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Ferozeshah Kotla
Location
: 3.2-km From New Delhi
Built By
: Feroze Shah Tugluq
Architectural Style
: 1354
Historic Significance
: Part of Ferozabad, the Fifth City of Delhi
The City Of Ferozabad
It is the site of the city of Ferozabad built in the 14th century by Emperor Ferozshah Tughlaq. The famous 14-meter highly polished sandstone Ashoka Pillar carrying Emperor Ashoka's message of peace stands here.
Then situated on the banks of the Yamuna, it is recognized as Feroze Shah Kotla. It lies off the busy Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Delhi's Fleet Street, and its few surviving buildings include a mosque, where Timur prayed. The ruins of the mosque were used for the construction of later cities.
The Ashokan Pillar
Of greater interest is an Ashokan Pillar. Two inscribed Ashokan pillars at Ambala and Meerut excited the curiosity of the emperor, and contemporary historians record their transportation to Delhi. One pillar was placed in Ferozabad, and it was the inscription on this one, which was first deciphered by James Princep in 1837, yielding the key to the 'Brahmi' script.
The second pillar was placed in Pir Ghaib, the emperor's hunting lodge in the ridge. Feroze Shah extensively renovated Hauz Khas, beside which he also established a college for religious instruction and a mosque. His tomb is also there, and the village beside the impressive monuments and reservoir is now the location of boutiques and cafes.
Around Feroze Shah Kotla
This place was the Kushk-i-Feroze, the palace of Feroze Shah Tughluq. Also located over here is a round step well or baoli, which is two floors deep and has antechambers at each level. The graveyard of Sultana Razia is also located here.
It is famous in the history for another reason that Taimur long defeated Mahammad Shah here in 1398 and captured Delhi. Beside the Baoli there is a mosque built in 1405, however in dilapidated condition. Taimur admired it most for its architectural pattern and ornamentation and that he built up a duplication of it in his home capital Samarkhand, which is called the "Great Mosque".
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