Firoz Shah Kotla: The City of Firozabad
Delhi has been the cradle of many medieval cities, each built by a ruler to mark his authority, vision, and architectural taste. Among these, Firoz Shah Kotla, also known as Firozabad, holds a unique place. It was founded in 1354 CE by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq, the third ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty, and became the fifth city of Delhi. Today, its remains stand between the modern Ring Road and the Yamuna River, silently narrating tales of medieval glory, administrative reforms, and mystical legends. This is located Just before you entered for Old Delhi.
Founding of Firozabad
Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq (r. 1351–1388 CE) ascended the throne after his cousin, Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Unlike his predecessor, known for harsh policies and experimental projects, Firoz Shah focused on stability, welfare, and urban development. One of his grandest undertakings was the construction of a new capital, Firozabad, to shift away from the old seat of Tughlaqabad and Jahanpanah.
The city was strategically located on the banks of the Yamuna to ensure water supply and better trade connectivity. It also symbolized the Sultan’s intent to establish a fresh urban identity and leave his imprint on Delhi’s political landscape.
Architecture and Urban Planning
Firoz Shah Kotla was built as a fortified city with strong ramparts of rubble masonry. The fort-palace complex included:
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The Citadel (Kotla): The core fortified area with palaces, gardens, and administrative buildings.
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Pyramidal Palace: A three-tiered structure built with rubble and lime plaster, once topped with a wooden chamber. It was here that Firoz Shah installed the Ashokan Pillar, transported from Topra (Haryana). This sandstone monolith, inscribed with Brahmi and Prakrit edicts of Emperor Ashoka, symbolized the Sultan’s reverence for India’s ancient past.
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Mosque.
The Jami Masjid within the fort was one of the largest mosques in Delhi at the time. It could accommodate thousands of worshippers and was built with simplicity yet great strength. Even today, parts of its arched walls survive. Timur The lame Ruler of Samarkand who plundered delhi in 1398 AD performed here namaz (Prayer in Islam). He was too much attracted by This mosque Architecture and Beauty so he take away some hundreds workers and masons and later on he build Monuments in his capital Samarkand.
Baolis (Stepwells): To address Delhi’s chronic water scarcity, Firoz Shah constructed several baolis, reservoirs, and canals in and around Firozabad.
The Sultan was not a great innovator in architecture but rather a practical ruler. His buildings emphasized utility over ornamentation, unlike the decorative style of earlier Delhi Sultans.
Welfare Works and Legacy of Firoz Shah
Beyond fortifications and palaces, Firoz Shah is remembered as a benevolent ruler. He reduced harsh taxes, abolished many unfair levies, and promoted agriculture by building irrigation systems. His city Firozabad was dotted with gardens, hospitals, and schools (madrasas).
Firoz Shah’s reign also marked the arrival of Ashokan heritage into Delhi’s heart, as he transported two Mauryan pillars—one from Topra (now at Firoz Shah Kotla) and another from Meerut (now in Delhi’s Ridge). These became symbolic relics of India’s ancient moral codes under a medieval Islamic Sultan.
Decline of Firozabad
After Firoz Shah’s death in 1388 AD , the Tughlaq dynasty weakened rapidly. Successive invasions, particularly by Timur in 1398, left Delhi devastated. Firozabad too suffered destruction, and its importance faded as later rulers—Sayyids, Lodis, and Mughals—shifted their capitals elsewhere. Over time, the fort city crumbled, with only ruins surviving.
The Mystical Side of Firoz Shah Kotla
In modern times, Firoz Shah Kotla is as famous for its ruins as for its legends. Locals believe the abandoned chambers and cells of the fort are inhabited by djinns (spirits). Every Thursday, devotees visit the site, lighting lamps, offering incense, and leaving letters in the cracks of the walls, seeking blessings, solutions to problems, and fulfillment of wishes. This practice has given Firoz Shah Kotla a living mystical dimension, blending Delhi’s Islamic, medieval, and folk traditions.
Present Day
Today, the remains of Firoz Shah Kotla lie near the famous Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium (now Arun Jaitley Stadium). Though much of the original city has vanished, visitors can still explore:
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The Ashokan Pillar standing tall on its stone base.
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The remnants of the Jami Masjid, one of Delhi’s oldest surviving congregational mosques.
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The fort’s crumbling bastions, baolis (stepwells) and underground cells.
Archaeological excavations by the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) continue to shed light on the city’s grandeur.
Conclusion
Firoz Shah Kotla represents a fascinating chapter in Delhi’s history—where imperial ambition met pragmatic urban planning, where ancient Mauryan relics were enshrined in a medieval Sultanate fort, and where today, folklore and faith keep the ruins alive. For historians, travelers, and seekers, Firozabad is not just the fifth city of Delhi, but a living reminder of how power, piety, and people’s imagination shape the destiny of monument.
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