Some facts about Fatehpur Sikri

1. SIKRI FACTS
 Founded in AD1571 by Akbar, the
third Moghal ruler of India
 37 km West of Agra
History
 Akbar chose Sikri, a village between
Agra and Ajmer for his capital city.
 Built in honour of Shaikh Salim-ud-
din Chisti. Chisti had predicted that
Akbar would be blessed with three
sons.
 Fatehpur Sikris architecture was a
synthesis of Timurid, Persian and
Indian architecture.
 Renamed Sikri as Fatehpur Sikri to
commemorate victory over Gujarat.
 Capital of Akbar for 14 years 1571-
85. Abandoned after that.
 The reason for abandoning the city
could be shortage of water or
strategic considerations.
Din-i-Ilahi
 Akbar promulgated a consensual
religion whose defacto authority lay
with the emperor
 Official account of the divine faith is
given in Abul Fazls Ain-i-Akbari
 It had no temple or mosque , no
scriptures or religious books
Chisti and Sufism
 Chistis were a sub-sect of Sufis.
The word Sufi is derived from suf or
wool and referred to the woolen
robes worn by wandering
mendicants.
 Sufism traced its base to knowledge
imparted by prophet Mohammed
called Ilm-i-batin or renunciation and
absolute absorption in God as
opposed to Knowledge of rules
practiced by Mullahs
City Area

2. Naubat khana – where imperial drums were
beaten to announce arrival of emperor
Akbars Tomb
 important Mughal architectural
masterpiece
 built 1605-1613 at Sikandra, Agra
 The third Mughal Emperor Akbar the
Great (1555–1605), himself
commenced its construction in
around 1600, according to Tartary
tradition to commence the
construction of one's tomb during
one's lifetime.
 Akbar himself planned his own tomb
and selected a suitable site for it.
 After his death, Akbar's son
Jahangir completed the construction
in 1605-1613.
 Akbar was one of the greatest
emperors of his time. This was not
known until later on because his
burial chamber laid on a 20 by 5
acre plot of land.
 About 1 km away from the tomb, lies
Mariam's Tomb, the tomb of
Mariam-uz-Zamani, wife of the
Mughal Emperor Akbar and the
mother of Jahangir.
 The south gate is the largest, with
four white marble chhatri-topped
minarets which are similar to those
of the Taj Mahal, and is the normal
point of entry to the tomb. The tomb
itself is surrounded by a walled
enclosure 105 m square. The tomb
building is a four-tiered pyramid,
surmounted by a marble pavilion
containing the false tomb. The true
tomb, as in other mausoleums, is in
the basement.
 The buildings are constructed
mainly from a deep red sandstone,
enriched with features in white
marble.
 Decorated inlaid panels of these
materials and a black slate adorn
the tomb and the main gatehouse.
Panel designs are geometric, floral
and calligraphic, and prefigure the
more complex and subtle designs
later incorporated in Itmad-ud-
Daulah's Tomb.
Diwan-i-Aam

3. 

 or Hall of Public Audience
 Typically where the ruler meets the
general public.
 Colonnaded courtyard with a
projecting emperors pavillion
 Pavillion has five equal openings;
emporer sat in central bay on
cushions and carperts
 A great stone ring used to tether
elephebt for crushing offenders to
death or for exhibition of elephants?
Daulat Khana
 Abode of Fortune
 Comprises Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-
Khana -i-Khass, Anup Talao,
Turkish Sultanas pavilion
Diwan-i-Khas
 Most widely photographed building
 Hall of private audience
 Also called Jewel House and Ibadat
Khana
 Massive richly carved pillar
supporting elaborate capital
 Four diagonal bridges connect the
pillar
 Maybe , the column stands for the
axis of the world and hence
supreme power
 Akbar sat on the central platform
listening to religious arguments
signifying his dominion over the
Four Quarters

4. Ankh Michauli
 Literally blind mans buff
 Little possibility that Akbar played
this game with wimen of his harem.
His days and night passed in
constant hard work.
 Maybe, this is the imperial treasury

