Fatehpur Sikri - Mughal Empire's - UPSC with Nikhil

1. www.upscwithnikhil.com TOPIC OF THE DAY - FATEHPUR SIKRI UPSC WITH NIKHIL ARELIABLEPLATFORMFOR CIVILSERVICESEXAM PREPARATION

2. FATEHPUR SIKRI Fatehpur Sikri, located near Agra, is a fortified city that served as the Mughal Empire's capital in the late 16th century. However, the city was only used for 14 years before being abandoned completely around the turn of the century. This historic city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Agra's most popular tourist destinations. HISTORY Fatehpur Sikri, founded in 1571 by Mughal Emperor Akbar, is considered his crowning architectural achievement. Part of the city's name comes from a village called Sikri, which once stood on the exact spot where it was built. According to legend, Akbar visited this village and sought advice from a Sufi saint named Shaikh Salim Chishti. The saint predicted his heir's birth, and when the prophecy came true, Akbar began building his capital in the village. Fatehpur Sikri served as the Mughal Empire's capital from 1571 to 1585. When Akbar returned from his Gujarat victorious in 1573, the city was renamed Fatehpur Sikri, or the City of Victory, to commemorate the victory. He abandoned the city when he moved to Punjab in 1585 to fight in his next military campaign. The city is thought to have been abandoned for two main reasons: a lack of water and unrest in the country's north-western region. Later, Akbar moved his empire's capital to Lahore, then to Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri was completely abandoned by 1610. campaign When the colonial rulers took control of Agra in 1803, they established an administrative centre here that lasted until 1850. The Marquess of Hastings ordered the monuments at Fatehpur Sikri to be repaired in 1815. The Rang Mahal, a small palace built by Akbar in 1569, was the first structure he built on this specific site. According to legend, Akbar moved his pregnant wife to Sikri after the town's resident saint, Salim ad-Din Chisti, predicted (correctly) that the childless emperor would have three sons. Aside from this legend, there are differing schools of thought as to whether Akbar's 1572 move to Sikri was merely a residence for the emperor or if Akbar intended to establish a new capital for the Mughal empire. When UPSC WITH NIKHIL - NAGPUR

3. Akbar returned victorious from his Gujarat campaign in I573, he added the prefix "Fathabad," which became Fathpur by common usage (both mean "City of Victory"). The history of Fatehpur Sikri, which was linked to Akbar's ancestor Babur, as well as its strategic location, justified Akbar's interest. The city is on the main route between Agra, the Mughal capital, and Ajmer, the heavily visited annual pilgrimage site of Muin-ud-Din Chisti's tomb. It is located on the easternmost tip of Rajasthan. Furthermore, the move to Fatehpur Sikri may have been seen as a way for Akbar to better control his nobles, who included Rajputs, Turks, Afghans, and Persians, by uprooting them from their lands and keeping them away from an economic centre like Agra. Given the city's thin walls, Fatehpur Sikri was most likely built as an administrative centre rather than an impregnable fortress (like Agra). CONSTRUCTION The palatial complex's construction began in 1572 and progressed quickly. Although the Emperor is depicted inspecting the construction in miniatures, there is no written evidence regarding the architects who worked for Akbar or to what extent the Emperor was involved in the process. The complex was built in two phases: from 1572 to 1575, when the main buildings were raised and finished, and from 1575 to 1585, when passages and corridors were added to the existing buildings to meet the Emperor's and his family's needs. For fourteen years, the complex served as the Emperor's main residential quarters before being abandoned. Following the empire's political and geographical shift towards Afghanistan in 1585, Akbar and his court relocated to Lahore. The Fatehpur Sikri complex is built on a long, narrow red sandstone ridge that runs from southwest to northeast. The buildings, on the other hand, are rotated 45 degrees from this orientation and are perfectly aligned north-south. This ridge may have already housed a number of structures before Akbar's time. Many of the older structures were preserved, despite the fact that Akbar's buildings were oriented differently than the pre-existing structures. The new mosque was built with the west (qibla) in mind, and the rest of the palace complex followed suit. It's also possible that Akbar's complex was designed using Vastu principles, an ancient Indian architectural system. However, there is no written evidence to back up the Vastu theory. The entire complex is divided into three plateaus with receding levels in relation to the ridge's topography. The Great Mosque (Jami Masjid, with the tomb of Shaykh Salim Chisti incorporated into its courtyard), which dominates the entire architectural composition by its size, and a small palatial complex known as the Nayabad quarter, are both located on the uppermost level of the ridge (including the Rang Mahal). While the palace was being built, it's possible that Akbar and his family lived in the Nayabad quarter. The palace complex, which spans approximately 250 square metres, is built on the two lower platforms. The complex's buildings can be divided into two distinct zones. The northern palace UPSC WITH NIKHIL - NAGPUR

