Red Fort Historical Timeline

Construction under Shah Jahan

The Red Fort was built as the fortified residence of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, after he moved the seat of the empire from Agra to Delhi. Construction began in 1638 and was completed in 1648, with the design credited to Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the same architect associated with the Taj Mahal. For nearly 200 years afterward, it remained the residence of the Mughal emperors.

Decline and later history

The fort's fortunes turned with the decline of Mughal power. It was stripped of many of its treasures, including the famous Peacock Throne, after Nadir Shah's invasion in 1739. Following the 1857 rebellion against British rule, British forces took control of the fort, removed or repurposed several of its structures, and used it as a military garrison for decades.

A symbol of independence

The Red Fort holds a central place in modern Indian history: it was the site of the Indian National Army trials in the 1940s, and every Independence Day since 1947 the Prime Minister has raised the national flag and addressed the nation from its ramparts. The fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.