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RED FORT, DELHI

1638 ShahJahancommissionedtheconstructionoftheRedFortwhenhedecidedtoshifthiscapitalfrom AgratoDelhi.UstadAhmadandUstadHamidwerechosenasthearchitects for constructionoftheroyalpalace

1648 ConstructionofthefortwassupervisedbyShahJahanhimselfandwascompleted

1712 JahandarShahtookovertheRedFort.,thepalacehadbeenwithoutanemperorfor30years.Withinayearofhisrule,Jahandar Shahwas murdered and replaced byFarukhsiyar.Tocombatthedecliningfinances, the silver ceiling ofthe palaceRang Mahalwas replaced by copper during this period.MuhammadShah,whowasalsoknownasRangila(thecolourful)forhisdeepinterestinarts

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1739 NadirShah,the Persian emperor, attacked theMughals.The Mughal armywaseasilydefeatedandNadirShahplunderedtheRedFortofitsrichesincludingthePeacockThrone.NadirShahreturnedtoPersiaafterthreemonthsleavingadestroyedcityandaweakeningMughalempiretoMuhammadShah.TheinternalweaknessesoftheMughalempireturnedMughalsintotitularheadsofDelhi.

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1758 TheMarathaconquestofLahore putthemindirectconfrontationwithAhmadShahDurrani

1760 TheMarathas removed and melted theSilverceilingoftheDiwaniKhas to generate funds for the defenceofDelhifromtheAfghaninvaderAhmedShahDurrani

1761

Marathaslost

the

Third

battle

of

Panipat,Delhi

was

raided

by

Ahmed

ShahDurrani

1771 ShahAlamascendedtothethroneinDelhiwiththesupportoftheMarathas

1783

TheSikh

Misl

Karorisinghia

,led

by

Baghel

Singh

Dhaliwal,conquered

Delhi

and

the

Red

Fort.

Sikhs agreedtorestore ShahAlamasthe emperor and retreat fromthefortontheconditionthatMughalswouldconstructandprotectsevenhistoricalGurudwarasinDelhiassociatedwiththeSikhgurus

1803 DuringtheSecondAngloMarathaWar, the forces ofBritishEastIndiaCompanydefeatedtheMarathaforcesin theBattleofDelhi, ending the Maratha rule over the city and their controlover thefort.Afterthebattle, Britishtookover the administration of MughalterritoriesandinstalledaResidentattheMughalcourtsinRedFort.

1857 Thelast Mughal emperor to occupy the fort, Bahadur ShahII "Zafar",emerged as a symbolofthe rebellionagainsttheBritishinwhichtheresidentsofShahjahanbadparticipated.

1858

Bahadur

Shah

IIreturned

to

Red

Fort

as

aprisoner

of

the

British

and

was

Tried

1863 Britishdestroyedmanybuildingsinsideandoutsidethefort,filled up thegardens, stripped thefortofanyvaluableitemsandreducedtheforttojustamilitarystructure