The homage of an emperor

Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh

About 37 kilometers west-southwest of Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, lies the town of Fatehpur Sikri. Founded in 1569 by the great Mughal emperor Akbar. 1569 was the year Akbar visited the muslim hermit Chishti, who resided in the village of Sikri, to pray for an heir. Sheikh Chishti foretold that Akbar’s wish would be gratified with the birth of a son; the child Salim, was born in Sikri that same year and he later ruled as the emperor Jahāngīr.

The grateful Akbar decided that the site of Sikri was auspicious and made it his capital. He personally directed the building of the Jāma Masjid (the Great Mosque; 1571), which stretches some 540 feet in length and contains an ornate tomb for Sheikh Chishti. At the mosque’s southern entrance is the colossal 54 metre tall gateway - the Buland Darwaza (Victory Gate; 1575) - pictured below. The Buland Darwaza is one of India’s greatest architectural works constructed of red sandstone and ornately carved.

Fatehpur Sikri served as the capital of the Mughal empire from 1571 to 1585, when Akbar abandoned it due to a campaign in the Punjab and it was later completely abandoned in 1610.

The name of the city is derived from the village of Sikri which had been settled by the Sungas following their expansion. An ASI excavation from 1999-2000 indicated that there was a habitation, temples and commercial centres here well before Akbar built his capital. It was briefly controlled by the Sikarwar Rajputs in the 12th century. Sikri as a village was first noticed by Babar and not Akbar, when he defeated Rana Sangha in the 16th century. He apparently gave it a title, Shukri, feeling grateful, as a token of thanksgiving.

The place was much loved by Babur, who called it Shukri ("Thanks"), after its large lake that was used by Mughal armies to quench their thirst. Annette Beveridge in her translation of the Baburnama noted that Babur points "Sikri" to read "Shukri". Per his memoirs, Babur constructed a garden here called the "Garden of Victory" after defeating Rana Sangha at its outskirts. Gulbadan Begum's Humayun-Nama describes that in the garden he built an octagonal pavilion which he used for relaxation and writing. In the center of the nearby lake, he built a large platform. A baoli exists at the base of a rock scarp about a kilometer from the Hiran Minar. This was probably the original site of a well-known epigraph commemorating his victory.

Abul Fazl records Akbar's reasons for the foundation of the city in Akbarnama:

"Inasmuch as his exalted sons (Salim and Murad) had been born at Sikri, and the God-knowing spirit of Shaikh Salim had taken possession thereof, his holy heart desired to give outward splendour to this spot which possessed spiritual grandeur. Now that his standards had arrived at this place, his former design was pressed forward, and an order was issued that the superintendents of affairs should erect lofty buildings for the special use of the Shahinshah."

Set into the south wall of the Jama mosque, the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is 54 metres high, from the ground, gradually making a transition to a human scale inside. The gate was added around five years after the completion of the mosque c. 1576-1577 as a victory arch, to commemorate Akbar's successful Gujarat campaign. It carries two inscriptions in the archway, one of which reads:

"Isa, Son of Mariam said: The world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no houses on it. He who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity. The world endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer, for the rest is unseen".

The central portico comprises three arched entrances, with the largest one, in the centre, is known locally as the Horseshoe Gate, after the custom of nailing horseshoes to its large wooden doors for luck. Outside the giant steps of the Buland Darwaza to the left is a deep well.

Fatehpur Sikri sits on rocky ridge, 3 kms in length and 1 km wide and is surrounded by a 8 kilometre wall on three sides with the fourth bordered by a lake. The city is generally organised around this 40 m high ridge, and falls roughly into the shape of a rhombus. The general layout of the ground structures, especially the "continuous and compact pattern of gardens and services and facilities" that characterised the city leads urban archaeologists to conclude that Fatehpur Sikri was built primarily to afford leisure and luxury to its famous residents. It is accessed through gates along the 8 kilometre long fort wall, namely, the Delhi Gate, the Lal Gate, the Agra Gate, Birbal's Gate, Chandanpal Gate, The Gwalior Gate, the Tehra Gate, the Chor Gate, and the Ajmeri Gate. The palace contains the summer and winter palace for Queen Jodha.

