Shahjahanabad

Utkarsh chaudhari1
Abstract
Shahjahanabad was built when Mughal architecture reached its zenith during the reign
of emperor Shahjahan. It was built by emperor Shahjahan between 1639-1648 as the
capital of the Mughal Empire.2The city boasted of large number of mansion, mosques
and gardens. There were presence of magnificent building in the city. These are Red
fort, Jamamasjid, Dara shukoh’s mansion, Fatehpuri masjid. This city has rich culture
and historical significance. It is more seen its markets, streets of Shahjahanabad. There
are the celebrations of festivals like Diwali and Eid on the streets of Shahjahanabad. It
also had magnificent town planning, city was encircled with a wall with 14 gates3. It is
a major tourist site of India. People from different part of world come to visit the city ,
especially Red fort. It accounted a significant share to the revenue generated from
tourism sector. In 2021-22, Red fort accounted 6.01 crore of the entire revenue4.

1 First year reserch student , Ramjas college

2https://www.britannica.com/place/Delhi/History#ref293596.
3https://www.indiahabitat.org/themes/ihc/img/gallery/12724/12724.pdf
4https://scroll.in/article/673168/these-ten-historical-monuments-earn-india-the-most-revenue
Introduction

The Mughal emperor Shahjahan founded the city of Shahjahanabad in the mid

seventeenth century as his capital. The city was located close to a cluster of

older sites, at Delhi. There were several reasons for the selection of Delhi as the

capital. To begin with, there was an imperial aura, a long history of the city as a

capital of empires. Shahjahanabad was a planned city, the only living, planned,

Mughal city extant in largely its original form. Encircled by a city wall, it was

situated on the bank of the river Yamuna. The citadel housing the emperor and

the royal family (officially named Qila-e-Moalla, ‘the exalted fort’, but today

known as the Red Fort) was an important focal point of the city, and the

congregational mosque, the Jama Masjid, was the next most prominent

landmark.Shahjahanabad was a walled city, and some of its gates and

parts of the wall still stand. The romance of the bazaars of Delhi can

be experienced at its best in and around Chandni Chowk and its by

lanes. Shahjahanabad was secured and enclosed by about ten

kilometer long well. Ten gates connected the city with the

surrounding region. Lahore gate was the main entrance for the Red

Port besides Delhi Gate. The Kashmere Gate, Calcutta Gate, Mori

Gate, Kabul Gate, Faresh Khana Gate, Ajmere Gate and the Turkman
Gate were the other major links of the city with the highways. A

system of Mohallas and Katras was developed to suit the homogenous

community structure. Shahjahanabad who furnishes a fine example

of secularism which distinguishes it from the bazars of many historic

buildings and temples: The Lal Jain Mandir from the time of

Shahjahan, Appa Gangadhar Mandir (Gauri Shankar mandir), the

only temple built during Marathi dominion, Arya Samaj mandir

(Dewan Hall), Baptist Chruch, Gurudwara Sisganj, Sunehri

Mohammad Shah at Panipat and entered Delhi. He massacred the

inhabitants and took over almost the entire wealth Shahjahanbad,

accumulated by the Mughals in India. The Peacock throne, priceless

stones such as Koh-i-Nur and Masjid and west end terminus, the

Fateh Puri Masjid. On 9th March, 1739 Nadir Shah defeated Darya-i-

Nur, fine pieces of art, thousand of horses, camels, and elephants,

and numerous books and manuscripts was carried among as booty.5

5 https://www.delhitourism.gov.in/delhitourism/aboutus/shahjehanabad.jsp
Magnificiant Buildings Of Shahjahanabad

Red Fort
The Red Fort, so called because of the red colour of the stone largely used in
it, is octagonal on plan, with two longer sides on the east and west. The fort
measures about 900 m by 550 m, with its rampart walls covering a perimeter of
2.41 km and rising to a height of 33.5 m on the town side and 18 m on along
the river. Outside the ramparts runs a moat, originally connected with the river.
On the north the fort is connected by a bridge with Salimgarh.The palaces lie
along the eastern side of the fort, while two imposing three-storeyed main
gateways flanked by semi-octagonal towers and consisting of several
apartments are located in the centre of the western and southern sides and are
known as the Lahore and Delhi Gates respectively. On the outside, the Delhi
gate is flanked by the statues of two elephants renewed in 1903 by Lord Curzon
in place of the ones which had been demolished long ago by Aurangzeb.The
main entrance to the fort lies through the Lahori Gate and the palaces are
reached through a roofed passage, flanked by arcaded apartments called
Chhatta-Chowk and now used as shops. The other portions were originally
occupied by the residences of the courtiers and retinue. Both the ages were
provided later by barbicans by Aurangzeb. There exist three other entrances on
other sides, now largely closed. The master-builders of the Red Fort were Hamid
and Ahmad while the construction was supervised by other officers, who were amply
rewarded by the emperor by appointing them to high positions.6
The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which,
under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. The
planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion
reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal building, reflecting a fusion of
Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The Red Fort’s innovative planning and
architectural style, including the garden design, strongly ifluenced later
buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and further afield.7

