Sheikhupura Fort

Sheikhupura Fort, Sheikhupura. Built at the centre of a dense forest in 1607 on the orders of Jahangir, the Mughal emperor of India, father of Shah Jehan who built the Taj Mahal. Sheikhupura, initially called Jahangirpura, later Sheikhupura after Jahangir’s nickname ‘Sheikhu’, was a hunting retreat for the emperor who came here frequently from Lahore to relax. Interestingly, Alexander the Great fought one of his fiercest battles in the vicinity of Sheikhupura around 100 BC

built by Emperor Jahangir in 1619 AD. This Fort was constructed by Moein Khan but after his death it was completed under the supervision of Irdat Khan and also served as a resting place for the Emperor. 1.5 lac rupees were spent on the construction of this building. Lime was used in its contruction.

This fort is situated in the south west of the old city. The front door is on the west. The whole building is of 5 storeys. In the east there is a big well. On this side there is also the shrine of Shah Qaland. There are holes and trelliswork (jallian) on the walls for the sunlight.

The front door of the Fort is about 7 inches wide and is very strong. There are about 4 enclosures on the south and north walls whose inner distance is almost 11feet. Lime is the basic material which is used in its construction.

It is said that during the Sikh reign, Malayan, who was the wife of Maharajah Ranjeet Singh, built the second story of Fort. This Fort also served as a jail for many Maharajah’s in Sigh reign. Arbail Singh was defeated here by the Maharajah Ranjeet Singh and he took the possession of all his property. Arbail Singh was behind many of the robbers and dacoit and the people from the city requested the Maharajah to help them against the Arbail Singh.