The dynastic architecture of Fatehpur Sikri was modelled on Timurid forms and styles. The city was built on a grand scale and with red sand stone. Gujarati influences are seen in its architectural vocabulary and in the decor of the palaces. The city's architecture reflects both the Hindu and Muslim form of domestic architecture popular in India at the time. The remarkable preservation of these original spaces allows modern archaeologists to reconstruct scenes of Mughal court life, and to better understand the hierarchy of the city's royal and noble residents.

The Jama Mosque, meaning the congregational mosque, was perhaps one of the first buildings to be constructed in the complex, as its epigraph gives AH 979 (A.D. 1571-72) as the date of its completion, with a massive entrance to the courtyard, the Buland Darwaza added some five years later. It was built in the manner of Indian mosques, with iwans around a central courtyard. A distinguishing feature is the row of chhatri over the sanctuary. There are three mihrabs in each of the seven bays, while the large central mihrab is covered by a dome, it is decorated with white marble inlay, in geometric patterns.

The khanqah of Sheikh Salim Chishti existed at this spot earlier and in 1569 Akbar began the construction of a religious compound to commemorate the saint for predicting the birth of Prince Salim who later took the name Jahāngīr. After Jahāngīr’s second birthday, Akbar began the construction of a walled city and imperial palace here. The city came to be known as Fatehpur Sikri, the “City of Victory“, after Akbar’s victorious Gujarat campaign in 1573.

Within the Jama Masjid's sahn, courtyard, is a single-storey structure in white marble encasing the tomb of the Sufi saint, Salim Chisti (1478–1572). The structure is built around a central square chamber, within which is the grave of the saint, under an ornate wooden canopy encrusted with mother-of-pearl mosaic. Unfortunately I was not allowed to photograph the beauty of the inner chamber. Surrounding the chamber is a covered passageway for circumambulation, with carved Jalis, stone pierced screens all around with intricate geometric designs and an entrance to the south. The tomb is influenced by earlier mausolea of the early 15th century Gujarat Sultanate period. Other striking features of the tomb are white marble serpentine brackets, which support sloping eaves around the parapet.

On the left of the tomb, to the east, stands a red sandstone tomb of Islam Khan I, son of Shaikh Badruddin Chisti and grandson of Shaikh Salim Chishti, who became a general in the Mughal army in the reign of Jahāngīr. The tomb is topped by a dome and thirty-six small domed chattris and contains a number of graves, some unnamed, all male descendants of Shaikh Salim Chisti.

Fatehpur Sikri contains other early Mughal structures, exhibiting both Muslim and Hindu architectural influences. They include the palace of Akbar’s wife (Jodha Bai), a private audience hall, and houses notably Birbal’s and Abul Fazl’s. The Mughal capital was moved to Delhi in 1586 because of Fatehpur Sikri’s inadequate water supply. Now maintained as a historic site, Fatehpur Sikri was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. The compound houses the Imperial Palace complex with more than fifteen monuments that include the Diwan-e-Aam or the public audience hall, Daulat Khana, the Diwan-e-Khaas, Anup Talao, Jodha Bhai’s palace, Birbal’s house and a little monument called the Ankh Michauli or the Blind Man’s Buff which was believed to be Akbar’s favourite haunt where he played the game with his harem.

The Buland Darwaza towers above the courtyard of the mosque. Semi octagonal in plan, pillars and chhatris top the structure. It echoes early Mughal design with simple ornamentation, carved verses from the Koran and towering arches. Thirteen smaller domed kiosks on the roof, a stylised battlement and small turrets and inlay work of white and black marble, grace the structure. On the outside, a long flight of steps sweeps down the hill giving the gateway additional height. A Persian inscription on eastern archway of the Buland Darwaza records Akbar's conquest over Deccan in 1601 C.E.

The Badshahi Darwaza or the Royal Entrance was reserved for the emperor to join the congregational prayer. It is situated on the eastern side of the mosque facing Agra and was the main entrance to the mosque. Projecting out in the form of a half hexagonal porch, it has two kiosks and merlons at the top. The gateway is adorned with bands of buff sandstone carved in geometrical designs and it has two arches one on top of the other. The cusped small entrance arch inside is ornamented with lotus buds and leads to a hexagonal vestibule. The roof of this vestibule is in the shape of a segmented-shaped dome crowned by a flat roof. Its upper storey houses a gallery and it has arched recesses on either side and cusped arches on its top.

