Agra History

Agra's first mention can be found in the book of Mahabharata where the city had been referred to as Agraban, then an integral part of the Braj Bhumi or the land of Lord Krishna. Agra' s star started rising in the ascendant when Sultan Sikander Lodi established his capital there in 1501. The Lodi Empire flourished till 1526, when the city fell into the hands of Emperor Babar.

Emperor Babar, a great patron of art, took it upon himself to beautify the city and was responsible for laying out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of river Yamuna. The city reached its peak under the Mughal rule and all the subsequent Mughal rulers left their marks on the city by way of stunning architectural wonders. For example- Emperor Akbar raised the towering ramparts of the Agra Fort and Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens inside the fort. And of course, Shah Jahan who by building the Taj Mahal ensured that the city would never be forgotten for centuries to come.

In 1761, the city fell to Jats, before being taken over by Marathas in 1770. Soon Agra too got entangled in the British rule by 1803.

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