Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq founded the fortified city of:

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, built the fortified city of Tughlaqabad, in south Delhi, between about 1321 and 1325.

About Tughlaqabad:

• It is the third of the medieval "cities of Delhi".
• It was built on a rocky hill, with massive sloping walls of rough stone, about 6.5 km in circumference.
• It had bastions, gates, a citadel, palaces, mosques, and large water tanks.
• The sloping (battered) walls are a typical feature of Tughlaq architecture.
• It was built very quickly, as a strong defensive capital against the Mongols.

The tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq:

• It stands outside the fort, connected to it by a causeway, and was originally surrounded by an artificial lake.
• It is built of red sandstone with a white marble dome, and has sloping walls.

Legend of Nizamuddin Auliya's curse:

• According to a popular legend, Ghiyasuddin forced the workers of Delhi to work on his fort, so that the construction of a baoli (stepwell) for the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya was stopped.
• The saint is said to have cursed the city: "Ya rahe ujar, ya base Gujar" ("May it remain deserted, or be inhabited by herdsmen (Gujars)").
• The city was indeed abandoned soon after Ghiyasuddin's death.
• Another famous saying attributed to the saint, when the Sultan threatened him on his way back from Bengal, is "Hunuz Dilli dur ast" ("Delhi is still far away"); the Sultan died before reaching Delhi.

Why it was abandoned:

Historians believe it was abandoned mainly because of the shortage of water, and because the next Sultan built his own new city.

Tughlaq architecture:

• Sloping walls, simple and massive structures, use of rough grey stone, and little decoration.
• The style reflects the financial difficulties and the military needs of the time.

Other cities of Delhi:

• Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora (Tomaras and Chauhans).
• Jahanpanah, Firozabad, Dinpanah (Purana Qila) and Shahjahanabad were built later.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jahanpanah and Firozabad were built by later Tughlaq rulers.
• ✗Siri was built by a Khalji Sultan.