Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference	255
Inscription	1986 (10th Session)

Fatehpur Sikri (Template:Lang-hi, Template:Lang-ur) is a city in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Previously the city's name was Vijaypur Sikari, of the Sikarwar Rajput clan; the later city was founded in 1569 by the Emperor Akbar, and served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1571 to 1585. After his military victories over Chittor and Ranthambore, Akbar decided to shift his capital from Agra to a new location 23 miles (37 km) W.S.W on the Sikri ridge, to honour the Sufi saint Salim Chishti. Here he commenced the construction of a planned walled city, which took the next fifteen years in planning, and construction of a series of royal palaces, harem, courts, a mosque, private quarters and other utility buildings. He named the city Fatehabad, with Fateh, a word of Arabic origin in Persian, meaning "victorious." It was later called Fatehpur Sikri. It is at Fatehpur Sikri that the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine jewels or Navaratnas, were born. Fatehpur Sikri is one of the best preserved collections of Indian Mughal architecture in India.

According to contemporary historians, Akbar took a great interest in the building of Fatehpur Sikri and probably also dictated its architectural style. Seeking to revive the splendours of Persian court ceremony made famous by his ancestor Timur, Akbar planned the complex on Persian principles. But the influences of his adopted land came through in the typically Indian embellishments. The easy availability of sandstone in the neighbouring areas of Fatehpur Sikri also meant that all the buildings here were made of the red stone. The Imperial Palace complex consists of a number of independent pavilions arranged in formal geometry on a piece of level ground, a pattern derived from Arab and central Asian tent encampments. In its entirety, the monuments at Fatehpur Sikri thus reflect the genius of Akbar in assimilating diverse regional architectural influences within a holistic style that was uniquely his own.

The Imperial complex was abandoned in 1585, shortly after its completion, due to the exhaustion of the small, spring-fed lake that supplied the city with water, and its proximity with the Rajputana areas in the North-West, which were increasingly in turmoil. Thus the capital was shifted to Lahore so that Akbar could have a base in the less stable part of the empire, before moving back to Agra in 1598, where he had begun his reign as he shifted his focus to Deccan. In fact, he never returned to the city except for a brief period in 1601. In later Mughal history it was occupied for a short while by Mughal emperor, Muhammad Shah(r. 1719 -1748) and his regent, Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan Barha, one of the Syed Brothers, was murdered here in 1720. The palaces were occupied by the Marathas after their conquest of Delhi, then transferred to the British army, which used the fortified complex as a headquarters and barracks. Restoration began under Lord Curzon.

Because the palace area has been in nearly continuous use over the centuries, much of the imperial complex which spread over nearly two mile long and one mile wide area is largely intact. It is still surrounded by a five mile long wall built during its original construction on three sides. However apart from the imperial buildings complex and the magnificent mosque, which continues in use, little of the city survives. The former site of the city is mostly barren, except of ruins of the bazaars of the old city near the Naubat Khana, the 'drum-house' entrance at Agra Road. The modern town lies at the western end of the complex, which was a municipality from 1865 to 1904, and later made a notified area and in 1901 had a population of 7,147. For a long time it was still known for its masons and stone carvers, though in Akbar time it was known and 'fabrics of hair' and 'silk-spinning'. The village of Sikri still exists nearby.

History

Basing his arguments on the excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1999-2000 at the Chabeli Tila, senior Agra journalist Bhanu Pratap Singh said the antique pieces, statues, and structures all point to a lost "culture and religious site," more than 1,000 years ago. "The excavations yielded a rich crop of Jain statues, hundreds of them, including the foundation stone of a temple with the date. The statues were a thousand years old of Bhagwan Adi Nath, Bhagwan Rishabh Nath, Bhagwan Mahavir and Jain Yakshinis," said Swarup Chandra Jain, senior leader of the Jain community. A 400 sq-m mound was opened near the village of Nagari, some half a kilometre from the ramparts of the 16th century fort, a sandstone chamber was found, filled with decapitated and broken idols of Jain Tirthankaras.

