Jahanpanah Fort Delhi History and Interesting Facts

Jahanpanah Fort Quick Facts

Jahanpanah Fort Overview

New Delhi, the capital of modern India, has been the center of attraction for many empires since ancient times. Delhi is also called the heart of India as it is the center of political activities of India as well as the history and artwork of various religions, castes, and empires of India.

It is a capital that is not only famous for its political activities but it is also famous for its historical and tourist places here. The Jahanpanah Fort located in Delhi is one of the oldest forts in India, which was built by the rulers of the Tughlaq dynasty in the 13th century.

Jahanpanah Fort History

This world famous wonderful and historical fort was built in Delhi between the year 1326 to 1327 by Mohammad bin Tughlaq, son of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the founder of Tughlaq Sultanate. This fort was built by Tughlaq to protect himself and his people from the Mongols.

This fort and its surrounding structures have turned into ruins at present, due to which complete information about the construction and other purposes of this fort is not known. The structures like Lal Kot and Bijmandal situated in the premises of this fort have been described by the famous historian and traveler Ibn Battuta in his travelogue.

Ibn Battuta has described in his travelogue that the famous ruler Muhammad Shah wanted to see this fort and its surrounding structures like Old Delhi, Siri and Tughlaqabad but he saw these places incomplete due to the high cost. Ibn Battuta also mentioned in his account the Sutan Palace, in which about 1000 pillars were built.

Jahanpanah Fort Interesting Facts

1. The construction of this popular fort took more than 1 year, this fort was built by the ruler of Tughlaq dynasty, Muhammad-bin Tughlaq, between the year 1326 AD to 1327 AD.
2. This Fort is one of the largest and grand fort of India, this fort is covered over an area of ​​about 49.4 acres.
3. The Fort of Adilabad (Muhammadabad), built on the southern hills of Tughlaqabad, serves as the outer security wall of the Jahanpanah fort. The walls of this fort are about 12 meters thick and about 8 km. Till long.
4. The length of the initial courtyard of Begumpur Mosque situated in the premises of this fort is about 75 meters and width is about 80 meters, the size of the inner courtyard of this mosque is also similar, which is about 90 meters in length and about 94 meters in width.
5. The Begumpur Mosque located in this fort was built by the famous architect Zahir al-Din al-Jayush, this mosque also has 9 large prayer rooms, 3 large arched gates are also present in this mosque.
6. The Total length of the Bijayamandal situated in the premises of this fort is about 74 meters and the total width is about 82 meters, it is a square structure on which a huge dome has been built.
7. In the year 1934, an excavation was done in this area by the Archaeological Survey Department, in which more than 1000 wooden pillars of Hazar Sutan Palace were revealed, it was believed that these were the base of that palace.
8. At a distance of only 500 meters from the north of Bijayamandal is located the Kalusarai Mosque, which was a popular mosque built in the Tughlaq architectural style, currently this mosque is owned by the local people.
9. To the east of the Begumpur Mosque, in the village of Serai Shahaji, several buildings of the Mughal period can be seen, of which the Serai Shaji Mahal is the most prominent monument. This monument houses the tomb of Sheikh Farid Murtaza Khan, which was constructed during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
10. The Lal Gumbad structure, located in the premises of this fort, was constructed as the tomb of the famous saint Sheikh Kabiruddin Auliya who had been a disciple of the famous Sufi saint Sheikh Roshan Chiragh-i-Delhi in the 14th century.
11. Among the other famous structures of this fort, the main structures are 3 tombs located in the premises of Sadhna Enclave, out of which today only the tomb of Sheikh Alauddin is in good condition.
12. The Archaeological Survey of India has spent about 15 lakh rupees in the preservation of this fort and its ancient structures.