Lalbagh Fort (also Fort Aurangabad) is an incomplete
17th century Mughal fort complex that stands proudly before the Buriganga River
in the southwestern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The construction was started in
1678 AD by Mughal Subahdar Muhammad Azam Shah who was son of Emperor Aurangzeb
and later emperor himself. His successor, Shaista Khan, did not continue the work,
though he stayed in Dhaka up to 1688.
History
Mughal prince Muhammad Azam, third son of Aurangzeb
started the work of the fort in 1678 during his vice-royalty in Bengal. He
stayed in Bengal for 15 months. The fort remained incomplete when he was called
away by his father Aurangzeb.
Shaista Khan was the new subahdar of Dhaka in that
time, and he did not complete the fort. In 1684, the daughter of Shaista Khan
named Iran Dukht Pari Bibi died there. After her death, he started to think the
fort as unlucky, and left the structure incomplete. Among the three major parts
of Lalbagh Fort, one is the tomb of Pari Bibi.
After Shaista Khan left Dhaka, it lost its
popularity. The main cause was that the capital was moved from Dhaka to
Murshidabad. After the end of the royal Mughal period, the fort became
abandoned. In 1844, the area acquired its name as Lalbagh replacing Aurangabad,
and the fort became Lalbagh Fort.
1814 painting of Lalbagh Fort by Charles D'Oyly
Structures
For long the fort was considered to be a combination
of three buildings (the mosque, the tomb of Bibi Pari and the Diwan-i-Aam),
with two gateways and a portion of the partly damaged fortification wall.
Recent excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh
have revealed the existence of other structures.
The southern fortification wall has a huge bastion
in the southwestern corner. On the north of the south fortification wall were
the utility buildings, stable, administration block, and its western part
accommodated a beautiful roof-garden with arrangements for fountains and a
water reservoir. The residential part was located on the east of the west
fortification wall, mainly to the south-west of the mosque.
The fortification wall on the south had five
bastions at regular intervals two stories in height, and the western wall had
two bastions; the biggest one is near the main southern gate. The bastions had
an underground tunnel.
The central area of the fort is occupied by three
buildings - the Diwan-i-Aam and the hammam on its east, the Mosque on the west
and the Tomb of Pari Bibi in between the two - in one line, but not at equal
distance. A water channel with fountains at regular intervals connects the
three buildings from east to west and north to south.............. Read More
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