kingdom · South Asia

Tomara dynasty of Gwalior

1394 CE – 1523 CE · capital Gwalior

A Rajput dynasty that ruled from the fortress of Gwalior, whose king Man Singh built the Man Mandir palace and patronised dhrupad music.

Origins

Bir Singh Deo, a Tomara chief serving the Delhi Sultanate, seized the fort of Gwalior around 1394, during the confusion that followed Firuz Shah Tughluq's death and preceded Timur's invasion. His descendants held Gwalior as an independent kingdom, at times paying tribute to the Sayyid and Lodi sultans of Delhi.

Rule and society

Dungarendra Singh had the colossal Jain rock-cut statues carved into the cliffs of Gwalior fort. Man Singh Tomar, the most famous ruler, built the Man Mandir palace with its blue tile work and sponsored music; the dhrupad style and the singer tradition later associated with Tansen developed at his court. His queen Mrignayani is remembered in legend.

Decline and legacy

Ibrahim Lodi of the Delhi Sultanate besieged Gwalior and forced Vikramaditya Tomar to surrender in 1523. Vikramaditya later died fighting for Ibrahim at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Gwalior passed to the Mughal Empire.

Lineage

Delhi Sultanate 1206 CE – 1526 CETomara dynasty of Gwalior

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tomara dynasty of Gwalior. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tomara-dynasty-of-gwalior
MLA
“Tomara dynasty of Gwalior.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tomara-dynasty-of-gwalior. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Tomara dynasty of Gwalior.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tomara-dynasty-of-gwalior.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tomara dynasty of Gwalior’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tomara-dynasty-of-gwalior (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