Est. 1570 · Ajmer · Rajasthan
Akbari Fort
& Museum
The Rajputana Museum — a Mughal citadel raised by Emperor Akbar, once the residence of Prince Salim, and a treasure house of Mughal & Rajput heritage.
Welcome to the Fort
A Citadel of Two Kingdoms
Akbari Fort & Museum is a historical museum in Ajmer, Rajasthan — popularly called the Rajputana Museum. It was once the residence of Prince Salīm, the son of Emperor Akbar, and today houses a distinguished collection of Mughal and Rajput armour, sculpture and antiquities.
The fort was raised by Emperor Akbar in 1570 to honour the Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti — and it is from here that Salim, as Emperor Jahangir, read out the farman permitting the British East India Company to trade with India.
A Resting Palace
A resting place for Emperor Akbar during his visits to Garib Nawaz — the saintly guardian of Ajmer.
A Forward Citadel
A military bastion built for the advancing Mughal armies on their marches into the heart of India.
A Living Museum
A treasury of armour, sculpture and antiquities contributed by royal houses, elites and chieftains.
The Chronicle
History of the Fort
From an imperial resting palace to a museum of the Rajputana — nearly five centuries of story written in stone.
1570
Raised by Akbar
Emperor Akbar commissions the fort in Ajmer to honour the Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chisti, and as a base for his imperial campaigns.
The Jahangir Years
Home of Prince Salim
Prince Salīm resides within these walls. From here, as Emperor Jahangir, he reads out the farman permitting the British East India Company to trade with India.
A Milestone Meeting
Jahangir & Sir Thomas Roe
Within the fort Jahangir receives Sir Thomas Roe — a meeting widely regarded as paving the path of the British presence in India.
Early 20th Century
The Rajputana Museum
At John Marshall's proposal, a regional museum is established for Rajputana at Ajmer, inaugurated on 19 October by Sit Elliot Colvin, Agent to the Governor General.
1936 – 1961
Curator U C Bhattacharya
Under his curation the collection flourishes — antiquities gathered from royal houses and the archaeology of the region enrich the museum.
1956
Under the State of Rajasthan
With the integration of Rajasthan, the museum passes to the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan.
The Rajputana Museum
Treasures Within
A rich collection of antiquities, enriched by royal houses, elites, local chieftains and generations of devoted curators.
Armour of Empires
Mughal and Rajput armour — weapons of two great martial traditions that met upon these very plains.
Sculpture
Stone and bronze sculpture gathered from the temples and shrines of the region.
Excavated Artefacts
Objects unearthed at Nagari, Chittor — the ancient city of Madhyamika excavated by D R Bhandarkar in 1915–16.
Numismatics
A great hoard of coins from Sarvania, in ancient Banswara, bearing witness to forgotten mints.
Inscriptions
Inscribed stone tablets that carry the voices of the past across the centuries.
Textiles & Crafts
Specimens of textile, weaponry and the local crafts of a region renowned for its artistry.
"Unlike the rest of Rajputana, which consisted of princely states, the Ajmer-Merwara region came under direct British rule — and so, a regional museum for the Rajputana came to rest within the walls of Akbar's fort."
Notable Contributors
- Gauri Shankar Hira Chand OjhaFirst Curator
- Sir Alexander CunninghamArchaeological Survey of India
- A C L CarlleyleArchaeological Survey of India
- D R BhandarkarExcavator of Madhyamika
- R D BannerjeeArchaeological Survey of India
- U C BhattacharyaCurator 1936–1961
Sights of the Fort
Galleries
The fort's galleries present excavated artefacts and sculpture, while the ramparts are remembered for the sound & light show that once illuminated the Akbari Quila at night.
Your Visit
Plan Your Journey
Location
Akbari Fort & Museum
Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
Coordinates
26.4607° N, 74.6335° E
Rising above the city of Ajmer
Administered By
Department of Archaeology & Museums
Government of Rajasthan
Evenings at the Quila
A sound & light show has graced the Akbari Quila by night — history told in light and song.
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Let the ramparts of Ajmer tell you their tale.
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