A FORLORN FORT!

TUGHLAQABAD FORT-A WALL

A Fort is supposed to provide protection to its inhabitants. It fortifies the settlement of people, so that no one can attack and control the people of that Fort. Fort literally means “strong”. In India we call a Fort “Qila”, which is a Persian term for Fort.

Tughlaqabad Fort was the third city of Dilli, constructed by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq in 1321. This huge Fort which stretches across 6.5 kms was built in three years. The Forts built in Delhi before this are the Lal Kot of Mehrauli built by the Tomar's & Chauhan's(736 AD-1192AD), the last Hindu rulers of Dilli. Yes, the last one of them was Prithviraj Chauhan, who all of us know because of his love story. We do remember Prithviraj Chauhan and Sanyogita! Don't we? Also Chand Bardai who wrote the famous saga “Prithviraj Raso”. Prithviraj was blinded and then killed by Mohd Ghori. That is another story, and some day I will get back to it.

After the Tomars came the Slave Dynasty or the Mamluks(1192-1290) who became rulers by virtue of their being slaves of Mohd. Ghori. They built the Qutab Minar, the Alai Masjid which it is said was constructed after destroying 27 Hindu and Jain temples. They were followed by Alauddin Khalji(1290-1320) who captured Chittaurgarh and was the cause of Rani Padmavati comitting Jauhar in 1303. Allaudin Khalji built the Siri Fort, which is near present day Hauz Khas.

THE SUN SETS!

 After the Khaljis a person by the name of Ghazi Malik came on the scene and founded the Tughlaq dynasty (1320AD-1414AD). He took on the name of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. He was in a hurry to build his Fort and ordered all the masons to leave all other work and build the Fort. At the same time the disciples of Nizamuddin Auliya a Sufi saint were getting a bawdi or water tank made in the present day Nizamuddin, for the people who came to visit. The masons worked by day at the Fort and by night at the bawdi. As the efficiency of the workers was getting affected Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq banned the sale of oil so that the work of the bawdi would stop, as lamps could not be lit. Nizamuddin Auliya it is said got annoyed at this diktat and cursed the Fort by saying, "Ya rahe ujjar ya base Gujjar" which means that the fort would either remain barren or would be inhabited by nomads.

As a matter of fact this curse came true. This massive fort constructed in three years from 1321 to 1324, was abandoned in 1327.

ENTRANCE TO GHIYASUDDIN'S MAUSOLEUM

Such was the love lost between the Saint and the ruler that while returning from his conquest of East India, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq asked Nizamuddin to leave the city before he reached Dilli, to which the saint is supposed to have said “Hanooz dilli door ast" which means Delhi is still far away.

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, it is said, never reached Dilli. He was killed by the machinations of his own son. A welcome gate that had been built to welcome Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq "accidentally"fell on the Ruler, killing him there and then. Muhammad bin Tughlaq his son became the ruler. He also issued the Tughlaqian farmaan(order) to move his capital from Dilli to Deccan or Dakshin so that he could rule his territory from the center of India which would be more convenient to control and  administer his vast empire. However, within a few years he returned to Dilli. In these expeditions, he lost a lot of people as well as cattle. A lot of his people stayed back in Deccan and never returned to Delhi. 

ADILABAD FORT

On coming back to Dilli, Mohammad Bin Tughlaq did not occupy this fort but built a smaller fort close by which he named Adilabad Fort. That fort actually looks like a mud fort and is quite small. 

The Tughlaqabad Fort therefore was the Fort which could not hold its people, could not defend its people, nor could offer any resistance to invaders.

I wonder if it was the curse of the Saint or the lack of water which led to its failure. There was no river close by and it was located at a height on the Arravali Ridge. 

RUBBLE & STONE.

This huge Fort has very thick walls. The walls were made with rubble, and were covered with uniform stones. These walls are at a slanting angle, so that no one could climb the walls with ladders. The walls look majestic and mighty from the outside. Once you reach inside the fort, all that one can see is vegetation. The whole place is covered with creepers and shrubs. No building is visible. Probably all the buildings were broken and the stones were removed for use somewhere else. A huge fort which was built with great speed, simply failed to live up to the expectations of its builders.

THE UNDERGROUND PASSAGE WITH ROOMS

I did find a few interesting ruins though. One was an underground passage which had rooms on both the sides. They appeared more like kaal kothris or rooms without any ventilation and light. I could not fathom out the purpose of its existence. Perhaps they were either granaries or were used for storing  armaments.

STEPS LEADING NOWHERE

There were  also some stairs which took us upwards. On reaching the top, sitting on the broken parapets one could see the horizon, the beautiful sunset, the Qutab Minar on the West side and the Lotus Temple on the North side. The breeze at that place was totally unhindered, it was cool, soothing and refreshing.

THE MAUSOLEUM

The mausoleum of Ghiayasuddin Tughlaq is close to the Fort. This was built by Ghiyasuddin himself during his lifetime.There is a causeway leading to the mausoleum from the Fort. This causeway too has been broken and the Mehrauli- Badarpur road goes through this gap. The mausoleum also has fortification around it. The tombs look like replicas as they are very plain. 

CAUSEWAY BETWEEN TOMB & FORT

Is it true that rulers and men of God have always been in conflict? Is it possible that an Auliya would curse a Ruler because he came in the way of his constructing a baoli? Are such saints not supposed to be calm and peaceful people who take human beings to a higher level? Were they also in a rat race to win followers?

WHAT REMAINS ARE RUINS.

Rulers with wealth and power want to build lasting structures, which will talk about their conquests, but sadly these structures also decay. What remains alive are stories. Stories of arrogance, haughtiness and folly. Stories of curses, atrocities and despair!

THE FORTIFIED MAUSOLEUM

Do we remember anything good of the Tughlaq Dynasty?

The Sufi Saint Nizamuddin Auliya is still revered. There is an annual Urs held in his Dargah, where a lot of devotees come. His follower and disciple Ameer Khusrau, the great poet and writer of pahelis, and the introducer of Hindvi ( khadi boli) also lies buried in the same premises. Jehan Ara the daughter of Shah Jehan is also buried in the premises of Nizamuddin Dargah.

 The takht( throne), or the taj( crown) on the head as well as the head often is lost, in the struggle for power. Many times it is the son who gets his own father killed so that he may get the crown and rule.

What is it that remains ultimately?

The only Tughlaq who ruled well was Feroze Shah Tughlaq, a nephew of Mohd. Bin Tughlaq who also did not inhabit the Tughlaqabad Fort. He built his own Fort, where today stands the Feroze Shah Kotla grounds.

BARREN FROM THE INSIDE!

The Abhishapt Fort, the cursed Fort, so strong and majestic from the outside is totally barren and destroyed from the inside. Only its massive outer walls call out to us and seem to say that nothing remains, the strongest of edifice may be hiding a totally hollow precinct within. External looks indeed are very deceptive!