Agra became the capital of Sikandar Lodhi in 1501, but was soon passed on to the Mughals, and both Babur & Humayun made some early Mughal constructions here. It was under Akbar that Agra first aspired to its heights of magnificence. From 1570 to 1585 he ruled from nearby Fatehpur Sikri. When he abandoned that city he moved to Lahore (now in Pakistan), but returned to Agra on 1599 and remained there until his death in 1605.

Shah Jahan is the name inevitably connected with Agra. He built Jama Masjid, most of the palace buildings inside the Agra Fort and, of course, the Taj Mahal. In 1638 a new capital-complete with a Red Fort and Jama Masjid- were started in Delhi and the capital wsa moved there in 1648.


In 1761, Agra fell to the Jats who did much damage to the city and the monuments, even going so far as to the pillage the Taj Mahal. In turn it was taken by the Marathas in 1770 and went through several more changes before the British took control in 1803. There was much fighting around the fort during the Mutiny in 1857.

At the time of the Mughals, in the 16th & 17th centuaries, Agra was the capital of India, and its superb monuments date from that era. Agra has a magnificent fort and the building, which many people come to India solely to see- Taj Mahal.

Situated on the banks of the Yamuna River, Agra, is much like any other north Indian city, once you're away from its imposing Mughal monuments.