NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

ART AND DESIGN AESTHETICS

ASSIGNMENT -3
RED FORT

SUBMITTED BY:- SUBMITTED TO :-

AMIT RAJ KISHORE SWAPNIL HAZRA

BFT/17/2151
 INDEX

INTRODUCTION

HISTORY

TRAVELLER PICK

SECURITY

ARCHITECTURE

LOCATION

NEAR THE RED FORT

 INTRODUCTION
The Red Fort is a historical fort in the city of Delhi in India. It was
the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for
nearly 200 years, until 1857. It is located in the center of Delhi
and houses a number of museums. In addition to accommodating
the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and
political centre of the Mughal state and the setting for events
critically impacting the region.
Constructed in 1639 by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as
the palace of his fortified capital Shahjahanabad,[2] the Red Fort
is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone and is
adjacent to the older Salimgarh Fort, built by Islam Shah Suri in
1546. The imperial apartments consist of a row of pavilions,
connected by a water channel known as the Stream of Paradise
(Nahr-i-Bihisht). The fort complex is considered to represent the
zenith of Mughal creativity under Shah Jahan, and although the
palace was planned according to Islamic prototypes, each
pavilion contains architectural elements typical of Mughal
buildings that reflect a fusion of Timurid and Persian traditions.
The Red Fort’s innovative architectural style, including its garden
design, influenced later buildings and gardens in
Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kashmir, Braj, Rohilkhand and
elsewhere .
The fort was plundered of its artwork and jewels during Nadir
Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire in 1747. Most of the fort's
precious marble structures were subsequently destroyed by the
British following the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.[2] The forts's defensive
walls were largely spared, and the fortress was subsequently
used as a garrison.[2] The Red Fort was also the site where the
British put the last Mughal Emperor on trial before exiling him
to Rangoon in 1858.
Every year on the Independence day of India (15 August),
the Prime Minister hoists the Indian "tricolour flag" at the main
gate of the fort and delivers a nationally-broadcast speech from
its ramparts.
 HISTORY

Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort

on 12 May 1639, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to
Delhi. Originally red and white, the Shah's favourite colours. its
design is credited to architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, who also
constructed the Taj Mahal. The fort lies along the Yamuna River,
which fed the moats surrounding most of the walls.[11]Construction
began in the sacred month of Muharram, on 13 May 1638.
[12]:01
 Supervised by Shah Jahan, it was completed on 6 April
1648.[13][14] Unlike other Mughal forts, the Red Fort's boundary
walls are asymmetrical to contain the older Salimgarh Fort. The
fortress-palace was a focal point of the medieval city of
Shahjahanabad, which is present-day Old Delhi. Its planning and
aesthetics represent the zenith of Mughal creativity prevailing
during Shah Jahan's reign. His successor Aurangzeb added the
Pearl Mosque to the emperor's private quarters,
constructing barbicans in front of the two main gates to make the
entrance to the palace more circuitous.
The administrative and fiscal structure of the Mughal dynasty
declined after Aurangzeb, and the 18th century saw a
degeneration of the palace. When Jahandar Shah took over the
Red Fort in 1712, it had been without an emperor for 30 years.
Within a year of beginning his rule, Shah was murdered and
replaced by Farrukhsiyar. To raise money, the silver ceiling of the
Rang Mahal was replaced by copper during this
period. Muhammad Shah, known as 'Rangila' (the Colourful) for
his interest in art, took over the Red Fort in 1719. In 1739, Persian
emperor Nadir Shah easily defeated the Mughal army, plundering
the Red Fort including the Peacock Throne. Nadir Shah returned
to Persia after three months, leaving a destroyed city and a
weakened Mughal empire to Muhammad Shah. The internal
weakness of the Mughal empire made the Mughals titular heads
of Delhi, and a 1752 treaty made the Marathas protectors of the
throne at Delhi. The 1758 Maratha conquest
of Lahore and Peshawar placed them in conflict with Ahmad Shah
Durrani. In 1760, the Marathas removed and melted the silver
ceiling of the Diwan-i-Khas to raise funds for the defence of Delhi
from the armies of Ahmed Shah Durrani. In 1761, after the
Marathas lost the third battle of Panipat, Delhi was raided by
Ahmed Shah Durrani. Ten years later, Shah Alam ascended the
throne in Delhi with Maratha support.] In 1783 the
Sikh Misl Karorisinghia, led by Baghel Singh Dhaliwal, conquered
Delhi and the Red Fort briefly.[22] In 1788, a Maratha garrison
permanently occupied Red fort and Delhi and ruled on north India
for next two decades until they were usurped by the British East
India Company following the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803.
During the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803, forces of British
East India Company defeated Maratha forces in the Battle of
Delhi; this ended Maratha rule of the city and their control of the
Red Fort.[24] After the battle, the British took over the
administration of Mughal territories and installed a Resident at the
Red Fort.[12]:11 The last Mughal emperor to occupy the
fort, Bahadur Shah II, became a symbol of the 1857
rebellion against the British in which the residents of
Shahjahanbad participated.[12]:15
Despite its position as the seat of Mughal power and its defensive
capabilities, the Red Fort was not defended during the 1857
uprising against the British. After the rebellion failed, Bahadur
Shah II left the fort on 17 September and was apprehended by
British forces. He returned to Red Fort as a prisoner of the British,
was tried in 1858 and exiled to Rangoon on 7 October of that
year.[25] With the end of Mughal reign, the British sanctioned the
systematic plunder of valuables from the fort's palaces. All
furniture was removed or destroyed; the harem apartments,
servants' quarters and gardens were destroyed, and a line of
stone barracks built. Only the marble buildings on the east side at
the imperial enclosure escaped complete destruction, but were
looted and damaged. While the defensive walls and towers were
relatively unharmed, more than two-thirds of the inner structures
were destroyed by the British. Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from
1899–1905, ordered repairs to the fort including reconstruction of
the walls and the restoration of the gardens complete with a
watering system.
Most of the jewels and artworks of the Red Fort were looted and
stolen during Nadir Shah's invasion of 1747 and again after the
failed Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British. They were
eventually sold to private collectors or the British Museum, British
Library and the Victoria and Albert Museum. For example,
the Koh-i-Noor diamond, the jade wine cup of Shah Jahan and
the crown of Bahadur Shah II are all currently located in London.
Various requests for restitution have so far been rejected by the
British government.[27]
1911 saw the visit of the British king and queen for the Delhi
Durbar. In preparation of the visit, some buildings were restored.
The Red Fort Archaeological Museum was also moved from the
drum house to the Mumtaz Mahal.
The INA trials, also known as the Red Fort Trials, refer to the
courts-martial of a number of officers of the Indian National Army.
The first was held between November and December 1945 at the
Red Fort.
On 15 August 1947, the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal
Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate. On
each subsequent Independence Day, the prime minister has
raised the flag and given a speech that is broadcast nationally.[28]
After Indian Independence, the site experienced few changes,
and the Red Fort continued to be used as a military cantonment.
A significant part of the fort remained under Indian Army control
until 22 December 2003, when it was given to the Archaeological
Survey of India for restoration. In 2009 the Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), prepared by the
Archaeological Survey of India under Supreme Court directions to
revitalise the fort, was announced.
 TRAVELLERS PICK –RED FORT

Located at the banks of River Yamuna, Red Fort or Lal Qila is

one of the most magnificent and historical monuments in India.
As name suggests, Red Fort is built with the extensive use of red
stones. It was 1638 when the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan
planned to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi therefore he
decided to build Red Fort at the bank of River Yamuna. Shah
Jahan hired the architects named Ustad Ahmed and Ustad
Humid to build this historical of India. Listening to the speech of
Prime Minister at Lal Qila is a unique moment for every citizen
for India. monument. The construction of the fort was
completed by 1648. Red Fort is originally called as ‘Qila-I-
Mubarak’ means the blessed fort.   
Red Fort has two entrances- Lahore Gate and Delhi Gate. The
main point of entering the fort is Lahore Gate that now
generally used by VVIP and security personnel whereas Delhi
Gate is opened for general public. The wall of this Fort has
stretched to 2 kms which looked stunning due to its entire red
stones structure. Looking at closely, one will notice that Red
Fort has octagon shape covering 256 acres of land. It was 2007
when Red Fort was declared as UNESCO world heritage site. On
every Independence Day (15th August 1947) Prime Minister of
India waves the national flag and delivers a speech to people

There are some nearby attractions to Red Fort such as:

