Editing Gwalior (section)

==Etymology and History==
[[File:Mihirakula Coin.jpg|300px|thumb|Coin of the [[Alchon Huns]] king [[Mihirakula]], who ruled in Gwalior circa 520 CE.|left]]
Gwalior derived its name from the [[Gwalior Fort]] itself which was earlier known as Gopgiri, Gop Parvat (Shepherd's Hill) or Gopachal during [[Gupta Empire|Gupta period]]. In ancient time this region was known as ''Gopashetra'' roughly translate to "''the land of Gopis''" or "''the land associated to Cowherds''". The name is believed to have connections with the Gopis (the cow herdesses or cowherds girls) of the [[Krishna|Lord Krishna]] mythology. It is said that the area was once inhabited by cowherds and associated with pastoral activities, especially in the times of [[Mahabharata]]. This may refer to the cultural or historical ties with [[Krishna|Lord Krishna]] worship, which had an influence on the region. Gwalior was the major commercial and trade route during [[Samudragupta]] regin. According to some legends, Gwalior was founded in 600 CE (early 5th Century) after a local chieftain, [[Suraj Sen]], who was cured of leprosy from a drink given to him by a hermit named [[Gwalipa]]. Suraj subsequently set up a city and fort and named them after Gwalipa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania |publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers |year=1996 |isbn=1-884964-04-4 |editor-last=Schellinger |editor-first=Paul |location=Chicago |pages=312 |editor-last2=Salkin |editor-first2=Robert }}</ref>

The earliest historical record found at Gwalior is the [[Gwalior inscription of Mihirakula|Gwalior inscription]] of the [[Alchon Huns|Alchon Hun]] ruler [[Mihirakula]]. It describes Mihirakula's father [[Toramana]] (493–515) as "a ruler of the earth, of great merit, who was renowned by the name of the glorious Tôramâna; by whom, through (his) heroism that was specially characterized by truthfulness, the earth was governed with justice", and his Mihirakula as "the lord of the earth" as of 520 CE.

Around the 9th century, the [[Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty]] controlled Gwalior and during their rule, they constructed the [[Teli ka Mandir]] temple. The [[Kachchhapaghata dynasty]] ruled the area c.950 –c.1192 CE, leaving remarkable architectural works such as the [[Sasbahu Temple, Gwalior|Sas and Bahu Temples]]. In 1021, Gwalior was attacked by forces led by [[Mahmud of Ghazni|Mahmud Ghazni]].<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Jain statues, Gwalior.jpg|thumb|Jain Colossal at [[Siddhachal Caves]] inside Gwalior Fort.|left]]
In 1231 [[Iltutmish]], ruler of the [[Mamluk dynasty (Delhi)|Mamluk dynasty]] of the [[Delhi Sultanate]], captured Gwalior after an 11-month-long effort and from then till the 13th century it remained under Muslim rule. In 1375, Raja Veer Singh was made the ruler of Gwalior and he founded the rule of the [[Tomaras of Gwalior|Tomar]] clan. During those years, Gwalior saw its golden period. The Jain Sculptures at [[Gwalior Fort]] were built under Tomar rule. [[Man Singh Tomar]] a Tomar [[Rajput]] made his dream palace, the [[Gwalior Fort#Man mandir palace|Man Mandir Palace]] which is now a tourist attraction at Gwalior Fort.<ref name="Madan">{{cite book |title=India through the ages |url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada |last=Gopal |first=Madan |year=1990 |page=[https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/178 178] |editor=K.S. Gautam |publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India }}</ref> Babur described it as "the pearl in the necklace of forts of [[Al-Hind|India]] and not even the winds could touch its masts". The daily light and sound show organised there apprise about the history of the Gwalior Fort and Man Mandir Palace. By the 15th century, the city had a noted singing school which was attended by the prominent figure of Hindustani classical music, [[Tansen]]. After death of Mughal Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] the [[Jat people|Jat]] ruler [[Bhim Singh Rana]] captured Gwalior from [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7CenDwAAQBAJ&dq=Bhim+singh+rana+capture+gwalior&pg=PT301 |title=Majestic Monuments of India: Ancient Indian Mega Structures |last=TL |first=Prabhu |publisher=Nestfame Creations Pvt. Ltd. |year=2019 |access-date=9 May 2022 }}</ref> Later in the 1740s, the [[Scindia Dynasty]] captured Gwalior from the [[Jats]]. It remained a [[Gwalior state|princely state]] during the period of British rule.