4. (Birbal's Palace), the Shaqh-i Isbal (Jodh Bai's Palace), the Sonahra Makan (Miriam's Palace), the guest house (hospitalia), and the stables are all located on the middle plateau (Shahi Bazar and Mina Bazar). The public and semi-public areas of the palace complex are located on the lowest plateau, and include the public audience hall (Diwan-i 'Am), the (attributed) private audience hall (Diwan-i Khass), the Ank Michauli and Astrologer's Seat, the Panj Mahal, the imperial apartments (Khwabgah), the royal quarters (Daulat Khana), the library (Kutubkhana), the state archives (D (Abdar Khana). The Khwabgah faces north, while the majority of the public and semi-public buildings face east. Other structures, such as the imperial caravanserai, the Hiran Minar tower, the hammam, and the so- called Treasury and Mint, are carved into the ridge's natural gradient, ignoring the palace complex's orientation. The Elephant Gate (Hathi Pol), as well as the caravanaserai, Hiran Minar, and the northern waterworks associated with the gate, are located to the north and west of the zenana area. The palace complex is organised on various levels without a single axis dominating the complex; rather, the complex is a series of linked spaces, with access to the private spaces reserved for the emperor and his court becoming increasingly restricted via gateways as one approaches the private spaces reserved for the emperor and his court. The majority of the aforementioned structures have been given a function and a name, but only a few have been identified and named definitively. The majority of the names given to the Fatehpur Sikri structures are romantic rather than descriptive of their function during Akbar's reign. Only forty of the sixty structures described by Akbar's chroniclers are still standing, and only thirteen of these have been authoritatively described. ARCHITECTURE Fatehpur Sikri is a fortified city surrounded on three sides by 6-kilometer-long defensive walls with multiple entryways, and on the fourth side by an artificial lake. The Indo-Islamic architectural style is used to build the city, which is made of red sandstone. The city is adorned with a number of palaces, mosques, monuments, public buildings, and other structures, all of which are architecturally stunning. Akbar also built three palaces for each of his three favourite wives within this fortified city. The city is also divided into eight gates, including the Delhi Gate, the Agra Gate, the Lal Gate, the Gwalior Gate, and the Ajmeri Gate, among others. The Jama Masjid, one of India's largest mosques that is still in use today, is one of the city's most well- known structures. Tourists come from all over the country and beyond to see structures like the Buland Darwaza, the Tomb of Salim Chisti, and the Panch Mahal because of their intricate architecture. The following are some of the city's most important religious and secular structures: Buland Darwaza: Located on the south wall of Fatehpur Sikri's congregational mosque, the Buland Darwaza is 55 metres (180 feet) high from the ground, gradually descending to a human scale on the inside. The gate was added as a victory arch five years after the mosque was completed, c. 1576-1577, to commemorate Akbar's successful Gujarat campaign. In the archway, there are two inscriptions, one of which reads: "Isa, Mariam's son, said, "The world is a bridge; cross it, but don't build houses on it." UPSC WITH NIKHIL - NAGPUR

