The Agra Fort is a good example. Hidden in the Stones of its very foundations, history remains alive. This is perhaps why it would be worth uncovering the past in order to give its physical and aesthetic features a relevance and context. Long before the fort took on its present form, there is evidence that it had another identity. Salman, a poet of the 11th century, records the attack on and occupation of the fort by Mahmud Shah (the then governor of Hind) in 1080 CE.
Later, Raja Badal Singh erected the Badalgarh Fort on the foundations of the same ancient fortress. And, as time moved on, Sikandar Lodi (1487-1517 CE), the Sultan of Delhi shifted his capital from Delhi to Agra, and the city blossomed into a great centre of knowledge, education and cultural activities.
Sikandar Lodi died in the fort of Agra on 14th Dec 1517 and his son Ibrahim Lodi occupied it for nine years. He built a palace within the fort during 1518-26 CE. The year 1526 CE marked the arrival of Babur in India.
The Invader defeated the large army of Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat. Bikramjit, the then Raja of Gwalior was killed while fighting for Ibrahim Lodi in the battle and his family was imprisoned in the fort at Agra.
History Behind Agra Fort
The Agra Fort had undergone tremendous changes in the appearance. It had a great history and is owned by many rulers and emporers. A battle was fought between Ibrahim Lodi and Babur in 1526. After the war, Babur conquered the fort and made it as his home. He made several changes to the fort-like building a huge stepwell and many more. From then it became the important historical monument.
In the year 1530, Babur was replaced by Humayun. Many rulers then got to know about the prominence of the fort and started to invade. Later Sher Shah Suri wins over Humayun and got ownership on the fort. He made changes in the fort according to his architectural taste. The Fort was ruled by Sur dynasty over 15 years. The Fort is then recaptured by Humayun in 1555. After that the military commander and general of Adil Shah Suri, Hema Vikramaditya captured Agra. He chased the soldiers fled to Delhi and Tughlaqabad battle ensued between him and Tardi Beg Khan, the Mughal army commander.
Layout of the Fort
The fort, when viewed from above, has a semicircular shape. The base of the fort faces the bank of the river Yamuna. The Agra Fort is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone. This wall is about 2 kilometer in perimeter and is interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions. The walls of the fort are a massive seventy feet high. The fort stretches for almost 2.5 kilometers. It has four gates (one on each side). Out of the four gates, the Delhi gate and Lahore gate are the most prominent ones. The Lahore gate was later renamed as Amar Singh Gate. Akbar used the Delhi gate as his main entrance and the gate also served as a security against the invaders. There is also an inner gateway known as the Elephant Gate. The entrances were built in such a manner that the invaders found it difficult to enter the fort even with the help of war elephants. The Indian army still uses the Delhi gate for security purposes.
The fort has various palaces and halls. Among the palaces, the prominent ones are Macchi Bhavan, Khas Mahal and Shah Jahani Mahal. The Amar Singh gate leads to the courtyard. The magnificent Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is on the right hand side. A little further lay the royal pavilions, which houses the famous Nagina Masjid and Mina Masjid. The fort also has royal baths made out of marbles, which were used by the princesses. Also, places of worship and a private market place for the ladies were built within the fort. At the base of the fort, a secret passage was dug in an attempt to access it with ease, during times of emergency. Other attractions of the fort include a grape garden, a jasmine tower, a mirror palace (Shish Mahal), courtrooms and the ruins of Akbar’s once magnificent palace. It is said that the fort once housed five hundred beautiful looking buildings. Unfortunately, many of those buildings were destroyed at different time periods for various reasons.
Architecture
Bricks formed the base of Agra Fort’s structure. Red sandstone was brought all the way from Rajasthan and that was laid on the external surfaces. Back then, the entire fort was built using the red sandstone. This appearance of the fort underwent a major change during the reign of Shah Jahan. Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan was smitten by the beauty of white marble. Hence, he destroyed many structures within the fort, only to rebuild them using white marble. Shah Jahan was made to spend his final days in the Musamman Burj of the Agra fort, which was built by him.The Musamman Burj is located on the left of the Khaas Mahal. It is a beautiful octagonal tower with an open pavilion. It is said that Shah Jahan used to view the Taj Mahal from this very place.
When the British took over the ownership of Agra Fort, much more changes were made to the fort. They destroyed many structures and edifices with historical significances, citing political reasons and for raising barracks. The structures that managed to survive showcase the real complexity and workmanship of Mughal architecture. Fine examples of the Mughal architecture within the fort are the Delhi Gate, Amar Singh Gate and the Bengali Mahal. These structures not only represent Mughal architecture, but are also fine examples of Akbari architecture which is also known as Indo-Islamic architecture. Among these structures the Delhi Gate is considered as the most prominent for its workmanship and architectural design. Even today, it is regarded as one of Akbar’s masterpiece. Speaking about masterpiece, there is an interesting legend associated with the architecture of the Agra Fort. It is said that the royal rooms of the fort were built in such a way that they would remain cool even during the summer. The legend has it that the walls were made hollow and then filled with water from the river, so that they would remain cool.
How to Reach:
By Air :
Agra’s Kheria airport is also a military base. It is a seasonal commercial airport and is connected only by Air India flights from New Delhi. The flight from Delhi to Agra is less than an hour long. Kheria airport is 13 kilo metres away from Agra city. Hire a taxi from the airport to get to the city, which should take you around 10-15 minutes depending on traffic.
By Train:
Agra is situated on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai route and is well connected to most cities across India. There are regular trains to Agra from cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior and Jhansi. Agra is also well connected to cities in other parts of the country such as Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. There are five railway stations in Agra - Agra Cantt Station (the main station), Agra Fort Railway Station, Raja ki Mandi, Agra City and Idgah Railway Station. The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort are a short distance away from Agra Cantt railway station and one can hire a pre-paid taxi, auto rickshaw or even a cycle rickshaw to get to these attractions.
By Road :
Agra is connected to Delhi by NH2 and the new Yamuna Expressway. The drive time is about 4-5 hours depending on traffic and time of the day. Jaipur is connected to Agra by NH11 and is a 4-hour drive. Gwalior, connected by NH3 is a 1.5-hour drive while Lucknow and Kanpur, connected by NH2, are about a 2-hour and 5-hour drive respectively.