Agra Fort

Introduction

Agra Fort loacated in Agra, Uttar Pradesh is a UNESCO world heritage site, it represents the first major building project of Akbar, with remains of only a few buildings built by him which now survive. Built on the site of an earlier castle in AD 1565-1575, the fort, apart from other important units, contains Jahangiri Mahal, Khass Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and MotiMasjid. Many extant buildings were erected by Shah Jahan (AD 1630-1655).

The present-day structure was built by the Mughals, though a fort had stood there since at least the 11th century. Agra Fort was originally a brick fort known as Badalgarh, held by Raja Badal Singh Hindu Sikarwar Rajput king (c. 1475).After the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Mughals captured the fort and seized a vast treasure, including the diamond later known as the Koh-i-Noor.

The Agra Fort has strong and lofty surrounding walls. Each wall is 70m.high and is separated by a 12 m. deep moat, near Amar Singh Gate with two lookout towers, forming the entrances to the Fort. The supporting arch, of modest dimension compared to the structure, is crowned with a large blind arch flanked by false painted windows. It is decorated with Hat relief and geometrical designs.

The Fort is provided with four gateways. From the foundations to the battlements, the fortress is composed of hewn stone, each polished to a mirror like sheen and with its red hue were so well joined together, that it is said that even “the end of a hair could not find place between them”. The Fort was completed in about eight years time (1565 -73) under the supervision of Qasim Khan Mir Barr-wa-Bahr. The Agra Fort stands on a plain ground, unlike a hill fort, but is structured to be impregnable by the skilful use of architectural stratagems. The lower ramparts , a battlement parapet, has oblong merlons and slope forward to render scaling by besiegers impossible and are alternated by embrasure machicolations. The judicious and harmonious combination of these features gives this fort a substantial aesthetic character. Besides being a strong military structure, it is also a good example of early Mughal architecture. The Agra Fort is a reflection of Akbar’s personality; robust, dynamic and imaginative.

Site Plan

Agra Fort was originally a brick fort , held by the Hindu Sikarwar Rajputs . The 94‐acre (380,000 m2) fort has a semicircular plan, its chord lies parallel to the river and its walls are seventy feet high . Double ramparts have massive circular bastions at intervals , with battlements , embrasures, machicolations and string courses. Four gates were provided on its four sides, one Khizri gate opening on to the river. Two of the fort's gates are notable: the "Delhi Gate" and the "Lahore Gate."

The plan of the Amar Singh Gate is identical to that of the Delhi Gate and also has a drawbridge over the moat. The main entrance viz. the Hathi Pol has an open space at the Delhi Gate, having a magnificent court with overhanging colonnades.

The bastions of the Akbari Darwaza are smaller and less ornate. Their lower portions are divided into oblong and arched panels, covered with multi-colored, glazed tiles in beautiful geometrical designs. The panels of the upper parts are plain. Each bastion is covered by an umbrella like structure [chhatris] made of heavy piers instead of slender pillars, a circular overhang [chajja], and with an inverted lotus, hemispherical cupola.

A tall multi-storied Gate of red sandstone on the eastern side, having a small pointed arched entrance is built over a high plinth with a rectangular small platform supported on stone brackets. The arch is outlined by white marble inlay work in geometrical design. The facade of the Gate is flanked by two arched panels decorated with marble inlay. There are square panels on both sides above which there is a long rectangular panel with six small holes. Over these panels are three loopholes of temple ‘shikhar’ style with a parapet of wide flame-like design.

Amar Singh Gate

At the southeast corner of the Agra Fort, overlooking the river are the remains of the Akbari Mahal. The oldest building of the Fort originally had a portico (deorhi) on the western side whose lower walls still exist. The portico opens into the spacious rectangular courtyard paved with red sandstone slabs.

The courtyard, surrounded by large living rooms and a double storied pavilion is connected with rooms on the eastern side with flat roofs. The interior hall has several windows overlooking the river. The style of architecture of the pavilion and the rooms is of trabeate order; four-centered arches, placed aesthetically are used as decorative arcading. The walls are notable for stone carvings and double brackets.

