History and Architecture of Red Fort, Delhi

History and Architecture of Red Fort, Delhi:

History of Red Fort, Delhi:

The history of Red Fort Delhi cannot be summed up in words as its history is connected with centuries of Mughal rule in country. Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had varied needs of this fort and it was made according to those needs. The mammoth sized fort made a distinguished presence in the medieval time of India and is related to the time line of this country to this date.

In 1639, when Mughal ruler Shah Jahan transited his capital from Agra to Delhi, the construction of Red Fort was ordered by him in the north-eastern side of the newly founded city of Shahjahanabad. Shahjahanabad in present day is known as Old Delhi. The construction took nearly a decade to complete, and Yamuna water was used to feed the moat built all around the fort.

The construction of Red Fort by the sandstone of red color in large scale gave it the name Red Fort. The majesty of the fort is the first thing to notice but the red color became an essential feature of the aura of the fort and is easily recognized with it. The magnitude of the size of the fort can be estimated by the fact that it took ten years to complete the fort. It has almost two and half kilometer perimeterwith tallest structure of 33 meters. The fort has become one of most sought after tourist destination in the modern time.  

History of Red Fort Delhi reveals that numerous sections were built in the fort according the specific functions and needs in mind. “Deewan-e-Aam” is hall built for general public to interact with the emperor. It has a string of columns made of Gold with rail that would mark the boundary between people and the king. “Deewan-e-Khas is another hall made up of natural stones which was used for privately held meetings of the emperor. Many other suchmarvels of architecture are present in the fort like the “Hammams” or the bath places specially built for the royal family. “Shahi Burj” is another place where the emperor’s office was built and the emperor spent time working privately. “Rang Mahal” or the Palace of Colors was a special place built for the wives of the emperor. It has a huge pool spot with beautiful crafted ceiling, having gold covered towers and a number of mirrors in arrangement.

“Naqqar Khana” is a place in the Fort where the musicians would play music specific to the particular time of the day. This place is situated at the very entry to the palace and visitors to the Place would disembark from their ride (elephants) at this place.

All the information about the history of the Red Fort Delhi is of the archeological importance or of tourist related activities. Red Fort being close to some other historical monuments also e.g., Jama Masjid and Raj Ghat gets large number of tourists every year. Also the Red Fort is used for addressing the nation on the Independence Day of India by the Prime Minister each year.

Architecture of Red Fort:

The Red Fort was built by Shah Jahan when he decided to transfer his capital to Delhi. He began its construction in 1639 and completed it in 1648 A.D. He held his first darbar in it on April 1648. The building of the Red Fort was supervised by Shah Jahan himself. It is said that about one crore rupees were spent on those days to build this fort. The Red Fort is built of red sandstone and marble on the bank of the Yamuna. 

The fort is in the form of a parallelogram measuring 930 metres by 495 metres. It is surrounded by a strongly fortified wall. The walls facing Chandni Chowk are higher than those facing the Yamuna. There are two gateways- Lahori Gate, which is the western gateway, was the main and the ceremonial entrance. Some of the prominent buildings in this fort are Diwan-i-Aam, the Diwan-i-Khas and the Rang Mahal. 

These buildings are decorated with pure white marbel and inlaid with precious stones. Nowadays, it is being used to house some of the military offices. 

The fort has an arrangement for continuous water supply. After the independence of India, the Prime Minister of India unfurls the national flag from the ramparts of the Red fort on the Independence Day. The Red Fort is one of the important historical monuments in Delhi. Its vastness, sense of proportion imposing structure and the magnificence of its execution reflects the grandeur of the Mughal architecture. The following Persian couplet which is inscribed in the Diwan-i-Khas aptly describes its grandeur: "If there is a paradise on the face of the earth, It is this, it is this, it is this."