The Lahore Fort (; ; ) is a citadel in the Walled City of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. The fortress is located at the northern end of the Walled City and is spread over an area greater than . It contains 21 notable monuments, some of which date to the era of emperor Akbar. It was almost entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, when the Mughal Empire was at its zenith.
Though the site of the present fort has been inhabited for millennia, the first record of a fortified structure at the site was that of an 11th-century mudbrick fort. The foundations of the present fort was laid in 1566, during the reign of Akbar, in a syncretic architectural style that featured both Islamic and Hindu motifs. Additions from the period of Shah Jahan are characterised by marble with inlaid Persianate floral designs, while its Alamgiri Gate was constructed by Aurangzeb, and faces the Badshahi Mosque.
After the fall of the Mughal Empire, Lahore Fort was used as the residence of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. The Sikhs made several additions to the fort. It then passed to the control of the East India Company after they annexed Punjab following their victory over the Sikhs at the Battle of Gujrat in February 1849. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "outstanding repertoire" of Mughal monuments dating from the era when the empire was at its artistic and aesthetic zenith.
Location The fort is located in the northern part of Lahore walled city. The Alamgiri gate is part of an ensemble of buildings, which along with the Badshahi Mosque, Roshnai Gate, and Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, form a quadrangle around the Hazuri Bagh. The Minar-e-Pakistan and Iqbal Park are adjacent to the northern boundary of the fort.
History
Early history Though the site is known to have been inhabited for millennia, the origins of Lahore Fort are obscure and traditionally based on various myths.G. Johnson, C. A. Bayly, and J F Richards (1988). The New Cambridge History of India. Cambridge University Press.
Delhi Sultanate The first historical reference to a fort at the site is from the 11th century during the rule of Mahmud of Ghazni. It was made of mud and was destroyed in 1241 by the Mongol Empire during the siege of Lahore in 1241. A new fort was constructed in 1267 at the site by Sultan Balban of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. The rebuilt fort was destroyed in 1398 by the invading forces of Timur, only to be rebuilt by Mubarak Shah Sayyid in 1421.Khan, p.10 In the 1430s, the fort was briefly occupied by the Timurid governor of Kabul Shaikh Ali. It later remained under the control of the Lodi dynasty until Lahore was captured by the Mughal emperor Babur in 1526.
Mughal era
Akbar period
The present design and structure of the fort trace its origins to 1566 when the Mughal Emperor Akbar occupied the site as a post to guard the northwest frontier of the empire.Asher, p.47 The strategic location of Lahore, between the Mughal territories and the strongholds of Kabul, Multan, and Kashmir necessitated the dismantling of the old mud-fort and fortification with solid brick masonry.Lahore Fort Complex . Archnet Digital Library. Retrieved 7 March 2008 Lofty palaces were built over time, along with lush gardens. Notable Akbar period structures included the Doulat Khana-e-Khas-o-Am, Jharoka-e-Darshan, and Akbari Gate. Many Akbari structures were modified or replaced by subsequent rulers.Chaudhry, p.258
Jahangir period
Emperor Jahangir first mentions his alterations to the fort in 1612 when describing the Maktab Khana. Jahangir also added the Kala Burj pavilion, which features European-inspired angels on its vaulted ceiling. British visitors to the fort noted Christian iconography during the Jahangir period, with paintings of the Madonna and Jesus found in the fort complex. In 1606, Guru Arjan of the Sikh faith was imprisoned at the fort before his death.
Jahangir bestowed the massive Picture Wall, a by wall which is decorated with a vibrant array of glazed tile, faience mosaics, and frescoes. On the spandrels of the large arched panels below Jahangir's Khwabgah (the Imperial Bedchamber) are azdahas or winged dragons from ancient Persian mythology, cup-bearing angel figures herons, cranes and other flying birds. Many of the scenes displayed on this 'Picture Wall' illustrate the court life of the Mughal sovereigns, their sports and their pastimes. One of the panels shows four horsemen playing the noble game of Vaughan, nowadays known as polo. Most prominent are those relating to elephant fights, which were one of the favourite recreations of the Mughal court.
The Begum Shahi Mosque was built adjacent to the forts of the eastern walls during the reign of Jahangir. While the mosque likely served as a Friday congregational mosque for members of the royal court, it was not financed by Jahangir, although it likely required his approval. The foundation of this mosque was laid by the empress Mariam-uz-Zamani in the year 1611.
Shah Jahan period Shah Jahan's first contribution to the fort commenced in the year of his coronation, 1628, and continued until 1645. Shah Jahan first ordered the construction of the Diwan-i-Aam in the style of a Chehel Sotoun - a Persian style 40-pillar public audience hall. Though construction of the Shah Burj commenced under Jahangir, Shah Jahan was displeased with its design and appointed Asif Khan to oversee reconstruction. Shah Jahan's Shah Burj forms a quadrangle with the famous Sheesh Mahal, and Naulakha Pavilion. Both are attributed to Shah Jahan, although the Naulakha Pavilion may be a later addition possibly from the Sikh era. The white marble Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, also dates from the Shah Jahan period.
Aurangzeb period
Emperor Aurangzeb, built the Alamgiri Gate,Bhalla, p.81 whose semi-circular bastions and domed cupolas are a widely recognised symbol of Lahore that was once featured on Pakistani currency.
