Agra History

It is generally accepted that Agra was an ancient city since the time of Mahabharata and yet the Muslim ruler of Delhi Sultanate Sultan Sikander Lodi established Agra in 1504. After the death of the Sultan, the city passed its son Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. He ruled his Sultanat from Agra until he fell to fight the Mughal Gabsha (Emperor) Babur in the first battle of Lanipat in 1526.

The golden age of the city began with the Mughals. It was known as Akbarbad and the Emperor (Emperor) remained the capital of the Mughal Empire under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Akbar made it a nominated seat of one of his original twelve ridicule (royal top-level provinces), border (old) Delhi, Awadh (Oudh), Allahabad, Malwa and Ajmer Suhah. Shah Jahan later shifted his capital to Shahzanabad in 1649.

Since Akbarbad was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it saw a lot of building activity. Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, placed the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the Yamuna River. The garden is called Aram tiger or comfort. His grandson Akbar The Great raised the vast edges of the great Red Fort, in addition to learning Agra, centers for art, commerce and religion. Akbar also created a new city on the outskirts of Akbarbad called Fatehpur Sikri. The city was built in stone as a Mughal military camp.

His son Jahangir loved flora and fauna and had several gardens inside the Red Fort or Red Fort. Shah Jahan is known for his deep interest in architecture, gave Akbarbad the most valuable monument, Taj Mahal. Built in the loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the tomb was completed in 1653.

Later Shah Jahan shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign, but his son Aurangzeb took the capital back to Akbarbad, removed his father and imprisoned him in the fort. Akbarbad remained the capital of India during Aurangzeb’s reign until he shifted it to Aurangabad in Deccan in 1653.

After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the city came under the influence of the Marathas and was called Agra in 1803 before the British Raj fell.

When the Presidency of Agra was established by the British in 1835, the city became the seat of the government, and only two years later it was a witness to the Agra famine of 1837–38. During the Indian rebellion of 1857, British rule was threatened across India, the news of the rebellion reached Agra on May 11 and on May 30, two companies of the original infantry, 44th and 67th regiments revolted and went to Delhi. . The next morning in Agra, the native Indian soldiers were forced to revolt at Gwalior (which is located in the south of Agra) on 15 June. By 3 July, the British were forced to return to the fort. Two days later, a small British army was defeated in Sucheta and was forced to withdraw the city. However, the rebels moved to Delhi which allowed the British to restore the order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in September, next month rebels who fled from Delhi, climbed Agra with rebels from Central India but were defeated. By the independence of India in 1947, this British rule was again secured in the city.

Agra is the birthplace of the religion called Deen-e-Elahi, which developed during Akbar’s reign and Radhaswami faith, with around two million followers worldwide. Agra has historical relations with Shoripur of Jainism and Ranuka of Hinduism in 1000 BC.

Culture and heritage
Lifestyle, value and belief

India is a diverse country, which is clearly prominent in the people, culture and climate here.
From the eternal snow of the Himalayas to the peninsula of south farming, from the west desert, from the east humid delta,
From dry heat and cold to cold forest foothills, Indian lifestyle clearly glorify geography.

The food, clothes and habits of an Indian differ in place of origin.

Culture
Indian culture changes like its huge geography.
People speak in different languages, wear different dresses, follow different religions,
Eat different food but belong to the same nature. So is it a happy opportunity or a moment of sorrow, people participate whole heartedly,
Feel happiness or pain. A festival or celebration is never forced to a family or home
The entire community or neighborhood is involved in bringing liveliness on one occasion.
Similarly, an Indian marriage is not only a celebration of a race and the bride, but also two families, culture or religion! Similarly,
At the time of grief, neighbors and friends play an important role in solving grief

Monument
Taj Mahal
Agra Fort
Fatehpur Sikri (Buland Darwaza)
Sikandra (Akbar’s Tomb) \
Dayal Bagh Temple
Bateshwar Temple
Etmad Dualah
Sugar Rauja
Kitham Lake
Fatehpur Sikri (Panch Mahal)

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble tomb on the south bank of the Yamuna River in the Indian city of Agra. It was launched in 1632 for the tomb of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (ruled from 1628 to 1658). The tomb is the centerpiece of the 17-hectare (42 acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is installed in a formal garden surrounded by an uncontrolled wall on three sides.

The construction of the mausoleum was compulsorily completed in 1643 but the work continued for 10 years in other stages of the project. The Taj Mahal Complex is believed to have been fully completed at an estimated cost of about Rs 32 million in 1653, which will be around 52.8 billion rupees (US $ 827 million) in 2015. The construction project employed about 20,000 artisans under the guidance of the Architects led by the court architect for the Emperor, Ustad Ahmed Lahori.

The Taj Mahal was nominated in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “One of the universal admirable works of Muslim art in India and the universal admirable creations of the world’s heritage”. Many people have considered it the best example of Mughal architecture and the symbol of the rich history of India. The Taj Mahal attracts 7-8 million visitors annually. In 2007, it was declared the winner of the world’s new 7 surprise (2000–2007) initiative.