Architecture

General Plan of Fatehpur Sikri City in 1917

General plan of buildings at Fatehpur Sikri

Site plan of Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri sits on rocky ridge, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in length and 1 km (0.62 mi) wide and palace city is surrounded by a 6 km (3.7 mi) wall on three sides with the fourth bordered by a lake. Its architects were Tuhir Das and Dhruv Chawla and was constructed using Indian principles. The buildings of Fatehpur Sikri show a synthesis of various regional schools of architectural craftsmanship such as Gujarat and Bengal. This was because indigenous craftsmen were used for the construction of the buildings. Influences from Hindu and Jain architecture are seen hand in hand with Islamic elements. The building material used in all the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri, palace-city complex, is the locally quarried red sandstone, known as 'Sikri sandstone'. It is accessed through gates along the 5 miles (8.0 km) long fort wall, namely, Delhi Gate, the Lal Gate, the Agra Gate, Birbal's Gate, Chandanpal Gate, The Gwalior Gate, the Tehra Gate, the Chor Gate and the Ajmere Gate.

A panoramic view of the Fatehpur Sikri Palace

Buland Darwaza, the 54 mt. high entrance to Fatehpur Sikri complex

Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri

Tomb of Salim Chishti(left) tomb in Jama Masjid courtyard, Fatehpur Sikri

The central pillar of Diwan-i-khas

Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri

Some of the important buildings in this city, both religious and secular are:

