near the Law Courts, is one of the most ancient Christian cemeteries
in India. The ground was granted to the mission by the Emperor
Akbar. There are a number of Portuguese and Armenian tombs dating from
early in the seventeenth century. It also contains the tomb of the
notorious Walter Reinhardt, or Samru, as he was called, the founder
of the principality of Sirdhana, whose history is given at p. 38. The
Dutch General Messing, who held Agra Fort for the Mahrattas in 1794,
has a very florid mausoleum of red sandstone, more curious than
beautiful; the design of which is in imitation of the Taj.
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is the famous deserted city, about twenty-three miles
from Agra, built by Akbar. It was formerly merely a village, called
Sikri, celebrated as the abode of Sheikh Salîm Chishti, a Muhammadan
_pîr_, or saint. In 1564, Akbar, returning from a campaign, halted
near the cave in which the saint lived. The twin children of his
Rajput wife, Mariam Zâmâni, had recently died, and he was anxious
for an heir. He consulted the holy man, who advised him to come and
live at Sikri. The Emperor did so, and nine months afterwards Mariam,
who was taken to Chishti's cell for her confinement, gave birth to a
son, afterwards the Emperor Jahangir. He was called Sultan Salîm in
honour of the saint. Jahangir, who describes all these circumstances
in his memoirs, adds: "My revered father, regarding the village of
Sikri, my birthplace, as fortunate to himself, made it his capital,
and in the course of fourteen or fifteen years the hills and deserts,
which abounded in beasts of prey, became converted into a magnificent
city, comprising numerous gardens, elegant edifices and pavilions,
and other places of great attraction and beauty. After the conquest
of Gujarat, the village was named Fatehpur (the town of victory)."
The glory of Fatehpur Sikri was short-lived. Akbar held his court
there for seventeen years, and then removed it to Agra; some say on
account of the badness of the water supply, others that the saint,
disturbed in his devotions by the bustle and gaieties of the great
city, declared that either he or Akbar must go. "Then," replied the
Emperor, "let it be your servant, I pray." The entire city was given
up to the beasts of the surrounding jungle. Finch, who visited it in
the early part of the next reign, describes it: "Ruin all; lying like a
waste desert, and very dangerous to pass through in the night." This,
however, was an exaggeration, for the principal buildings are still
in a good state of preservation, probably owing to the remoteness of
the place from any great highway or large town.
The city, which was some six miles in circuit, was surrounded on three
sides by high battlemented walls, which had nine gateways. The fourth
side was formed by a great artificial lake, now dry. The principal
buildings are on the summit of the high ridge which runs throughout
the length of the city.
THE AGRA GATE.--The visitor usually enters by the Agra Gate,
concerning which an amusing story is told. One night Akbar, attended
by some of his ministers, was inspecting the ramparts near this
gate, when he observed a highway robbery being committed close by
the walls. Turning severely to those responsible for the peace of
the city, he demanded why such an outrage was permitted in the very
presence of the Emperor. "It is always darkest directly under the
shadow of the lamp," was the courtly reply.
THE NAUBAT KHANA.--Inside the gate the road passes, by the right, a
large quadrangle surrounded by a ruined cloister, which was probably
used for barracks. Beyond this the road was formerly lined on both
sides by the houses of the bazar. It next passes through the inner
gateway, called the _Naubat Khana_, or Music House, where, as in all
Mogul fortresses, the court musicians played to announce the Emperor's
arrival or departure, and various state ceremonials.
THE MINT.--Some distance beyond the Naubat Khana, on the right, is a
large building believed to have been the Imperial Mint. Rare specimens
of gold, silver, and copper coins from the Fatehpur Mint are in the
British Museum. The brick domes of this building are interesting,
as they are probably the earliest examples in India of the use of
radiating courses instead of horizontal layers in dome construction.
Opposite to the Mint is a smaller building known as the Treasury.
THE DAFTAR KHANA.--Passing through the great quadrangle of the
Dîwan-i-âm, the visitor arrives at the Daftar Khana, or Record Chamber,
now adapted for a travellers' rest-house. This was Akbar's office,
and is immediately opposite to his own sanctum, the Kwâbgâh, and
the principal buildings of the Imperial Palace. A staircase in the
south-east room leads to the roof, from which a fine view of the city
and surrounding country can be obtained. The principal buildings can
be easily identified by help of the plan.
