The history of the city of Agra, which is set in the Indian state of Uttar

Pradesh, is bound up with the world's most exquisite memorial to

undying love, the Taj Mahal.

The glorious white marble monument was built by Mughal emperor

Shah Jahan after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved consort.
The city, known for over 2,000 years by its present name, experienced
its glory days between 1526 and 1658, when it held the prized position
of capital of the mighty Mughal Empire.

EARLY DAYS
Agra was first mentioned in an ancient Hindu script, the Mahabharata, and was later referred to by the Roman
geographer and astronomer Ptolemy, with the first written records of Agra dating from the 11th century. Prior to
the 16th century, the city was held by a succession of Hindu and Muslim rulers until finally, under the rule of
Sultan Sikandar Lodi of Delhi, it gained importance as the new capital of the region, replacing Delhi by the
sultan's order.

By 1526, its new prominence had attracted the attention of Mughal emperor Babur, who overthrew the Delhi ruler
at the first battle of Panipat and ended the Lodi Dynasty. Immediately, Agra was appointed as the capital of the
Mughal Empire and the residence of its imperial dynasty, with magnificent palaces, temples, mansions, forts,
glorious gardens and monuments erected over the following 120 years.

THE MUGHAL YEARS

Three great Mughal emperors, Shah Akbar, Shah Jahangir and Shah
Jahan, the latter the greatest of the three, reigned in Agra, which was
known as Akbarabad during the Mughal period. The history of the
three Agra reigns is easily traced today, due to the breathtaking
buildings serving as the rulers' legacy to the world. The dynasty's
founder, Babur, began the beautification of the capital with Aram Bagh,
a formal Persian garden set along the river banks.

Shah Akbar commissioned the massive Red Fort, as well as many centres of learning, arts and religion, and a
new city set on Agra's outskirts. Shah Jahangir, Akbar's son, created more gardens inside the vast walled Red
Fort's grounds, and Shah Jahan's love of architecture and his consort produced the greatest treasure of all, the
Taj Mahal, which was completed in 1653.

THE 19TH CENTURY

By the beginning of the 19th century, the great empire had fallen, leaving only its
architectural glories as a reminder. The British Raj took over in 1803, establishing its
Presidency in 1835, just before the Great Famine struck in 1837. In 1857, two Agra
regiments of the Indian Army joined the Indian Rebellion and marched to Delhi, and a
mob ran riot around the city's streets. Subsequently, Agra remained in British hands until
the independence of India was declared in 1947.

THE 20TH CENTURY AND ONWARDS

By the second half of the 20th century, Agra had gained fame and fortune as a world tourist destination for its
history and magnificent structures, three of which - the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort and the abandoned settlement of
Fatehpur Sikri - are now UNESCO listed. Nowadays, the city is a major manufacturing hub, but still depends on
tourism for much of its income.

REFERENCE: http://www.world-guides.com/asia/india/uttar-pradesh/agra/agra_history.html

AGRA, city and district center in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India, situated on the
west bank of the river Jumna (Yamonā) approximately 125 miles south of Delhi. Capital of
Mughal empire during the 16th and 17th centuries, it is today the location of some of the most
important examples of Mughal architecture, including the Taj Mahal. Mention of Agra as a local
center occurs as early as Ghaznavid times (5th/11th century) and throughout the period of the
Delhi sultanate as a dependency of nearby Bīāna. In 879-80/1475 a local zamīndār, Badal Singh,
is recorded as having constructed nearby a fort, Badalgarh, and in 898/1492 when Agra was
besieged by the troops of Sultan Sekandar Lōdī of Delhi (874-923/1489-1517) it was a walled
town. Sultan Sekandar, finding Delhi too distant for his campaigns against Bīāna, Gwalior, and
Dholpur, decided to remove his capital to Agra, and the foundations of a new fort were laid in
911/1505. This was on the left, or east bank of the Jumna. At the same time a court suburb
developed across the river about five and a half miles to the northeast of modern Agra along the
Mathura road, to be known henceforth as Sikandra, where an elegant bārādari was built by the
sultan, to be converted during Akbar’s reign into the mausoleum of Maryam Zamānī. Other
structures dating from the Lōdī period at Sikandra were probably demolished to provide space or
building material for Akbar’s mausoleum. The last Lōdī ruler, Sultan Ebrāhīm (923-32/1517-26),
retained Agra as his capital. He was defeated and killed in battle by the Mughals, and the
victorious Bābor dispatched his son, Homāyūn, to occupy the city and seize the late ruler’s family
and treasure. When Bābor reached Agra, he criticized the lack of amenities, especially gardens;
one of his first acts was to order the construction of an Iranian-type čār-bāḡ, whose site may be
preserved by the present Ram Bagh. Bābor’s reign was short, and the reign of Homāyūn, who
seems to have shown a marked preference for Delhi, was too disturbed to allow much time for
building. Agra attained its apogee as the premier metropolis of the empire during the reigns of
his successors, Akbar (963-1014/1556-1605) and Jahāngīr (1014-37/1605-27), and during the
first part of the reign of Shah Jahān (1037-68/1628-57). Agra’s position was hardly effected by
the foundation of Fatḥ pūr Sīkrī (q.v.), twenty-three miles away, where Akbar spent much of his
time between 982/1574 and 994/1586. Akbar’s inauguration of a provincial system to include the
entire empire made Agra, in addition to the emperor’s principal residence, the administrative
headquarters of a ṣūba (or province) and the seat of government of the ṣūbadār or nāẓem.

