So friends, in today’s article you are going to know about a very beautiful and culturally important monument of India, which is the pride of India and is present in the capital of India. People from different countries come to see it. This is the pride of India because the Independence Day i.e. 15th August is honored here by hoisting the Indian flag. Its history is very exciting and worth knowing, after knowing this you will know how big and important is the culture of India. In this article you will know 10 things about the Red Fort which you might have probably never heard before. Must read this article till the end
So let’s start without wasting any time.
The Red Fort in Delhi
This is a building whose fate seems to have been written by time with its own hands. It took ages and many stories were created for the old India to become today’s India. This Red Fort of Delhi became his witness. In the last four centuries, this building has seen history changing many times. This building has seen passing times. The changing times have seen those governments which once ruled over the entire India. Have seen those regimes being destroyed in a moment.
1. Real Name of Red Fort:
This is the name of this Red Fort of Delhi, Red Fort. The fort got its name because of these large boundary walls made of red stone and this name probably dates back to the British era in the 19th century. Perhaps it was the British who started calling it Redford. But very few people know that the real name of this fort is Qila-e-Mubarak (Blessed Fort). This name was given to it by Shahjahan (King of Mughal Emperor)
2. Construction of Red Fort:
Shahjahan thought of building the Red Fort when he decided to shift the capital of the Mughal Empire from Agra to Delhi. During the time of Akbar, the capital of the Mughals was Agra, which is present in Uttar Pradesh (State of India). Akbar did not like Delhi that much because Delhi reminded Akbar of his father Humayun’s defeat against Sher Shah Suri. But Shahjahan was troubled by the heat of Agra and decided to return to Delhi. He decided that the capital of the Mughal Empire should now be Delhi. Shahjahan established a city in Delhi which was named Shahjahanabad. It is now called Old Delhi. The construction of the grand Red Fort started in the middle of this city.
3. When Red Fort was Completed?
In 1638, Shahjahan ordered the construction of the Red Fort and after 10 years the Red Fort was completed in 1648. When the Red Fort was completed, Shahjahan was in Kabul, Afghanistan. When he was given this news, the king immediately returned to Delhi.
4. Main Doors of the Red Fort:
The two main doors of the Red Fort were Delhi Darwaza and Lahauri Darwaza. Only through Delhi darwaza, Shahjahan used to go to Jama Masjid (Mosque) for namaz. But later Aurangzeb built a private mosque for himself and his wives inside the Red Fort, which is called Moti Masjid (Mosque).
5. Importance of the Doors:
Delhi Darwaza (door) is no longer open to the general public. People can go inside the fort only through Lahori Darwaza (door). Lahauri Darwaza was named Lahauri Darwaza (door) because during the Mughal era, three cities were very important from historical and political point of view. Delhi, Agra and Lahore and the front of this door is towards Lahore city (presently present in Pakistan). That is why it is called Lahori Darwaza (door).
6. Wall in front of Lahori Darwaza (door):
Aurangzeb had built this wall in front of this Lahori door. This is called the Veil Wall. Lahori Darwaza is located right in front of Chandni Chowk and from this door, Diwan-e-Aam was clearly visible which was the sitting place of the Emperor. That is why people had to walk on Chandni Chowk out of respect for the Emperor. To end this dilemma and to provide further protection to the fort, Aurangzeb had built this wall in front of the Lahori gate. Shahjahan did not like this statement of Aurangzeb at all, he wanted that there should not be any wall in front of the Lahori gate. It is said that if someone stood at Chandni Chowk and looked at the Red Fort, then the Lahori Darwaza in front looked very beautiful. But later, after the wall was built, it was no longer that grand. When this wall was built, Shahjahan was imprisoned in Agra. It was from Agra that Shahjahan wrote a letter to Aurangzeb. Shahjahan had written in the letter that son, by building the wall, it is as if you have put a veil on the face of the fort.
7. Importance of Veiled Wall:
Standing on this veiled wall, on 15 August 1947, Prime Minister Pandit Nehru hoisted the tricolor flag of independent India for the first time. From then till today this sequence is repeated every year.
8. Markets of Red Fort:
Meena Bazaar of Red Fort starts as soon as you enter through Lahori gate. It is also called Chhatta Bazaar. This market was built by Shahjahan for his wives. The kind of things which were used in the fort were available in this market. There was a time when traders from Arab or other countries used to come here with their goods, which they used to sell to the king’s wives and princesses. The good thing is that even after 300 and a half years, this market is still alive with the same colors and even today people buy different types of goods from here.
As soon as Chatta Bazaar ends, Naubatkhana is visible in front. Musicians used to sit on the upper floor of the Naubatkhana (place where this instrument is played) and here the Naubat (musical instrument) was played five times a day to mark different times. The naubat was also used to ring the naubat to announce the arrival of the king. The ninth Mughal emperor Jahangir Shah and the 10th Mughal emperor Farrukh Siyar were murdered inside this Naubatkhana.
9. Diwan-e-Aam (Royal Court)
Located just in front of Nobat Khana, Diwan-e-Aam. It can be identified by its name only. Diwan-e-Aam means a royal court which was held for the common people. Sitting on this high throne present in Diwan-e-Aam, the Emperor used to listen to the problems of the common people and solve them. This throne of the king was called Nasheman-e-Jill-e-Elahi. That is, a place on which there is the shadow of God. Below this throne, there is a very beautiful throne made of marble, standing on which the Wazir (Minister) used to read out the problems of the common people to the king or present any request. There is a marble stone fixed on this back wall of the throne of Diwan-e-Aam. Such beautiful painting has been done on this stone whose example cannot be given. This painting was done by French artist Austin de Bordeaux.
10. Diwan-e-Khas
The next building of the Red Fort is Diwan-e-Khas, i.e. a court where the emperor used to meet his special people. Like the king’s ministers, advisors and his guests etc. This entire building of Deewan-e-Khas is made of marble. In this Deewan-e-Khas, the luxurious throne of the Emperor was kept, which was talked about not only in India but also in foreign countries. The name of this throne of the emperor was Takht-e-Taos i.e. Peacock Throne.
The Peacock Throne was a throne made of gold, silver and precious diamond gems. At its upper end there were two peacocks made of diamonds and pearls and in this Peacock Throne, India’s most precious diamond Kohinoor was studded. The value of the Peacock Throne was estimated at several crores even in the 17th century. Then in 1739, Emperor Nadir Shah of Iran came to India, he attacked Delhi, his forces looted Delhi and he also looted the Peacock Throne and Kohinoor diamond along with many priceless things from the Red Fort. It is said that after looting Delhi, when Nadir Shah and his army were returning to Iran, they were attacked by robbers on the way and looted many things. One of them was the Peacock Throne. The robbers broke the Peacock Throne into several parts and divided it among themselves.
Conclusion:
So my dear friends, these were some “TEN THINGS” about the Red Fort, which I hope you would have enjoyed knowing, you would have got to know some different and new information about the culture of India. If you are even a little pleased with this article and want to read more such articles in the future, then please let us know through comments. Till then take care, stay healthy and peace.
Hey there.. It was a great experience reading this article and helped me a lot to gain some general knowledge about the “Red Fort”…. I just wanted to tell you that I have encountered some grammatical mistakes… In the introduction portion, 1st, 2nd and 4th parts of the webpage… Hope you correct them soon…
Nice blog ,,
Able to gain some knowledge about our red fort ,,
looking forward to see such amazing blogs by you ,,
keep it up my friend.