For anyone with a deep
interest in history, a summary of Agra's history would indeed
provide a wealth of information. Situated on the banks of river
Yamuna between Mathura and Surajpur, Agra was originally a part
of the Surasena Empire with Mathura as its capital. But it came
into limelight when Sikander Lodhi, the Sultan of Delhi made it
his capital in the 16th century. After the advent of the Mughals,
there was a shift in the power play and Agra became the most
important seat of Mughal power in India between the 16th and
17th centuries.
Since Agra was one of the most important cities under the
Mughals, it witnessed some big scale renovation and development
from time to time. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty laid
out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of river
Yamuna. His grandson Akbar raised the towering ramparts of the
Great Red Fort besides making Agra a center for learning arts
and commerce. His son Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts
and gardens inside the red fort, and emperor Shah Jahan, known
for his great love for architecture gave Agra its most prized
monument, the magnificent Taj Mahal. Built in memory of his wife
Mumtaz Mahal, the mausoleum took 20 years to finish with the
combined efforts of 20,000 laborers, architects and engineers.
Shah Jahan had shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign,
but Aurangzeb shifted it back to Agra and imprisoned his father
in the Agra Fort. Agra remained capital of India during the rule
of Aurangzeb till his death. After the decline of the Mughal
Empire, the city came under the Marathas and Jats before falling
into the hands of the British in 1803.
Agra came under different rulers and dynasties from time to
time, but it was the Mughal rulers who left an indelible mark on
this historic city. Anywhere you go, the city's Mughal
heritage can easily be discerned, something that Agra has
managed to retain in spite of the ravages of time and change.
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Taj Mahal History
The Taj Mahal's history dates back to 1631 when Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan's beloved wife Arjumand Bano passed away
during childbirth. Mumtaz Mahal, as she was affectionately
known, was the Emperor's constant companion, guide and the love
of his life. They first met as teenagers, got married in 1612 AD
and thereafter were inseparable. Mumtaz Mahal accompanied the
Emperor to meetings, wars and campaigns and it was during one
such campaign that she passed away shortly after giving birth to
their 14th child. It is believed that the Mughal court mourned
the death of their beloved Empress for more than two years.
There were no celebrations or feasting on holidays for a long
time after Mumtaz Mahal passed away.
Before her death, Mumtaz Mahal expressed her wish that Shah
Jahan would "build a tomb in her memory such as the world had
never seen before." Thus stated the creation of one of the most
beautiful monument in the world, the Taj Mahal. A combined
workforce of 20,000 people toiled hard for 22 years to build
this structure, which clearly surpasses everything else in
beauty and elegance. It is also amazing that the Taj Mahal in
Agra cost the exchequer 32 million rupees even at that time. At
the fag end of Shah Jahan's career, he was imprisoned by his son
Aurangzeb at the Agra Fort and at that point of time the Taj
Mahal was his only source of comfort. He used to spend hours
gazing at the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna. After his death, he
was laid to rest beside his beloved wife and their two tombs are
located in the basement of the
Taj.
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