THE PALACE.--A door in the side of the quadrangle, opposite to
the Daftar Khana, leads into Akbar's palace, the Mahal-i-Khas. The
two-storied building on the left on entering contains Akbar's private
apartments. The first room on the ground floor is panelled into
numerous recesses for keeping books, documents, or valuables. There
are some remains of painted decoration representing flowers, such as
the tulip, poppy, and almond flower, executed with much vigour and
technical skill. Behind this is a chamber which, according to Edmund
Smith, was used by a Hindu priest attached to Akbar's court. It
contains a stone platform raised on pillars, upon which he is said
to have performed his devotions. It was more probably intended for
Akbar's own gaddi, or throne. A door in the west wall leads into the
cloisters, which formerly connected Akbar's apartments with the Daftar
Khana and with Jodh Bai's palace.
THE KWÂBGÂH, or sleeping apartment, is a small pavilion on the
roof. Originally the walls were entirely covered by fresco paintings,
but only a few fragments now remain. Unfortunately, these have been
protected by a coat of varnish, which reduces them all to a dull
monochrome. It is to be regretted that a more scientific method of
preserving them was not adopted. They are all in the Persian style,
and, except for the Chinese element which is often present in Persian
art, there is no ground for Edmund Smith's supposition that Chinese
artists were employed here.
On the side window over the eastern doorway is a painting of a
winged figure, in front of a rock cave, supporting a new-born babe
in its arms. In all probability it refers to the birth of Jahangir
in the cell of the Saint Salîm Chishti, which Akbar, no doubt,
thought miraculous. Many archæologists make the great mistake of
attributing every winged figure in these decorations to some Biblical
story. Heavenly beings with wings, the inhabitants of Paradise,
spirits of the air, or "angels," are very common in Persian and Indian
painting, and are by no means a monopoly of European artists.
It is known that Akbar took a great interest in painting. Abul Fazl,
in the "Ain-i-Akbari," states that "His Majesty from the earliest
youth has shown a great predilection for the art, and gives it
every encouragement, as he looks upon it as a means both of study
and amusement. Hence the art flourishes, and many painters have
obtained great reputations. The works of all painters are weekly
laid before his Majesty by the Daroghas and the clerks; he confers
rewards according to the excellence of workmanship, or increases
their monthly salaries. Much progress was made in the commodities
required by painters, and the correct prices of such articles were
carefully ascertained."
Akbar himself remarked, "Bigoted followers of the law are hostile
to the art of painting, but their eyes now see the truth. There are
many that hate painting, but such men I dislike. It appears to me as
if a painter had a peculiar means of recognizing God; for a painter,
in sketching anything that has life and in drawing its limbs, must
feel that he cannot bestow personality upon his work, and is thus
forced to think of God, the giver of life, and will thus increase his
knowledge." The enlightened court of Akbar was evidently a paradise
for artists.
Opposite to Akbar's apartments is a large square tank with a platform
in the centre, approached by four narrow stone paths. The tank was
filled from the waterworks near the Elephant Gate, and the water was
kept constantly fresh by an overflow channel connecting with the tank
at the back of the Dîwan-i-Khâs.
THE TURKISH SULTANA'S HOUSE.--In the north-east angle of the
Mahal-i-Khas quadrangle is a small, picturesque building, one of the
gems of Fatehpur, called the Turkish Sultana's House. It contains only
a single apartment, surrounded by a verandah, but in the carving of
every surface within and without there is a wealth of invention and
decorative skill rarely achieved even by the Mogul artists. The dado
panels are especially remarkable for the charming conventionalized
rendering of trees, flowers, birds, and animals. They have suffered
much from the hands of some of Aurangzîb's fanatical followers, and
all the representations of animate nature have been mutilated. The
carving was intended as a groundwork for painting and gilding which
were never added, for the Fatehpur Palace was abandoned even before
it was finished. Nothing is known with certainty of the lady who
inhabited this delightful bower, but she must have been one of Akbar's
favourites. A covered passage connected the house with the Kwâbgâh,
and also with another block of buildings of no special interest,
known as the Girls' School.
