See also: Agra

Âgrâ (in Hindi: आगरा, in Urdu: آگرا) is a city located in the State of the Uttar Pradesh in India. Among its many monuments, it counts in particular the Taj Mahal, the Fort red and, in the vicinity, Fatehpur Sikri, all three registered voters with the Liste of the world heritage of UNESCO.

History

It is the Agrabana - paradise - Mahâbhârata, the Agara of Ptolémée. An inscription of 1318 located at Delhi names it Âgrotka . The current city is founded in 1501 - 1504 by Sikandâr Lodî, the sultan of Delhi, which in fact its capital. When Bâbur, first emperor moghol, beats the sultan of Delhi, it seizes Âgrâ in 1526 and its grandson Akbar returns to him his statute of capital in 1556.

Middle of the 16th century in the middle of 18th, the city knows its apogee under the successive reigns of Akbar, Jahângîr and Shâh Jahân. It is the latter which makes build Taj Mahal in 1631 before transferring the capital from the empire to Delhi.

After the collapse of the Empire moghol, the Jât S in 1761, the Râjput S of Gwâlior in 1764, the Sindhia marathe S in 1784, then the British , in 1803, seize the city. The fort is pilot bloody battles at the time of the Révolte of Cipayes in 1857.

Geography

Situation

Agra is located at 27°18 northern Latitude, and 78°02 of Longitude is, on banks of the river Yamuna. Its average altitude is of 171  meters. The close localities are Mathura in north, Firozabad in the east, FatehabadFatehabad in south-east, Dhaulpur in the south and Bharatpur in the west.

Demography

Âgrâ is, with a population of 1,259,979 inhabitants, the third city of the Uttar Pradesh, after Vârânasî and Lucknow. The population is male to 53%. 11% of the population has less than 6 years.

Climate

The climate is tropical. The temperatures can go from 45ºC the summer to 4ºC the winter. The rain season extends from June to September. Annual precipitations reach 660 millimetres.

Inheritance

• the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum raised by Shâh Jahân for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal, which is undoubtedly one of the most known buildings in the world.

• the Mausoleum of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ, sometimes called " familiarly; small Taj" : it is the tomb of Mîrzâ Ghiyâs Beg, father-in-law of the Jahângîr emperor. Its construction began in 1622 to be completed in 1628. Its architecture points out that of Taj Mahal. It was besides the first building of this type built out of marble and it is during its construction that the trade associations reflect at the point the technique of incrustation of the invaluable stones in the marble which was later largely used for Taj.

• the Strong red, built by Akbar in 1565 out of red sandstone, dominates the city. Renovated and converted into residential palate of style moghol under the reign of Jahan Shah, it is decorated with marble and of incrustations of Pietra lasted. Inside the fort touvent themselves in particular:
• the Diwan-i-Khas: house of the private audiences builds by Shâh Jahân in 1636, where the emperor received the foreign dignitaries. Famous the Trône of the Peacock was at this place before being transported in Delhi by Aurangzeb, then from there, by Persia Nâdir Shâh in Teheran, where it is always.
• the Diwan-I-Am: house of the public sittings builds by Shâh Jahân in 1628. It is there that the emperor listened to the complaints of the people. The flat roof is supported by three lines of pillars.
• the Mussaman Burj: octagonal tower of two stages built against the wall.
• the Moti Masjid: private mosque of the emperors moghols built between 1646 and 1653 by Shâh Jahân. An inscription in Persan compares it with a perfect pearl. A basin of Ablutions is in the center of the court.
• has 35 km of Agra, is Fatehpur Sikri, the old capital moghole now abandoned.

Economy

Today the rich person architectural heritage of the city attracts million tourists each year.

References