HISTORICAL PRESPECTIVE OF AGRA
FORT
AGRA FORT, is a UNESCO
WORLD HERITAGE site located in Agra ,UTTAR PARDESH INDIA. It is about
2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, theTaj MEhal. The
fort can be more accurately described as a walled city. After Panipat,MUGHALS captured the fort and a vast treasure
- which included a diamond that was later named as the KOH I NOOR diamond - was seized.
Realizing the importance of its central situation, Akbar made it his capital and arrived in
Agra in 1558. His historian, Abdul Fazal, recorded that this was a brick fort
known as “Badal garh” . It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt
with red sandstone from Barauli area in Rajasthan .Architects laid the
foundation and it was built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on
external surfaces. Builders worked on it for eight years, completing it in
1573.
It was only during the reign of Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan, that the site took on its
current state. The legend is that Shah Jahan built
the beautiful Taj Mehal for his
wife, MUMTAZ Mehal. Unlike his
grandfather, Shah Jahan tended to have buildings made from WHITE MARBLE, often inlaid with gold
or semi-precious gems. He destroyed some of the earlier buildings inside the
fort in order to make his own.
At the end of his life, Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, Aurang Zaib, in the fort. It is
rumored that SHAH JAHAN died in MUSAMMMAN BURJ a tower with a marble
balcony with a view of the Taj
MEHAL
The fort was the site of a battle during the INDIAN
REBELLION OF 1857 which caused the end of the BRITISH
INDIA's rule in India, and led to a century of direct rule of INDIA by BRITAIN..