The Red Fort of Delhi is a historical fort in the city of Delhi in India. Lal Kila is a very special place for tourists in India. Tourists coming from other countries also like to see this fort of India very much.
Talking about this fort, let us tell you that till 1856, this fort was ruled by the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for almost 200 years. It is situated in the center of India Lal Kila Delhi along with it has many museums. This fort was the ceremonial and political center of the Mughal state, apart from the emperors and their homes, and this area was specially established for the meeting.
If you are planning to visit Lal Quila, then this place can be very special for you, but before going here, you should know a lot of information about this place which we are going to tell you with the help of this article.
Why is this fort called Red Fort?
The Red Fort was built by Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, in 1639 as a palace for his capital, Shahjahanabad. It is named Lal Quila because of its massive red sandstone walls. This fort is very close to the old Salimgarh Fort built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546 AD. There is a row of pavilions in the royal part of this fort. Which is known as the Stream of Paradise (Nahar-e-Bisht). The fort complex is the part that is known to represent the area of Shah Jahan and Mughal creativity.
Why is the Red Fort famous?
The Red Fort was constructed as the new seat of the Mughal Empire. The fort is made of red sandstone whose walled citadel took almost a decade to complete. It is said to have remained well-planned and organized as compared to the previous generation of the Mughal Empire. The last Mughal emperor to rule the Red Fort was Bahadur Shah Zafar. After this, the British captured India in Lal Kila.
History Of Red Fort
The Red Fort was built in the 17th century as Shah Jahan’s palace and was built when he used it as the capital city. There are many pavilions in the Red Fort which shows the creativity of the Mughal Emperor. The palace was designed by architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori. The Red Fort is built on the banks of the holy river Yamuna. Let us tell you that it took 10 years to build this big Red Fort. This palace has been the residence of many emperors and kings since the beginning.
who ruled over it. The Delhi Red Fort is named ‘Lal Quila because it is built of red sandstone. Red Fort Delhi is such a place in the country where the Prime Minister of India gives his speech on Independence Day. When Shah Jahan ruled this fort, it was called Shahjahanabad. Now it is called Lal Kila Delhi. When Aurangzeb ruled the Mughal dynasty after Shah Jahan ruled this fort. Then the Red Firt was starting to lose its luster.
Priceless Treasure of Red Fort
The Red Fort has a silver roof which was later replaced with a copper roof to raise money. After this, in the year 1793, a Persian emperor Nadir Shah captured the Red Fort and took away valuable property from the fort. The Marathas defeated the 16th Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and ruled Lal Kila Delhi for 20 years. Later he was defeated by the British and snatched all the valuable property which was kept inside the fort including the Kohinoor diamond.
The British crowned Bahadur Shah Zafar, Shah Jahan’s wine cup, and many more such as valuables were robbed. The Red Fort Memorial was once a magnificent structure, which was made from precious stones and metals.
How was the Red Fort built?
Shah Jahan wanted to establish a new city, like Agra – situated on the banks of the river. Makarmat Khan was given the responsibility of building the fort and Ghairat Khan was sent to assist him. Ustad Hamid and Ustad Ahmed were entrusted with the responsibility of building this fort. Shah Jahan himself was taking an interest in its construction and also used to review things related to architecture. While being the governor of Ahmedabad, he got good training in architecture. So he had an understanding of these things. Shah Jahan used to go to the construction site in disguise.
Although the foundation of the Red Fort was laid on 29 April, the process of construction started on 12 May. The reason for keeping the gap of so many days would not be a threat to this construction due to the Yamuna flowing just a short distance away, the Red Fort was finally completed in 1648. The walls of Diwan-i-Alam were covered with silk and expensive carpets were laid on the floor in the court.
Silk and velvet were imported from China and Turkmenistan. Shah Jahan stepped into the fort for the first time from the gate facing the river and his sons were raining gold coins on it from above. Shah Jahan was also happy. He gave 1 lakh rupees to his daughter Jahanara and gave 20 thousand horses, a fine weapon, increasing the rank of his son Dara. An allowance of Rs 300 and Rs 250 was announced to Prince Suleiman and Sifar respectively.
Expenses of Red Fort
Rupees 67 lakh were spent on the entire palace. Makarmat Khan was also awarded 5000 horses by giving him the title of ‘Panj Hazari’. Large herds of camels, horses, and elephants entered the entire city. Such a scene was seen only after 1911 when the British coronated George V and Queen Mary at New Delhi ka Lal kila. There was such activity even then. At that time money was spent openly on building the Red Fort. 21 lakhs was spent on making the walls and the enclosure around it.
28 lakh rupees were spent on the public building located in the Red Fort Palace of India. It took 14 lakh rupees to build Diwan-i-Khas and 2.5 lakhs to make Diwan-i-Khas. Five and a half lakh rupees were spent on the construction of Rang Mahal and Khas Mahal. Hayat Baksh Bagh was prepared for 6 lakh rupees. The women of Jahanara Bagal and other Mughal households separately spent Rs 7 lakh for the construction of the Zenana building.
Interesting Facts About Red Fort
- The Red Fort was not always red in color, but was built of white-colored limestone.
- When the white layer of the stone started coming off, the British had painted it red.
- The Red Fort was earlier known as “Qila-e-Mubarak”.
- It took almost 10 years to give shape and beauty to the Delhi fort.
- The country’s prized possession, the Kohinoor Hira, was a part of Shah Jahan’s throne, ruling from the Red Fort.
- This hero was later captured by the British.
- The main architects of this monument were Ustad Ahmed and Ustad Hamid.
- He had given the whole fort such a beautiful and strong appearance.
- One of the two main gates of Delhi Ka Kila was named ‘Lahore Gate.
- Because the door was facing towards Lahore and at that time Pakistan
- When viewed from a height, the shape of the fort looks like an octagon.
- From Independence Day till today, the Prime Minister of the country addresses the public from the Red Fort itself.
- Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal ruler to rule from the Red Fort.
- He was later convicted of treason by the British government.
- The Red Fort has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
FAQ
Q: When was the Red Fort built?
Ans: The Red Fort was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the year 1639.
Q : Who Made the Red fort?
Ans: The Red Fort of Delhi was built by Emperor Shah Jahan.
Q : Where is Red Fort Located?
Ans: The Red Fort is located in our city of Delhi.
Q: In how many acres is the Red Fort built?
Ans: The Red Fort of Delhi is spread over an area of about 254.67 acres.
