Red Fort at Agra

9/21/09

The Red Fort at Agra was a huge fort in Agra, India that Emperor Akbar of the Mughal Empire built. Akbar started construction in 1565 and chose Akbar, which bordered the River Yamuna, as the Mughal Empire's capital. The Red Fort is basically its own city, it is made up of enormous red sandstones and monuments and has huge walls surrounding it. The fort is one of the largest Mughal fortified residences, and is 2.5 km northwest of the Taj Mahal. The Red Fort India's most important fort because the Mughal Emperors governed from the Red Fort, and emperors like Babur, Akbar and Aurengzeb inhabited the Red Fort. 

Economic:

Like Dr. Freddo Avis said in his blog post, Akbar's renovated Red Fort was a symbol of the  economic power and prosperity that the Mughal Empire enjoyed. Akbar presided over the Mughal Empire in its heyday. But the economic success the Mughals must have been enjoying was probably dampened a bit by the construction of this fort. A fort this big and of this importance, it being similar to the Taj Mahal, must have taken a lot out of the empire's pocket. Nevertheless, the construction of this building signified that the Mughals had a lot of cash to throw around at the time. 

Political:

The Red Fort played a huge role in politics in the Mughal Empire because it was where the emperor lived and the political decisions went down. This was the center of manufactured Mughal money and the overseeing of money because the biggest treasury and mint were in the Red Fort. The Red Fort also housed the most important foreign dignitaries and the people who helped mold the history of India. 

Debate:

I definitely agree that the Red Fort was an important figure in the Mughal Empire, but over the years the Taj Mahal has emerged as more of an Indian symbol. The Taj Mahal has become more of a national symbol, however it is more of a tourist symbol and a monument that marked the start of the downfall of the Mughal Empire. The Red Fort has receded as the Mughal Empire fell and is not nearly as well known as its more recent sister monument, the Taj Mahal. 

Citations:

http://www.agraindia.org.uk/agra-fort/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_Fort

The Red Fort at Agra

The Red Fort at Agra was a two kilometer long, walled fort that was repaired and reconstructed under two generations of Mughal rulers. Akbar commissioned the reconstruction of the Red Fort and designed it's overall theme to be a blend between Hindu and Islamic faiths to express the Mughal's welcoming of religious diffusion between the two religions. I agree with Erika's theory that the Red Fort's archeticture is a blend of Hindu, and Islamic cultures, and that the Red Fort as a whole is a trbute to the Mughal's effort to bring diversity of culture into the public. To see Erika's writing, click here. Akbar moved to the Red Fort at Agra and made the vast walled city the capital of the Mughal Empire under his reign. When Akbar's reign ended another Mughal Emperor named Shah Jahan finished the building of the fort. The next emperor to make a major change to the fort was Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb used the fort to imprison his predecessor, Shah Jahan. Overall, the Red Fort at Agra's architecture, art, and overall theme clearly symbolized the syncing of Hindu and Islamic faiths under Akbar.

Sources:
http://www.tajmahalagra.com/agra-fort-agra.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agra_Fort

http://www.archive.org/stream/shorthistoryofmu035015mbp/shorthistoryofmu035015mbp_djvu.txt

The Red Fort at Agra

The Agra Red Fort was built in 1565 AD by the Mughal leader Akbar. When it was first built, it was meant to be a military structure, but many of his successors added onto it. An article that I read about monuments in India said that the the buildings and structures that were added have been noted as some of the most beautiful architecture in the Mughal time. The fact that this architecture has been said to be so amazing and beautiful tells us a lot about the Muhgal empire. First, it shows that the Mughals had plenty of money to spare within the government if they were willing to build not only this fort but also its sister monument, the Taj Mahal. I think that this shows that the emperors were more interested in developing their culture and the look if their empire rather then protecting or expanding their empire. Second, the brilliant architecture shows the creativity and great culture within the empire. The buildings themselves are amazingly detailed and clearly show that countless amounts of hours were spent them.