New Delhi: In ancient and medieval India, Delhi was the centre of the Sultanate and its successor, the Mughal Empire. Later, in the modern era, it also became the capital of the British Empire. Delhi is a city of immense historical and cultural significance, and hence it is of little surprise that it has several lesser-known monuments. The Tughlaqabad Fort is one of them. Currently, in a ruined state, the fort has witnessed the ups and downs of Delhi.
Tughlaqabad Fort: Who constructed it?
The Tughlaqabad Fort was supposed to become the imperial seat of the powerful Tughlaq Dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. The first Sultan of the dynasty, Ghiyasudddin Tughlaq constructed the fort in 1321. It was a grand fort, but it was abandoned not long after the completion of its construction.
The Curse of Tughlaqabad Fort
According to legends, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq wanted to build a mighty fortress which could withstand the attacks of the Mongol invasions. After becoming the ruler, he started to work on the township and employed all the workers of Delhi to build the fort on a mandatory basis. At the same time, a mystic Sufi Saint who would be renowned as Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was building a stepwell at his residence. Those who worked at the fort in the day would be on the well at night. The Sultan decided to sabotage its construction by stopping the supply of oil to Nizamuddin. As a result, lamps could not be lit during the construction of the well. It angered Nizamuddin Auliya who cursed Tughlaqabad saying that either it would be abandoned or occupied by the nomadic herdsmen.
The legends further state that when Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq was in Bengal in a campaign, he came to know that the workers at his fort had defied his command and were working on the stepwell of Nizamuddin Auliya. It infuriated the Sultan further who decided to punish the saint after returning to Delhi. Nizamuddin Auliya, after hearing this news, apparently said that Delhi was yet far off.
The curse began to have its effect. While returning from Bengal, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq and his younger son were killed when a pavilion erected to celebrate the Sultan’s success collapsed. According to some theories, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq, who was disliked by Ghiyasuddin for his eccentric behaviour, conspired to kill his father. Notably, he was also a devotee of Nizamuddin Auliya. After that, the fort became desolate and in 1327, it was finally abandoned unceremoniously. Mohammad bin Tughlaq planned to build a separate fortified city named Jahanpanah and later transferred the capital of the Sultanate to Daulatabad from Delhi. Today, the fort with its formidable walls and structures is in a ruinous state and forgotten by the common people.
The Tughlaqabad Fort was supposed to become the imperial seat of the powerful Tughlaq Dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. The first Sultan of the dynasty, Ghiyasudddin Tughlaq constructed the fort in 1321. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