6 https://asi.nic.in/en/lal-qila-or-red-fort/
7 https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/231/
2.JAMA MASJID

. Towering over Old Delhi, the magnificent façade of Jama

Masjid stands as the reminder of Mughal architecture.
Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the
Masjid-i Jah?n-Num? (meaning Mosque commanding
view of the world) was his final architectural opus. On the
other hand, the popular name, Jama Masjid is derived
from the word 'Jummah', referring to the congregational
prayer observed by Muslims on Fridays. Built from red
sandstone and white marble, the edifice dominates the
skyline of the busy Chawri Bazar in central Delhi and is
considered the largest mosque in India. Each year, on
Eid, thousands of reverent Muslims throng the mosque to
offer special Eid Namaz in the morning. The mosque is
jointly maintained by the Delhi Wakf Board and the Jama
Masjid committee under the directives from the Shahi
Imam.8

3.FATEHPURI MASJID

Masjid Fatehpuri was built in 1650 by Fatehpuri Begum,

one of Shah Jahan’s wives. The mosque is built with red

8 https://www.culturalindia.net/monuments/jama-masjid.html
sandstone on a large scale and is surmounted by a single
dome. This mosque is a beautiful specimen of the
magnificence of Mughal architecture and stands as a
silent spectator, witnessing all historical events right from
the Mughal and British periods till date. Flanked by
towering minarets, the mosque has a traditional design
with the prayer hall having seven-arched openings. Among
the seven arches, the central arch is the highest.
Masjid Fatehpuri has three gates: one is right in front of
the Red Fort at Chandni Chowk and the other two are in
the north and the south. Id-ul-Fitr and Id-ul-Azha is
celebrated in a grand way in the Fatehpuri Masjid, Delhi.
The place is on the heart of the city (Chandni Chowk) so
it can be reached very easily. The different parts of the
mosque are beautifully decorated and are a visual
pleasure.9

4. CHANDNI CHOWK
When the famous Mughal Emperor Shahjahan shifted his capital
from Agra to Delhi and established the city of Shahjahanabad, he
had the majestic Red Fort or Lal Qila, on the banks of River
Yamuna. Chandni Chowk was built in 1650 AD as an
accompaniment to the fort. It was designed by Jahanara, the
Emperor's favorite daughter. A large chowk ("square") with a
central pool was built at some distance from the fort.
The story goes that on a moonlit night, the new complex and the
pool lay shimmering; as a result, it acquired the name
of Chandni Chowk- "the moonlit square".

9 https://masjidfatehpuri.in/
Another legend says that the Chowk was named after
it's silversmiths and there is a confusion of the word 'chandi'
(silver) with 'chandni' (moonlit).10

TOWN PLANNING

The emperors of Mughal Empire were ultimate masters of town

planning. Especially Shah Jahan the fifth Mughal emperor had a
very highly cultivated aesthetic sense.

The town planning of shahjahanabad was the reflection of both

Islamic and Hindu influence. Many of them were associated with
associated with the construction activities of Shahjahanabad as it
was the centre of kingdom.

The structured seem to have followed a design from Manasara

treaties on architecture which is called as Karmuka .

The selection of this design symbolically showcases the power of

the king. The structure of the Shahjahanabad light between the
two poles that is the men and the universe which reflect the
traditional Islamic city plan.

The planning of shahjahanabad shows the dominating idea of

Shahjahan. Due to the erosion the scope for the expansion of the
imperial capital Agra became difficult so Shahjahan wanted to
shift the capital to Delhi as the founding of shahjahanabad
began.11

CONCLUSION

10 https://historicaltimeofindia.blogspot.com/2013/02/history-of-chandni-chowk.html
11 https://www.eatmy.news/2021/07/shahajanabad-only-planned-city-of.html
In conclusion, Shahjahanabad, the Mughal capital founded by Emperor Shah

Jahan, stands as a historical and architectural marvel that has shaped the
cultural tapestry of India. From its grand structures like the Red Fort and Jama

Masjid to its vibrant economic and social life, Shahjahanabad represents the

zenith of Mughal splendor. Despite facing decline and transformation over

the centuries, contemporary preservation efforts highlight the city's enduring

legacy. Shahjahanabad's influence on modern Delhi is evident in its continued

impact on the cultural and architectural identity of the region. Studying

Shahjahanabad provides a profound insight into India's rich history and the

lasting imprint of Mughal brilliance.