Phillaur Fort

Phillaur Fort
Grand Trunk Road Near Phillaur in India
Site information
Type	Fort
Operator	Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy
Location
Phillaur Fort
Coordinates	31°00′42″N75°47′23″E / 31.0117°N 75.7898°E / 31.0117; 75.7898

Phillaur Fort or Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort is located on the Grand Trunk Road in Phillaur, Punjab, India. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

History

Main articles: Ranjit Singh and Phillaur

During the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-1658) an Imperial sarai was constructed here and in 1809 it was rebuilt as a fort under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780–1839). It was designed by Dewan Mohkam Chand, with the assistance of Ranjit Singh's French and Italian generals. It was constructed as a response to the British, who built a Fort in nearby Ludhiana. ^{[1] [4] [ citation needed ]}

Phillaur Fort was officially known as Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort. It is a historic red-brick citadel on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab, originally built as a Mughal-era sarai under Shah Jahan (1628–1658) and later transformed into a formidable military stronghold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809 with European architectural influences. After the Sikh defeat in the Battle of Aliwal (1846), the British took possession, repurposing it as an artillery depot and, by 1891, converting it into India's oldest police training academy. The fort complex also houses the revered shrine of Pir Baba Abdullah Shah Ji, adding to its cultural significance. Today, it remains both an architectural landmark and a live police academy, although its custodianship under Punjab Police has sparked debate over heritage access. ^[5]

Architecture

The fort's architecture has a distinct European character, with channels dug out along the boundary of the fort, watchtowers on the two gateways, four bastions on four nooks high walls around the fort. It features an extensive moat and inward-sloping outer walls engineered to deflect artillery fire, alongside watchtowers atop both eastern (Delhi Gate) and western (Lahori Gate) gateways, each with distinctive three-storey height and decorative chajjas over richly niche-lined facades. ^[6] The fortress walls are punctuated by four robust bastions at its corners and additional bastions along the ramparts enhanced by Parapets and chemin de ronde walkways. Within, the mortar-built ramparts encircle structures such as the Police Training College, director's residence, and Finger Print Bureau, preserving the fort's functional lineage. ^[7]

Gallery

• 
  The Fort of Phulloor, on the Punjaub side of the Sutlej in 1846
• 
  Fort of "Philoor" (Phillaur) on the Sutlej River, ca.1858–61

References

1. "Punjab Tourism". Tourism in Punjab, India, Government of India . Retrieved 16 July 2025.
2. "Amarinder Opposes Handing Over Phillaur Fort to ASI". outlookindia.com. Outlook . Retrieved 16 July 2025.
3. Bajwa, Harpreet (27 November 2010). "Cops won't give up Phillaur Fort without a legal fight". archive.indianexpress.com. The Indian Express . Retrieved 17 July 2025.
4. Gajrani, S (2004). History, Religion and Culture of India, Volume 1. Gyan Publishing House.
5. Chaudhary, Anjali (9 September 2023). "10 Historic Palaces and Forts in Punjab You Must Visit". Mohali.org.in. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
6. Smith, David (25 July 2019). The First Anglo-Sikh War 1845–46: The betrayal of the Khalsa. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4728-3446-1.
7. "Chapter-Iii Forts in The Doaba Region: District Hoshiarpur | PDF | Punjab | Indian Religions". Scribd. Retrieved 16 July 2025.

External links

• Media related to Phillaur Fort at Wikimedia Commons