Akbar’s Agra was situated on the right or west bank of the Jumna, in contrast to the Lōdī
foundation on the east bank. In 972/1565, under the direction of Qāsem Khan Mīr-e Baḥ r, work
was commenced on the great red sandstone fort which, according to Abu’l-Fażl, included 500
structures erected by workmen from Bengal and Gujarat in the architectural style of those
regions. At the same time, beyond the walls of the fort a new city rapidly came into being and
continued to grow. By the close of the century it had become an enormous metropolis straggling
along the river bank, having long since outgrown its original walls. The few surviving remains of
16th century Agra convey slight indication of the seminal role which the city played in the
diffusion of Indo-Islamic culture under the early Mughals. Notwithstanding Akbar’s personal
interest in the customs and beliefs of his Hindu subjects, life at the Mughal court remained
rooted in the cultural patterns of Timurid Herat and Samarqand. There was a continuous influx
into northern India of emigrants from Iran and Central Asia, and their influence reinforced the
traditionally Turco-Iranian lifestyle and cultural values already established in the Delhi sultanate.
These trends continued under Jahāngīr, who also spent much of his time in Agra, despite his
attachment to Lahore and Kashmir. During his reign his wife, Nūr Jahān, built for her father,
Eʿtemād-al-dawla, an elaborate tomb of inlaid white marble located in an Iranian-style čār-
bāḡ on the east bank of the river. After the synthesis of Indo-Islamic and Hindu architectural
styles so characteristic of Akbar’s buildings at Fatḥ pūr Sīkrī and Sikandra, the tomb of Eʿtemād-
al-dawla (d. 1031/1622) marks a shift to a more self-consciously Indo-Iranian style in both form
and surface decoration. This shift reached its culmination with the Taj Mahal (q.v.), the tomb
built by Shah Jahān for his wife, Arǰmand Bānū Bēgam, better known as Momtāz Maḥ all,
downstream from the Agra Fort, on the same west bank of the Jumna. The Taj Mahal is too
completely sui generis to be regarded as merely derivative, yet it possesses a well-defined
pedigree, stretching back past the tombs of the Ḵ ān-e Ḵ ānān and of Homāyūn at Delhi to the
Timurid monuments of 9th/15th century Iran and Central Asia, and even to Il-khanid Solṭānīya.
It perfected an architectural tradition distinct from those of Akbar’s reign or the earlier Indo-
Muslim dynasties of the Delhi sultanate.

In the first half of his reign, Shah Jahān lavished enormous sums of money on the beautification
of Agra, which he renamed Akbarābād in honor of his grandfather, although the name never took
root. Within the fort itself he ordered the building of the exquisite series of open courts and
rooms between the new Dīvān-e ʿĀmm (hall of public audience) and the river frontage: the
Machchi Bhawan, the Dīvān-e Ḵ āṣṣ (hall of private audience), the Ḥ ammām (or bathhouse), the
Moṯamman Borǰ, the Šīš Maḥ all, the Angūrī Bāḡ , and the Ḵ āṣṣ Maḥ all. He also built three
mosques within the palace complex: the superbly proportioned Motī Masǰed (Pearl Mosque), the
Negīna Masǰed for the imperial women, and the Mīnā Masǰed for the emperor’s private
devotions. Outside the fort and opposite its Delhi Gate stands the Jāmeʿ Masǰed built in
1058/1648 by Shah Jahān’s oldest daughter, Jahān Ārā Bēgam, on the site of an older mosque
erected by Akbar’s dīvān, Moẓaffar Khan Torbatī. Although the history of Agra is so closely
connected with Shah Jahān’s name, he contributed directly to the city’s decline by his decision to
build at Delhi a new capital Shahjahanabad, upon which work began during the 1640s. Agra went
into further decline during the years of Awrangzēb’s residence in the Deccan, and when his
successors came north again, Delhi was to be their invariable place of residence. Following the
Mughal period, Agra never regained its former stature. 

