AGRA FORT(4)

Long Description

The Red Fort and the Taj Mahal bear an exceptional and complementary testimony to a civilization which has disappeared, that of the Mogul Emperors. Agra's history goes back more than 2,500 years, but it was not until the reign of the Mughals that Agra became more than a provincial city. Humayun, son of the founder of the Mogul Empire, was offered jewellery and precious stones by the family of the Raja of Gwalior, one of them the famous Koh-i-Noor. The heyday of Agra came with the reign of Humayun's son, Akbar the Great. During his reign, the main part of the Agra Fort was built.
The Red Fort of Agra is a powerful fortress founded in 1565 by the Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) on the right bank of the Yamuna; it is placed today on the north-west extremity of the Shah Jahan Gardens which surround the Taj Mahal and clearly form, with them, a monumental unity.
This bastioned fortress, with walls of red sandstone rising above a moat and interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions, encompasses within its enclosure walls of 2.5 km, the imperial city of the Mogul rulers. Like the Delhi Fort, that of Agra is one of the most obvious symbols of the Mogul grandeur which asserted itself under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
The wall has two gates, the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate. The original and grandest entrance was through the Delhi Gate, which leads to the inner portal called the Hathi Pol or Elephant Gate. But now the entrance to the fort is only through the Amar Singh Gate.
The citadel comprises a large number of fairy-like palaces: the Khas Mahal, the Shish Mahal, the octagonal tower of Muhammam Burj, as well as reception rooms: Diwan-i-Khas, built in 1637 and the many pillared Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), constructed in 1628, under the reign of the luxury-loving Shah Jahan (1630-55). Within the palatial complex, there are two very beautiful mosques of white marble, the Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque, constructed in 1646-53 by Shah Jahan and the Nagina Masjid built under the reign of Aurangzeb (1658-1707).
Several of the buildings are made from pure marble with beautiful carvings; all of these monuments mark the apogee of an Indo-Muslim art strongly marked by influences from Persia which already manifested itself in Timurid art.
Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb in Agra Fort, from which he had a view of the building erected for his deceased wife. Shah Jahan is said to have died in the Musamman Burj, a tower with a beautiful marble balcony.

Interior Bracketing

Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort
The ornate, sinuous carving and pendants on the brackets are typical of early Mughal style, much of which derives from Hindu forms. Additional examples of this type are seen in Fatehpur.

Musamman Burj

Agra Fort

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On the east side of the fort, this octagonal pavilion looks out across the Jumna River and countryside, and downstream to the Taj Mahal. It is said to be the tower where Shah Jahan was imprisoned. Next to the Burj in the photo left foreground is the rear of the Khass Mahal and its adjoining pavilions. Below are fortifications and the riverbank. The river was originally higher, reaching up to the base of the walls.

Inner Chamber

Mussaman Burj, Agra Fort
The inner chamber of Musamman Burj is exquisitely worked in marble decorated with pietra dura (colored stone inlay). At the bottom of the photo is the lip of the basin of an elaborate sunken marble fountain.

Pavilion

Agra Fort
This is one of two pavilions flanking the Khass Mahal (left). Its curving bangla roof imitates the shape of Bengali thatched huts, in one of the characteristic styles of 17th century Mughal building. The pavilion overlooks the Jumna river to the east (photo rear).

Khass Mahal

Agra Fort
The Khass Mahal (Private Pavilion) dates from 1636. This was probably a multifunction room that could have been used for various kinds of gatherings, or even for sleeping.