ReportofsitevisittoFeroz Shah Kotla Sonam Tobgay A/1998/07 3 rd yr, Sec: B

After thecapriciousreignof MuhammedbinTughlaq,hiscousin,the devout(andevenbigoted!)FirozShah Tughlaq(1351-1388A.D.)becameSultan. FirozShahinherited,thankslargelytothe disastrouspoliciesofhispredecessor, nearlyemptycoffersandadisintegrating empire. This did not stop him from embarking onavigorouscampaignofbuilding,andin thewordsofacontemporaryhistorianhe waseventuallyresponsiblefor1200 gardensaroundDelhi...200towns,40 mosques,30villages,30reservoirs,50 dams,100hospitals,100publicbathsand 150bridges.Theseclaimsarenodoubt exaggeratedbutunderscorehisinterestin architecture. ThearchitectureofFiroz Shahisstern,utilitarian,almosttragic-at timeshauntinglylovely,andattimes warninglyforbidding.Thisisdueinnosmall measuretoitsroughexposedfinish(the glazed tiles having come off a long time ago) aswellasthelackofskilledmasonsand sufficient capital. FirozShahbuiltanew capitalcityonthebanksoftheYamuna, calledFirozShahKotla,thereby abandoningtheoldfort-cityof Tughlaqabad.Apartfromthedesireof thenewSultantomakehismark,this decisioncouldalsohavebeenprompted byanincreasinglyirregularwatersupply at Tughlaqabad. The kings quarters as well as those of his wives and concubines were situated along the river-front. Within the perimeter walls of the fort were structures serving as barracks, armories, rooms for servants, halls for audience, an imposing mosque, as well as public and private baths, a stepped well or baoli, and an Ashokan pillar removed from Ambala and mounted on top of a pyramidal three-tiered construction. Symbolically, this was an icon of the Sultans supremacy in North India, very much like the Gupta Iron Pillar in the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque at the Qutb. Royal palace Main entrance ThenorthernpartoftheKotlastillhasa baoli(adeepwellsurroundedby underground rooms) where the atmosphere isfreshevenonthehottestdayof summer.Thethree-tieredstructureofa small and functional baoli is near intact. The watersupplyrunsthroughtransverse pipelinesAndcisternprovisions, harnessingtoadvantageitsprorjmitvto theriverwhichthenflowedbelowthe ramparts. The Hawa Mahall still stands in the form of asteppedpyramidwithdiminishingfloors, whicharelinkedwithprivateroomsviaa secretcorridorinthewesternwallofthe Jami masjid, now for the most part in ruins.The triple-storeyed construction to vaulted cellaroundrsolidcorewithstairsatthe comersleadingtotheuppermostterrace where the Ashokan pillar is planted. Royal palace Main entrance Ashokan Pillar Features of Ashokan pillars in Delhi The four lions of the Ashokan Pillar in Delhi are the main features of the historic monument. There are also non-religious interpretations to the symbolism of the pillars, describing the four lions as the symbol of Ashoka's rule over the four directions. Located north of Jami Masjid in the citadel stands the 13 meters high sandstone Ashokan Pillar on a rubble-built three-tired pyramidal structure. Feroz Shah Tughlaq brought this 27 tonne pillar to Delhi from Topar in Ambala, where the great Emperor Ashoka erected it. The pillar is similar to the one fixed on the ridge, which was also brought by Feroz Shah.The pillar has seven main inscriptions or edicts of Emperor Ashoka, apart from some figures and many minor inscriptions. Though made of sandstone, the pillar was so polished that till date it looks as if it is made up of some metal. The pillar was later called as Minar-i-Zarin as Feroz Shah ornamented the pillar during his reign. TheJamiMasjidatKotla hassurvivedinitsopenspectacular courtyard and a portion of the western wall. Raisedonaterraceofvaultedchambers, themosquecouldaccommodatenearly tenthousandmenatprayer.Accordingto Franklin who visited the mosque m 1793, it hadfourcloisters,thedomedroofsof whichweresupportedby260stone columns, each about 5m high. The centre of the courtyard lay under an 8m high brick and stone octagonal dome. Thekingsquartersaswell as those of his wives, harems and mosques alongtheriverbanktothenorthandsouth aredividedintovariousrectangularand squarecourts. Ineachthere weredifferent activities:'suchaspavilionsofdiffering uses,tree-linedgardenswithwater,baths, fountains,barracks,armoriesandthe servants' quarters, all arranged so as to be connecting.'Descriptiveaccountsmention mirroredhalls,aswellassandalwood sculptures and figural and landscape murals. Main entrance My critiques on Feroz Shah Kotla Architecturally, fort that which has become a ruin at the moment is of not much variant with any other architecture Islamic architectures brought about and built in India by numerous Islam Leaders. The arches and courtyards, the mosque, and all, its quite evidently constructed. The main point of discussion in Feroz Shah Kotla could be the massive usage of the Crude masonry used here. The stone masonries and unfinished surface could well be dude to the reason of economic crack down during Feroz Shah Tuqlak time. Now the fort remains in ruins, the garden created in the area, has well added to an extra features of the fort though it really doesnt add anything extra to the fort. All in all, fort type has never been repeated for the obvious reason that it didnt work well. Thank you. www.wikipedia.com