Jodha Bai’s palace is the largest and most important part of the imperial harem, having all the facilities, provisions and safeguards. The name - Jodha Bai’s palace - however, is a misnomer in itself. It is most widely accepted that the building was for Raniwas or Zenani-Dyodhi. Several Hindu motifs have been used in the building which confirms that the occupant of the building was a Hindu lady.

The palace of Jodha Bai, the Rajput queen of Emperor Akbar, is one of the most charming examples of the amalgamation of the apparently opposing architectural styles of the Rajputs and the Mughals. The palace, which is located on the eastern side of the entirety of the fort, was used, according to modern historians as a residence for the various queens of Akbar as well as the other members of the harem. Corresponding to the style used in Hindu architecture, the main palace has a courtyard around which the palace is built. The living quarters are all built with the courtyard as the center of the complex. Added to the brilliance of the red sandstone are the turquoise bricks, which are used on the roof of the building.

This khwabgah or the house of dreams is situated at the extreme right overlooking an ornamental pool, the Anup Talao. It is said that from the top of this two storey complex one can be a witness to the other monumental structures like the Panch Mahal at the extreme left and the Diwan-e-Aam. This beautifully designed edifice was the most important structure in the imperial compound as it was meant only for Akbar’s use. With separate rooms constructed in the khwabgah complex for private meetings with Akbar with his noblemen, his personal library and a sleeping chamber. The Khilwatkhada-i-khas, Akbar’s sleeping chamber, is located on the first floor of the complex and is about 4.5m square. Surrounded by a pillared porch sheltered with a sloping stone roof this room is remarkable. It features a distinctive ventilating duct near his bed and traces of the linking passage directly to the royal harem and Panch Mahal can still be found. The bed itself, pictured here on the right, is of stone and raised around 8 feet from the ground so any attackers who are able to penetrate the room will not be able to see at first glance if Akbar is in the room and in bed. The passage across the room leads to the Turkic Baths and Sultana’s House

Anup Talao was built by Raja Anup Singh Sikarwar as an ornamental pool with a central platform and four bridges leading up to it. Some of the important buildings of the royal enclave surround it including, the Khwabgah (House of Dreams) Akbar's residence seen here behind the talao, Panch Mahal, a five-storey palace, Diwan-i-Khas (the Hall of Private Audience), Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer's Seat, in the south-west corner of the Pachisi Court (The Pachisi Court: A square marked out as a large board game, the precursor to the modern day game of Ludo where people served as the playing pieces).

According to legend, Akbar once asked his court musician Miyan Tansen to sing Raag Deepak, the raag of Light/Fire, which caused all the lamps in the courtyard to light up and Tansen's body to become so hot that he had to sit in the nearby river to cool himself. However, the river began to boil, and it became apparent that Tansen would soon boil to death. He set out on a search to find someone who could sing Raag Malhar to cure him and balance the Raag Deepak as he sang it. In due course, he reached Vadnagar, in Gujarat, where he found two sisters, Tana and Riri, whom he asked for help. They agreed to sing and when they sang the Raag Malhar, rains came down in torrents, cooling Tansen's body and saving him from death. Seated on the island in the centre of Anup Talao, Tansen used to sing four different ragas during the day, and regale the royal entourage.

Many written accounts describe the use of Raag Megh Malhar. Tansen, Baiju Bawra, Baba Ramdas, Nayak Charju, Miyan Bakhshu, Tantarang, Tantras Khan, Bilas Khan (son of Tansen), Hammer Sen, Surat Sen, and Meera Bai are among the singers who are said to have been capable of starting rains using variations of Raag Megh Malhar.

Here is Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s rendition of the Raag Megh Malhar. I was listening to this while writing this blog and included to have audio to help with the visuals. Imagine being Akbar in the Khwabgah and Tansen’s magical notes permeating through the entire compound. Hit play and keep reading.

