Agra Fort Mar 3

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Agra Fort sits on the western bank of the river Yamuna, across from, and in clear view of the Taj Mahal. It is arguably the oldest fort in India; references to it exist as far back as 1080AD. It was from here that the Sultans of Delhi yielded, in 1526, to the Mughals, who dominated the Indian scene until 1761. Mughal Emperors controlled much of India out of Agra Fort: Babur, Humayan, Akbar, probably the best known, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, he of the Taj , and Aurangzeb, pretty brutal kind of ruler. Two local protagonists, the Jats and the Marathas, took turns at commanding it until 1803, when the British took and held it, until the birth of the modern Indian State in 1947. It is fair to say the medieval history of India was writ heavily out of Fort Agra.

We enter the fort by the Amar Singh gate, over which the said Maharajah of Jodhpur had first safely jumped, but unsuccessfully escaped, after killing the imperial Mughal treasurer. Whereupon, he was thrown over the same said gate, died from his wounds, and had the entrance named after him.

Fort, as an appellation, does not quite say it for this site. In Mugal times, it held the largest treasury of the state and the mint was located within its walls. The primary palace of every Mughal ruler was on this site at some point in his reign, even though each took extended sojourns and the last moved from here to Delhi. Their thrones were here, including the Peacock throne, which now is on retirement in Iran. Several mosques are on the compound, including private ones for the rulers and a small one for the monarch’s harem, as well as a balcony from which the ladies could buy goods from female merchants; a mirrored room in which the ladies dressed remains on the site. Private audiences with international envoys took place here, in a hall whose supporting columns are of fine marble, inlaid with floral patterns and semi-precious stones; domestic governance, such as it was, and audiences for subjects of the realm, occurred in arcades on this compound.

The property was well and truly gardened; one enclosure had sixteen plots, in the classic Persian style of quadrants, further divided four ways; and set apart by running water over patterned tiles, fountains recycling the water, hanging jewelry, not surviving to today, hanging lamps and floating wick-lights. Decorative gardening would be an apt description.

It is evident, in touring the compound, that there was a gradual mutation of building styles, as each emperor put his imprimatur on the estate. During the time of Akbar, Hindu motifs stand side by side with Islamic flourishes. Two monarchs later, in Shah Jahan’s reign, there is a fusion of the two elements, giving rise to a distinctive Mughal style of exterior and interior design, which took hold and is replicated in many Indian heritage buildings, in Agra itself, in Delhi and in Hyderabad. In this form, animals are more stylized; arches are more impressionist, lotus appear, right side up and upside down.

The association of Shah Jahan’s name with the emergence of Mughal architecture brings us to the sad closing chapter of his life. Following the Taj Mahal in Agra, he built extensively in Old Delhi, with similar styling, though never approaching perfection as closely as he did with the Taj. But there was internecine strife abroad in his domain, led by none other than one of his daughters and a son, Aurangzeb. Claiming that his father was spending too much on these financially draining schemes, but really intending to leap frog the succession ladder, over his elder brother, he overthrew his father, by force; and held him in custody at Agra Fort for the rest of the old emperor’s life. It is said, that from an octagonal tower he built, in his style, at the Fort, Shah Jahan would gaze at his pride and joy, Taj, across the river. He died of a broken heart singing praises to his Mumtaz, eyes steadfast on the Taj Mahal; so goes the legend.

We are off to Jaipur in Rajasthan

Vernon

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Photos

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
Amar Singh Gate

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
Shah Jahan's view of the Taj from his octangonal tower.

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
Octangonal tower where Shah Jahan looked out to the Taj.

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
Arcades where public audiences were held. Octangonal tower on the left.

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
Mosque for the ladies of the court

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
Floral design on the marble columns.

Fort Agra - March 3, 2006
View from outside the fort.