History of Agra is a historical city on bank of river Yamuna. It lies in western part of Uttar Pradesh state in North India. Due to presence of world famous Taj Mahal, it is very well known among people in the world. It is counted among larger cities of state. It has very important place in Indian history as it remained a major power center till many centuries, during Mughal dynasty era. They ruled over major part of ancient India and declared Agra as their capital thus it remained an important political power-center of India. Period of Mughal rule in India was of approx. 300 years and this period was considered as golden-era of Agra city in which it has received major progress and importance. Work done in this period was remarkable and become identity of city. Many important political decisions were taken in this city which has changed the history of India. Its glorious history can be understood by visiting Agra to see large number of historical monuments, scattered through the city, especially Old Agra city area. Some of these monuments are in ruined condition, waiting for restoration but some of the monuments are kept in very well maintained condition. Here we have discussed about Agra history in which we have shared important historical information, incidences, events and turning points of this city.
Agra History: Under the Lodi Dynasty
Agra has long been associated with Muslim rulers. But before the Sultanate rule and the coming of the Mughals, it is said that the true founder of Agra as a city in its initial phase was Raja Badal Singh in the year 1475. The first Muslim rulers were of the Lodi Dynasty. It was Sikandar Lodi in the year 1506 that shifted his capital from Delhi to Agra and from this time on, Agra as a city gained much significance. Sikandar Lodi proved to be a capable leader and crushed many who came his way. But in the year 1516, he died a natural death and the throne was taken over by his son, Ibrahim Lodi. Agra by this time started to flourish steadily as a human settlement primarily because of the river Yamuna flowing through it. This made agriculture possible. Trade at the time was limited and agriculture remained the primary activity. The hold of the Lodi Dynasty in Agra was to come to an end after 10years from the time Ibrahim Lodi took charge. In 1526, he suffered a defeat in a hard fought battle against Babur, the first Mughal ruler in India. The battle field was Panipat.
Agra History during the Mughal Period
This was the start of a long domination of Mughal stronghold not just in Agra but across many parts of the Indian subcontinent. With Babur on the throne, the influence of Islam started steadily in Agra. The ruler built the Aram Bagh or the Garden of Relaxation, where he was believed to have spent time relaxing while being away from royal duties. In 1530, Babur died and was succeeded by his son, Humayun. The rule was interrupted only for a brief time between 1540-45 when Sher Shah Suri, an Afghan ruler born in Sasaram, Bihar defeated Humayun and took over the city. He proved to be an extremely capable ruler but his glory was short lived. He died of a gunpowder explosion while fighting the Rajputs in Bundelkhand. Humayun was back on the throne and Agra back to the Mughals. But it was from the time of Akbar, son and successor to Humayun who took to the throne in 1558 when Agra came to its own. It was during the reign of Akbar when Mughal Architecture took prominence.
Akbar consolidated his power and one of the first signs was when he reconstructed the fort of Agra from a mud-walled structure left behind by the Lodi's into a huge Fort made of Red sand stone. Many other halls were added to this magnificent Fort later on by his predecessors, son Jahangir and grandson Shah Jahan. Akbar ruled for more than four decades in which he built a new city, Fatehpur Sikri, just a few kilometres from Agra. During Akbar's reign, Agra was modernized and transformed into a splendid city. Many soon referred it as Akbarabad. Agra came under Muslim influences and adopted much of the Muslim culture. But Akbar's idea of religion was liberal and this he portrayed through Din-i-Ilahi, a religious doctrine introduced in the court to merge the best elements of every faith not just of Islam and Hinduism, but also Christianity and Zoroastrian. An example of his liberalism is the Padres Santos Chapel which stands even today. It was constructed by the Portuguese, built on a land granted by Akbar himself to the missionaries which was built with the motive of dedicating it to the priests martyred in 1633. The Mughals were not only great at war but also had great love for literature, art and music. At the court of Akbar were greats like Abul Fazl, Faizi, and Tansen to name a few.
Akbar finally died in the year 1605 and buried in Sikandra, just on the outskirts of Agra city. His tomb is inside a beautifully built structure of Fine Mughal Architecture. During the reign of Jahangir, son and successor to Akbar, the English started to arrive at Agra as traders to be granted permission from the emperor for allowance to trade. As the accounts of the English Travelers suggests, there were no such law in the court of Jahangir. Agra was ruled by the King himself. Whatever he said was to be followed without any question. Thomas Roe was the first ambassador from the King of England to the great Mughal Ruler; Roe was not just a courtier, but a true diplomat and realist. This was the first big step of the English to turn from traders to rulers during the later stages. In 1620 however, an independent English Traveler named Thomas Coryate arrived at Agra. He preached Christianity fro minaret of a mosque. No one bothered to harm him because they thought he was insane.
Jahangir was married to Nur-Jahan, often known as the lady with the 'iron fist' since she is believed to have played a significant role in the emperor's life who had a strong addiction to alcohol. Mughal architecture continued to flourish during the time of Jahangir. The tomb of Itmad-ud-daulah is another fine piece of Architecture with great work in white marble. Right at the centre of this mughal structure, are the tombs of Nur-Jahan's parents. Emperor Jahangir eventually succumbed to drinking when he died while on his journey back from Kashmir in 1627. His tomb is now in Lahore, Pakistan. It was after his father's death that his son, Shah Jahan took over the throne. During Shah Jahan's reign, Chini-ka-Rauza, a monument of unique architecture with glazed tiles was constructed as a memorial dedicated to his Prime Minister; Allama Afzel Khal Mullah Shukrullah. This man was also believed to be a great poet and scholar and revered highly at the emperor's court.
But it is the Taj Mahal, the most magnificent of Mughal structure that Shah Jahan is most known for. The construction started in the year 1631 and took 17 long years before it was completed in the year 1648. There were more than 20000 workers involved to create and complete such a beautiful monument in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who's original name was Arjumand Banu Begum. The monument is of fine White Marble with impressive inscriptions on the marble walls in Persian and Arabic. Inside the Taj, are the tombs of the emperor and his wife. Many Historians believe that Shah Jahan had planned to construct a second Taj Mahal of Black Marble just across the river of the Taj that stands today. However, the cost that was incurred to erect the Taj Mahal led to great Famine of the city after the completion of the monument. But its steady decline had started when the emperor decided to shift the capital to Shahjahanabad, which is modern day Old Delhi or Purani Dilli as it is known locally in India. He was succeeded by his son Aurangzeb, who shifted his capital south west to Aurangabad, leading to further decline of Agra.
How to Reach Agra
Agra can be easily accessible by the airport, Agra Airport is located at a distance of 8 km from the centre of the city. Many major cities like Jaipur, Gujarat, Kanpur, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai are well connected with Agra. Many trains such as Taj Express, Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi express are comfortable to reach Agra. It can be accessed easily by road. A trip to Agra makes you feel proud of the tradition and culture of India. It makes you the superb necessitate Indian heritage who is the delegation for us to our historians. It is a sign of prestige and royalty.