• Buland Darwaza: Set into the south wall of congregational mosque, the Jama Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri is 55 metres (180 ft) high, from the outside, gradually making a transition to a human scale in the inside. The gate was added some five years after the completion of the mosque c. 1576-1577 as an 'victory arch', to commemorate Akbar's successful Gujarat campaign. It carries two inscriptions in the archway, one of which reads: "Isa, Son of Mariam said: The world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no houses on it. He who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity. The world endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer, for the rest is unseen".
  The central portico comprises three arched entrances, with the largest one, in the centre, is known locally as the Horseshoe Gate, after the custom of nailing horseshoes to its large wooden doors for luck. Outside the giant steps of the Buland Darwaza to left is deep well.
• Jama Masjid: It is a Jama Mosque meaning the congregational mosque and was perhaps one of the first buildings to be constructed in the complex, as its epigraph gives AH 979(A.D. 1571-72) as the date of its completion, with a massive entrance to the courtyard, the Buland-Darwaza added some five years later. It was built in the manner of Indian mosques, with iwans around a central courtyard. A distinguishing feature is the row of chhatri over the sanctuary. There are three mihrabs in each of the seven bays, while the large central mihrab is covered by a dome, it is decorated with white marble inlay, in geometric patterns.
• Tomb of Salim Chishti: A white marble encased tomb of the Sufi saint, Salim Chisti(1478–1572), within the Jama Masjid's sahn, courtyard. The single-storey structure is built around a central square chamber, within which is the grave of the saint, under an ornate wooden canopy encrusted with mother-of-pearl mosaic. Surrounding it is a covered passageway for circumambulation, with carved Jalis, stone pierced screens all around with intricate geometric design and an entrance to the south. The tomb is influenced by earlier mausolea of the early 15th century Gujarat Sultanate period. Other striking features of the tomb are white marble serpentine brackets, which support sloping eaves around the parapet.
  On the left of the tomb, to the east, stands a red sandstone tomb of Islam Khan I, son of Shaikh Badruddin Chisti and grandson of Shaikh Salim Chishti, who became a general in the Mughal army in the reign of Jahangir. The tomb is topped by a dome and thirty-six small domed chattris and contains a number of graves, some unnamed, all male descendants of Shaikh Salim Chisti.
• Diwan-i-Aam : Diwan-i-Aam or Hall of Public Audience, is a building typology found in many cities where the ruler meets the general public. In this case, it is a pavilion-like multi-bayed rectangular structure fronting a large open space. South west of the Diwan-i-Am and next to the Turkic Sultana's House stand Turkic Baths.
• Diwan-i-Khas: the Diwan-i-Khas or Hall of Private Audience, is a plain square building with four chhatris on the roof. However it is famous for its central pillar, which has a square base and an octagonal shaft, both carved with bands of geometric and floral designs, further its thirty-six serpentine brackets support a circular platform for Akbar, which is connected to each corner of the building on the first floor, by four stone walkways. It is here that Akbar had representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave private audience.
• Ibadat Khana: (House of Worship) was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, where the foundations of a new Syncretistic faith, Din-e-Ilahi were laid by Akbar.
• Anup Talao: Anup Talao was build by Raja Anup Singh Sikarwar A ornamental pool with a central platform and four bridges leading up to it. Some of the important buildings of the royal enclave are surround by it including, Khwabgah(House of Dreams) Akbar's residence, Panch Mahal, a five-storey palace, Diwan-i-Khas(Hall of Private Audience), Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer's Seat, in the south-west corner of the Pachisi Court.
• Hujra-i-Anup Talao: Said to be the residence of Akbar's Muslim wife, although this is disputed due to its small size.
• Mariam-uz-Zamani's Palace: The building of Akbar's Rajput wives, including Mariam-uz-Zamani, shows Gujarati influence and is built around a courtyard, with special care being taken to ensure privacy.
• Naubat Khana: Also known as Naqqar Khana meaning a drum house, where musician used drums to announce the arrival of the Emperor. It is situated ahead of the Hathi Pol Gate or the Elephant Gate, the south entrance to the complex, suggesting that it was the imperial entrance.
• Pachisi Court: A square marked out as a large board game, the precursor to modern day Ludo game where people served as the playing pieces.
• Panch Mahal: A five-storied palatial structure, with the tiers gradually diminishing in size, till the final one, which is a single large-domed chhatri. Originally pierced stone screens faced the facade and probably sub-divided the interior as well, suggesting it was built for the ladies of the court. The floors are supported by intricately carved columns on each level, totalling to 176 columns in all.
• Birbal's House: The house of Akbar's favourite minister, who was a Hindu. Notable features of the building are the horizontal sloping sunshades or chajjas and the brackets which support them.

Recent excavation done by ASI in 2000 led to unearthing of an ancient Jain city very near to the fort complex.

Other buildings included Taksal(mint), Daftar Khana(Records Office), Karkhanas(royal workshop), Khazana(treasury), Turkic styled Baths, Darogha's Quarters, stables, Caravan sarai, Hakim's quarters etc.

Inner view of Buland Darwaza

Demographics

Fatehpur Sikri has a population of 28,757. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Fatehpur Sikri has an average literacy rate of 46%, lower than the national average of 74%: male literacy is 57%, and female literacy is 34%. In Fatehpur Sikri, 59% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Administration

A view of the present Fatehpur Sikri, outside the historical city.

Fatehpur Sikri is one of the fifteen Block headquarters in the Agra district. It has 52 Gram panchayats(Village Panchayat) under it.

The Fatehpur Sikri, is a constituency of the Lok Sabha, Lower house of the Indian Parliament, and further comprises five Vidhan Sabha(legislative assembly) segments:

• Agra Rural
• Fatehpur Sikri
• Kheragarh
• Fatehabad
• Bah

In all there are 12 villages of Sisodia Rajputs near Fatehpur Sikri fort in Agra district. These are Daultabad, Nayavas, Satha, Korai, Behrawati, Byara, Undera, Kachora, Singarpur, Vidyapur, Onera, Arrua.

