FACTS & FIGURES
Built In 14th Century AD
Built By Ala-Ud-Din Khilji
Location Delhi

CITY OF ALA-UD-DIN KHILJI
Ala-ud-din Khilji was a powerful ruler who belonged to the Khilji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. He was also a great patron of architecture and to him goes the credit of getting the Siri Fort in Delhi constructed.

The fort was mainly built by Ala-ud-din to protect the people of his capital from the frequent invasions of the Mongols, who easily penetrated the weak defenses of India's borders time and again to reach all the way up to Delhi. He succeeded in his mission of protecting his subjects after building the Siri Fort.

Ala-ud-din Khilji built Siri Fort not only as the imperial capital of his kingdom, but also to protect the people of his capital city from the threat of the Mongols marauders. Siri Fort was a formidable fort, having strong ramparts and unassailable walls.

MILITARY ARCHITECTURE
The fort also served as the administrative center of the Delhi Sultanate, under the rule of Ala-ud-din Khilji (AD 1296-1316). Though not much remains of this fort presently, it still conveys the architectural skills of the people who made it.

SIRI FORT
Siri Fort is one of the many forts of Delhi, which were built during the time of the Delhi Sultanate (AD 1191-1526) in the medieval age. The kingdom of Delhi was constantly threatened by hoards of Mongol tribesmen who had been descending in waves to loot India since the 13th century. The Slave dynasty (AD 1193-1290), which was the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, also faced this threat in the later half of its reign. Balban, the last important ruler of this dynasty successfully countered the Mongol threat. In the course of time, the reins of the Delhi Sultanate passed into the hands of the Khilji Dynasty (AD 1290-1316).

Ala-ud-din Khilji ascended the throne of the Delhi Sultanate in AD 1296. He was a strong monarch, who was constantly expanding his empire. Ala-ud-din was also a great builder. He built the fort city at Siri, which served as the administrative center of the Khilji kingdom and was the first city in Delhi to be built by the Muslim rulers of India. The rulers of the Slave dynasty, who were the first Muslim rulers of India and the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate before the Khiljis, used Lal Kot, the fort city of the last Hindu rulers of Delhi.

He also began to put into shape his grand plans of beautifying the Qutab Minar complex. He added the Alai Darwaza, a magnificent gateway with inlaid marble decorations and latticed stone screens, which showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkish artisans who worked on it. He also planned to build the Alai Minar, which was conceived as a greater tower than the already existing Qutab Minar but the construction of this tower was abandoned after the completion of the 24.5-meter high first story.

In AD 1303, the Mongols under their leader Taraghai plundered Delhi and almost captured it. However the marauders did not capture the city and without reason turned back and left. Meanwhile, Ala-ud-din Khilji was away from Delhi, busy in one of his military campaigns in the Deccan region in South India. Returning back to Delhi from his Deccan campaign, Ala-ud-din Khilji decided to build a defensive fortress at Siri with strong fortified ramparts and impregnable bastions. This was the third fort to be built within the city of Delhi. The construction of the Siri Fort and the city within it began in AD 1304. The place he chose was a plain ground around five km to the north-east of the Qutab Minar where forces attacking or defending Delhi used to camp.

The fort city of Siri was never attacked by enemies but destroyed by successive rulers who plundered it to take away free building material for their forts. Tamurlane, who invaded Delhi in AD 1398, found Siri a magnificent fortress and damaged it. Later on, Sher Shah Suri (an Afghan chieftain from eastern India who ruled Delhi from AD 1540-1555 and was a contemporary of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun) took construction material from Siri to build his own city. Only some portions of the Siri walls can be seen today as all else has been destroyed and stones have been removed.

IMPORTANT MONUMENTS WITHIN SIRI FORT
Siri Fort had a number of administrative buildings within it apart from the palace and the living quarters of the Khilji royal family. As subsequent rulers of Delhi carted off much of building material from this fort, one can hardly find any substantial architectural remains of important buildings of that time. The most famous structure within the Siri Fort was the 1,000-pillar palace of Ala-ud-din, called Hazar Sutun. The only major surviving building of Siri is at Hauz Khas (located in south Delhi) where Ala-ud-din built a vast 50-hectare reservoir called Hauz-e-Alai for the benefit of the people of Siri.

HOW TO REACH
Delhi is well connected by air, rail, and road to all the important centers in India and abroad. Travelers can reach Siri Fort, in many ways. Travelers can either take local buses from various points within the city to reach this monument, which is located in the southern part of the city or they can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis for the purpose. One can take buses from important bus stations like the Inter State Bus Terminal, Connaught Place etc. to reach this monument.

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