Making of a National symbol : Red Fort

A monument is a testament of culture, glory, wealth and ideas that transcends time. It connects generations and is a gift to the living by the dead. While some lie in ruin and neglect, others have the opportunity to witness the most pivotal events of a nation, and yet few are destined to play a significant role even after centuries of being a resident of the same soil. The Red Fort of Delhi is one such structure. People have looked upon the red walls of the Fort as a symbol of power and authority, since its foundation in the seventeenth century. Constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the fort-palace of the new Mughal capital, Shahjahanabad, today the region is known as Old Delhi. From being a representation of political and cultural grandeur of Mughal India to being an emblem of colonial resistance in nineteenth-century India, Qila-e-Mubarak has witnessed a long journey, all the way to  Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, choosing it for addressing the nation on Independence Day and hosting the national flag — a practice which continues till date.  

Image source : Live History India

https://www.livehistoryindia.com/story/amazing-india/red-fort-delhi/

What led James Fergusson, in his book, The History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, to state that, “The palace at Delhi is, or rather was, the most magnificent palace in the East — perhaps in the world — and the only one at least in India….” can be the heritage ecosystem that he found. It was composed of the Red Fort, the Yamuna river and the city of Shahjahanabad; its functionality and architecture being so grand that its ownership ruled the hearts of the people. The design and the architectural style of the Fort- a fusion of Islamic, Persian, Timurid, and Hindu architecture-with intricacies that still seem to amazes visitors centuries after its conception.

Image source : Ummid.com 

https://www.ummid.com/news/2018/May/01.05.2018/red-fort-is-now-dalmiya-fort.html

This inclusive nature of the Red Fort’s architecture extended itself to embrace the various genres of participants of the First War of Independence, in 1857 and proved to be the image of India’s lost valour and independence from colonial rule. Bahadur Shah Zafar, the then Mughal Emperor with little to no teeth left, was once again proclaimed the ‘Emperor of Hindustan’ and the leader of the First War. Participants from all parts of the country flocked to the Red Fort to seek his blessings. It was in this same Fort that the Emperor was soon trialled and sentenced to exile in Myanmar. The capture of the Red Fort by the British government turned a new leaf in history and yet another century of Indian suppression. The British occupation destroyed two-thirds of the Fort’s inner structures, replacing harem courts and kitchens with British barracks for their soldiers. The vandalism viewed in retrospect gave the site a nationalist nature. Another incident contributing to the concept of Fort as a symbol of national pride, and in turn the nationalist movement, was the Red Fort INA Trials of 1945-46. The ‘Dilli Chalo’ slogan, given by Subhash Chandra Bose, reiterated the centuries-old amnesia of Delhi as the centre of authority. This mission, however, remained incomplete due to the alleged death of Bose in 1945. After his death, the British government captured the members of the Indian National Army (INA) — founded and led by Bose— charged them with treason and went ahead with the trials held at Red Fort. The captured members were kept in the Fort — a symbolic replication of a century-old affair. When on the eve of independence, 16th August 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru unfurled the Indian flag at the Red Fort and spoke to thousands that had gathered there- “We have gathered here on a historic occasion at this ancient fort to win back what was ours”- the whole idea was to draw legitimacy from the ‘ancient’ fort which had developed into a  symbol of national pride. From then on, each and every Prime Minister of India has delivered their speech from the Red Fort- reifying the cultural significance of Nehru’s words of 1947.

Image source: Google Arts and Culture 

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/dawn-of-independence/yAHAWqbTxsQM3g

The trial of Nathuram Godse in 1948, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s- father of the nation’s assassin, was initiated at Red Fort too. Over the centuries, the control over the Fort came to indicate control over all of India, thus the political trial by the newly formed Indian State sought to display its power through its ability to hold trials in the historic site which had a history of conducting such hearings against Indians. Today, despite the dissenting views of polarised ring wing narrators, the Red Fort is viewed as the symbol of secularity, democracy and nationalist pride by the masses. It serves to provide a sense of certainty to the citizens of India, their amour propre is derived from their collective identity as the descendants of great leaders, thinkers and rulers, devoid of any religious overtones.

Bibliography 

1. The Print, 2021, Red Fort isn’t just a historic monument. Its breach crossed a red line in Indian mind https://theprint.in/opinion/newsmaker-of-the-week/red-fort-isnt-just-a-historic-monument-its-breach-crossed-a-red-line-in-indian-mind/595114/
2. The Wire, 2020, How the Red Fort Became the Site for India’s Independence Day Celebrations  https://thewire.in/history/red-fort-history-independence-india   
3. The Hindu, 2018, Cultural glimpses of Qila-e-Mubarak https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/cultural-glimpses-of-qila-e-mubarak/article24687207.ece
4. Ethics, Evil, Law and the State: State Power and Political Evil, 2011,A Symbol of State Power: Use of the Red Fort in Indian Political Trials https://doi.org/10.1163/9781848880771_005

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Hiya, I’m Khyati Srivastava…

Khyati is currently pursuing History Honours from Lady Shri Ram College for women. She believes in the idea that words have the power to change society. Interested in research, she’s expecting to pursue the same in future.