A staircase from the south verandah leads down to some interesting
baths outside the south-west corner of the Dîwan-i-âm quadrangle,
which were probably for the use of the Turkish Sultana. They are
worth seeing, though not so fine as the so-called HAKIM'S BATHS. The
latter, which are situated just opposite to these baths, on the
steep slope of the ridge, are the finest of their kind existing in
India. They form an extensive hydropathic establishment, decorated
in the most excellent taste with polished plaster and _sgraffito_,
or cut-plaster work. Undoubtedly they were used by Akbar himself,
and they derive their present name from their close proximity to the
quarters occupied by the Hakims, or doctors.
PACHISI BOARD.--In the northern half of the great palace quadrangle
is a _pachisi_ board, cut on the pavement, similar to the one in the
Samman Burj in the Agra Fort. Here Akbar and the ladies of the Court
would amuse themselves by playing the game with slave girls as living
pieces. The dice were thrown on the small platform in the centre of
the board.
THE DÎWAN-I-KHÂS.--Further towards the north, immediately opposite
to the Kwâbgâh, is a square detached building, a fine example of the
dignified style of the period, for it owes none of its effects to
imposing dimensions, but only to the skill with which the architect
has treated a difficult subject. This is the Dîwan-i-Khâs, or Hall of
Private Audience. On the outside it would appear to be a two-storied
building, but on entering it is seen to contain only a single vaulted
chamber, surrounded halfway up by a gallery. A magnificent carved
column, with a gigantic bracket capital (Plate XI.), standing alone in
the centre of the chamber, supports four branches or railed passages,
which meet this gallery at the four corners. This most original
construction carried Akbar's throne, which was placed immediately over
the great column. The ministers attended at the four corners of the
gallery; the great nobles and others admitted to the audience thronged
the floor beneath. The gallery is approached by two staircases,
in the thickness of the walls, which also lead up to the roof. [14]
THE ANKH-MICHAULI.--Close by the Dîwan-i-Khâs, on the west side,
is a building which the native guides, always ready to amuse the
innocent tourist, describe as the Ankh-Michauli, or "Blind-man's
Buff House." There is a legend that Akbar here played hide-and-seek
with the ladies of the zanana. The same story is told about a set
of apartments in the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort, but the only
ground for it seems to be that the arrangement of the rooms might lend
itself to such diversions. It most probably contained strong-rooms
for the safe custody of valuables, either state archives or jewels.
THE YOGI'S SEAT.--At the corner of the Ankh-Michauli is a square
platform covered by a domed canopy. The great carved brackets
which support the architraves are very characteristic of Jaina
construction. This was the seat of one of the Yogis, or Hindu fakirs,
who enjoyed the Emperor's favour. Akbar devoted much attention to
the occult powers claimed by these men. He even practised alchemy
and showed in public some of the gold made by him.
THE HOSPITAL.--Adjoining the Ankh-Michauli are the remains of a long,
low building, which was the hospital; a few of the wards still
remain. Possibly this was arranged on the model of the hospital
which Akbar allowed the Jesuit Fathers to build in the city. He
also permitted them to construct a small chapel. The records of the
missionaries tell us that Akbar once came there alone, removed his
turban and offered prayers, first kneeling in the Christian manner,
then prostrating himself according to the Muhammadan custom, and,
finally, after the ritual of the Hindus. One of the Christian
congregation having died about this time, he granted permission for
the funeral procession to pass through the streets of Fatehpur with
all the ceremonies of the Catholic faith. Many of the inhabitants,
both Hindus and Muhammadans, attended the funeral. Akbar was never
persuaded to become a convert to Christianity, nor does there appear
to be any ground for the belief that one of his wives was a Christian.
THE DÎWAN-I-ÂM.--The west side of the Dîwan-i-âm (Hall of Public
Audience) and its cloisters coincide for the whole length with the
east of the palace quadrangle. The description already given of the
Dîwan-i-âm at Agra will explain the functions for which this building
was intended. The throne, or judgment seat, of Akbar was placed
between two pierced stone screens in the verandah in front of the hall.
