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Reminder of the past

The majestic fort in Agra continues to educate visitors about love and war

The Fort in Agra is an imposing presence against the skyline. The sandstone and marble monument is testimony to just how powerful the Mughal Empire was in its heyday.

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan constructed the fort from 1638-1648. Its history is filled with ironies; it became the headquarters of Shah Jahan's tyrannical son and successor, Aurangzeb who imprisoned him there. It also became the heart of a battle for the Mughal Empire in 1658. Shah Jahan had fallen ill the previous year and his four sons began vying for the throne.

The preferred son was Dara Shikoh, who waged war on Aurangzeb. As things turned out, Dara lost and had his head chopped off and given to his father as a gift. Before his son's death, Shah Jahan had made his last stand at the fort but the cunning Aurangzeb shut off the water supply. This was a shrewd tactical manoeuvre, considering the impressive array of defences in the fort.

Apart from the walls being made of solid sandstone, a visitor hears of other pitfalls that were installed to keep an invading force at bay. The first wall is 30 feet high and the second, 70 feet high. There is a moat outside the first wall that housed crocodiles and a strip of land between the first and the second wall, which had tigers as inhabitants.

The fort also has the rather wonderful tale of love locked in its towers. The Jasmine Tower, although plundered, is still beautiful. It was the room of Shah Jahan's beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. You cannot walk through it now but the craftsmanship on the walls and a fountain make it something to behold.

Here, Shah Jahan was imprisoned in what may seem a rather deluxe room of house arrest but this perception shrouds the tragedy. The room extends on to a balcony from where the Taj Mahal is seen.

There are also the Grape Gardens that were introduced by Akbar (Shah Jahan's grandfather) and the Hall of Private Audience built of white marble where the Emperor would hold private meetings. The Hall of Public Audience has a brilliant balcony (restored by the former Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon). The Emperor's throne is made from a solid slab of black marble.

Later in its history, the fort served as the headquarters of the British Army. Today, the Indian Army is stationed there and uses most of the complex. Approximately 25 per cent of it is open to the public and 75 per cent of it is allocated to the Army.

MICHAEL KLIMES

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