Akbari Mahal

Plan

Jahangiri Mahal

The Jahangiri Mahal, despite its name, was built by Akbar. The Jahangiri Mahal is the only portion of the Fort walls, apart from the Gates, distinguished by the ornamental treatment accorded to its eastern facade. The architectural setting of the Jahangiri Mahal is defined by clarity, simplicity and integrity of its different components. Exquisite surface ornamentation includes marble inlay and intricate geometrical and floral patterns.

The large facade of the palace is most remarkable for its projecting portico, whose lotus parapet is decorated with beautiful merlons in relief: A rectangular opening with carved panels and projecting balconies supported on circular pillars. Elegant brackets with Bengal slanting roofs on both sides of the deep, pointed, shapely arch are decorated with marble lined niches and six pointed stars.

The monotony of the wide eastern walls is broken by a series of rectangular openings (darichas) overshadowed by parapet walls with merlons and pillared ‘chhatris’ on both corner bastions. Below are a series of marble inlaid outlines of rectangular panels and marble lined niches with lotus buds and marble arches that spring from the elephant trunk. Below the niches are the square and rectangular panels outlined by marble inlay work. The entire structure is constructed in ‘lakhauri’ bricks and veneered by finely dressed and carved red sandstone slabs on a one meter high plinth.

Immediately next to the portico is a gallery, with a series of apartments meant for lodging the royal maidservants. A service window opens in the southern hall (Diwan Khana) with the walls having space in between. It is the first appearance of a service window in Indian domestic architecture. The upper parts of the beautifully carved brackets are decorated with parrots and other birds. The upper storey is composed of a series of fine arches, a central projecting balcony overshadowed by ‘chajjas’.

Service windows indicate that this hall was probably used by the Emperor for entertaining his intimate friends and guests. Refreshments and drinks were served through these windows. There is a square, large open courtyard, around which western and northern halls are arranged with flat, carved ceilings and deep niches in the indigenous style of unparalleled sophistication and beauty. There are rectangular chhatris on the centre of the facades. The first floor of northern hall is supported by carved square pillars, brackets and a flat ceiling supported by struts in the form of serpents.

The veranda, leading to the second large courtyard, has a stone flooring and supported by a low flat ceiling. The eastern opening is supported by two beautiful, tall, carved pillars. In the centre of the courtyard is an elegant octagonal cistern with a fountain whose inner borders are decorated with lotus buds.

The eastern wall is screened by a series of decorative, arched windows. There are more than a dozen rooms arranged in this double storey arrangement with wide arched openings decorated with marble outlines. The parapets on the first floor are crowned with merlons.

DIWAN-I-AAM (Hall of Public Audience)

Throughout the reign of Akbar, Public [Diwan-i-Aam] and Private [Diwan-i-Khaas] audiences were held in temporary wooden structures added with tents in the Agra Fort. An arrangement that continued during the reign of Jahangir also.

These halls were first built in wood (Iwan_i_Chobin),later replaced by larger structures, painted with marble plaster.

Shah Jahan's historians and poets described the Audience Hall as ‘Iwan_i_DaulatKhana-wa-Khass-o-Am’ or Hall of Private Audiences and ‘Iwan-i-Chehil Sutun’ of Forty-pillared Hall, which was the Diwan_i_Aam.

The Diwan-i-Aam, built in red sandstone on a raised platform (1.25m) in a rectangular plan measuring 61.77 m by 20.12m. The total large pillars are 48.Excluding the corner ones , there are 40 long pillars over which the engrailed arches support the flat stone roof. The Hall is open on three sides with multi foiled arches, except the eastern side; within which is the structure of the jharokha, the celebrated throne [Takht-i-Murassa] which was the seat of the Emperor for giving public audiences

DIWAN-I-KHAS (Hall of Private Audience)

