Siri Fort: How a Khilji-era bastion against Mongol invaders became synonymous with 1982 Asian Games

Located in the heart of the capital, Siri is the second among the seven cities of Delhi and the first to be built by a Muslim ruler — Alauddin Khilji.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 10, 2023 07:11 AM IST

siri fort, delhi fort, delhi siri fort, Delhi Sultanate, 1982 Asian Games, Siri Fort Stadium, Delhi news, New Delhi, Indian Express, current affairs

Located in the heart of the capital, Siri is the second among the seven cities of Delhi and the first to be built by a Muslim ruler — Alauddin Khilji. Abhinav Saha

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Siri Fort: How a Khilji-era bastion against Mongol invaders became synonymous with 1982 Asian Games

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Dotted by historical ruins, nothing about Siri Fort now betrays that it was once a bastion of the Delhi Sultanate to defend the city from the onslaught of the Mongols.

Located in the heart of the capital, Siri is the second among the seven cities of Delhi and the first to be built by a Muslim ruler — Alauddin Khilji.

“Siri Fort stands among the numerous monuments and palaces which Ala-ud-din had constructed. Built in 1311 AD, the fort served as a seat of Ala-ud-din’s administration. Among a host of administrative buildings and palaces, the construction, which deserves most credit was the Hazar Sutun, a magnificent palace comprising one thousand pillars. Housed within Siri, was Hauz-e-Alai, a marvellous reservoir…” writes Rajiv Tiwari in his book Delhi: A Travel Guide.

The fort of Siri, built by Alauddin Khilji in 1290, now lies shrouded under a thick foliage of trees and a blanket of apartments. (Express archive)

According to the book, when Khilji ascended the throne in 1296 AD, he found his empire the target of foreign attacks and thus, Siri was constructed with the motive to fortify his kingdom. Tiwari further writes: “The fort was indeed a solid, stable construction which succeeded in guarding its royal residents from any external disturbance. Although the Fort stands in ruins today, one can decipher from the relics how strong and well equipped it had been in the past.”

According to a legend, the place acquired the name as the heads (sirr in Hindustani) of hundreds of Mongol soldiers were buried here. Author Rana Safvi, however, debunks the belief. Speaking to The Indian Express, she says: “According to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s Asar-us-Sanadid, the name Siri is after the village (in the area).”

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Sir Gordon Risley writes in his book The Seven Cities of Delhi: “Inside this city there was a Palace of a Thousand Pillars, but this also has gone, and the only monument connected with the city which now exists is the Hauz Khas of Ala-ud-din, seldom visited, and worthy of no special mention.”

The glory of Siri at its prime has also been acknowledged by Timurlane — the Mongol ruler who invaded Delhi in the 14th century. He writes in his memoirs: “Siri is around the city. Its buildings are lofty. They are surrounded by fortifications built of stone and brick, and they are very strong — from the fort of Siri to that of Old Delhi, which is a considerable distance — there runs a strong wall built of stone and cement… The fortifications of the three cities (old Delhi, Siri and Tughlakabad) have thirty gates. Jahanpanah has thirteen gates, Siri has seven gates.”

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Strong as they may have been, the ramparts of the fort failed to guard it against multiple attacks by the Mongols.

Writes A L Srivastava in the The Sultanate of Delhi: “The fourth important Mongol invasion occurred at a time when the Sultan was occupied in the siege of Chittor…Ala-ud-din was obliged to take shelter in the fortress of Siri where he (was) besieged for two months. The Mongols plundered the surrounding country and carried their raids even into the streets of Delhi.”

According to Anurit Verma’s book Forts of India, Siri had practically lost all its glory until the Asian Games gave it a new lease of life in 1982. “The residential quarters built for foreign participants in the Asian Games at Siri have familiarised them with the name of Siri; and to those interested in history with its glorious past,” Verma writes in his book.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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