The Diwan-i-Khaas or Hall of Private Audience, is a plain square building with four chhatris on the roof. However it is famous for its central pillar, which has a square base and an octagonal shaft, both carved with bands of geometric and floral designs, further its thirty-six serpentine brackets support a circular platform for Akbar, which is connected to each corner of the building on the first floor, by four stone walkways. It is here that Akbar had representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave private audience.

The Diwan-i-Aam or the Hall of Public Audience, is a building typically found in many cities where the ruler meets the general public. In this case, it is a pavilion-like multi-bayed rectangular structure fronting a large open space. South west of the Diwan-i-Aam and next to the Turkic Sultana's House stand the Turkic Baths. The photo is while looking from the Panch Mahal to the Diwan-i-Aam and the courtyard for the general populace is on the other side of this building. Between the Panch Mahal and the Diwan-i-Aam structures the Pachisi Court is laid out.

The Hiran Minar is a grand tower built by Akbar above the remains of his favourite elephant, Hiran. This is the second grave I have come across built for an animal. The first is the Ghode ki Qabr (Grave of a horse) in the old city of Golconda. Hiran Minar served as a point from which mileages were read. If we go through the accounts of Abul Fazl it doubtless served another purpose. He mentions that in camp a lamp was lit on a tall pole, to show travellers the way. Similarly this tower may have been lit up at night. This kind of light on a pole or tower was and is still called Akash Deep or Heavenly Light. The Hiran Minar could have served as the Akash Deep of Fatehpur Sikri during Akbar’s time.

It rises to a height of 80 feet from the ground with a surprising design - octagonal at the base, circular in the middle and tapering at the top with a dome crowned capital. The exterior of the walls are covered with stone imitations of elephant tusks which look like projecting iron spikes from a distance. The interior houses a steep spiral staircase leading to the summit of the tower. It is possible that formerly the tower was connected with the palace by means of a covered passage for the ladies of the imperial harem. From the top of the tower the ladies would watch the aquatic sports in the lake nearby, wild beast fights and the Imperial army manoeuvres on the plains or wrestling bouts.

The view and the scene I saw is reminiscent of what the Mughals would have seen - probably with the massive Mughal army encamped on the plains (exact numbers not known but rumoured) numbering about 250,000 (light and heavy infantry and cavalry), 5000 war elephants and the heaviest ordinance in the world at the time including a broad array of gunpowder weapons larger than personal firearms, from rockets and mobile guns to an enormous cannon, over 14 feet (4.3 m) long once described as the largest single piece of ordinance in the world.

Fatehpur Sikri stands like a proud maiden showing off her beauty even as an air of melancholy surrounds it. The rich sand stone walls echo the tales of poignancy and erstwhile glory. And yet there is something special about the 500 year old town that stands like a faded jewel sparkling in the afternoon sun. The legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the "nine jewels," or navaratnas, originated in Fatehpur Sikri and echo from these walls. This was where Tansen sang the Raag Deepak and Raag Malhar and Birbal polished his wits.

After occupying Agra in 1803, the English established an administrative center here and it remained so until 1850. In 1815, the Marquess of Hastings ordered the repair of the monuments at Sikri.

The story of Fatehpur Sikri defies logic. Here was an emperor who passionately built the city brick by brick. It was believed that he was at the quarry personally working along with the workers. But the city that took 15 years to build was inhabited for just 14 years. When Akbar moved his capital, he left it a ghost town but whatever the reason may be, Fatehpur Sikri remains Akbar’s masterpiece as he seems to have left a piece of himself in these red walls. The ornate architecture of the monuments tell the tales of an emperor who came to a fakir and built a capital to show his reverence for the Sufi saint - the homage of an emperor.

All my photos and more are available for purchase as a photo journal of 48 hours spent in the great Mughal cities of Fatehpur Sikri and Agra highlighting the magnificent architecture and an attempt to tell the back stories.

1. A Large Format Landscape Photo Book, (13×11 in, 33×28 cm) ~ Fatehpur Sikri & Agra: a lifetime in 48 hours

2. An ebook: Fatehpur Sikri & Agra: a lifetime in 48 hours

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