The Kangra Fort, also known as the Nagarkot or Kot Kangra, is situated to the south-west of 
the old Kangra town. In the annals of history, its first reference occurs at the time of 
invasions of Mahmud Ghazni in AD 1009. It fell to the Muslims permanently in 1621, when after 
a siege of fourteen months it was conquered by Jahangir, who garrisoned it with his troops 
and appointed a Mughal Governor to keep the hill chief in the check. Raja Sansar Chand II 
succeeded in 1786 in recovering the ancient fortress of his ancestors but had to surrender the 
fort to Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809. It remained in the hands of the Sikhs till 
1846 when it was made over to the British Government along with the hill States as far as Ravi. 
The Fort continued to be held by a garrison but was evacuated sometime before the great 
earthquake on 4th April 1905 in which extensive damage was sustained. The Fort, occupying a 
long strip of land is enclosed with high rampart and the walls cover a circuit of about 
four kilometres. The main entrance gate is called the Ranjit Singh Gate which is followed by 
a narrow path leading to Jehangir gate, and then to the main complex with a palace and temples.