Red Fort Chandni Chowk Delhi History and Interesting Facts

Red Fort Quick Facts

Red Fort Overview

There are many Historical forts in India, but there will hardly be a fort-like the Red Fort located in Delhi, the capital of India. The Red Fort of Delhi is one of its oldest Historical Places, it is located on the banks of river Yamuna in Delhi. It was built by Shah Jahan, the 5th Emperor of the Mughal Empire. It was selected as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 2007.

Red Fort History

The construction of the Red Fort was started by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan on 12 May 1639 when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Shah Jahan entrusted the work of its construction to the famous architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori and asked the architect to work according to the emperor's choice. The fort was built and was completely completed in 1648.

Initially, the Red Fort was not connected to the old fort, but during the reign of Aurangzeb, work was done to connect the Red Fort to the old fort. Many rulers occupied the Red Fort because it was the important center of the medieval city of Shahjahanabad at that time, the rulers made changes to the Red Fort over time, such as it was used as a British cantonment after the first war of independence of 1857.

Architectural Style of Red Fort:

The Architectural style of the Red Fort is also the best example of Mughal architectural style, in which Indian, European, or Persian architectural styles can also be clearly seen, which presents it as a Shahjahani style. The architectural style of the Red Fort shows a high level of art and high level of ornamentation which enhances its beauty even more. The marble, floral decoration, and double dome in the fort's buildings exemplify the Mughal architectural style.

Major Structures of Red Fort:

One of the main structures of the Red Fort is its Lahori Gate, the main gate of the Red Fort which was named after the city of Lahore the other important gate is the Delhi Gate which was rebuilt by Lord Curzon in 1903 after being destroyed by Aurangzeb or Other important structures include Chatta Chowk, Naubat Khana, Diwan-i-Aam, Nahr-e-Bhist, Diwan-i-Khas, Mumtaz Mahal, Haram, etc. Each building in the Red Fort has its own special significance as Chhatta Chowk was used for the market, Diwan-i-Aam Sabha.

Red Fort Interesting Facts

1. Presently the color of the Red Fort is red, but originally it was not red but white, which was later painted by the officials of the British Empire with red-colored stones and colors during the repair of the Red Fort.
2. The Red Fort is called the Red Fort because its high boundary walls whose function was to provide maximum protection to the royal people were red in color.
3. The Red Fort is known as the Red Fort due to its color but in reality, its name is Qila-e-Mubarak or Mubarak Fort.
4. The world-famous Kohinoor diamond was actually attached to the throne of Shah Jahan, a throne made of solid gold and surrounded by precious stones that were looted by the British.
5. Since the first Independence Day in the Red Fort, every Independence Day speech is delivered by the Prime Minister from the Red Fort.
6. Like the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort was also built on the banks of the Yamuna River. The ditch made for safety was also filled with the water of the Yamuna itself.
7. In 1739, Nadarshah attacked Delhi and caused a lot of damage to the garden and walls of the Red Fort.
8. During the revolution of 1857, the revolutionaries had taken the Red Fort under their control, but the British defeated all these revolutionaries and made the Red Fort the headquarters of the British Army.
9. The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in this fort and his two sons were sent to Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar Rangoon jail after being given a death sentence.
10. Rang Mahal which literally means "Palace of Colours" was built for queens and royal ladies only emperors and princes were allowed inside.