4.5 Firuzabad 
The Firuzabad was the fifth city of Delhi. Muhammad-bin- 
Tughlaq's son Firoz shah Tughluq did not want to be left 
behind, so, he created his own city Firuzabad. The citadel- 
quadrangles of the city are/now known as Kotla Firoz Shah. 
According to contemporary historians, Firuzabad was built in 
1354 by Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351-88). He transferred his 
capital from Jahanpanah and constructed the new capital about 
13.10 kms. north of the Qutb Minar. It was extended from 
Hauz-Khas to Pir-Ghaib in the north over an area of around 0.10 
sq. kms. Kotla Firuz Shah is a large enclosure of high walls, 
along which then flowed the River Yamuna. Now it is situated 
on the Mathura road outside the Delhi Gate of Shahjahanabad. 
With an entrance through a barbican main gate on the west as is 
shown in the Figure 14, it contained palaces, pillared halls, 
mosques, a pigeon-tower and baoli, some of which are still in 
good condition. Among these, the tall pyramidal structure 
supporting the Asokan Column (Pillar) as is shown in the 
Figure 15 and Jami-Masjid were famed far and wide in the 
contemporary times. 
  
   
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Figure 14 & 15. Firuzabad main gate and Ashoka's Column 
The Asokan Column was brought from Topra near Ambala and 
erected, an 8 mts. tall 27 ton glittering golden monolith, in his 
new capital. Encased in reeds and raw skins it was transported 
on a carriage of 42 wheels, with 200 men pulling each wheel 
with ropes. This was emperor Ashoka's pillar with his edicts 
inscribed on it (Joshi and Pande, 1967). It still stands in Kotla 
Firoz Shah. The Jami-Masjid was one of the largest mosques in 
the Tughluq times. Timur mentions having visited it to say his 
prayers. It was an open, large and well-populated city without a 
wall around it. However, it had a hundred gardens, several 
palaces and more than half a dozen great mosques. Today 
Firuzabad is known as Kotla. The ground near the Kotla is the 
meeting place of international cricket teams and sports events. 
4.6 Purana-Qila 
The Purana-Qila was the sixth city of Delhi. A fort construction 
was begun in 1533 by Humayun (1530-40 and 1555-56). It is 
located in the north about 10.70 kms. away from the Qutb 
Minar. Humayun called his new city Dinapanah — Protection of 
the Faith. Purana Qila meaning ‘Old Fort’ stands on the site that 
is believed to be Indraparastha, the capital of the Pandavas in 
the Mahabharata epic. Through the evacuation from the Purana- 
Qila evidences have been turned up and collected pieces of the 
painted grey ware, relics and remains of later periods through 
the Archeological Surveys. Such characteristics of wares had 
been associated with the Mahabharata epic which had been 
dated to around 1000 B.C. However, its occurrence here seemed 
to support the tradition of Purana-Qila being the site of 
Indraparastha which was the capital of the Pandavas, heroes of 
the Mahabharata. Moreover, the fort construction was begun by 
Humayun on the old site of Indraparastha. Purana-Qila 
originally situated on the bank of the River Yamuna. It was 
completed within the short period of ten months. Later on, Sher 
Shah Suri (1538-45) demolished the city of Dinapanah and on 
  
   
   
   
  
  
   
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
   
   
  
   
  
  
   
   
   
   
  
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part BS. Istanbul 2004 
the same site raised his citadel. Sher Shah completed the 
fortress palace in 1545. Its ramparts spread over an area of 
nearly 0.20 sq. kms. It has three main gates which were double- 
storied, built with red sand stone and surmounted by chhatris as 
is clearly evidenced by the Figure 16 and 17. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Figure 16 & 17. Relict walls of Purana-Qila 
Among the three main gates, the northern gate is called the 
Talaqi-Darwaza meaning ‘Forbidden Gate’. The southern gate 
is known as the Humayun-Darwaza. The eastern side was 
having a ‘Water Gate’. It is believed that Sher Shah Suri left the 
Purana-Qila unfinished and it was completed by Humayun. The 
Sher-Mondal in Purana-Qila is believed to have been used by 
Humayun as his Library. 
4.7 Shahjahanabad 
The Shahjahanabad was the seventh city of Delhi. 
Shahjahanabad was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan 
(1628-58) between 1639 and 1649. It was huge well carved out 
city spread over an area of around 4.90 sq. kms. And it is 
located in the north at a distance of about 14.80 kms. from the 
Qutb Minar. The Lal-Qila (Red Fort) is one of the famous 
citadels which were begun in 1639. Once it was situated at the 
city’s eastern end on the right bank of the River Yamuna. It is 
an irregular octagon with two long sides on the east and west as 
is shown in the Figure 18 and 19. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Figure 18 & 19. Red Fort and its wall 
It has two main gates the Lahori Gate on the west and the Delhi 
Gate on the south. The Lal-Qila is mainly constructed by red 
sand stone while the marble has been used in palaces. It was 
completed after nine years. The city had 14 gates of which some 
have already been demolished and many of which still exists 
(Spear, 1951). 
  
  
  
  
  
Figure 20 & 21. Lahori and Delhi Gates of the Red Fort 
  
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