Seven Cities Of Delhi
Firozabad
One of the Tughlak rulers,Firoze Tughlak created the fourth city of Delhi
, Firozabad or Kotla Firoze Shah next to the river Yamuna. This was a
large enclosure of high walls , containing palaces , pillared halls ,
mosques, a pigeon tower and a water tank. On the top of his palace,
Firoze planted an Ashokan pillar from 1500 years ago. He also built
several hunting lodges in and around Delhi, as well as mosques, some
of which still remain. Apart from raising new buildings, Firoze Shah also
repaired old ones,such as Sultan Ghori's tomb,Qutub Minar,Suraj Kund
and Hauz Khas. ( Firoze Shah's tomb, a lofty structure, lies in Hauz -
Khas. ) After Firoze Shah's death, the sultanate became politically
unstable and in 1398, the Turk ruler of Samarkand Taimur invaded India
- creating havoc in the cities of Delhi, looting, killing and plundering. He
captured Firozabad, prayed at the mosque and went back to Samar -
kand with the goodies.Today, Kotla Firoze Shah is famous for its sports
stadium - a common venue for cricket matches. The Sayyid and Lodhi
dynasties that followed the Tughlak dynasty were far more concerned
with restoring stability than patronisation of arts or architecture. Tombs
erected in the honour of the rulers are the only monuments of these
times (most famous: the tombs at the Lodhi Garden).Architectural glory
returned with the Mughals.
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