SIRI

Siri is contradictorily called by many historians the second city of Delhi and also by some historians the third city of Delhi. It was built by Sultan Ala-ud-Din Khilji in about 1303, to the north of Mehrauli. In the Siri Fort complex near the Asian Games village areas, east of Hauz Khas there are still the remains of the city. Siri Fort is a magnificent piece of architecture of the Delhi Sultanate now lying in ruins still draws attention of the world to experience the glorious past of its fascinating history.Siri Fort is one of the many forts of Delhi, which were built during the time of the Delhi Sultanate (AD 1191-1526) in the medieval age. The kingdom of Delhi was constantly threatened by hoards of Mongol tribesmen who had been descending in waves to loot India since the 13th century. The Slave dynasty (AD 1193-1290), which was the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, also faced this threat in the later half of its reign. Balban, the last important ruler of this dynasty successfully countered the Mongol threat. In the course of time, the reins of the Delhi Sultanate passed into the hands of the Khilji Dynasty (AD 1290-1316).Siri Fort commands a special place in the realms of history because of the various aspects. The city derives its name from the Hindi word 'SIR' meaning head because about 8000 heads of Mongol soldiers were buried in the walls of the city.The fort boasts of great architecture furthered by the skills of the artists of Saljuqs. The city of Siri has an oval plan with seven gates for entry and exit, but at present only the South-Eastern gate stands. Around 70,000 workers put their might into its making and this is reflected in the strong walls and ramparts of the Siri Fort which serves the purpose of its construction, i.e., guarding the empire. 

Also, the palace of a thousand pillars, commonly called the Hazar Sutan, requires a special mention for its wonderful structural design which was erstwhile laden with stones such as sapphires, lapis lazuli & intricate naqqashi (craftsmanship) work on its wall & roofs, sadly, none of which remains on the premises today. 

Another structure built by Ala-ud-Din of Siri was the Hauz-e-Alai, a huge reservoir of water which is currently situated in Hauz Khas. The fort itself now lies in ruins because Siri was regularly looted by rulers who used construction materials from this grandiose structure to style & decorate their own forts, leaving Siri barren and desolate. However ASI has undertaken the task of restoring the Siri Fort, especially its bastions and its walls, which are covered with thick vegetation.

The leaders of the Slave administration, who were the principal Muslim leaders of India and the main line of the Delhi Sultanate before the Khiljis, utilized Lal Kot, the fortification city of the last Hindu leaders of Delhi. He likewise started to put into shape his fantastic plans of embellishing the Qutab Minar complex. He included the Alai Darwaza, an eminent entryway with trimmed marble improvements and latticed stone screens, which grandstands the momentous craftsmanship of the Turkish craftsmans who took a shot at it. He likewise intended to manufacture the Alai Minar, which was imagined as a more noteworthy pinnacle than the effectively existing Qutab Minar yet the development of this pinnacle was relinquished after the fruition of the 24.5-meter high first story.In AD 1303, the Mongols under their pioneer Taraghai ravaged Delhi and nearly caught it. However the pirates did not catch the city and without reason turned back and left. In the mean time, Ala-ud-noise Khilji was from Delhi, occupied in one of his military crusades in the Deccan district in South India. Returning back to Delhi from his Deccan battle, Ala-ud-racket Khilji chose to fabricate a protective stronghold at Siri with solid braced bulwarks and secure bastions. This was the third fortress to be worked inside the city of Delhi. The development of the Siri Fort and the city inside it started in AD 1304. The place he picked was a plain ground around five km toward the north-east of the Qutab Minar where powers assaulting or protecting Delhi used to camp.