When you think of a fort, you think of huge walls, cannons, turrets... and most of the forts I have seen are in quite a bad shape, having suffered during the wars they were built to brave. Which is why, Amer comes as a surprise. It looks more like a palace than a fort, and is remarkably well preserved, considering that it was built and enlarged from the 16thto the 18th centuries. Of course, one reason for this could be that Jaipur was quite a safe place during that period, seeing only minor skirmishes in the area, not full-fledged wars. It would also have helped that the rulers of Jaipur chose to side with the Mughal Emperors and thus earned their protection. Wars fought by the Rajputs of Jaipur were fought, not in Jaipur or Amer, but at other places, not only Rajasthan but all over the Indian Subcontinent. It was first Raja Man Singh, and later, his descendents, who built and beautified Amer. It is their combined efforts that we see today, and, it gives us a glimpse of the life the royal rulers of Jaipur led.
