A new book explores the fascinating architectural secrets of the Red Fort, Delhi

The Red Fort, like most imperial Mughal forts, was the site of a variety of functions – residential, ceremonial, administrative, manufacturing and military – all of which required well-thought-out organisation and use of space. The design of the Red Fort, free of any constraints of previously existing Fort boundaries, formally utilised the opportunity to plan for all these different functions and improve the apparent deficiencies in the earlier Mughal forts. Additionally, the design of the Fort also catered to its links with the larger city of Shahjahanabad. These links were necessary for the realisation of the patrimonial-bureaucratic ideal of the Mughals.

The Fort where the emperor stayed not only needed to personify his involvement in all aspects of public life but also to provide an economic mainstay for the city both as an employment centre as well as a market. Such a relationship called for a far greater interaction between the emperor and his subjects than that normally seen between most subjects and their rulers.

The layout of the city and Fort was therefore planned to highlight the symbolism of this relationship and enable the smooth functioning of its practical aspects. To reflect the emperor’s dominant presence in all walks of life,...

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