[[Chaturbhuj Temple, Gwalior|Chaturbhuj Temple]] at Gwalior Fort has the world's [[0#History|very first occurrence of zero]] as a written number.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/origin-number-zero-180953392/?no-ist |title=The Origin of the Number Zero |author=Amir Aczel |website=Smithsonian.com |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924131103/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/origin-number-zero-180953392/?no-ist |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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=== Rebellion of 1857 ===
Gwalior was major centre in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 rebellion]], mainly because of [[Rani Lakshmibai]]. After Kalpi (Jhansi) fell into the hands of the British on 24 May 1858, Lakshmibai sought shelter at Gwalior Fort. The Maharaja of Gwalior, was not willing to give up his fort, but after negotiations, his troops capitulated and the rebels took possession of the fort. The British swifty charged against Gwalior in no time, the battle was fought by Lakshmibai.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanskritimagazine.com/history/rani-lakshmibai-remembering-valiant-queen-jhansi/# |title=Rani Lakshmibai: Remembering the valiant queen of Jhansi |work=Sanskriti – Indian Culture |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716053211/http://www.sanskritimagazine.com/history/rani-lakshmibai-remembering-valiant-queen-jhansi/ |archive-date=16 July 2015 |url-status=live |date=19 November 2014 }}</ref> Indian forces numbered around 20,000, and British forces around 1,600 troops. Lakshmibai's example is remembered to this day by Indian nationalists. She died fighting in Gwalior. There is a statue erected at the cenotaph (Samadhi) of Lakshmibai on her horse at Chhatri of Rani Lakshmibai<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chhatri of Rani Lakshmibai |url=https://gwalior.nic.in/tourist-place/%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BF/}}</ref> in Gwalior's Phoolbagh area where she died and was cremated which commemorates her contribution to the fight for independence. [[Tantia Tope]] and Rao Sahib escaped.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/Kidz/laxmiBai.html |title=INDOlink Kidz-Korner – Story of RANI LAKSHMIBAI |website=Indolink.com |access-date=13 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830180316/http://www.indolink.com/kidz/laxmiBai.html |archive-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Tantia Tope was later captured and hanged in April 1859.

===Princely state of Gwalior===
{{main|Gwalior State}}[[File:The Maharahaj of Gwalior Before His Palace ca 1887.jpg|thumb|The Maharaja of Gwalior Before His Palace, by Edwin Lord Weeks. c. 1887|left]]
[[Scindia]] is a Maratha clan in India. This clan included rulers of the [[Gwalior State]] in the 18th and 19th centuries, who were a [[princely state]] during the period of British colonial rule until Indian independence. During independence, the clans became involved in politics.

[[File:Gwalior (Baedeker, 1914).jpg|thumb|Map of the city, ca 1914]]
The Scindia state<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indianrajputs.com/view/gwalior |title=Gwalior |author=Abhinay Rathore |work=Rajput Provinces of India |date=January 1971 |access-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621050303/http://www.indianrajputs.com/view/gwalior |archive-date=21 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> of Gwalior became a major regional power in the second half of the 18th century and figured prominently in the three [[Anglo-Maratha Wars (disambiguation)|Anglo-Maratha Wars]]. (Gwalior first fell to the British in 1780.) The Scindias held significant power over many of the [[Rajput]] states, and conquered the state of Ajmer. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the city was briefly held by rebel forces in 1858 until they were defeated by the British.<ref>''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer'', p. 740</ref> The Scindia dynasty ruled Gwalior until India's independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, when the [[Maharaja]] [[Jiwajirao Scindia]] acceded to the Government of India. Gwalior was merged with a number of other princely states to become the new Indian state of Madhya Bharat. Jivajirao Scindia served as the state's [[Rajpramukh]], or the appointed governor, from 28 May 1948 to 31 October 1956, when Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh. Gwalior was the first princely state that was merged into India. [[File:Gwalior Twelve Annas King George VI SG137.jpg|thumb|A King George VI stamp of 1949, inscribed 'GWALIOR']]

In 1962, [[Vijaya Raje Scindia|Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia]], the widow of Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia, was elected to the Lok Sabha, beginning the family's career in electoral politics. She was first a member of the Congress Party, and later became an influential member of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. Her son, Maharaja [[Madhavrao Scindia]] was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971, representing the Congress Party, and served until his death in 2001.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zubrzycki |first1=John |date=6 August 2023 |title=Did India let down the maharajahs? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66370541 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=8 August 2023 |archive-date=7 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807230428/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66370541 |url-status=live }}</ref> His son, [[Jyotiraditya Scindia]], also in the Congress Party, was elected to the seat formerly held by his father in 2004, but later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2020.