Red Fort – Diving Into The Mughal Fort In 2024

History of Red Fort and its significance

The Red Fort in Old Delhi was constructed during Shah Jahan’s Mughal reign when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi in 1638. The structure was completed after 10 years in the year 1648.

The architect of the fort was a Persian architect named Ahmad Lahori. If you have visited the Agra Fort, you can see the similarities between the two as Shah Jahan modeled the Red Fort after the Agra Fort.

Aurangzeb seized the throne in 1658 and Shah Jahan was imprisoned in Agra Fort. The Red Fort’s splendor declined with the Mughal rule as the Fort was plundered by the Persian ruler Emperor Nadir Shah in 1739.

The weakened Mughals had to submit to the Marathas in 1752 and the fort lost more riches when the Marathas decided to melt the silver ceiling of the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Audience) to defend Delhi from the invasion of Emperor Ahmed Shah from Afghanistan.

The Mughals were completely depleted of their riches and power and Emperor Shah Alam II, the Mughal ruler in 1772 was subjected to a lot of wars and raids from the Sikhs, who had successfully captured the fort for a while.

The British East India Company removed the Marathas from the Fort after the second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803.

Until 1857 the Mughals were living in the Fort supported by the British, but a dramatic turn of events (the famous rebellion of 1857) led to the British removing the Mughals from the Red Fort and started looting the riches and destroying the structure. The British converted the Red Fort into a garrison and hoisted their flag on it.

The Indian National Army faced trial by the British at the Red Fort in the years 1945 and 1946.

When India finally gained independence in 1947, the Red Fort became the main site for public celebration. The Fort became a symbol of freedom and the first Prime Minister of India hoisted the Indian flag there.

Every year on Independence Day, August 15, the Prime Minister raises the National Flag and makes the National Address in the Red Fort. The story of Red Fort is something read in history books now due to its massive importance to Indian people.