Agra 2004

Agra stands on the Yamuna River in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Although the settlement predates the Mughal period, its rise as an important political center is closely associated with Sikandar Lodi, who established his capital there around 1504. After Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Agra became an important center of the Mughal Empire. Known as Akbarabad during much of the Mughal period, the city flourished under Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan.

Agra Fort remains one of the clearest physical records of this imperial history. Emperor Akbar rebuilt the existing fort in red sandstone beginning in 1565, and later Mughal rulers added palaces, audience halls, mosques, and other structures. Its 2.5-kilometer enclosure contained a fortified imperial city rather than a single defensive building.