THE PANCH MAHAL.--This curious five-storied pavilion is nearly
opposite to the Dîwan-i-âm. It is approached by a staircase from the
Mahal-i-khas. Each story was originally enclosed by pierced stone
screens; this, and the fact that the whole building overlooked the
palace zanana, make it tolerably certain that it could only have
been used as a promenade by Akbar and the ladies of the court. The
ground-floor, which was divided into cubicles by screens between the
columns, may; as Keene suggests, have been intended for the royal
children and their attendants. The building is chiefly remarkable for
the invention and taste shown in the varied designs of the columns,
in which the three principal styles of Northern India, the Hindu,
Jain, and Saracenic, are indiscriminately combined.
MIRIAM'S KOTHI.--Another doorway in the west side of the palace
quadrangle leads to Miriam's House, a very elegant two-storied building
showing marked Hindu feeling in the design. The Râma incarnation
of Vishnu appears on one of the carved brackets of the verandah. It
seems to have derived its name from Akbar's Hindu wife, Mariam Zâmâni,
the mother of Jahangir. Her name literally means "Mary of the age,"
a common designation used by Muhammadan women in honour of the Mother
of Jesus. This has led to the fable that the house was occupied by a
Christian wife of Akbar. The whole building was originally covered with
fresco paintings and gilding, and was hence called the Sonahra Makân,
or "Golden House." The frescoes are supposed to illustrate Firdousi's
great epic, the Shahnama, or history of the Kings of Persia. As in the
Kwâbgâh, the fragments which remain have been covered with varnish as
a preservative, which has had the effect of destroying all the charm
of colour they once possessed; and will eventually, when the varnish
turns brown with age, obliterate them altogether. The paintings are
all in the style of the Persian artists who were employed by Akbar to
illustrate his books and to paint the portraits of his Court. Over
the doorway in the north-west angle of the building is a painting
which the guides, perhaps misled by the suggestion of some uninformed
traveller, point out as "the Annunciation."
There would be nothing _primâ facie_ improbable that Akbar should have
caused some events of Biblical history to be painted on the walls
of his palaces; but on the other hand, there is nothing whatever to
connect this fresco with the Annunciation. The winged figures here
represented are of the type commonly found in paintings of stories
from Persian mythology.
Perhaps the most interesting of all the paintings is a portrait in
a panel in one of the rooms. One would like to know whether this was
the lady of the house; but there seems to be no tradition connected
with it.
Judging from the style of the frescoes, it would seem probable that
this was not the residence of Mariam Zâmâni, but of one of Akbar's
first two wives, whose connections were mostly with Persia.
Jodh Bai's Palace.
Though "Miriam's House" is generally regarded as the abode of Mariam
Zâmâni, there is a great deal to support the view that the spacious
palace known as Jodh Bai's Mahal, or Jahangiri Mahal, was really her
residence. It is undoubtedly one of the oldest buildings in Fatehpur.
We know that Akbar went there on Mariam's account; and, after
Jahangir's birth, Akbar's first care would be to build a palace
for the mother and her child, his long-wished-for heir. Mariam was
a Hindu, and this palace in all its construction and nearly all its
ornamentation belongs to the Hindu and Jaina styles of Mariam's native
country, Rajputana. It even contains a Hindu temple. [15] It is also
the most important of all the palaces, and Mariam, as mother of the
heir-apparent, would take precedence of all the other wives.
On the left of the entrance is a small guard-house. A simple but
finely proportioned gateway leads through a vestibule into the inner
quadrangle. The style of the whole palace is much less ornate than the
other zanana buildings, but it is always dignified and in excellent
taste. It must be remembered that the severity of the architectural
design was relieved by bright colouring and rich purdahs, which were
used to secure privacy for the ladies of the zanana and to diminish
the glare of the sunlight.
Archæologically its construction and ornamentation are very
interesting. Many of the details are of Jain origin, and of the same
type as the mixed Jain and Saracenic style, which was being developed
about the same period in Gujarat. The arrangements of the palace are
shown in the annexed plan. One of the most interesting features is
the Hawa Mahal, a pavilion projecting from the north side, enclosed
by pierced stone screens. Here the ladies could enjoy the cool breezes
and the view of the lake with the distant hills beyond, without being
exposed to the vulgar gaze. The palace was formerly connected with
Akbar's private apartments by a covered way, supported on pillars,
near the entrance. This was removed some years ago. Another private
passage led from the Hawa Mahal to the zanana garden opposite, and,
probably, from thence right down to the tower known as the Hiran Minâr.
