When you take a first look at the fort palace of Jahangir in Sheikhupura, you are impressed, impressed by its size and grandeur. Second, you are surprised to realize how little you have heard or read about this palace. The third feeling is that of depression upon seeing such a big, beautiful, and historically important place in an advanced stage of decay.
And this fort does not exist in a faraway or remote area of Pakistan; it is just 40 km to the west of Lahore and a few kilometers away from the M2, in the large city of Sheikhupura. It is located at 31°42'32.65"N, 73°59'25.24"E and spreads over an area of 3.5 acres. It is a fortified palace with huge walls and ten bastions, adding to its strength and beauty.
The fort is currently closed to the general public, and visitors are not allowed inside. However, three watchmen were on duty, and taking pity on our condition in the sweltering weather, they allowed us in for a quick peek. Unfortunately, the buildings inside are completely off-limits to visitors.
As you enter through the main gate, you find yourself in a large deorhi. There is a big platform that was once used by emperors or other chief occupants to mount an elephant. This section, along with the gate, is still structurally sound, though all the decoration has been lost and plaster is falling from the walls. On both sides of the deorhi, there are ramps leading to the interior of the fort, passing through two huge arched gateways.
The ramp on the right leads to the two main buildings of the palace. The ramp on the left turns right along the western wall of the fort. The whole area is littered with broken pieces of various structures.
The palace inside has two distinct buildings, which were clearly built at different times and by different builders. However, I could not find any details about the history of their construction. This place has not received the attention from historians that it truly deserves. I consulted a few books on the history of Mughal architecture but found no mention of this palace.
The fort certainly dates from at least the early Mughal era or earlier, and is the product of numerous modifications over the centuries. In its present form, the fort is a rough square measuring 128 meters north to south and 115.5 meters east to west, with walls averaging 11.5 meters in height. It presents a formidable appearance, and rises easily above the cityscape in southeastern Sheikhupura where it remains a distinctive landmark.
The traditional attribution of the fort to Jahangir is partly due to the proximity of the Hiran Minar tower and hunting retreat which was definitively built by Jahangir beginning in 1606. The Badhshah Nama records multiple visits to the area by Jahangir and his son, the Emperor Shah Jahan. All of these visits took place between 1606 and 1646, after which the area was briefly held by Shah Jahan's son, prince Dara Shikoh. The fort would likely have been used as a camp for the Emperor and his retainers, providing more suitable accomodations than the exposed baradari and other pavilions at Hiran Minar. One remnant of this period may be the ruined halls and basement chambers at the northeast corner of the fort, which Jahangir and Shah Jahan may have used as a royal residence.
The most impressive buildings inside the fort are the magnificent havelis (mansions) that were largely the product of the Sikh period and the latter Mughal era (the mid 17th to early 19th centuries). One famous occupant of the havelis was Maharani Datar Kaur (died 1838), the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire.
One thing is clear: a large part of this huge structure is buried. The ground inside the fort is as much as 10 meters higher than the surrounding area, almost as high as the walls of the fort. The watchman also confirmed the presence of many large chambers, which are now almost inaccessible. A proper excavation could reveal many hidden architectural treasures within this fort.
The Archaeology Department is doing a good job at the nearby Hiran Minar complex. But so far, this fort seems to have failed to attract the attention it badly needs and rightly deserves. After restoration, this palace could be used as a hotel or a venue for cultural events. In any case, if proper attention is not given, it will turn into a heap of rubble within a few decades.
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