Sheikhupura Fort
| Sheikhupura Fort | |
|---|---|
شیخوپورہ قلعہ | |
| Sheikhupura, Punjab[1] | |
 | |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Pakistan |
| Website | http://skp.com.pk/city-sheikhupura/historical-places/qila-sheikhupura-sheikhupura-fort/ |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 31°42′N 73°59′E / 31.700°N 73.983°E |
| Height | Average 11.5 m |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1607 |
Sheikhupura Fort (Punjabi, Urdu: شیخوپورہ قلعہ) is a 17th-century Mughal-era fort near the city of Sheikhupura in Punjab, Pakistan.[2]
History
[edit]The date of the construction of the fort is traditionally attributed to the reign of Emperor Jahangir. The emperor mentions in his autobiography that he entrusted the construction of a fort at Jahangirpur (Sheikhupura) to Sikander Muin, a local landlord, around 1607.[3][4]
The fort was drastically altered during the Sikh-era, with numerous buildings constructed, some with exquisite Sikh frescoes. In 1808, the fort was conquered by a Sikh force led by Kharak Singh, the six-year-old son of Ranjit Singh.[5] Ranjit Singh granted this fort as jagir in 1811 to his wife and the prince's mother, Datar Kaur who had a considerable role in its rehabilitation and lived in it to her last day, until 1838.[4] In the mid-19th century when power turned to the British, the fort of Sheikhupura was used for the house arrest of Ranjit Singh's last queen and Duleep Singh's mother, Jind Kaur.[6]
During colonial period it served as the District Headquarters of Gujranwala District until 1881. After 1918 it also served as police station. In 1967 it was declared a protected monument and is now under custody of the Department of Archaeology.[5]
In 2010, the US government's Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation granted 850,000 USD towards restoration of the fort.[7]
Layout
[edit]The fort is roughly in square shape and measures 128 metres by 115.5 metres. The walls average 11.5 m (38 ft) in height, varying from 11.12 to 12.4 metres.[5][6] There are four octagonol bastions, one at each corner, with five further semi-circular bastions located within the walls. The main gate is located at the eastern side.[5] The fort contains several havelis dating to the Sikh period which are adorned with colourful frescoes.[6] The fort is quite formidable and dominates the skyline of the neighborhood.[8]
Gallery
[edit]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "Asian Historical Architecture: A Photographic Survey".
- ^ Nadiem, Ihsan H. (2004). "Sheikhupura Fort". Forts of Pakistan. Al-Faisal Publishers. pp. 96–97. ISBN 979-969-50-3352-3.
- ^ Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan (1909). Beveridge, Henry (ed.). The Tuzuk-i-Janhangīrī or Memoirs of Jahāngīr. Translated by Rogers, Alexander. London: Royal Asiatic Society. p. 91.
- ^ a b Ali, Aown (3 September 2014). "The crumbling glory of Sheikhupura Fort". Dawn. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d Hasan, S. Khurshid (2005). "Sheikhupura Fort". Historical Forts in Pakistan (PDF). Islamabad: National Institute of Historical & Cultural Research Centre of Excellence, Quaid-i-Azam University. pp. 74–77. ISBN 969-415-069-8.
- ^ a b c "Sheikhupura Fort, Sheikhupura, Pakistan". Asian Historical Architecture. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ Luke, Christina; Kersel, Morag (4 January 2013). US Cultural Diplomacy and Archaeology. Routledge. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-136-15571-0.
- ^ "Sheikhupura Fort, Sheikhupura, Pakistan". Asian Historical Architecture. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
| Azad Kashmir |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Balochistan | ||
| Gilgit-Baltistan | ||
| Punjab |
| |
| Sindh | ||
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | ||
Further reading
[edit]- Sultana, Salma (1989). "Architecture of Sheikhupura Fort in Historic Perspective". South Asian Studies. 5 (1): 103–117. doi:10.1080/02666030.1989.9628387. ISSN 0266-6030.