Red fort

History of RED FORT

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 perimeter with 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 such marvels 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.