Transport

Fatehpur Sikri is about 39 kilometres (24 mi) from Agra. The nearest Airport is Agra Airport(also known as Kheria Airport), 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Fatehpur Sikri. The nearest railway station is Fatehpur Sikri railway station, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the city centre. It is connected to Agra and neighbouring centres by road, where regular bus services operated by UPSRTC ply, in addition to tourist buses and taxis.

Gallery

• 
  Buland Darwaza
• 
  Buland Darwaza
• 
  Buland Darwaza Back
• 
  Anarkali Darwaja where Anarkali is said to have fled from Fatehpur Sikri
• 
  Nawab Islam Khan's Tomb
• 
  King's Gate
• 
  King's Gate
• 
  Entrance to Queen's Palace
• 
  Diwan-i-Khas
• 
  Mariam-uz-Zamani House
• 
  Anup talao (pond), the platform in the middle was used for singing competitions
• 
  Anup Talao Plateform
• 
  Anup Talao Mughal Architecture
• 
  Anup Talao Beauty
• 
  Security Office
• 
  Gate at Fatehpur

See also

• Lahore Fort
• Tomb of Jehangir
• Jama Masjid
• Tomb of Salim Chishti
• Ibadat Khana
• Mariam-uz-Zamani
• Naubat Khana
• Buland Darwaza

Further reading

• Latif, Muḥammad (1896). Agra, Historical & Descriptive. Calcutta Central Press.
• Fazl, Abul (1897–1939). The Akbarnama (Vol. I-III). Calcutta: Asiatic Society. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Keene, Henry George (1899). "Fatehpur Sikri". A Handbook for Visitors to Agra and Its Neighbourhood (Sixth ed.). Thacker, Spink & Co. p. 53.
• Malleson, G. B., Colonel (1899). Akbar And The Rise Of The Mughal Empire. Rulers of India series. Oxford at the Clarendon Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Havell, E. B. (1904). A handbook to Agra and the Taj, Sikandra, Fatehpur-Sikri and the neighbourhood (1904). London: Longmans, Greens & Co.
• Garbe, Dr.Richard von (1909). Akbar — Emperor of India. A picture of life and customs from the sixteenth century. Chicago: The Opencourt Publishing Company.
• Smith, Vincent Arthur (1917). Akbar the Great Mogul, 1542-1605. Oxford at The Clarendon Press.
• Hussain, Muhammad Ashraf (1947). A Guide To Fatehpur Sikri. The Manager, Government of India Press.
• Rezavi, S. Ali Nadeem (1998). Exploring Mughal Gardens at Fathpur Sikri. Indian History Congress.
• Petruccioli, Attilio (1992). Fatehpur Sikri. Ernst & Sohn.
• Rizvi, Athar Abbas (2002). Fatehpur Sikri (World heritage series). Archaeological Survey of India. ISBN 81-87780-09-6.
• Rezavi, Syed Ali Nadeem (2002). "Iranian Influence on Medieval Indian Architecture", The Growth of Civilizations in India and Iran. Tulika.
• Jain, Kulbhushan (2003). Fatehpur Sikri: where spaces touch perfection. VDG. ISBN 3-89739-363-8.
• Rezavi, Dr. Syed Ali Nadeem (2008). Religious Disputation and Imperial Ideology: The Purpose and Location of Akbar's Ibadatkhana. SAGE Publications.

References

• Havell, E. B. (1904). A handbook to Agra and the Taj, Sikandra, Fatehpur-Sikri and the neighbourhood (1904). Longmans, Greens & Co., London.
• Smith, Vincent Arthur (1917). Akbar the Great Mogul, 1542-1605. Oxford at The Clarendon Press.
• Asher, Catherine Ella Blanshard (1992). "Age of Akbar". Architecture of Mughal India, (Part 1). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-26728-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Fatehpur Sikri, Detailed study Arch Net Digital Library

External links

• Fatehpur Sikri at Archaeological Survey of India
• An interactive map of Fatehpur Sikri
• Fatehpur Sikri History
• 360 degree walkthrough of Fatehpur Sikri