Lal Qila - Was It Built By Shah Jahan Or Reclaimed?
THE GREAT HISTORICAL LIE: WHO REALLY BUILT LAL QILA?
The Red Fort—or Lal Qila—is portrayed as a symbol of Mughal architectural genius, built by Shah Jahan between 1638 and 1648. But growing evidence, long ignored or suppressed, suggests otherwise. According to many independent historians, architects, and Vastu experts, Shah Jahan did not build the fort from scratch—he occupied and modified a pre-existing Hindu fort that already existed on the banks of the Yamuna.
THE ARCHITECTURAL TRUTH HIDDEN IN STONE Let’s examine the Red Fort without colonial lenses:
- The fort is full of Hindu-style chhatris, jharokhas, kalash designs, and floral motifs, which have no roots in Islamic tradition.
- The layout of the fort resembles traditional Rajput defensive architecture—not Persian-Islamic designs.
- The Nahr-i-Bihisht (Stream of Paradise) concept inside was a Vedic water management style, later “Islamized.”
Why would Shah Jahan, a Persian-influenced emperor, borrow Hindu design elements if he was building from scratch? Because he wasn’t building—he was rebranding.
WHO BUILT IT THEN? THE HINDU ORIGINS Historical references and local legends suggest:
- The fort was originally built or expanded by Anangpal Tomar, a Hindu king of Delhi.
- The Tomars and Chauhans ruled the region for centuries before Islamic invaders appeared.
- Evidence of pre-Mughal Hindu temples and structures beneath the fort has been casually dismissed or sealed off.
The city of Delhi was a well-established seat of Hindu kings long before the Mughals arrived. Red Fort was part of this cultural and administrative setup.
MUGHAL STRATEGY: CONQUER, CONVERT, CLAIM The Mughals, like many invaders before them, followed a systematic method:
- Conquer existing Indian cities and forts.
- Destroy sacred elements—like murtis, mandirs, and Vedic symbols.
- Overlay Islamic features like domes, minarets, and Arabic inscriptions.
- Claim authorship and erase original builders from history.
What happened at:
- Qutub Minar (Vishnu Stambha),
- Tejo Mahalaya (Taj Mahal),
- Kashi and Mathura, also happened at the Lal Qila.
WHAT’S BURIED BENEATH THE RED WALLS? Archaeological silence is deafening. If this fort was indeed built by Shah Jahan:
- Why has the ASI not excavated its foundations?
- Why are certain sections of the fort—like hidden basements and sealed chambers—off-limits?
- Why does the stone used pre-date Shah Jahan’s rule by centuries?
Local Delhi residents have stories passed down generations—about temples, secret tunnels, and palaces buried beneath the Mughal renovations.
WHERE IS THE DOCUMENTARY PROOF? There is no firm foundation stone by Shah Jahan claiming he started the fort. Only records of renovation and expansion. Persian chronicles themselves use words like:
- “decorated”,
- “beautified”,
- “renovated”.
Not constructed. Even British-era records mention the possibility that the site was an ancient Hindu citadel, repurposed by the Mughals.
THE MUGHAL GLORIFICATION PROJECT The British, to justify their colonization, glorified the Islamic invaders of India. They:
- Gave undue credit to Mughals as “builders of India”,
- Portrayed Hindu kings as tribal, primitive, or local,
- Buried the truth about India’s architectural legacy.
This false narrative entered our textbooks, and we forgot our real creators.
RED FORT – SYMBOL OF INDIA’S FREEDOM, BUILT BY ITS ORIGINAL SONS It is ironic that every Indian Prime Minister hoists the national flag from the ramparts of a fort that was possibly stolen from Hindu kings. If Red Fort’s origins are truly Hindu:
- India’s Independence Day speech site stands on appropriated ground.
- Our national pride is unknowingly linked to a lie.
Isn’t it time we reclaimed this legacy?
CALL FOR HISTORICAL JUSTICE We are not asking to demolish or erase anything. We ask only for:
- Proper archaeological investigation beneath the Red Fort.
- Acknowledgment of pre-Mughal heritage in Indian monuments.
- Rewriting history with truth, not political agenda.
India’s history didn’t start in 1192 with Islamic invasions—it was already ancient, wise, and sophisticated.
RECLAIMING OUR FORTS, REWRITING OUR HISTORY Just like:
- Ram Mandir was reclaimed in Ayodhya,
- Gyanvapi’s truth is emerging,
- Taj Mahal’s origin is questioned,