo-Nepal border
Built byTharu Rajputs (pre-Mughal tribal fortification)SignificanceFrontier defence post on Nepal borderConditionEarth mound remains
Built byJat Dalal dynasty, 1734 CEStyleMud & brick; high bastions, courtyards, colonial restorationsCurrent useHeritage Hotel (Neemrana Group)Film historyUsed in Veer Zaara and Emergency
Heritage Hotel
Meerut Fort (St. John's Area)
Meerut · British Cantonment
TypeBritish cantonment-era fortificationsSignificanceOrigin point of the 1857 First War of IndependenceConditionMostly dismantled; within military zone
Military Zone
11 — Moradabad Division (Rohilkhand)
Moradabad · Sambhal · Rampur · Amroha · Bijnor
The Rohilla Afghan Forts
Rohilkhand is the heartland of Rohilla Afghan power in 18th-century India. After Mughal decline, Afghan generals like Najib-ud-Daula and Nawab Faizullah Khan carved out semi-independent territories here, building a distinct arc of forts characterised by massive earthwork ramparts, multiple gateways, and a Persianate aesthetic different from anything else in UP.
Built byNawab Najib-ud-Daula (Rohilla general of Ahmad Shah Abdali)EraMid-18th centuryStyleRohilla-Afghan; massive walls, multiple gatesSignificanceCapital of Rohilla resistance against the BritishConditionPartially preserved; large site
ASI & State Listed
12 — Bareilly Division
Bareilly · Badaun · Pilibhit · Shahjahanpur
Ahichhatra Fort / Ramnagar Mounds
Bareilly · Near Aonla (Ahichhatra site)
OriginKushana-era fortification (~1st century CE); reused in medieval periodSignificanceAhichhatra was the Mahabharata-era capital of Northern Panchala; occupied since ~1000 BCEConditionUnder ASI excavation; earth mounds, no above-ground fort
ASI Excavation Site
Pilibhit Old Fort Area
Pilibhit · Jama Masjid zone
Built byHafiz Rahmat Khan Rohilla (18th century)StyleRohilla-style fort-palace with Islamic influencesNowPartially preserved as old jail/government quarters
Unprotected
Fort of Diler Khan / Nawab Fort
Shahjahanpur · Town centre
Built byDiler Khan, general under Shah Jahan (17th century)StyleMughal-Rohilla hybrid; inner palace, gardens, domesConditionSome remains; mosque and gate visible
Unprotected
13 — Devipatan Division
Gonda · Bahraich · Balrampur · Shravasti
Ancient Shravasti City Walls (Jetavana)
Shravasti · Sahet-Mahet archaeological site
CivilisationAncient Kosala Kingdom (6th century BCE – 3rd century CE)FeaturesBrick city walls, moat system, bastion ruinsSignificanceLord Buddha spent 24 rainy seasons here; one of the 6 great cities of ancient IndiaConditionFoundations and low brick walls preserved
ASI Protected Ancient Site
Tulsipur Fort
Balrampur · Tulsipur town, Nepal border
DynastyTulsipur Rajas (linked with Oudh princely state)Era18th–19th centurySignificanceRebel base during 1857; clashed with Nepal-British forcesConditionMostly ruined; fortified hillock with watchtower traces
Built byBritish (1825) on ruins of Holkar-British War fortStyleEuropean artillery fort with bastionsSignificanceCentre of the 1857 Siege of CawnporeConditionPartially preserved; being restored
ASI Protected
Farrukhabad Fort
Farrukhabad · Near city centre
Built byNawab Muhammad Khan Bangash, 1714 CEStyleMughal-Indian with large ramparts and gatesSignificanceCapital of Farrukhabad Subah; later British postConditionGateway arches and bastion sections visible
Built byAzmat Khan (brother of Azam), mid-17th century; Gautam Rajput lineageFeaturesMosque, tomb complex, Madilah Sarovar lake; fort largely demolished by localsConditionGrounds enclosed; structurally fragile
Government Site — Not ASI
Katra Fort / Mau Residences
Mau · Katra area, Mau city
Era1629, under Princess Jahanara Begum (Shah Jahan era)FeaturesRoyal residence, barracks, Shahi Masjid, underground tunnel (~16 ft deep)ConditionRuins only; foundations occasionally uncovered via borewells
Unprotected
§ — The Conservation Crisis
Special Report · Statewide
Of UP's 200+ fortified sites, fewer than 10% are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Most have received no formal documentation, no boundary fencing, no conservation investment. They are being dismantled brick by brick — for construction material, by river erosion, by encroachment, by neglect.
Many of these sites — the Chero hill-forts of Sonbhadra, the Rohilla bastions of Rohilkhand, the zamindari garhs of Awadh, the Chandela water-forts of Mahoba — represent irreplaceable architectural evidence of dynasties and communities largely absent from mainstream historical narratives. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.
What the UP Government Can Do
1.Emergency survey of all 75 districts for unprotected fortifications2.State-level heritage listing for 50 priority sites before 20273.Heritage hotel PPP model (Kuchesar Fort as template) for viable properties4.Include fort circuits in UP Tourism's adventure and heritage itineraries5.ASI nominations for Agori Fort, Vijaygarh Fort, Najibabad Fort complexes
Uttar Pradesh's forts are not footnotes to the Mughal story — they are the story of every dynasty, community, and rebellion that made this land the most contested ground in Indian history. From the Chandelas of Mahoba to the Cheros of Sonbhadra, from the Nawabs of Awadh to the Jat zamindars of the Doab — each fort is a chapter. This list is not finished. It never can be.
Know a fort we missed? Write to us at uptourisms.com
UP TourismForts of Uttar PradeshMughal FortsBundela FortsChandela FortsRohilla Forts1857 HeritageHeritage Hotels UPASI MonumentsKalinjar FortJhansi FortChunar FortAgra FortIndian FortsUP Heritage