The exact period of Gwalior Fort's construction is uncertain. However, some old records indicate that it was initially known as the Badalgarh fort. It was built by a Sakarwar Rajput king named Maharaja Badal Dev. According to a local legend, the fort was built by a local king named Suraj Sen (Sakarwar Rajput) in 3 CE. He was cured of leprosy, when a sage named Gwalipa offered him the water from a sacred pond, which now lies within the fort. The grateful king constructed a fort, and named it after the sage. The sage bestowed the title Pal ("protector") upon the king, and told him that the fort would remain in his family's possession, as long as they bear this title. 83 descendants of Suraj Sen Pal controlled the fort, but the 84th, named Tej Karan, lost it.