Red fort
The Red Fort is a historic fort in the city of Delhi (in Old Delhi) in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, its painting is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. It was renovated between May 1639 and April 1648 based on an earlier fort.
Red Fort
Redfortdelhi1.jpg
A view of the Red Fort's Lahori Gate
Location
Old Delhi, India
Coordinates
28°39′21″N 77°14′27″E
Height
18–33 m (59–108 ft)
Built
12 May 1639 – 6 April 1648
(8 years, 10 months and 25 days)
Architect
Ustad Ahmad Lahori
Architectural style(s)
Indo-Islamic, Mughal
Owner
Mughal Empire (1638 - 1760)
Maratha empire (1760, 1771 - 1803)
Sikh Confederacy (1783)
East India Company (1803 - 1857)
British Empire (1857 - 1947)
Government of India (1947 - present)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name
Red Fort Complex
Type
Cultural
Criteria
ii, iii, vi
Designated
2007 (31st session)
Reference no.
231rev
State Party
India
Region
Indo-Pacific
Red Fort is located in DelhiRed Fort
Location in Delhi, India, Asia
On 15 August 1947, the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate.[1] Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the prime minister hoists the Indian tricolour flag at the fort's main gate and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts.
History
Constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his fortified capital Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone. The imperial apartments consist of a row of pavilions, connected by a water channel known as the Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i-Bihisht). The fort complex is "considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity under Shah Jahan",and although the palace was planned according to Islamic prototypes, each pavilion contains architectural elements typical of Mughal buildings that reflect a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions. The Red Fort's innovative architectural style, including its garden design, influenced later buildings and gardens in Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Braj, Rohilkhand and elsewhere.
The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1747. Most of the fort's precious marble structures were subsequently destroyed by the British following the Revolt of 1857. The fort's defensive walls were largely spared, and the fortress was subsequently used as a garrison.It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex.
Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Originally red and white, Shah Jahan's favourite colours, its design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal. The fort lies along the Yamuna River, which fed the moats surrounding most of the walls.Construction began in the sacred month of Muharram, on 13 May 1638. Supervised by Shah Jahan, it was completed on 6 April 1648.Unlike other Mughal forts, the Red Fort's boundary walls are asymmetrical to contain the older Salimgarh Fort.[16]:04 The fortress-palace was a focal point of the city of Shahjahanabad, which is present-day Old Delhi. Shah Jahan's successor, Aurangzeb, added the Pearl Mosque to the emperor's private quarters, constructing barbicans in front of the two main gates to make the entrance to the palace more circuitous.
The administrative and fiscal structure of the Mughal dynasty declined after Aurangzeb, and the 18th century saw a degeneration of the palace. When Jahandar Shah took over the Red Fort in 1712, it had been without an emperor for 30 years. Within a year of beginning his rule, Shah was murdered and replaced by Farrukhsiyar. Muhammad Shah, known as 'Rangila' (the Colourful) for his interest in art. In 1739, Persian emperor Nadir Shah easily defeated the Mughal army, plundering the Red Fort, including the Peacock Throne. Nadir Shah returned to Persia after three months, leaving a destroyed city and a weakened Mughal empire to Muhammad Shah.[16]:09 The internal weakness of the Mughal Empire made the Mughals only titular rulers of Delhi, and a 1752 treaty made the Marathas protectors of the throne at Delhi.[20][21] The 1758 Maratha victory at Sirhind aided by the Sikhs and successive defeat at Panipat placed them in further conflict with Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Padshah Sultan Ul Quam Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia marching into Red Fort unfurling Nishan Sahibs.
In 1760, the Marathas removed and melted the silver ceiling of the Diwan-i-Khas to raise funds for the defence of Delhi from the armies of Ahmed Shah Durrani.In 1761, after the Marathas lost the third battle of Panipat, Delhi was raided by Ahmed Shah Durrani. Ten years later, the Marathas captured Delhi from the Afghans under the leadership of Mahadji Scindia and Peshwa Madhavrao and placed their puppet emperor Shah Alam II on the throne.:10
In 1783 the Sikh Misl Karor Singhia, led by Baghel Singh, conquered Delhi and the Red Fort.Baghel Singh, Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Jassa Singh Ramgarhia all allied with a 40,000 force and plundered the area from Awadh to Jodhpur. They destroyed Mughal supremacy and made them pay Rakhi Tax of 4 lacks each month.
In 1788, a Maratha garrison occupied the Red fort and Delhi alongside providing protection to the Mughal Emperor. Mahadji Scindia signed a treaty with the Sikhs where they were warned not to enter Delhi or ask for the Rakhi tribute. The Marathas lost the fort to the British East India Company following the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803.
During the Second Anglo-Maratha War, forces of British East India Company defeated Maratha forces of Daulat Rao Scindia in the Battle of Delhi; this ended Maratha rule of the city and their control of the Red Fort.After the battle, the British took over the administration of Mughal territories and installed a Resident at the Red Fort.11 The last Mughal emperor to occupy the fort, Bahadur Shah II, became a symbol of the 1857 rebellion against the British in which the residents of Shahjahanbad participated.
