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Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal
board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The
historical city was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in
1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, when it
was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear. Akbar had inherited the
Mughal Empire from his father Humayun and grandfather Babur. During the
1560s he rebuilt the Agra Fort and established it as his capital. With
his Hindu wife Mariam-uz-Zamani he had a son and then twins, but the
twins died. He then consulted the Sufi Saint Salim Chishti from the
Chishti Order who lived as a recluse in the small town Sikri near Agra.
Salim predicted that Akbar would have another son, and indeed one was
born in 1569 in Sikri. He was named Salim to honor the saint and would
later rule the empire as Emperor Jahangir. The following year, Akbar,
then 28 years old, determined to build a palace and royal city in
Sikri, to honor his pir Salim Chishti. The tomb of Salim Chishti,
"Salim Chisti Ka Mazar" was built there within the grounds of the Jama
mosque.The name, Fateh is of Arabic origin and means "victory", also in Urdu and Persian; Mughal Emperor Babur defeated Rana Sanga in a battle at a place called Khanwa (about 40 KM from Agra). Fatehpur Sikri shared its imperial duties as a capital city with Agra, where a bulk of the arsenal, treasure hoards, and other reserves were kept at its Red Fort for security. During a crisis, the court, harem, and treasury could be removed to Agra, only 26 miles away, less than a day's march. The Tomb of Salim Chisti in Fatehpur Sikri. It is at Fatehpur Sikri that the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine jewels or Navaratnas, were born. The legendary musician Tansen is said to have performed on an island in the middle of the pool Anup Talao. Fatehpur Sikri was abandoned in 1585 and the capital moved to Lahore. The reasons for this remain obscure; it is possible that water sources dried up or that Akbar needed to be closer to invading Persian and Afghan armies. Fatehpur Sikri is regarded as Emperor Akbar's crowning architectural legacy. Indeed, its numerous palaces, halls, and masjids satisfy his creative and aesthetic impulses, typical of Mughals. Source
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