Context: The Tughlaqabad Fort in Southeast Delhi has been made free of encroachments due to the efforts of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Tughlaqabad Fort was built in 1321 by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty and ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. The fort was abandoned in 1327, just six years after its construction.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Tughlaqabad Fort; Tughlaq Dynasty.
About Tughalqabad fort
- Tughlaqabad fort is a ruined fort in Delhi, built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty.
- Tughlaqabad is considered to be the third extant city of Delhi, after Lal Kot (built in mid-eleventh century by the Tomars) and Siri (built by the second ruler of the Khalji Dynasty, Alauddin Khalji).
Architecture
- Fortification: Tughalqabad consists of massive stone fortifications surrounding the ground plan of the city. The sloping rubble-filled city walls are a typical feature of monuments of the Tughlaq dynasty.
- Divided into three parts:
- Wider city area with houses built along a rectangular grid.
- Citadel with a tower at its highest point known as ‘Bijai-Mandal’.
- Adjacent palace area containing the royal residences.
- Among the major architectures during the Tughlaq dynasty, the tomb of Ghiyasuddin is almost perfectly preserved.
- The Ghiyas-ud-Din's tomb is in the form of a self-contained fortress in miniature with the sloping walls of circular bastions. It may also have been intended as a fortified central tower.
- The tomb-building is constructed diagonally at its widest part resembling it into the correct orientation with Mecca.
- The major portion of the tomb-building is made with red sandstone, including the dome, made of white marble.
- The architecture of the tomb's exterior portion resembles that of the structure of the Alai Darwaza constructed earlier. The similarity lies in the treatment of the pointed arches also.
- Tudor arch: The horse-shoe shaped tomb has been customized into a "Tudor" outline with a slight decorative double curve at the crown.
- The typical style of combining of the arch and the beam in the tomb was used for the first time in the architecture during the Tughlaq dynasty.
- The tomb signifies the beginning of the phase of a regal style of architecture.
- Adilabad Fort: Situated southeast of Ghiyasuddin Tomb. It was built by Muhammad Tughlaq (1325–1351) and shares the main characteristics of construction with Tughlaqabad fort.
- Nai ka kot: Situated south-east of Adilabad. It is believed to have been built by Muhammad bin Tughlaq as a private residence before he built Adilabad.
Tughlaq Dynasty
- Third Dynasty of Delhi sultanate: The Tughlaq dynasty took over from the Khaljis in 1320. Ghazi Malik assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.
- The Tughlaqs were able to maintain their rule for a long time because they had strong allies such as Turks, Afghans, and South Asian Muslim warriors.
- The dynasty reached its pinnacle between 1330 and 1335 AD, during a military campaign led by Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.
- The dynasty ended in 1413.
Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq or Ghazi Malik (1320-1325 AD)
- Fortified the North-Western frontiers to defend the sultanate against Mongol invasions.
- Muhammad Jauna Khan, son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq defeated Prataparudra-Deva II, the Kakatiya ruler of Warangal.
- Established the city of Tughlaqabad.
- Ghiyasuddin Bahadur's rebellion in Bengal was suppressed during his rule.
Architecture during Tughlaqs
- Elements of Indo-Islamic style dominated the architectural developments during Tughlaq dynasty. The amalgamation of Islamic architecture as well as Hindu style has come to be known as the Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
- The buildings show stark simplicity and sobriety, probably indicating less financial resources as well as puritanical tests.
- There was more emphasis on vastness in place of decoration of the buildings of the Khilji period.
- Dark appearance characterised the buildings.
- The constructions combined both arch and lintel method of entrance design.
- Introduced a style of construction known as “batter” which was characterised by sloping walls to give more strength to the building.
- During the reign of three important rulers, the architecture of the dynasty flourished:
- Founder of the dynasty, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq (1320 to 1325)
- Mohammed Shah Tughlaq (1325 to 1351)
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351 to 1388)
During the reign of Mohammed Bin Tughlaq
- He had an important role in the development of architectures during Tughlaq dynasty.
- Major contributions: Fourth city of Delhi with fortified walls named Jahan-Pannah or the World Refuge, a double storied bridge of seven spans named Sath Pul, Bijai Mandal, the presumably part of a "Palace of a Thousand Columns”.
- The city was deserted and desolate during the year 1340 due to the unpredictable policy of Muhammad Tughlaq to change the capital from Delhi to the city of Daulatabad.
During the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq:
- Successor of Muhammad Tughlaq, he constructed Delhi as the capital.
- Revived the Islamic style of architecture:
- Architectural characters of this period were different from its predecessors as it had the reflection of the conditions that prevailed at the seat of the government.
- It represented the suppression of the indigenous impulse.
- Major creations: Ferozshah Kotla, the fifth city of Delhi, and three other fortress cities named as Jaunpur, Fathabad, and Hissar.
Khirki Masjid at Jahanpanah: Khirki Masjid is a great example of Islamic architecture. It is a small quadrangle-shaped mosque and is covered entirely by a roof, which is an unusual thing for building of mosques. The presence of several domes on the roof along with the wonderful latticework or jali on the windows represents the typical Islamic style of architecture.