 Chatta Chowk â€“ It is a perfect place for shopping
freaks as one can find a number of street shops selling
various things that showcased the beauty of India culture and
tradition.
 Sound and Light Shows â€“ The real joy of visiting
Red Fort is not completed without experiencing sound and
light shows at the fort. It is organized inside the Red Fort
during evening time.
Visiting Red Fort is quite easy. The nearest railway station is Old
Delhi whereas nearest Metro Station is Chandni Chowk. One can
also go for auto, taxi or public buses to reach the fort. The Fort
is opened for six days a week except Monday from 6 AM to 6 PM.
One has to pay the entry fees to enter the Red Fort like for
Indian residence Rs 10 per person, 250/ person (Foreign
residence) and 25 (Videography). So visit this fort to know deep
rooted history of India.
 TODAY
Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the Prime
Minister of India hoists the national flag at the Red Fort and
delivers a nationally-broadcast speech from its ramparts. The Red
Fort, the largest monument in Delhi, is one of its most popular
tourist destinations  and attracts thousands of visitors every
year.] A sound and light showdescribing Mughal history is a tourist
attraction in the evenings. The major architectural features are in
mixed condition; the extensive water features are dry. Some
buildings are in fairly-good condition, with their decorative
elements undisturbed; in others, the marble inlaid flowers have
been removed by looters. The tea house, although not in its
historical state, is a working restaurant. The mosque
and hamam or public baths are closed to the public, although
visitors can peer through their glass windows or marble
latticework. Walkways are crumbling, and public toilets are
available at the entrance and inside the park.
The Lahore Gate entrance leads to a mall with jewellery and craft
stores. There is also a museum of "blood paintings", depicting
young 20th-century Indian martyrs and their stories, an
archaeological museum and an Indian war-memorial museum.
The Red fort appears on the back of the ₹500 note of
the Mahatma Gandhi New Series of the Indian rupee.
 SECURITY

To prevent terrorist attacks, security is especially strict around the

Red Fort on the eve of Indian Independence Day. Delhi
Police and paramilitary personnel keep watch on neighbourhoods
around the fort, and National Security Guard sharpshooters are
deployed on high-rises near the fort. The airspace around the fort
is a designated no-fly zoneduring the celebration to prevent air
attacks, and safe houses exist in nearby areas to which the Prime
Minister and other Indian leaders may retreat in the event of an
attack.
The fort was the site of a terrorist attack on 22 December 2000,
carried out by six Lashkar-e-Toiba members. Two soldiers and a
civilian were killed in what the news media described as an
attempt to derail India-Pakistan peace talks.
 ARCHITECTURE

The Red Fort has an area of 254.67 acres (103.06 ha) enclosed

by 2.41 kilometres (1.50 mi) of defensive walls, punctuated by
turrets and bastions and varying in height from 18 metres (59 ft)
on the river side to 33 metres (108 ft) on the city side. The fort is
octagonal, with the north-south axis longer than the east-west
axis. The marble, floral decorations and double domes in the fort's
buildings exemplify later Mughal architecture.
It showcases a high level of ornamentation, and
the Kohinoor diamond was reportedly part of the furnishings. The
fort's artwork synthesises Persian, European and Indian art,
resulting in a unique Shahjahani style rich in form, expression and
colour. Red Fort is one of the building complexes of India
encapsulating a long period of history and its arts. Even before its
1913 commemoration as a monument of national importance,
efforts were made to preserve it for posterity.
The Lahori and Delhi Gates were used by the public, and
the Khizrabad Gate was for the emperor. The Lahore Gate is the
main entrance, leading to a domed shopping area known as
the Chatta Chowk (covered bazaar).
 The architecture of Red Fort mirrors
the idioms on Indo Islamic art. This
fortified palace, today known
as Delhi's Red Fort, is irregular in
plan, but essentially rectangular in
shape. Its red sandstone walls, more
than 3 kilometres in circumference, enclose nearly 125 acres of land.
The fort was situated on Shahjahanabad's eastern edge, dominating the
newly constructed city. On the fort's east, just beyond its walls, lay
the Yamuna River. Beyond the walls on its remaining three sides, the
nobles, high-ranking ladies and members of the royal family provided
markets, mosques and gardens. For themselves, the nobles constructed
mansions that, while smaller in size, mirrored the form and function of
the fort's palaces. 