REFERENCE: https://iranicaonline.org/articles/agra-city

Agra History

Agra is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna

in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Agra is one of the most popular city in the state of
Uttar Pradesh, and in India. It is as loved by Indians as it is by foreigners who throng here in
large numbers to admire its beauty. Along with Delhi and Jaipur, Agra forms the Golden Triangle
of tourism in India. Situated in Uttar Pradesh, Agra is synonymous with the Taj Mahal however
there is lot more to the city than this world-famous monument.
Agra is a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most
notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. Agra is included on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit, along with Delhi and
Jaipur; and the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc, tourist circuit of UP state, along Lucknow the capital
of the state and Varanasi. Agra falls within the Braj cultural region.
The city was first mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, where it was called Agrevaa (derived from
Sanskrit meaning - the border of the forest). Legend ascribes the founding of the city to Agre Jat
clan, Agra is named after Agre or Agr Jat.
However, the 11th century Persian poet Masud Sad Salman writes of a desperate assault on the
fortress of Agra, then held by the Shahi King Jayapala, by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. It was
mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a Ghaznavide force captured it. Sultan Sikandar
Lodi (1488-1517) was the first to move his capital from Delhi to Agra in 1506. He governed the
country from here and Agra assumed the importance of the second capital. He died in 1517 and
his son, Ibrahim Lodi, remained in power there for nine more years and several palaces, wells
and a mosque were built by him in the fort during his period. Finally being defeated at the Battle
of Panipat in 1526. Between 1540 and 1556, Afghans, beginning with Sher Shah Suri ruled the
area. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1556 to 1658.

History

Agra was the capital of the Mughal Empires.

Under the Mughal reign Agra was called Akbarabad and was ruled by greats like Akbar,
Jehangir, Shah Jahan, etc. Their love for architecture, gardens and art and culture added a new
dimension to Agra’s personality. From Persian gardens on the banks of the Yamuna to
monuments and mausoleums, Agra’s golden age started during their rule. It was after the decline
of the Mughal Empire and during the reign of the Marathas that Akbarabad became Agra. By
1803, it came under the British Raj that remained strong for most part until India gained
independence in 1947.
Although Agra’s history is mainly associated with Mughal Empire, the place was established
much before it and has linkages since Mahabharat period so Mahirshi Angira in 1000 BC.[citation
needed] It is generally accepted that Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the Muslim ruler of the Delhi
Sultanate, founded Agra in the year 1504. After the Sultan's death, the city passed on to his son,
Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. He ruled his Sultanate from Agra until he fell fighting to Mughal padshah
(emperor) Babar in the First battle of Panipat fought in 1526.
Since Akbarabad was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it witnessed a
lot of building activity. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, laid out the first formal Persian
garden on the banks of river Yamuna. The garden is called the Aram Bagh or the Garden of
Relaxation. His grandson Akbar the Great raised the towering ramparts of the Great Red Fort,
besides making Agra a centre for learning, arts, commerce and religion. Akbar also built a new
city on the outskirts of Akbarabad called Fatehpur Sikri. This city was built in the form of a
Mughal military camp in stone.
His son Jahangir had a love of gardens and flora and fauna and laid many gardens inside the
Red Fort or Lal Qil'a. Shah Jahan, known for his keen interest in architecture, gave Akbarabad its
most prized monument, the Taj Mahal. Built in loving memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the
mausoleum was completed in 1653. Shah Jahan later shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign,
but his son Aurangzeb moved the capital back to Akbarabad, usurping his father and imprisoning
him in the Fort there. Akbarabad remained the capital of India during the rule of Aurangzeb until
he shifted it to Aurangabad in the Deccan in 1653.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the city came under the influence of Marathas and was
called Agra, before falling into the hands of the British Raj in 1803.
In 1835 when the Presidency of Agra was established by the British, the city became the seat of
government, and just two years later it was witness to the Agra famine of 1837-38. During the
Indian rebellion of 1857 British rule across India was threatened, news of the rebellion had
reached Agra on 11 May and on 30 May two companies of native infantry, the 44th and 67th
regiments, rebelled and marched to Delhi. The next morning native Indian troops in Agra were
forced to disarm, on 15 June Gwalior (which lies south of Agra) rebelled. By 3 July, the British
were forced to withdraw into the fort. Two days later a small British force at Sucheta were
defeated and forced to withdraw, this led to a mob sacking the city. However, the rebels moved
onto Delhi which allowed the British to restore order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in
September, the following month rebels who had fled Delhi along with rebels from Central India
marched on Agra but were defeated. After this British rule was again secured over the city until
the independence of India in 1947.
REFERENCE: http://www.tajmahaltourguidefamilygroup.com/agra/agra-history

