Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Kanyakubja Brahmins


Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Kanyakubja Brahmins

⭐ Core Definition: Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri (Hindi: [ˈfətɛɦpʊɾ ˈsiːkɾiː]) is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated 35.7 kilometres (22.2 mi) from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving this role from 1571 to 1585, when Akbar abandoned it due to a campaign in Punjab and was later completely abandoned in 1610.

The name of the city is derived from the village called Sikri which previously occupied the location. An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation from 1999 to 2000 indicated that there was housing, temples and commercial centres here before Akbar built his capital. The region was settled by Sungas following their expansion. It was controlled by Kanyakubja Brahmins of Sankrit Gotra. They controlled it from the 7th to 16th century CE until the Battle of Khanwa (1527).

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Overhang (architecture)

In architecture, an overhang is a protruding structure that may provide protection for lower levels. Overhangs on two sides of Pennsylvania Dutch barns protect doors, windows, and other lower-level structures. Overhangs on all four sides of barns and larger, older farmhouses are common in Swiss architecture. An overhanging eave is the edge of a roof, protruding outwards from the side of the building, generally to provide weather protection.

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Chhatri

Chhatri are semi-open, elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. They are most commonly of square, octagonal, and round shapes.

Originating as a canopy above tombs, they largely serve as decorative elements as opposed to functional elements. The earliest examples of chhatri being used in the Indian subcontinent were found in the Shrine of Ibrahim in Bhadreswar, constructed between 1159 and 1175 AD.

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Muhammad Shah

Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the thirteenth Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the Sayyid Brothers of Barha, he ascended the throne at the young age of 18, under their strict supervision.

He later got rid of them with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah ISyed Hussain Ali Khan was murdered at Fatehpur Sikri in 1720 and Sayyid Hassan Ali Khan Barha was captured in battle in 1720 and fatally poisoned in 1722. Muhammad Shah was a great patron of the arts, including musical, cultural and administrative developments, he is thus often referred to as Muhammad Shah Rangila (lit.'Muhammad Shah "the colourful"'). His pen-name was "Sadrang" and he is also sometimes referred to as "Bahadur Shah Rangila" after his grand father Bahadur Shah I.

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Mughal architecture

Mughal architecture is the style of architecture developed in the Mughal Empire in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed from the architectural styles of earlier Indo-Islamic architecture and from Iranian and Central Asian architectural traditions, particularly the Timurid architecture. It also further incorporated and syncretized influences from wider Indian architecture, especially during the reign of Akbar (r. 1556–1605). Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways, and delicate ornamentation. Examples of the style are found mainly in modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

The Mughal dynasty was established after the victory of Babur at Panipat in 1526. During his five-year reign, Babur took considerable interest in erecting buildings, though few have survived. His grandson Akbar commissioned extensive construction projects, and Mughal architectural style developed significantly during his reign. Among his accomplishments were Agra Fort, the fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri, and the Buland Darwaza. Akbar's son Jahangir commissioned the Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir.

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Indo-Islamic architecture

Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid dynasty in 1193. Succeeding the Ghurids was the Delhi Sultanate, a series of Central Asian dynasties that consolidated much of North, East, and Central India, and later by the Mughal Empire during the early 16th century. Both of these dynasties introduced Islamic architecture and art styles from West Asia into the Indian subcontinent.

The types and forms of large buildings required by Muslim elites, with mosques and tombs much the most common, were very different from those previously built in India. The exteriors of both were very often topped by large domes, and made extensive use of arches. Both of these features were hardly used in Hindu temple architecture and other indigenous Indian styles. Both types of building essentially consist of a single large space under a high dome, and completely avoid the figurative sculpture so important to Hindu temple architecture.

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri

The Jama Mosque, also known as the Jama Masjid, is a 16th-century Sufi Friday mosque and dargah complex, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Fatehpur Sikri, located in the Agra district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Akbar, and was the largest mosque in the empire at the time of construction. The Jama Masjid's design drew from earlier mosques built by various pre-Mughal sultanates, and served as an important precedent in subsequent Mughal architecture.

The mosque, as part of Fatehpur Sikri, is Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India. Notable other monuments in the mosque complex include the Buland Darwaza, which acts as the mosque's southern gate, and the Tomb of Salim Chishti, a saint in whose honour the mosque was constructed.

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Fatehpur Sikri in the context of Tomb of Salim Chishti

The Tomb of Salim Chishti is a mausoleum locating within the quadrangle of the Jama Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India. It enshrines the burial place of the Sufi saint Salim Chisti (1478 – 1572), a descendant of Baba Farid, and who lived in a cavern on the ridge at Sikri. Considered one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, the mausoleum was built during the years 1580 and 1581 by Akbar, along with the imperial complex at Fatehpur Sikri near Zenana Rauza. It was constructed as a mark of his respect for Salim Chisti, who foretold the birth of Akbar's son (named Prince Salim after Salim Chisti), who succeeded Akbar to the throne of the Mughal Empire. Along with the Jama Masjid and the old city of Fatehpur Sikri, the tomb was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.

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