Narwar

Narwar is identified with Nalapura town mentioned in the Naishadha Charita written by Shriharsha. Nalapura was the capital of Raja Nala of Naisadha, whose love for Damayanti has been mentioned in detail in Mahabharata. When Raja Nala left Damayanti asleep in the forests of Narwar she moved through dense forests and reached Chanderi protecting herself from wild animals.[1][2]^:136

The relatively shorter route through forests from Narwar to Chanderi is 200 km. A medieval fortress there was occupied by the Narwarias of the Chambal valley, who were also the founder and rulers of Gwalior, until it was captured by

Rajputs in the 12th century. During the 13th century, the Yajvapala dynasty established its capital at Narwar.[3]

On 12 August 1602, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, Akbar's courtier who also wrote Akbarnama was assassinated at Narwar while he was returning from the Deccan by Vir Singh Bundela (who later became the ruler of Orchha) between Sarai Vir and Antri (near Narwar) in a plot contrived by Akbar's eldest son Prince Salim (who later became the Emperor Jahangir),[4] because Abu'l Fazl was known to oppose the accession of Prince Salim to the throne. His severed head was sent to Salim at Allahabad. Abu'l Fazl was buried at Antri.[5][6] Abu'l Fazl's son Shaikh Afzal Khan (29 December 1571 – 1613) was later appointed governor of Bihar in 1608 by Jahangir.[7]

In January 1859, Man Singh, raja of Narwar came across Maratha General Tatya Tope who had escaped alone into the jungles of Paron after being defeated by the British. Tatya befriended Man Singh and decided to stay with him. Man Singh was in dispute with the Maharaja of Gwalior. British successfully negotiated with Man Singh to surrender Tatya to them in return for Man safety of Man Singh's life and protection of his family from any reprisals by the Maharaja of Gwaliar. After this Tope was alone.[8] The British forces had failed to subdue him for over a year. Tope was betrayed into the hands of the British by his trusted friend, Man Singh, while asleep in his camp in the Paron forest. He was captured on 7 April 1859 by a detachment of native infantry from British General Richard John Meade's troops led to him by Man Singh and escorted to Shivpuri where he was tried by a military court.

Narwar Fort is situated atop a hill about 500 feet above ground level spread over an area of 8 km², which stands on a steep scarp of the Vindhya Range It is now in a dilapidated condition, but the remains suggest that, in the flourishing days, it might have been only second to the Gwalior Fort in magnificence. The interior of the fort is divided by cross walls into four 'ahata' and 'dholaahata'. The architecture of the fort and palaces is basically Rajput in style with flat ceiling, fluted columns and multifold arches. The inner walls of the palaces have been decorated with bright paint and glass beads. Near the fort are the Jai Stambha, Sati monument, Ladu bungalow, Chhip Mahal, Makardwaj Tal, Kacheri mahal, Sikandar Lodi's Mosque, and Jail Kambha. Traditionally said to have been the capital of Raja Nala of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, the town was called Nalapura until the 12th century. From the twelfth century onwards, Narwar was held successively by Kachwaha, Parihar, and Tomar Rajputs (warrior caste) until its capture by the Mughals in the 16th century. It was conquered by the Maratha Maharaja Scindia in the early 19th century. Outside the walled town are memorial pillars of the Tomar chiefs. –

Narwar is located at 25.32°N 77.97°E / 25.32; 77.97.It has an average elevation of 452 metres (1482 feet).

As of 2001 India census,[9] Narwar had a population of 15,748. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Narwar has an average literacy rate of 58%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 69%, and female literacy is 45%. In Narwar, 18% of the population is under 6 years of age.

• Chahar Deo