Agra Fort

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Agra Fort is a very charming fort in the city of Agra. It is about 3 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638.

Thereafter the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Akbar made it his capital and arrived in Agra in 1558. It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone from Barauli area Dhaulpur district, in Rajasthan. Architects The Agra fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Agra Fort History

Agra fort is most important fort in India. The great Mughals Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb lived here and country was governed here. Agra fort stands on an ancient site just by the river Yamuna. It was a brick fort and Chauhan Rajput held it. It is mentioned first time in 1080 AD when a Ghazanvi forced captured it.

Sikandar Lodi was first sultan (1487-1517) of Delhi who shifted from Delhi to Agra and lived in the fort. He governed the country from here and Agra assume prominence of second capital. He died in the fort in 1517 and his son held it for 9 years until he was defeated and killed in third battle of panipat in 1526. Several places wells and mosque built in the fort during Lodi period.

After battle of panipat, Mughal captured Agra fort and vast treasury which included the diamond later named as Kohinoor was seized. Babur stayed in the fort in the palace of Ibrahim.

He later built a baoli step well in it. His successor, Humayun, was crowned in the fort in 1530. He was defeated at Bilgram in 1540 by Sher Shah Suri. The fort remained with the Suris till 1555, when Humayun recaptured Agra in 1556.

Realising the importance of its central situation,. AKBAR 1556-1605 decided to make Agra his capital he arrived in 1558 here in this fort His historian, Abul Fazl, recorded that this was a brick fort known as ‘Badalgarh’. It was in ruined condition and Akbar ordered it to be rebuilt with Red sandstone. It was massively built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on external surfaces. Some 4,000 builders worked on it daily for eight years, completing it in 1573.

Akbar dead and Jahangir was coroneted in the fort in 1605. Later mostly resided in Lahore and Kashmir.

Though he visited agar regularly in lived in the fort. Agra continued the capital of Mughal empire.

Shah Jahan was also crowned in the fort in 1628. He was great builder and its white marble palaces belong to him. He builet three white marble mosque inside it mot masjid, Nagina masjid and mina masjid.

After the betel of Samogarh Aurangzeb besieged the fort and stopped its water supply from the river

Shah Jahan could not drink the well water and surrendered. Aurangzeb imprisoned him, his own father in the fort where he lived in as a prisoner for 8 years. He died in 1666 and buried in Taj Mahal the barbicans around the two gate and on the river side where built by Aurangzeb to strengthen its defence.

Though shah Jahan has transferred his capital to Delhi formally in 1638 he continued to live here. But after his death Agra lost his grandeur. Aurangzeb remain busy in Deccan conflicts. Yet time and again he lived here and held the darbar.

Shiva ji came to Agra in 1666 and met Aurangzeb in Diwane khas. He was betrayed and imprisoned.

Though the willy Maratha ultimately escaped. Aurangzeb death in 1707 through the affaire of Mughal Empire to chaos. The 18^th century history of Agra fort is a saga of sieges of plunder. It was held yet Jat and Marathas. The British captured it from Marathas they garrisoned it and converted it in to an arsenal.

Entry fee for Agra Fort
Tourist Type	Ticket price (Inclusive of ASI & ADA fees )
Foreign Tourist	Rs. 650/-	Friday – Rs. 60/-
Domestic/Indian Tourist	Rs. 50/-	Friday – Rs. 40/-