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INTRODUCTION
affairs of Nagor again involved him in a fight with Qutub-ud-din of Gujarat who after this adventure suddenly died in A. D. 1459 (May 25, Sarda, p. 104).
So for we have reviewed the career of Kumbhā as a warrior and general and as a consolidator of his vast dominion. His claim to greatness, however, does not depend upon his military achievements and martial spirit only. He was also a great builder-builder of fortresses and temples, one who raised the great Jayastambha, Tower of Victory, at Chitor. What is, however, remarkable about him is that he is credited with the authorship of several works in Sanskrit. There was no doubt that he was a great patron of learning.
We shall, first, briefly notice the monuments that be built and encouraged also the prosperous Jain community of his kingdom to build.
Col. Tod, relying probably on some current tradition, says, "Of eighty four fortresses for the defence of Mewar thirty two were erected by Kumbha" (p. 336, Vol. I). We cannot say how far this tradition of thirty two is right, but we get definite information about three forts from inscriptions and references in literary works. For example, the pras'astis at the end of each Ullasa of N. R. K. mention two forts—Kumbhala-meru and Chitrakūța (Chitod).
The first he almost built anew and therefore Kumbhā is described S 'Srimat-Kumbhala meru-navina-nirmita-parāfita-Su-meruņā (p. 107) one who has defeated the excellent Meru mountain by the new construction of resplendent Kumbhalameru'. Naturally the fort was named after him and it has remained fapious in tradition and history as Kumbhala-gaờha or Kumbhalamer. 'According to tradition the original fort was built by the Jain king Samprati the grand son of Asoka Maurya. Considering the tradition about Mauris or Mauryas in Meward there may be some truth in this. There is no doubt, however, that as Tod says, it was 'on the site of a more ancient fortress' (p. 336). Its natural position and the works that Kumbhā raised made it impregnable. That Kumba saw its great strategical importance in those times of constant warfare, particularly, with Mohamadan rulers who were spreading their power around him, shows his insight as a general.
Kumbhā started the construction of the fortress in V.S. 1900, A.D. 1443-44. It was completed on the 13th of the dark half of Chaitra V. S. 1515, A.D. 1458-59. The architect of Kumbhalameru was Mandana--that famous writer on Vāstu-Sāstra - Science of architecture (Sarada, p. 128).
I See Tod's Annals of Rajasthan, Vol. I, p. 265. History of Rajputana, Vol. I..
PD-412-13,