How to reach:
By air
It takes 12 minutes to travel from Taj Mahal to Kheria Airport. The driving distance between the Taj Mahal and Kheria Airport is 10 km.

By train
There is a good network of trains connecting Agra to the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other stations in Raja-Ki-Mandi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Taj Express.

By road
Many important cities from Agra have regular bus services. Many buses are running from Idgah and ISBT bus stand for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sakari etc., if you are coming from Delhi to Agra. You can rent a taxi.

High door

A part of Agra district, Fatehpur Sikri was the one -time blooming capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar till 1585,
The city was abandoned when the Rajputana neighborhood and the proximity of the area of ​​water scarcity.
The capital went back to Agra and the city remained a ghost city during most of the old times.
Fatehpur Sikri was earlier known as Fatehabad, which is obtained from the word Persian which means victory.
The purpose of the construction of the city was Akbar’s intention to honor Sufi saint Salim Chishti and the entire palace complex was built around the tomb of the saint.
Today the city stands as one of the most protected samples of Mughal architecture in India.
Here is the list of the best places to go to Fatehpur Sikri.

How to reach:
By air
Kheria Airport in Agra is the nearest airport to Fatehpur Sikri which is located about 40 km. One can get a taxi from the airport to the destination.

By train
Agra Cantt railway station in Agra is 40 km from Fatehpur Sikri. Trains are available regularly.

By road
The well -constructed roads of Fatehpur Sikri selected a great transport facility for tourists. UPSRTC bus service provides decent service to tourists and is cheaper for pockets.

Agra fort

Agra Fort is a historic fort in Agra city in India. It was the main abode of the Emons of the Mughal dynasty by 1638, when the capital moved from Agra to Delhi. Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its famous sister monument Taj Mahal. The fort can be described more accurately as a walled city.

After the first battle of Panipat in 1526, the victorious Babur stayed in the fort in Ibrahim Lodi. Later he made a Baoli in it. His successor Humayun was crowned in the fort in 1530. He was defeated in Bilgram by Sher Shah Suri in 1540. The fort remained with Suri until 1555, when Humayun retrieved it. Adil Shah Suri’s General, Hemu withdrew Agra in 1556 and chased his fleeing governor from Delhi where he met the Mughals in the Battle of Tughlakabad. Sheesh Mahal, Agra Fort: The effects produced by highlighting candles in Agra Fort, Sheesh Mahal.

Realizing the importance of his central status, Akbar made it his capital and reached Agra in 1558. His historian Abul Fazal recorded that it was a brick fort called ‘Badalgarh’. It was in a ruined condition and Akbar renovated with red sandstone from Dholpur district in Rajasthan. The architects laid the foundation and it was built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on the outer surfaces. Some 4,000 builders worked for eight years daily, completing it in 1573.

It was during the reign of Akbar’s grandson Shah Jahan, the site that captured its current position. Shah Jahan built a beautiful Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan organized buildings made of white marble. He destroyed some previous buildings inside the fort to build his own.

At the end of his life, Shah Jahan was stopped at the fort by his son Aurangzeb and stopped. It is rumored that Shah Jahan died in Musamaman Burj, a marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.

The fort was attacked and captured by the Maratha Empire in the early 18th century. After that, it changed hand between the Marathas and their enemies several times. After his devastating defeat in the third battle of Panipat by Ahmed Shah Abdli in 1761, the Marathas remained out of the region for the next decade. Finally Mahadji Shinde took the fort in 1785. The Marathas lost the British during the second Anglo-Maratha war in 1803.

The Fort was the site of a war during the Indian rebellion of 1857, which ended the rule of the British East India Company in India, and Britain led the century of India’s direct rule.

How to reach:
By air
Kheria Airport in Agra is also a military base. It is a seasonal commercial airport and is associated with Air India flights only from New Delhi. The flight from Delhi to Agra is less than an hour. Kheraya Airport is 13 km from the city of Agra. To hire a taxi from the airport to the city, you should take about 10-15 minutes on the basis of traffic.

By train
Agra is located on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai routes and is well connected to most of the cities across India. There are regular trains in Agra from cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Gwalior and Jhansi. Agra is also well connected to cities in other parts of the countries like Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. Agra – Agra Cantt Station (Main Station), Agra Fort railway station, Raja Ki Mandi, Agra City and Idgah railway stations have five railway stations. The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort is a short distance from Agra Cantt railway station and one can rent a pre-paid taxi, auto rickshaw or even a bicycle rickshaw to get these attractions.

By road
Agra is connected to Delhi by NH2 and new Yamuna Expressway. Drive time is about 4-5 hours depending on traffic and time. Jaipur is connected to Agra by NH 11 and is a 4 -hour drive. Gwalior associated with NH3 is a 1.5 -hour drive while Lucknow and Kanpur associated with NH2 are 2 hours and 5 hours of drives respectively.