Tughalaqabad – the Third City of Delhi was founded by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq who built this fort while establishing his Delhi Sultanate in 1321 AD, starting the Tughlaq dynasty.
Ghazi Malik, when only a General to Ala-ud-din Khilji during the rule of Khiljis in Delhi had suggested that the King build a fort in the southern portion of Delhi for its rocky prominence which will serve as an ideal site for a fort and to defend the capital against Mongol invasions. The Sultan laughed it off and suggested to have it built once Ghazi himself becomes a Sultan. The prophecy even though a joke came true and in 1321 AD, Ghazi Malik assumed the title of Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq taking the throne from Khusro Khan in a coup d'état. Khusro Khan, a Hindu convert, himself had snatched the throne from the Khiljis ending the Khilji dynasty.
Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, in 1321 built the then strongest fort in Delhi at Tughlaqabad which was completed within the first four years of his rule. Tughlaqabad Fort is Delhi's undoubtedly most colossal and awe-inspiring fort even in its ruined state today. Spread over an area of 6.5Kms, the impregnable fort served as its capital also.
In his passion and zeal to complete the fort at a great speed, all the masons, artisans and labourers in and around Delhi were issued a dictate to work for the construction of this magnificent fort. The ongoing work on the Baoli of Saint Nizamuddin Auliya, a Sufi mystic had to be stopped leading to a dissonance between the Sufi Saint and the Sultan. The saint pronounced “Ya basey gujjar, ya rahey ussar” (may the city be inhabited by nomads or remain in wilderness), a curse which resonates till today .
Furious on being at the receiving end of the curse, the Sultan while in an expedition in Bengal turned back towards Delhi with an intention to teach the Saint a lesson. This invited another curse as Saint Nizamudin Auliya uttered “Hunooz Dilli Door Ast” (Delhi is yet far away). Delhi was indeed far away. Sultan’s son Muhammed bin Tughlaq in order to celebrate his father’s successful and victorious campaign in Bengal organized a ceremony in the town of Kara, Uttar Pradesh on the Sultan’s way back to his capital. Procession elephants either accidently or as allegedly planned by Ghiyas-ud-din’s son and successor Muhammad bin Tughlaq walked on the wooden pavilion erected in the Sultan’s honour leading to the roof or the Shamiana to fall over Sultan crushing him to death.
The Fort Tughalaqabad remained unoccupied since the Sultan’s death in 1324 AD and was finally abandoned when Muhammad bin Tughlaq founded his new capital Jahanpanah in 1327 AD – the Fourth City of Delhi.
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