5. He who wishes for an hour might as well wish for eternity. The world only lasts an hour. Spend it in prayer, because the rest is hidden from view ".. The central portico has three arched entrances, the largest of which is known as the Horseshoe Gate because horseshoes were traditionally nailed to its large wooden doors for good luck. A deep well can be found to the left of the Buland Darwaza's giant steps. Jama Masjid: It is a Jama Mosque, which means congregational mosque, and was possibly one of the first buildings to be built in the complex, as its epigraph completion to AH 979 (A.D. 1571–72), with a massive entrance to the courtyard and the Buland Darwaza added five years later. It was designed to look like an Indian mosque, with iwans circling a central courtyard. The row of chhatri above the sanctuary is a distinctive feature. Each of the seven bays has three mihrabs, with the large central mihrab being covered by a dome and inlaid with white marble in geometric patterns. dates its Tomb of Salim Chishti: Within the Jama Masjid's sahn is a white marble encased tomb of the Sufi saint Salim Chisti (1478–1572). (courtyard). Under an ornate wooden canopy encrusted with mother-of- pearl mosaic, the single-story structure is built around a central square chamber, within which is the saint's grave. A covered circumambulation passageway surrounds it, with carved Jalis, stone pierced screens all around with intricate geometric design, and a southern entrance. The tomb is influenced by earlier mausolea from the Gujarat Sultanate period in the early 15th century. White marble serpentine brackets support sloping eaves around the parapet, which are another striking feature of the tomb. A red sandstone tomb of Islam Khan I, son of Shaikh Badruddin Chishti and grandson of Shaikh Salim Chishti, who became a general in the Mughal army during Jahangir's reign, stands to the left of the tomb, to the east. The tomb is topped by a dome and thirty-six small domed chattris, and it contains a number of unnamed graves of Shaikh Salim Chishti's male descendants. Diwan-i-Aam (Hall of Public Audience): The Diwan-i-Aam (Hall of Public Audience) is a building type found in many cities where the ruler meets the general public. In this case, it's a multi-bayed rectangular pavilion in front of a large open space. Turkic Baths are located to the west of the Diwan- i-Am and next to the Turkic Sultana's House. The Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience, is a simple square structure with four chhatris on the roof. It is known, however, for its central pillar, which has a square base and an octagonal shaft, both carved with bands of geometric and floral designs, as well as its thirty-six serpentine brackets, which UPSC WITH NIKHIL - NAGPUR

6. support a circular platform for Akbar, which is connected to each corner of the building on the first floor by four stone walkways. Here, Akbar had representatives from various religions debate their beliefs and give private audiences. Ibadat Khana (House of Worship) was a meeting house built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1575 CE, where Akbar laid the foundations of a new Syncretistic faith, Din-e-Ilahi. Anup Talao: Raja Anup Singh Sikarwar constructed Anup Talao. A decorative pool with four bridges leading up to it and a central platform. The Astrologer's Seat, in the south-west corner of the Pachisi Court, is surrounded by the Khwabgah (House of Dreams), Akbar's residence, Panch Mahal, a five- story palace, Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Ankh Michauli, and the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience). Hujra-i-Anup Talao: Said to be the home of Akbar's Muslim wife, though this is debatable due to the small size of the building. Mariam-uz-Zamani's Palace: Zamani's The palaces of Akbar's Rajput wives, including Mariam-uz- Zamani, are built around a courtyard with special care taken to ensure privacy. INTERESTING Facts about Fatehpur Sikri • Fatehpur Sikri was the Mughals' first planned city in India. Fatehpur Sikri was much larger and more populous than London at the time, according to Ralph Fitch, a 16th-century English traveller. Fatehpur Sikri's structure and layout influenced the design and construction of Shahjahanabad, or Old Delhi. • In 1619, when the region was ravaged by bubonic plague, Jahangir, Akbar's son, stayed at Fatehpur Sikri for three months. • After abandoning the city, Akbar only came back once before dying. UPSC WITH NIKHIL - NAGPUR