Sikh era
The Mughals lost the fort to the Afghan Durranis, who in turn briefly lost the fort to Maratha forces before being recaptured by the Durranis. The fort was then captured by the Bhangi Misl, one of the twelve Sikh misls of Punjab that ruled Lahore from 1765 until 1799.
Ranjit Singh period
The fort fell to the army of Ranjit Singh, who took Lahore from the Bhangi Misl in 1799. During their occupation of the fort, the Sikhs made many additions to the fort and repurposed portions of it for their own use. The Hazuri Bagh garden and its central baradari were constructed during Sikh rule to celebrate the maharaja's capture of the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Ranjit Singh used the fort's summer palace as his own residence, while the Moti Masjid was repurposed as a gurdwara called Moti mandir, and later used as royal treasury. The Sehdari pavilion, or "Three-doored" pavilion, was added to the fort during this period, as was the Ath dara or "Eight-doored" pavilion. The fort's Naag Temple and Lava Temple were also constructed during Sikh rule, while the Mai Jindan Haveli was extensively modified. Kharak Singh Haveli was also added. The fort's northern outer wall, parallel to the picture wall, was constructed during this period.
The fort's Diwan-i-Aam was destroyed in 1841 when the son of Ranjit Singh, Sher Singh bombarded the fort in his fight against Chand Kaur. Maharaja Ranjit Singh's elder son and successor, Kharak Singh was born in the fort to his wife, Maharani Datar Kaur. The youngest son of Ranjit Singh, Maharaja Duleep Singh was born at the fort's Mai Jindan Haveli in 1838. Duleep Singh signed the Treaty of Bhyroval in 1847 that brought the Sikh empire to an effective end. The fort and the city remained under the control of Ranjit Singh's family until the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849.
Modern era
The British occupied the fort after their conquest of Lahore, and made several modifications to it, primarily involving conversion of existing buildings for colonial use including hospitals and barracks for the British military. Excavations in 1959 in front of Diwan-i-Am led to the discovery of a gold coin dated 1025 CE belonging to Mahmud Ghaznavi. The coin was unearthed at the depth of from the lawn. The cultural layers were continuous to the depth of indicating that the fort was inhabited by people even before his conquest. Other pre-Mughal objects unearthed in the excavation included terracotta depicting mother goddess, horses, bulls and other figures of Hindu origin. The fort, along with the nearby Mughal gardens at Shalamar, was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.
While relaying the deteriorated floor of Akbari Gate in April 2007, three floors in the fort were unearthed belonging to the British, Sikh and Mughal periods, constructed with bricks, burnt bricks and pebbles respectively. The latter either built during Jahangir's or Shah Jahan's era was the hallmark of Mughals.
Layout
The fort is surrounded by a high bastioned defensive wall which forms a rough parallelogram measuring 365x320 metres.Pakistan Culture by Dr M.H Siddiqui and Dr Jamil Jallibi The fort is itself longitudinally divided into two approximate equal halves: first, the administrative section reserved in the south, which is well connected with main entrances, and includes gardens and Diwan-e-Khas for royal audiences. The second, a private and concealed residential section is divided into courts in the north and accessible through elephant gate. It also contains Sheesh Mahal, spacious bedrooms and small gardens.Catherine E G Asher (1993) Architecture of Mughal India. Cambridge University Press. In all there are five main quadrangles in Lahore Fort, namely Diwan-e-Aam, Moti Masjid Quadrangle, Jahangir's Quadrangle, Shah Jahan's Quadrangle, and Paien Bagh Quadrangle. Interior walls are decorated with blue Persian tiles, in a style called kashi kari. The original entrance faces the Maryam Zamani Mosque and the larger Alamgiri gate opens towards Hazuri Bagh through the majestic Badshahi mosque.A N Khan (1997). Studies in Islamic Archaeology of Pakistan Sang-e-Meel Publications Influence of Hindu architecture is seen in the zoomorphic corbels.
Major structures
Shah Burj Quadrangle Naulakha Pavilion
The Naulakha Pavilion is an iconic sight of the Lahore Fort built in 1633 during the Shah Jahan period that is made of prominent white marble, and known for its distinctive curvilinear roof. It cost around 900,000 rupees, an exorbitant amount at the time.Rajput A B (1963) Architecture in Pakistan. Pakistan Publications, pp. 8-9 The structure derives its name from the Urdu word for 900,000, Naulakha.
The Naulakha Pavilion served as a personal chamber and was located to the west of the Sheesh Mahal, in the northern section of the fort. The pavilion served as inspiration for Rudyard Kipling, who named his Vermont home Naulakha in honour of the pavilion.Kipling, Rudyard (1996) Writings on Writing. Cambridge University Press. 241 pages. . see p.36 and p.173
The structure was originally inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones. It reflects a mixture of contemporary traditions at the time of its construction, with a sloping-roof based on a Bengali style, and a baldachin from Europe, which makes evident the imperial as well as the religious function of the pavilion.Asher, p.180 The marble shades of the pavilion are capped with merlons to hide the view from the grounds.
Picture Wall
Emperor Jahangir ordered the construction of the massive "Picture Wall", which is considered to be the greatest artistic triumph of the Lahore Fort. Unlike the Red Fort and Agra Fort, Lahore Fort's ramparts were made of brick rather than red stone. The monumental Picture Wall is a large section of the outer wall which is exquisitely decorated with a vibrant array of glazed tile, faience mosaics, and frescoes.