Mughal
era to Independence - Red Fort stands guard through the ages
By
Madhusree Chatterjee
Indo-Asian News
Service
This is where India's dreams coalesced during the First War
of Independence in 1857; 90 years later on Aug 15, 1947, this
is where millions gathered to watch first prime minister Jawaharlal
Nehru mark the end of British rule as he unfurled the tricolour;
and this is from where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will
address the nation on the country's 61st Independence Day.
The imposing 17th century Red Fort in the Indian capital New
Delhi is more than a piece of the past, it is a symbol of
India's present - and future.
The grand red sandstone fortress was built by Mughal emperor
Shahjehan between 1638-1648 and has been witness to the long
road travelled since - the palace intrigues and the battles
of succession in the Mughal era, the fight against the British
when the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II presided
over a fading empire, and now as a connect between the past
and India's modern present.
Also known as the Lal Quila, the fort that looks over the
Yamuna river on one side and Delhi's historic walled city
on the other forms the backdrop to the capital's evolution
from a Muslim stronghold to the country's "first city"
- the nerve-centre of India's realpolitik.
Its modern day relevance apart, Red Fort is the place where
the history of medieval India was crafted - and honed to scale
pinnacles of glory till the British colonised India.
The Red Fort, a World Heritage site, was the battle frontline
of a fast-changing political milieu of the 19th century. It
is this monumental fort that braved the onslaught of the marauding
British army when it stormed the fort and unseated the last
Mughal emperor. Bahadur Shah Zafar was subsequently tried
for treason behind its turreted fac,ade.
The fort became a garrison for the British army and remained
so for till Independence, when it was handed over the Indian
Army in 1947.
It is now the centrepiece of India's Independence Day celebrations,
with successive prime ministers hoisting the Indian tricolour
and addressing the nation from its ramparts in a speech that
has come to be a major policy statement of the government
of the day.
"This is most beautiful monument I have ever seen. I
have travelled throughout the world and have even visited
Egypt and the Byzantine relics of Turkey. But nothing compares
with the sheer grandeur of this fort," said Ahmed-al-Ibraheem,
a tourist from Kuwait, who is touring India with his American
wife.
Within its walls, spanning a length of 2.4 km and varying
in height between 18 to 33 metres, stands the Naubat Khana
(the drum house) which has been converted into a museum.
Other attractions include Rang Mahal (Palace of Colours),
used as living quarters for the emperor's wives and mistresses;
the Moti Masjid (pearl mosque) built by emperor Aurangzeb;
Shahi Burji, Shah Jahan's private working area; and Diwan-e-Khas,
the great baths or the hammams.
But two structures stand out for their sheer beauty, intricate
craftsmanship and geometric precision: The Diwan-i-Aam - the
pillared hall where the emperor used to hold public courts
and the Sheesh and the Khas Mahal - the special inner sandstone
and marble quarters embellished with colourful meenakari (enamelled)
motifs of flowers and twines, baroque architecture and latticed
north India screens. It has two main archways - the Delhi
Gate and the Lahori Gate - that still serve as the entrances
into the fort.
"There is something that sets this fort apart from the
rest," observed Ibraheem as he walked through the quarters.
It is the Chatta Chowk Bazaar that lies on the approach to
the fort. "I loved the jewellery that I saw in the shops,"
said Ahmed's wife Miriam. The market mostly sells Mughal-style
jewellery set in semi-precious gemstones and local handicrafts.
The Chatta Chowk market, nearly 400 years old, was built by
Shah Jahan for the women of the "zenana" - or the
harem. The market's claim to fame is that it is the oldest
covered shopping arcade - in other words the first mall -
in the world. It is under renovation now.
The Red Fort, as the tour guide informs Ibraheem, has a chequered
history. Before 1857, Red Fort was a well-documented site
thanks to the accounts of the travellers for 200 years. Post
Sepoy Mutiny till 1947, details are sketchy.
"It first occurred to the omniscient mind that he should
select on the banks of the aforesaid river some pleasant site,
distinguished by its genial climate, where he might found
a splendid fort and delightful edifices- agreeably to the
promptings of his generous heart through which streams of
water should be made to flow; and the terraces of which should
overlook the river," writes Inayat Khan in Shahjahan-nama
(1567-58) quoting the emperor's "diwan" (minister)
about the epiphany Shah Jahan had prior to building his fort
city.
In the mid-17th century, Shah Jahan fulfilled his dream. He
built Shahjahanabad, the walled city, at the centre of which
stood the Red Fort.
But the architectural growth that marked Shah Jahan's reign
gave away to vicious sibling rivalry when Aurangzeb killed
brother Dara Sukoh and imprisoned his father to capture the
throne of Delhi and Agra. It took a toll on the fort.
While in Delhi, Aurangzeb called the shots from the Red Fort;
but each time the emperor travelled to Deccan to quell rebellions,
the fort was left in charge of his sons and nobles.
Being devout, Aurangzeb's contribution to the fort was the
Pearl Mosque. After Aurangzeb's death, Red Fort was occupied
by a succession of lesser-known emperors, beginning with Aurangzeb's
son Prince Muazzam and several others till Bahadur Shah Zafar
II was crowned the emperor in 1832.
It marked the beginning of the end of the glorious days of
the walled fort.
Now, the fort is more of a political and heritage edifice
- that pleasures at least 6,000-7,000 tourists every day.
And stands tall as a reference point for India through the
ages.
Indo-Asian
News Service
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