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Fatehpur
Fatehpur Sikri is located 26 miles west from the
city of Agra, Akbar (1556-1605), grandson of Babur, shifted his
residence and court from Agra to Sikri, for a period of 13 years,
from 1572 to 1585 to honour the Sufi Saint Sheikh Salim Chishti, who
resided here (in a cavern on the ridge). Akbar revered him very much
as the Saint had blessed him with a son who was named Salim in 1569.
Sikri is situated on an extension of the upper vindhyan ranges, on
the bank of a large natural lake which has now mostly dried up, the
ridge is composed of red sand stone formations. It is a pre historic
site, and with abundant water, forest and raw material, it was ideal
for primitive mans habitations, rock shelters with paintings exists
on the periphery of the lake, stone age tools have been found in
this area, ochre coloured pottery(2nd millennium B.C) and painted
grey ware (c. 1200-800 B.C) have also been discovered. Sikri has
been mentioned in the Mahabharata as ?saik? in connection with
shahdeva?s southern conquest on the eve of the Pandavas Rajasuya
yajna. Lexicons defines ?saik? as a region surrounded by water which
denotes its original topography. Sikri is derived from this root.
The inscription on the sculpture of jaina saraswati dated in 1010
A.D. mentioned the places as ?sekrikya? which is also a similar
derivative , excavation have revealed jaina and brahmanical
sculptures of 10th and 11th century A.D. . all this shows that it
was continuously inhabited since the prehistoric period. It was an
important landmark on the ancient trade route, which connected the
northern and the southern regions and it was a great cultural centre
where temples abounded.
Babur who visited it on the eve on the khanwa battle 1527 A.D
mentioned it as ?sikri?in his memories, he founded here a garden, a
jal mahal(water place) and a baoli(step-well) to commemorate his
victory in the khanwah battle, as its inscription records. His grand
son Akbar(1556-1605)shifted his residence and court from agra to
sikri for a period of 13 years, from 1572 to 1585, the simple reason
ascribed by abul fazl , the court historian of akbar, was that the
sufi saint sheikh salim chisti resided here in a green on the ridge
. the emperor highly regarded him ,and it was by the saint's
blessing that their apparent, named salim after him, was born here
in 1569. There was lofty buildings and the houses for the public
were raised .A large stone bazaar was built, beautiful garden were
made in the city .his majesty gave it the name of fathabad.
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