The Incredible Story of Tughlaqabad Fort, Delhi
This is the story of a dreamer who asked his master to make his dream come true. When the master refused, he did it himself! Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq had advised Mubarak Khilji to build a fortified city on a spot difficult to attack because of its elevated location and a stream and a nullah (open-drain) flowing along its north and south. As the fortified settlement would have been an expensive affair, Emperor Khilji told Tughlaq to do so when he became a king.
Tughlaq became a Sultan in the early 14th-century. And he created a fortified town at that spot called Tughlaqabad Fort.
During those times, River Yamuna flowed close by. Tughlaq commissioned the fort after assessing the flow and direction of the river and the nearby stream and checking the rise of water levels during monsoons.
Tughlaqabad Fort – The Cursed Fortress
Tughlaq took over the Delhi Empire in 1320 CE. Legend has it he was in a hurry to ready the fort soon. As a result, he contracted all the labour under a royal firman (decree) for the fort’s construction. Around the same time, Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin was trying to build a baoli (a step well) for his designated Sufi gathering place. Realising all the labour was commissioned by Tughlaq for building the fort, the only choice he had was to get the workforce to do his job in the night.
This helplessness infuriated Nizamuddin, and he pronounced a curse – Ya Rahe Gujjar, Ya Rahe Ujaad (either a shepherd tribe will live here, or it will be uninhabited). So, though the Tughlaqs occupied the fort for a brief while, they abandoned it soon after. Today, a strong Gujjar community thrives here, giving credence to the saint’s curse!
The Layout
The fort is on a high ground that marks the start of the Aravalli Mountain Range.
Its southern side has high walls. Logical, since the palace was in the south. To the north is an irregular trapezoid area or the city. It is the least well-defended. In fact, a high fortification wall and a defensive ditch defended the royal quarters from the city itself. The palace area is spread more from west to east and is shorter from south to north.
Of its four gates, one each in north, west, south, and east, the ones in the north and east opened into the city, while the other two opened out of the fort. The south gate opened out to the lake. While they considered the lake a deterrent for the enemy, still two bastions flanked the gate and the entry was not straight. Instead, it turned left at right angles, making enemy entry difficult. As a pre-gunpowder era fort, it had double walls at key places for the cavalry to move and guard against the enemy.
The architecture
A baoli (step well) and food silos served the palace area well. You can spot the ruins of a colonnaded audience hall. And to the east of the palace lies the citadel, the most defended part of the fort.
Amongst the other remains, a mosque, the houses (of lords and commons), a storage tank for construction material, an underground market, and a large mound to the east are remarkable.
The market street is well-maintained even today. Punctuated with openings at regular intervals, it allowed for easy access and light. The arches within suggest use of artificial lighting, too.
Just outside the market is Burj Mandal – the highest point of the fort. This spot accorded a comprehensive view to the entire city from one point. Despite the elements, this spot still rises almost 70 feet above the road beneath and provides a panoramic view of this massive fort.
The walls, gateways, remains of palaces, audience halls, and courtyards sprawl over an area of over 120 acres. Just goes to show the power and opulence of the Tughlaq dynasty.
Tughlaq Architecture
A significant feature of not just this fort, but all of Tughlaq period architecture is a wall with a massive base. The base in Tughlaqabad Fort is over 15 feet thick at places, while the top was almost dainty. Even the plain-jane look was a hallmark of all Tughlaq dynasty architecture. They were after functionality and speed. So, they used grey quartzite, accessible around Delhi, difficult to carve, and hence, often devoid of ornamentation.
Tughlaqabad is an architectural progression. Despite its advanced state of ruin, the imposing fortification, its palace, residences, and other structures reflect the ethos of the glorious era it once was!
