It was a game where the Ibrox men were denied space and time on the ball and were hustled out of their stride time and time again by a side who have now won five consecutive games.
With Sir Alex Ferguson an interested onlooker, Ibrox Boss Walter Smith made one change from last Saturday with Madjid Bougherra back from injury to replace Lee McCulloch.
It was the home side who made the early running - Andy Driver breaking forward in the first minute to test Allan McGregor with a low 25-yard drive that the goalkeeper held.
It was end-to-end action in what quickly became a typical old-fashioned thriller in the tight confines of Gorgie.
Hearts snatched the lead in nineteen minutes when Bruno Aguiar's free-kick from wide left created havoc in the visitors goal - Christophe Berra beating Bougherra in the air before an almighty scramble ensued in front of goal allowing Marius Zaliukas to scoop the ball into the net.
Three minutes later, unbelievably, it was 2-0 when another Aguiar free-kick (this time from a hotly-disputed award) to the back post saw Berra again beat Bougherra in the air, McGregor producing a good save only for Laryea Kingston to prod home the rebound.
Rangers were rocking - yet the deficit was halved in 25 minutes - again from a free-kick - when Charlie Adam's centre saw Kris Boyd rise with Marius Zaliukas, the defender back-heading the ball down and against his own crossbar before turning the ball over the line for an own goal.
The visitors were now right back in the game - yet there remained an uneasiness about the Ibrox rearguard, demonstrated in 38 minutes when Steven Whittaker's error freed Aguiar on the right, his low cross finding Kingston whose effort was blocked by McGregor.
Four minutes later Boyd was yellow-carded for a foul on Berra, somewhat ironically considering that the central defender had been fouling him throughout.
Chris Burke replaced Adam in 55 minutes, the winger's first appearance of the season.
Two minutes later in a lightning break Ruben Palazuelos released Kingston whose 25-yarder was clawed away by McGregor.
Hearts full-back Lee Wallace was yellow-carded on seventy minutes for a body-check on Burke, then sixty seconds later Nacho Novo replaced Jean-Claude Darcheville.
The Tynecastle men were reduced to ten men in 75 minutes when Wallace received a second yellow card and consequent red for another foul on Burke.
Rangers piled on the pressure in the closing stages - indeed they had spent virtually the entire half camped in the Hearts area.
Boyd shot over in 82 minutes when Whittaker's cross was nodded down by Kyle Lafferty - then in injury time Kirk Broadfoot shot over from a Whittaker free-kick.
There was no breakthrough however - the Ibrox men had simply not created enough chances, and many departing 'Gers fans were left to ponder the club's record since Barry Ferguson returned to the side.
Afterwards a downcast Walter Smith reflected:
"We had trouble defensively during the first twenty minutes, conceded too many fouls, and lost two bad goals. Hearts had a solid defensive base. We spent an hour in the Hearts half but couldn't score. We have no excuses - we didn't create enough chances."
Meanwhile a jubilant Hearts Manager Csaba Laszlo significantly revealed:
"In Africa I watched DVD's of Rangers' UEFA Cup run last season. I played the same tactics today. I knew that they would play the long, high ball..."
HEARTS MacDonald; Neilson, Berra, Zaliukas, Wallace; Kingston, Karipidis, Palazuelos, Aguiar, Driver; Nade
UNUSED SUBS Kello, Makela, Obua, Cesnauskis, Mole, Thomson, Jonsson
RANGERS McGregor; Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Whittaker; Lafferty, Mendes, Ferguson, Adam; Boyd, Darcheville
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Edu, Novo, McCulloch, Burke, Aaron, Loy
REFEREE Dougie McDonald