Among the fort's gates, the south or Akbarabad gate (also known as the
Delhi gate) and the Lahore gate, situated centrally on the west, were
the most imposing and led to the city's most important areas. The
Akbarabad gate led to Shah Jahan's Jami mosque, situated at the city's
highest point, and from a major thoroughfare and market later known
as Faiz bazaar. Even more important was the massive red sandstone
Lahore gate. It was a focal point, the terminus of Shahjahanabad's main
avenue through which a canal ran. On the other side, the Lahore gate
was aligned with the palace's Public Audience Hall, in which Shah
Jahan's magnificent marble throne was installed. 

Walking through the Lahore gate, one immediately enters a covered

two-stoned arcade, 70.1 meters long and 8.3 meters wide. On each
side, it contains thirty-two arched bays that served as shops. Although
the covered bazaar is well preserved, many other parts of the fort's
interior have been altered. The covered bazaar leads directly to a
building known as the Naqqar Khana or Drum Room. Music announcing
the arrival of the emperor and other important nobles was played
there. The two-storied structure in turn leads into the courtyard of the
Diwan-i-Am. Originally both the Drum Room and Public Audience Hall
stood within a courtyard enclosed on all four sides by an arcade. 

The Public Audience Hall closely

resembles the pillared Chehil Sutun
of Shah Jahan's two earlier forts
in Agraand Lahore (Plate 109).
Within it is Shah Jahan's jharoka,
the one from which he presented
himself to his nobles. This marble
throne, situated in the central bay
of the east wall, is composed of a high plinth upon which are carved
floral sprays and baluster columns like those on the throne niche in the
Public Audience Hall of the Agra fort. At each corner of the platform is a
large baluster column that supports a deeply sloping curved roof
(bangala) or baldachin. The baluster columns and bangala covering,
inspired by European illustrations of royalty and holy personages,
explicitly symbolize Shah Jahan's role as a semi-divine world ruler. 

Not only the architectural settings, but also the motifs formed by inlay
in the throne itself, underscore this symbolism. The upper portion of
the throne is famous for its coloured stones that are inlaid into the
walls. The walls are adorned with rare pictures. The emphasis on the
word rare here is not hyperbole, for rectangular plaques of black
marble are inlaid with rare stones, a technique known as Pietra Dura.
These black marble plaques were imported from Italy, doubtless
presented to the emperor as a special gift, while the surrounding white
marble inlaid with precious stones forming the birds and flowers was
Mughal work. 

Most of these imported pietra dura panels depict single birds and floral
motifs; a few that depict lions are probably Indian works. Different from
all the others, the top central panel, an Italian product, illustrates
Orpheus playing his lute and wild animals seated peacefully before him.
The combination of Orpheus, the birds, flowers and lions symbolise the
throne of Solomon, regarded as the ideal model of just Islamic kingship.
The theme is not a new one, for symbols of Solomonic kingship had
been seen at the Lahore fort. 

The quadrangle containing the

Public Audience Hall is organised
much like those in the Lahore and
Agra forts. It, too, had a quasi-
public function, and was centrally
located inside the fort, but away
from the river front. Those
buildings reserved exclusively for
the emperor's private use overlooked the river. The riverfront pavilions
were situated on an elevated plinth and were constructed of white
marble. In front of each royal building was a courtyard enclosed by
walls on three sides; the building itself served as the courtyard's fourth
wall. Thus, from within the fort there was no unobstructed view of the
buildings reserved for royalty. A similar arrangement earlier was seen in
the Agra and Lahore forts, revealing continuity in the concepts that
stand behind the design of Shah Jahan's palace architecture. The white
marble pavilions on the riverfront include imperial offices, residences
for the king and his family, gardens and viewing towers. The pavilion is
south facing and aligned with the other imperial chambers on the
riverfront. Its exterior consists of five baluster columns supporting
cusped arches. Above the central arch lies a curved bangala roof
suggesting a baldachin covering. According to contemporary sources,
only the king and royal children entered this pavilion, underscoring the
imperial connotations of this column and roof type. Within the bay of
the central arch is a lotus-shaped pool, from which water flows into a
channel that originally ran south through the other marble pavilions on
the riverfront. The source of the palace's channel, known as the Canal
of Paradise (Nahr-i Behisht), was a larger canal 48 kilometres north on
the Yamuna, excavated originally in the fourteenth century and then re-
opened on Shah Jahan's orders. 