 The kiosk is called Astrologers Seat,
which has luxurious brackets.
 Mayb the emperor sits here to watch
the distribution of wages(copper
coins) to officers
Diwan Khana-i-khas


 Two chambered pavilion
 Emperor meets closest advisors
 Lower walls hollow, probably for
storing books
 Platform where emperor sat
adorned with carpets and cushion
 Window on southern wall was used
for jharoka darshan.
 Beautiful chamber on first floor was
emperors private room, known as
Khwabgah or sleeping chamber.
 Suspended charpai used for
courtiers Abul Fazl, birbal and other
Sufi saints to converse with the
emperor
Anup Talao

 Or peerless tank
 29 m square tank
 It has a central island linked by four
bridges to its sides
Turkish Sultana’s pavilion

5.  The carvings on bracket , pillars
ams pilasters are intricate, they
appear to be done by wood carvers
 It is unliley the building was a
zenana residence since it is located
close to mardana section
 It was probably a pavilion for repose

Pachisi
 Large courtyard of red sand stone
between Anup talao and Diwan-i-
khass
 Some of the paving stones are laid
out to resemble the Indian board
game of pachisi
 Legend says emperor played the
game using slave girls as pieces
Daftar khana
 Grouping of double columns
 Enclosure sheltered Akbars
translation bureau.
Imperial harem
 Where women of royal household
lived in protected environs
 Comprises Panch mahal, Jodh bai’s
palace, mariam’s house and Birbal’s
House
 The senior queen was the mistress
of the house and guardian of two
royal seals
 Akbar’s mother hamida banu
Begum was the principal lady of the
court and given the title of maryam
makani meaning of rank equal to
mary
 Akbar was the first Muslim ruler to
permit his wifes to continue
following their faith
Jodh Bais palace
 Residence of a number of emperors
principal wives and not just jodh Bai
 Single entrance
 The balconies allowed view of
outside but concealed the interiors
 Principal entrance , once guarded
by eunuchs is double storied
 Ribbed ceiling on upper floor
 Viaduct for privacy
 Hawa Mahal against the northern
exterior wall
Panch mahal

6. 
 Columnar structure with four storeys
of decreasing size
 176 columns (84+56+21+12+4)
 No two columns are alike (fleur-de-
lis, bell and chain motif, weaves)
 Modeled oon the Persian badger or
wind catcher to mitigate the intense
summer heat
Maryam’s house
 Or Sunahra makan because of the
beautiful murals and gold colored
paintings that once adorned it
 Stone eaves show Rama attended
by hanuman, pair of fat geese
 Akbars mother, mariam Zamani
lived here
 North west is a secluded garden
based on charbagh concept with a
fish pond
 Char bagh concept
Birbals House
 Unlikley Birbal could have occupied
a house in the Zanana
 Probable occupants might be any
senior Queens
 Conjoining of two architectutall
traditions – Hindhu and Islamic
Jami masjid and Chisti monuments
Buland Darwaza

7.  Or lofty gate
 Most arrogant assertion of Akbars
imperial power
 Southern side of Jami Masjid
 40 m high + 12 mof steps
 Style similar to Humayuns Tomb
 The principal Arch stands in the
midst of 3 projecting sides of an
octogen
 3 horizontal panels of buff stone
prevent illusion of top point bearing
down
 It carries two inscriptions in the
archway, one of which reads:
"Isa(Jesus) Son of Mary 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".
Salim Chistis tomb
 An architectura cameo
 Last years of his life, Shisti
abandoned his cell beside
stonecutters mosque for a new
khanqah to the north of jami masjid
 Burial of Sufi dsaint where they lived
their austere life is a tradition in
India
 Sepentine brackets and jalliwork
 Badshahi Darwaza
 Projects from the wall of the mosque
like a half-heagoanl porch
 18.6 m high
 Entrance to the dargah complex
 The actual gateway within is
reduced to human proportions by
device perfected in iran