This elegant structure was constructed by Shah Jahan in 1636 as is evident by the Persian inscription. It consists of two large halls, an outer columned hall and inner closed hall, both connected by three multifold archways. The outer one measures 29.26 by 10.1m and the inner one is 12.20 by 7.97 m. The outer hall, covered by a flat roof is supported on multifold arches, springing from exquisitely fine marble pillars. The facade is remarkable for its double pillared arrangement with sophisticated floral bases and capitals, richly decorated with inlay of semi precious stones. The walls and pillars of the hall are finely embellished with 'petraduera' and 'dado' panels with relief carvings of floral motifs.A Persian inscription in Nasta'liq script, inlaid in black marble, on the southern wall of the Diwan-i-Khas eulogizes Emperor Shah Jahan for his glorious and just reign. It also records that Emperor Shah Jahan had suspended a ‘golden chain of justice’ for listening to the grievances of the people for justice. Any person wishing his grievances to be heard could pull on the chain attached to the bell and sound it to gain the emperors attention.The Inner Hall, [Tambi Khana], has ‘Shah-Nashin’ alcoves with a raised seat for the Emperor. The walls between the two halls have beautiful, intricately carved screens [jaalis] gracefully designed and finished with floral patterns.

A large rectangular court measuring 67.6m by 52m in front of the Khas Mahal is the garden laid out in the Char Baghpattern with small hexagonal grids of red sandstone. This garden had dwarf plants of sweet fragrance and is widely assumed and accepted that grapes (angur) were also grown in this garden giving it the present name.The north, south and west side of the garden is surrounded by a double storied red sandstone building finely plastered in white lime, having a series of living, self-contained chambers ,having cusped, arched openings, apparently used by the inmates of the harem.

Anguri Bagh

The outer verandah is supported on faceted, embellished pillars whose openings provide a panoramic view of the Taj Mahal and its surroundings. The outer structure is also richly embellished, particularly the graceful pillars. Capital beams and friezes have delicate panels of scrolls with leaves, flowers and buds. It is rightly considered to be the gem of Indo-Islamic architecture in India. The dome of the Musamman Burj is gilded in gold on copper sheets. Emperor Shah Jahan expired in this octagonal chamber in 1666.

Musamman Burj

The illustrious building of the ‘ Sheesh Mahal’ (Palace of Mirror) is so named because of the fine, profuse embellishment of mirrors on the arches, walls and, the ceilings with irregular geometric and floral patterns in thick stucco relief work ,which create a picturesque scene when candles were lighted. It was constructed in 1637 and served as the luxurious bath of the Khas Mahal.The bath comprises of two chambers, each about 12m by 7m. The inner chamber has a marble tank with a fountain and the second chamber has a similar tank in the eastern wall. Originally the stucco reliefs were painted artistically with mirror and gold. The floor of the chambers is of white marble.The glass mosaic consists of stucco relief work in the form of floral bouquets with natural leaves and flowers emitting magnificently out of the typically Indian ‘kalasa’ [rounded vessel with a narrow base] with or without glass work, producing a gorgeously superb effect. It’s been done with a lakhauri bricks skeleton, covered with a layer of fine lime plaster in mixture with gypsum, which rendering it with extra-ordinary strength and shine.

Sheesh Mahal

The structure is externally made of red sand stone while the entire interior is finished in white marble. It is one of the first Shah Jahani mosques at Agra in marble after the one built in the Dargah of Hazrat Khawaja Moin -ud-Din Chisti at Ajmer. It is a single quadrangle with a central courtyard measuring 49m by 47m. The mosque (prayer hall) measures 71m by 58m. There is a large tank (hauz) in the centre of the courtyard, measuring 3.5 sqm

The arcaded cloisters (riwaq) on the northern, southern and eastern sides measure 11 feet in width with a beautiful gateway in the middle of each one of them. These cloisters are built in marble with typical Shah Jahani pillars and engrailed arches, shaded by projecting eaves. Both the northern and southern gateways consist of ornamental ‘iwans’ and are crowned by three square umbrellas [chhatris]. The double-storeyed main, eastern gate [Imperial Gate] is larger and more monumentally composed than the gates in the north and southern side. There are octagonal towers attached to the corners, which are surmounted by corresponding ‘chhatris’. The prayer hall on the western side of the court is three bay deep with seven arched openings of cusped arches. The facade is protected by wide eaves.Thesuperstructure of the mosque is remarkable for its magnificent three bulbous domes of Shah Jahani style with seven square kiosks (chhatris) crowning the facade of the building which add much to the height and skyline of the mosque.

Moti Masjid