About Bharatpur
There is more to Bharatpur than the national park although this is the biggest claim of fame. It was closely linked with the ancient kingdom of Matsya Desh, which is mentioned in the Mahabharata. It was also a thriving city during the second century BC (late Mauryan era). Sculpture and fragments of pottery belonging to that period were found in nearby Noh, on the Agra road.
Unlike the rest of Rajasthan, Bharatpur and its surroundings are populated by Jats. A confederation of Jats, formed in the late 17th century, began to make its presence felt by systematically attacking the surrounding countryside. By the middle of the 18th century, they came to check a large area west of the Yamuna River between Delhi and Agra. Around this timework started the strong Bharatpur and continued for a good 60 years!
Bharatpur fort was the citadel of Cape Jat, Raja Surajmal, who earned a place in history by sacking the Taj Mahal and Red Fort in the sunset years of Mughal rule. He built this fort as a point of resistance against the British. Besieging in 1805, Lord Lake hung gloomily for four months, but had to retreat in front of the heavy loses he ever suffered from the British until then.
The sanctuary is located a couple of kilometers from the city of Bharatpur. Until the end of the 19th century it was generally like the surrounding countryside-part scrubland, part woodland and tends to be dry. But there was a difference. Year after year, during the monsoons, a slight depression develops on a considerable trapped surface of rainwater and wildfowl homed in on the unexpected bonanza. The maharaja recognized the potential of the place. Instead of waiting for a liberal monsoon, he decided to increase the supply of water by diverting a little from an irrigation canal nearby. It has also built small dams and dams to keep water, the idea is to turn the area into wildfowl the best hunting preserve in northern India.
The new ecosystem flourished well beyond expectations, so much so that today it is able to support thousands of aquatic birds for months and months. For several years the maharaja celebrated his success by launching extravagant shooting parts for British dignitaries and other Indian princes. But surprisingly birds continued to converge on the habitat. In 1956 the hunting preserve became a sanctuary and subsequently a national park.
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