India · 16th century
Salimgarh Fort (also known as Salim's Fort) was built in 1546 CE in Old Delhi, on what was then an island of the Yamuna River, by Salim Shah Suri, the son of Sher Shah Suri. The fort was constructed during a period when the Mughal Empire had been temporarily overthrown; in 1540 CE, Sher Shah Suri had defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun and established the rule of the Sur Empire rule in Delhi. The Surid dynasty continued until 1555 CE, when Humayun regained control by defeating Sikandar Suri, the last ruler of the dynasty.
During the Mughal period, particularly in later years, Salimgarh Fort continued to be of strategic significance. While constructing the Red Fort and the city of Shahjahanbad, several Mughal rulers, including Emperor Shah Jahan—who completed Shahjahanabad in 1639 CE—are believed to have camped at the fort. It is also said that Humayun camped there for three days before launching his successful campaign to recapture Delhi.
The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb later converted the fort into a prison, a practice that was continued by the British after they took control of the fort in 1857. Salimgarh Fort is now part of the Red Fort Complex. The complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, obligating the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake well-planned conservation measures for its preservation.
Text adapted from “Salimgarh Fort” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Salimgarh Fort ranks #2,689 of 9,035 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #104 of the 223 mapped in India. Founded 1546, it is older than 39% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 886 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,828 times in the last 60 days, more than 67% of the atlas. 9 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Delhi, 2 km away. See how India compares in the castle statistics.
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