Red Fort
Emperor Shah Jahan issued a command on the 12th of May 1639 to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. This decision triggered the construction of a massive fortress that would become known as the Red Fort. The architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori designed the structure, blending Persian and Indian architectural styles into a single vision. Construction began in the sacred Islamic month of Muharram on the 13th of May 1638. Work continued for nearly ten years until the fort was completed on the 6th of April 1648. The original design featured red sandstone walls adorned with white marble details. Unlike other Mughal forts, these boundary walls were asymmetrical to contain the older Salimgarh Fort within its perimeter. The Yamuna River once fed moats surrounding most of the defensive walls. The fortress-palace served as the centrepiece of Shahjahanabad, the city now known as Old Delhi.
Persian emperor Nadir Shah decisively defeated the Mughal army in 1739 despite facing approximately 200,000 soldiers. Following this victory, he plundered the Red Fort and seized treasures including the legendary Peacock Throne. After three months, Nadir Shah returned to Persia leaving the city significantly damaged. The internal weaknesses of the Mughal Empire reduced the rulers to titular figures under Muhammad Shah's reign. In 1760, Maratha forces stripped and melted the silver ceiling of the Diwan-i-Khas to raise funds for defense against Ahmed Shah Durrani. Ten years later, the Marathas recaptured Delhi from the Rohilla Afghans at the behest of exiled Emperor Shah Alam II. Mahadaji Shinde restored Shah Alam II to the throne but conflict continued with Ahmad Shah Durrani. In 1783, Sikh Misls led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia conquered Delhi and looted areas spanning from Awadh to Jodhpur. They agreed to withdraw only after stipulating the construction of seven Sikh gurdwaras in Delhi. Ghulam Kadir, grandson of Najib ad-Dawlah, looted Delhi again in 1788 and killed female members of the Mughal royal family before being apprehended and executed.
Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, British authorities ordered the systematic demolition of the Red Fort. During this process, 80% of the fort's structures were destroyed including the stone screen that once connected pavilions along the river-facing façade. All furniture was either removed or destroyed while harem apartments and gardens were demolished. A line of stone barracks was erected atop the ruins of these private spaces. Only marble buildings on the east side escaped complete destruction though they suffered damage during the work. Lord Curzon served as Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905 and initiated restoration efforts for the site. These included reconstruction of walls and revival of gardens with an updated watering system. The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar became a symbol of the rebellion but left the fort on the 17th of September 1857 before being exiled to Rangoon in October of that year.
On the 15th of August 1947 Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate marking India's first Independence Day. Since then the Prime Minister has ceremonially raised the tricolour at the main gate each year on Independence Day. He delivers a nationally broadcast address from its ramparts every year following the ceremony. The Red Fort Trials occurred between November and December 1945 when officers of the Indian National Army faced court-martial within the complex. In 2003 the Indian Army transferred control of the site to the Archaeological Survey of India for restoration and conservation. Four new museums were inaugurated in 2019 housed in colonial-era barracks including Barrack B1 dedicated to the 1857 War of Independence. Barrack B2 commemorates the Jallianwala Bagh massacre while Barrack B3 focuses on Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army movement.
The Red Fort spans an area of 254.67 acres enclosed by 2.41 kilometres of defensive walls varying in height from 18 meters to 33 meters. These walls are octagonal with the north-south axis longer than the east-west axis. The Lahori Gate serves as the primary entrance leading to the Chhatta Chowk market area. Inside lies the Naubat Khana or drum house where music was performed daily requiring non-royalty members to dismount. The Diwan-i-Aam Public Audience Hall features columns and engrailed arches originally decorated with white chunam stucco. A marble balcony jharokha allowed the emperor to grant audiences from a raised recess at the rear. The Diwan-i-Khas Hall of Private Audience is constructed of white marble inlaid with precious stones though its once-silver ceiling has been restored in wood. The Moti Masjid Pearl Mosque built in 1659 stands west of the hammam imperial baths featuring three domes crafted from white marble.
A terrorist attack occurred on the 22nd of December 2000 carried out by six Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives who murdered two soldiers and a civilian. Stringent security measures now surround the site including National Security Guard sharpshooters stationed on high-rises near the fort. The airspace around the fort becomes a designated no-fly zone during Independence Day celebrations. In April 2018 the Dalmia Group adopted the Red Fort for maintenance under a contract worth ₹25 crores for five years. This adoption sparked widespread debate drawing criticism from historians and political parties while trending the hashtag #IndiaOnSale on Twitter. Environmental pollution has turned the fort's color from red to black forming tarry crusts since the late 20th century. Recent studies in September 2025 identified pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide as causes of these black formations. On the 26th of January 2021 protesting farmers breached the fort hoisting religious flags from its ramparts before police evacuated the complex following clashes.
Common questions
Who ordered the construction of the Red Fort and when did it begin?
Emperor Shah Jahan issued a command on the 12th of May 1639 to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi which triggered the construction. Work began in the sacred Islamic month of Muharram on the 13th of May 1638.
What is the architectural design and size of the Red Fort walls?
The Red Fort spans an area of 254.67 acres enclosed by 2.41 kilometres of defensive walls varying in height from 18 meters to 33 meters. These walls are octagonal with the north-south axis longer than the east-west axis and feature red sandstone adorned with white marble details.
When was the Red Fort completed after construction started in 1638?
Construction continued for nearly ten years until the fort was completed on the 6th of April 1648. The original design featured red sandstone walls adorned with white marble details.
How did the British authorities affect the Red Fort during the Indian Rebellion of 1857?
Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, British authorities ordered the systematic demolition of the Red Fort. During this process 80% of the fort's structures were destroyed including the stone screen that once connected pavilions along the river-facing façade.
Who raised the national flag at the Red Fort for India's first Independence Day?
On the 15th of August 1947 Jawaharlal Nehru raised the Indian national flag above the Lahore Gate marking India's first Independence Day. Since then the Prime Minister has ceremonially raised the tricolour at the main gate each year on Independence Day.