South of the Shah Burj are two marble buildings, the bath (hammam)
and the Private Audience Hall (Diwan-i-Khas) that were originally part
of a single quadrangle. Like their counterparts at the Agra fort, these
structures form a single unit. Here the most important state issues
were discussed privately, particularly in the baths, where a select few
could hold council in a cool environment during the summer or a
heated one in the winter. A three-chambered structure, the bath's
floors, sunken pools and the walls' dado are made wholly of inlaid
marble. The most exquisite room, the central chamber, is marked by a
sunken marble tank. This and the entire flooring are inlaid with
uncluttered floral and chevron patterns, suggesting a simple yet elegant
sophistication of form. 

The Private Audience Hall is south of the bath on the same elevated
marble platform. It is a rectangular building measuring 27.5 by 14.3
meters. The chaste elegance of this Private Audience Hall's exterior,
marked by marble piers supporting cusped arches, stands in contrast to
its ornate interior. Here the marble is embellished with gilt and floral
sprays rendered in inlaid jewels. The ceiling was silver, removed by
marauders in the late eighteenth century. In this hall stood Shah
Jahan's famous gem-encrusted Peacock Throne (Takht-i Shahi),
completed by Bebadal Khan. On the walls of the central chamber Shah
Jahan had inscribed the oft-quoted verse, "If there be a paradise on
earth, this is it, this is it, this is it." 

Shah Jahan's residential quarters are

adjacent to the Private Audience Hall.
This follows the arrangement of his
quarters in the Agra and Lahore forts.
The Khwabgah or place of sleep, today
called the Khass Mahal, is divided into
three chambers with a projecting
engaged octagonal tower (Burj-i Tila) off the east side that overlooks
the river. The tower's arched windows served as the jharoka-i darshan,
the one from which he presented himself to the public, similar in
appearance to the public viewing balcony at the Agra fort. 

The Canal of Paradise that commenced at the Shah Burj flows through
the Khwabgah's central chamber beneath an elaborately carved marble
screen. Above the screen is a large gilt relief representation of the
scales of justice, an allusion to Shah Jahan's perception of his rule. A
lengthy Persian inscription records the date work on the fort was
commenced and the date the fort was formally inaugurated; it cites the
cost and praises the patron, Shah Jahan; and it compares his fort to the
mansions of heaven. There are inscription on the adjacent Private
Audience Hall that relates it to paradise on earth, and it recalls the
many visual allusions to paradise in Shah Jahan's buildings. Rarely are
the private quarters of other emperors provided such inscriptions. 

South of the imperial sleeping quarter and viewing balcony lies the
quarters reserved for the women. Among these is a pavilion known
today as the Rang Mahal, properly called the Imtiyaz Mahal, that is, the
Hall of Distinction. The Canal of Paradise flows through the central aisle
of this building, too, and is caught in a centrally placed marble pool
carved to resemble an open lotus. In the main chamber twelve-sided
piers support cusped arches, a form used in most buildings of the
Shahjahanabad fort. Inlay, gilt and polychrome originally covered the
marble walls of the Rang Mahal. Thus, in the erstwhile Shahjahanabad
palace, one of Shah Jahan's latest architectural projects, the imperial
chambers, are elaborately embellished. This stands in striking contrast
to Shah Jahan's private mosque architecture of nearly this same
period. 
 LOCATION

The 33-metre long line-up of the red sandstone walls of the Red
Fort is a reminder of the great power that Mughals exerted over
Delhi. Even now, the buildings inside the fort can make your
senses reel under the cumulative impact of marble, gilded pillars,
delicate carvings, and the realization that it was inlaid with
precious gems at one point in time. Commissioned by Shah
Jahan in 1638, this attraction took over 10 years to complete. A
UNESCO World Heritage Site, it sprawls over approximately 254
acres and has beautiful carvings on its walls. The Diwan-I-Am
with its painted canopy and the Khas Mahal with its intricate
marble jaali are the highlights of this place. Watch out for the
Shah Burj and Moti Masjid as they were built by Aurangzeb and
has pearl-like lustrous marbles. Don't skip the ASI Museum here
as it displays Dara Shikoh's calligraphy, Bahadur Shah's clothes,
letters that express political emergency during earlier times and
life in paintings. A light and sound show happens in the evening
that engages and engrosses you in the history of the Red Fort
beautifully.