Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, following his decision to relocate the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi.

Originally adorned in red and white, the fort's design is attributed to Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the architect behind the Taj Mahal.

On India's Independence Day, observed annually on 15 August, the Prime Minister ceremonially raises the Indian tricolour flag at the main gate of the historic fort and delivers a nationally broadcast address from its ramparts.

[11] Following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, the administrative and fiscal structure of the Mughal dynasty experienced a decline, leading to the degeneration of the palace during the 18th century.

[19][20] In 1760, the Marathas stripped and melted the silver ceiling of the Diwan-i-Khas to raise funds for the defence of Delhi from the armies of Ahmed Shah Durrani.

Ten years later, the Marathas, acting at the behest of the exiled Emperor Shah Alam II, recaptured Delhi from the Rohilla Afghans.

As a condition of their retreat, the Jats stipulated the construction of seven Sikh gurdwaras in Delhi, including the Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk.

The last Mughal emperor to occupy the fort, Bahadur Shah II, became a symbol of the 1857 rebellion against the British East India Company in which the residents of Shahjahanabad participated.

Bahadur Shah Zafar II returned to Red Fort as a British prisoner, was tried in 1858, and exiled to Rangoon on 7 October that year.

[30] All furniture was either removed or destroyed; the harem apartments, servants' quarters, and gardens were demolished, and a line of stone barracks erected atop them.

The majority of the jewels and artwork housed in the Red Fort were looted during Nadir Shah's invasion in 1747, and yet again in the aftermath of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

A significant portion of the Red Fort remained under the control of the Indian Army until 22 December 2003, when it was transferred to the Archaeological Survey of India for restoration and conservation.

[37][38] In 2009, the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India under the auspices of a Supreme Court direction to revitalise the fort, was announced.

While some structures remain relatively intact, retaining their original decorative elements, others have suffered significant damage, with inlaid marble floral designs removed by looters.

[49][50] To ensure security and prevent terrorist attacks, stringent measures are implemented around the Red Fort on the eve of the Indian Independence Day.

Delhi Police and paramilitary forces maintain a vigilant presence in the neighborhoods surrounding the fort, while National Security Guard sharpshooters are strategically stationed on high-rises near the site.

[51][52] The airspace around the fort is a designated no-fly zone during the celebration,[53] and safe houses exist in the vicinity to which the prime minister and other dignitaries can be whisked off to in the event of an attack.

[55] The adoption of the Red Fort by a private entity sparked outcry and widespread debate, drawing criticism from the public, historians, and political parties.

[56] In May 2018, the Indian National Congress demanded the suspension of the agreement until an "impartial review" could be conducted by the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology or another recognized body of experts.

The fort synthesises Islamic palace structure with local traditions, resulting in a confluence of "Persian, Timurid, and Hindu architecture".

The artwork of the Red Fort integrates Persian, European, and Indian artistic traditions, culminating in a distinctive Shahjahani style characterized by its richness in form, expression, and color.

[11] The Lahori Gate serves as the main entrance to the Red Fort, leading to the Chhatta Chowk, a domed shopping area often referred to as the covered bazaar.

The most significant surviving structures of the Red Fort include its walls and ramparts, the main gates, the audience halls, and the imperial apartments located along the eastern riverbank.

[63] The Lahori Gate, the primary entrance to the Red Fort, derives its name from its orientation towards the city of Lahore, which was once part of the Mughal Empire.

During Aurangzeb's reign, the aesthetic appeal of the Lahori Gate was modified by the construction of a barbican, which Shah Jahan poetically described as "a veil drawn across the face of a beautiful woman.

"[64][65][66] Since 1947, on every Indian Independence Day, the national flag is ceremonially unfurled, and the Prime Minister delivers a speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

[67] Adjacent to the Lahori Gate is the Chhatta Chowk (or Meena Bazaar), where silk, jewellery and other items for the imperial household were sold during the Mughal period.

[74] The Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience, was a space dedicated to addressing the official matters and requests of the nobility and members of the royal family.

A gate located on the north side of the Diwan-i-Aam provided access to the innermost court of the palace, known as the Jalau Khana, as well as to the Diwan-i-Khas.

To the north of the Hayat Bakhsh Bagh and the Shahi Burj lies the quarter of the imperial princes, which was used by members of the Mughal royal family.