It has three big domes and four tall minarets with gold pinnacles boasting of a royal touch.
The Rohillas were defeated and driven from their former capital of Bareilly by the Nawab of Oudh with the assistance of the East India Company's troops lent by Warren Hastings.
He was a great patron of scholarship, and began the collection of Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Urdu manuscripts which now make up the bulk of the Rampur Raza Library.
He was killed by the Rohilla leaders after 24 days, and Ghulam Muhammad Khan – the brother of the deceased, was proclaimed Nawab.
He raised a regular Army, established Courts and carried out many works to improve the economic conditions of farmers.
In 1905 he built the magnificent Darbar Hall within the Fort which now houses the great collection of Oriental manuscripts held by the Rampur Raza Library.
Nawab Raza Ali Khan was a very progressive ruler who believed in the Inclusion of Hindus and so appointed Lt. Col. Horilal Varma – Bar At Law as his Prime Minister.
Rampur today presents a slightly decayed appearance: the palaces of the Nawabs are crumbling, as are the gates and walls of the fort.
The Nawabs of Rampur sided with the British during Indian Rebellion of 1857[10] and this enabled them to continue to play a role in the social, political and cultural life of Northern India in general and the Muslims of United Provinces in particular.
They gave refuge to some of the literary figures from the Court of Bahadur Shah Zafar.
The Rampur-Sahaswan gharana of Hindustani classical music also has its origins in court musicians.
Ustad Mehboob Khan, was a khayal singer and Veena player of the Rampur court; his son Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan (1849–1919), who trained and lived in the city, founded the gharana.
[11] The following is a table delineating the succession of rulers belonging to the Royal House of Rampur:
The Royal House of Rampur awards two orders of chivalry; these knighthoods include:[12] The majority of the recipients of the Nishan-e-Hamidiya are those of various royal families while honourees with the Nishan-e-Iqbal are those who have made significant contributions to academia, culture, humanitarian aid, research and society.
[16] Gradually people from other places also found a haven here, adding influences of Awadhi, Hyderabad and Kashmiri cuisine.