Despite its position as the seat of Mughal power and its defensive capabilities, the Red Fort was not defended during the 1857 uprising against the British. After the rebellion failed, Bahadur Shah II left the fort on 17 September and was apprehended by British forces. Bahadur Shah Zafar II returned to Red Fort as a British prisoner, was tried in 1858 and exiled to Rangoon on 7 October of that year. With the end of Mughal reign, the British sanctioned the systematic plunder of valuables from the fort's palaces. All furniture was removed or destroyed; the harem apartments, servants' quarters and gardens were destroyed, and a line of stone barracks built.Only the marble buildings on the east side at the imperial enclosure escaped complete destruction, although they were looted and damaged. While the defensive walls and towers were relatively unharmed, more than two-thirds of the inner structures were destroyed by the British.{cn}}
Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905, ordered repairs to the fort including reconstruction of the walls and the restoration of the gardens complete with a watering system.
Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the Indian "tricolour flag" at the fort's main gate and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts.
Most of the jewels and artwork of the Red Fort were looted and stolen during Nadir Shah's invasion of 1747 and again after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British. They were eventually sold to private collectors or the British Museum, British Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum. For example, the jade wine cup of Shah Jahan and the crown of Bahadur Shah II are all currently located in London. Various requests for restitution have so far been rejected by the British government.
View of the Red Fort from the river (by Ghulam Ali Khan, between c. 1852–1854
1911 saw the visit of King George V and Queen Mary for the Delhi Durbar. In preparation for their visit, some buildings were restored. The Red Fort Archaeological Museum was moved from the drum house to the Mumtaz Mahal.
The INA trials, also known as the Red Fort Trials, refer to the courts-martial of a number of officers of the Indian National Army. The first was held between November and December 1945 at the Red Fort.
On 15 August 1947, the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate.
After Indian Independence, the site experienced few changes, and the Red Fort continued to be used as a military cantonment. A significant part of the fort remained under Indian Army control until 22 December 2003, when it was given to the Archaeological Survey of India for restoration.In 2009 the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India under Supreme Court directions to revitalise the fort, was announced.[34][35][36]
Today Edit
Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the prime minister of India hoists the national flag at the Red Fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts. The Red Fort, the largest monument in Delhi, is one of its most popular tourist destinations and attracts thousands of visitors every year. A sound and light show describing Mughal history is a tourist attraction in the evenings. The major architectural features are in mixed condition; the extensive water features are dry. Some buildings are in fairly good condition, with their decorative elements undisturbed; in others, the marble inlaid flowers have been removed by looters. The tea house, although not in its historical state, is a working restaurant. The mosque and hamam or public baths are closed to the public, although visitors can peer through their glass windows or marble latticework. Walkways are crumbling, and public toilets are available at the entrance and inside the park. The Lahori Gate entrance leads to a mall with jewellery and craft stores. There is also a museum of "blood paintings", depicting young 20th-century Indian martyrs and their stories, an archaeological museum and an Indian war-memorial museum.
The Red fort appears on the back of the ₹500 note of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series of the Indian rupee.
In April 2018, Dalmia Bharat Group adopted the Red Fort for maintenance, development, and operations, per a contract worth ₹25 crores for a period of five years, under the government's "Adopt A Heritage" scheme. The memorandum of understanding was signed with the ministries of tourism and culture and the Archaeological Survey of India (A.S.I.). Following the deal, Dalmia took over control of the fort's light and sound show.Under the contract, Dalmia will have to engage in development by restoring, landscaping, providing basic amenities, and arranging for battery operated cars, amongst other things. It can charge visitors an admission fee following clearances from the ministries. That revenue will go towards the fort's maintenance and development.Dalmia is not to be held liable under the contract if the A.S.I. or the Delhi district collector pursues claims against its work on the monument.Dalmia's brand is also to be visible under the contract; it can have its name on souvenirs that are sold and on banners displayed during events at the fort.
The adoption of the fort by a private group left people divided and drew criticism from the public, opposition political parties, and historians. It also led to the #IndiaOnSale hashtag on Twitter.[41] In May 2018, the Indian History Congress called for the deal to be suspended until there is an "impartial review" of the deal "by the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology or any other recognised body of experts".
During the CAA protests in December 2019, the Delhi Police imposed Section 144 of the CrPC around the Red Fort and detained a number of agitators near the fort area ahead of planned march against the new citizenship act.
In 2021, a Farmers' Republic day parade was organized as part of the protest involving farmers from all over India, with a majority from Punjab and Haryana, after talks broke down with the government.In the morning, protestors were diverted to smaller streets after leaving the agreed rally routes. The protests collided with the police and made their way to the center of Delhi. Some protestors entered the Red Fort premises, where they hoisted National Flag, Nishan Sahib (Sikh religious flag) and farmer union flags. By the end of the day there were many injuries on both sides during the violent clashes. This action stirred patriotic reactions in the Indian population both offline and on social media platforms.
Comments
Post a Comment