Purana Qila, Delhi - Fort in Medieval Period

Fort in Medieval Period

Fort was called as the inner citadel of the city of Dina-panah during Humayun's rule who renovated it in 1533 and completed five years later. Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the "sixth city of Delhi".

The founder of the Suri Dynasty, Sher Shah Suri, defeated Humayun in 1540, renaming the fort Shergarh; he added several more structures in the complex during his five year reign until his death in 1545.

Subsequently Islam Shah took over the reins of North India from this fort, but shifted his capital to Gwalior, as it was supposed to be a safer capital in that period, leaving the charge of Delhi and Punjab to his Hindu General Hemu. After Islam Shah's death in 1553, Adil Shah Suri took charge of North India. General Hemu was busy in quelling rebellion in east India and the fort remained neglected. Adil Shah shifted his capital further east to Chunar in present day Uttar Pradesh. Humayun, who was based in Kabul at this time, seized the opportunity to re-capture the citadel and the seat of Delhi in 1555, fifteen years after abandoning it following his defeats at the hands of the Suri Dynasty in the Battles of Chausa and Kannauj. Humayun's reign proved brief thereafter; he died following a tragic accidental fall within the fort complex at Sher Mandal only a year later, in Jan. 1556.

Hearing about re-capture of Delhi by Humayun, Hemu, the Hindu Prime Minister – cum – Chief of Army of Adil Shah, rushed towards Delhi from Bengal, where he had just quelled a rebellion, defeating and killing Muhhamad Shah, the ruler of Bengal. After capturing Agra, Itawah, and Kanpur with relative ease, Hemu, who had won 22 battles spanning entire north India, met and defeated the forces of Akbar, which were led by Tardi Beg Khan, in the Battle for Delhi, which took place in the Tuglaqabad area on 5–6 October 1556. Hemu had his Rajyabhishek or Coronation at Purana Quila on 7 October 1556, declared 'Hindu Raj' in North India, and was bestowed the title of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya. Hemu, who later lost his life at the Second battle of Panipat in Nov. 1556, subsequently had his torso hung outside this fort to create terror among Hindus.