Rajah Birbal's House, or Birbal's Daughter's House.
Rajah Birbal was a Brahman minstrel, who came to Akbar's court in
the beginning of his reign, and by his wit and abilities gained the
Emperor's favour. He was first created Hindu Poet Laureate; from
that dignity he was raised to the rank of Rajah, and became one of
Akbar's most intimate friends and advisers. Birbal was one of those
who subscribed to Akbar's new religion, "The Divine Faith." When
he perished in an unfortunate expedition against some unruly Afghan
tribes, Akbar's grief was for a long time inconsolable.
The house which is named after him was originally enclosed within the
precincts of the imperial zanana, and a covered way connected it with
Jodh Bai's palace. It is one of the most richly decorated of all the
adjacent buildings, and next to Jodh Bai's palace, the largest of
the imperial residences. As in so many other instances, the vague
local tradition which assigns this palace to Rajah Birbal seems to
be at fault. Abul Fazl, that most careful and precise biographer,
records that Akbar ordered a palace to be built for the Rajah, and that
when it was finished in the twenty-seventh year of his reign (1582)
the Emperor honoured it with his presence. An inscription discovered
by Edmund Smith upon the capital of a pilaster in the west façade of
the building, states that it was erected in Samvat 1629 (A.D. 1572),
ten years before this date, and three years after the commencement
of the city.
Though the Rajah was one of Akbar's most trusted friends, his palace
would hardly be placed within the enclosure of the Emperor's own
zanana and connected with it; nor is it likely that Akbar would
provide Birbal with a residence so incomparably more magnificent than
those he gave to his other two intimate friends, Abul Fazl and Faizi,
by the side of the great mosque.
All the probabilities are that this was one of the imperial palaces
occupied by Akbar's wives, which were the first buildings erected at
Fatehpur. Fergusson's assumption that Birbal's daughter was one of
Akbar's wives would explain everything; but the fact that Abul Fazl
makes no mention of such a daughter, is very good evidence that Akbar
was not connected with Birbal by marriage.
The house is a two-storied building, splendidly ornamented with
carving, both inside and out. From the construction, it would appear
that Hindus were the architects; but the decoration, from which it is
easy to discover the taste of the occupants, is nearly all Arabian or
Persian in style, and conveys no suggestion that the palace was built
for a Hindu rajah or his daughter. Though on a much smaller scale,
it is of the same type as Akbar's splendid palace in the Agra Fort,
and was evidently intended for one of the highest rank in the imperial
zanana. [16]
The Hathi Pol and Adjoining Buildings.
Close under Birbal's house is the main road leading down to the great
lake--now drained, the embankment of which formed the north-west
boundary of the city. It passes through the gateway called the Hathi
Pol, or Elephant Gate, from the two great stone elephants, mutilated by
Aurangzîb, standing on either side of the outer archway. On the left of
the gateway are two buildings, the so-called Pigeon's House, probably
intended for a magazine; and the Sangin Burj, a great bastion supposed
to be part of the fortifications begun by Akbar and left unfinished,
owing to the objections of Shaikh Salîm Chishti. A little beyond this,
on the right, are the remains of the waterworks which supplied the
whole city. Opposite to these, is the great traveller's rest-house,
or Karwân-serai, in a very ruined state.
The, furthest of this block of buildings is a curious tower called
the Hiran Minâr, or Deer Tower, 72 feet in height, ornamented with
stone imitations of elephant tusks. According to tradition, it was
built by Akbar in memory of a favourite elephant, and used by him
as a shooting tower; the plain on the margin of the lake being the
haunt of antelope and other game.
The splendid stretch of water, six miles long and two in breadth,
induced many of the princes and nobles to build pavilions and
garden houses on this side of the city. This was the place for great
tournaments and festivities, and in the palmy days of Fatehpur all
the chivalry of the Mogul Court must have made a brave show here. The
Hiran Minâr was connected with the zanana by a covered way, so that
the ladies might assist at these spectacles and enjoy the cool breezes
from the lake.
The Jâmi Masjid, or Cathedral Mosque.