History of Agra
Though Agra’s history is largely recognised with Mughal Empire, the place was established much
before it and has linkages since Mahabharat period and Mahirshi Angira in 1000 BC. It is
generally accepted that Sultan Sikandar Lodī, the Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate founded Agra in
the year 1504. After the Sultan’s death the city passed on to his son Sultan Ibrāhīm Lodī. He
ruled his Sultanate from Agra until he fell fighting to Bābar in the First battle of Panipat fought in
1526.

In the year 1556, the great Hindu warrior Hemu Vikramaditya, also known as Samrat Hem
Chander Vikramaditya, won the state of Agra as the prime minister cum Chief of Army of Adil
Shah of the Afghan Sūrī Dynasty. The commander of Humāyūn / Akbar’s forces in Agra, Tardi
Beg Khan, was so scared of Hemu that he retreated from the city without a fight. This was
Hemu’s 21st continuous win since 1554, and he later went on to conquer Delhi, having his
coronation at Purānā Qil’a in Delhi on 7 October 1556 and re-established the Hindu Kingdom
and the Vikramaditya Dynasty in North India.

The golden age of the city began with the Mughals. It was known then as Akbarabād and
remained the capital of the Mughal Empire under the Emperors Akbar, Jahāngīr and Shāh
Jahān. Shāh Jahān later shifted his capital to Shāhjahānabād in the year 1649.

Since Akbarabād was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it witnessed a
lot of building activity. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, laid out the first formal Persian
garden on the banks of river Yamuna. The garden is called the Arām Bāgh or the Garden of
Relaxation. His grandson Akbar raised the towering ramparts of the Great Red Fort, besides
making Agra a center for learning, arts, commerce and religion. Akbar also built a new city on the
outskirts of Akbarabād called Fatehpūr Sikrī. This city was built in the form of a Mughal military
camp in stone.

His son Jahāngīr had a love of gardens and flora and fauna and laid many gardens inside the
Red Fort or Lāl Qil’a. Shāh Jahān, known for his keen interest in architecture, gave Akbarabād its
most prized monument, the Tāj Mahal. Built in loving memory of his wife Mumtāz Mahal, the
mausoleum was completed in 1653.

Shāh Jahān later shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign, but his son Aurangzeb moved the
capital back to Akbarabād, usurping his father and imprisoning him in the Fort there. Akbarabād
remained the capital of India during the rule of Aurangzeb until he shifted it to Aurangabad in the
Deccan in 1653. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the city came under the influence of
Marathas and was called Agra, before falling into the hands of the British Raj in 1803.

In 1835 when the Presidency of Agra was established by the British, the city became the seat of
government, and just two years later it was witness to the Agra famine of 1837–38. During the
Indian rebellion of 1857 British rule across India was threatened, news of the rebellion had
reached Agra on 11 May and on 30 May two companies of native infantry, the 44th and 67th
regiments, rebelled and marched to Delhi. The next morning native Indian troops in Agra were
forced to disarm, on 15 June Gwalior (which lies south of Agra) rebelled. By 3 July the British
were forced to withdraw into the fort. Two days later a small British force at Sucheta were
defeated and forced to withdraw, this led to a mob sacking the city. However, the rebels moved
onto Delhi which allowed the British to restore order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in
September, the following month rebels who had fled Delhi along with rebels from Central India
marched on Agra but were defeated. After this British rule was again secured over the city until
the independence of India in 1947.

Agra is the birthplace of the religion known as Dīn-i Ilāhī, which flourished during the reign of
Akbar and also of the Radhaswami Faith, which has around two million followers worldwide. Agra
has historic linkages with Shauripur of Jainism and Runukta of Hinduism, of 1000 BC.

Tāj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

REFERENCE: https://www.adfagra.org/monuments-of-agra/