Linda: Fatehpur Sikr, Agra, Feb. 7

Linda: Fatehpur Sikr, Agra, Feb. 7

We arrived in the ancient Mughal capital of Agra late at night to a little hotel, yards from the Taj Mahal and surrounded by lovely gardens. The next morning, we left on a local bus to the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikr. This city was built by the great King Akbar in the late 1500’s.

Sometimes, one has the privilege of seeing into the soul of a great man. This city was such a glimpse - this city, set on top of a ridge overlooking the surrounding fields and forests. Of all the stories of kings throughout the world, the story of Akbar has been, for me, one of the most inspiring (Ashoka and Charlemagne also come to mind. Yes, I love the legends of King Arthur and there are kings and queens throughout all the regions of the world that one admires – for reasons similar to Akbar. But unlike Arthur, or Rama, or Krishna whose “reality” is steeped in legend and symbolism and other of great kings of the misty past, Akbar was recent and one can get a sense of him through the history, poetry, prose, architecture, and art inspired by his reign and his patronage.

Akbar was born into royalty. He was of the Islamic faith and his forefathers were carving kingdoms into the northern areas of India, off and on, for the previous few centuries. Akbar was, like all kings of his time, a warrior king, but of the greatest kind, for he was not inspired by conquest, personal glory, and gain, but had a higher aim. He was a man of great vision, compassion, strength of character, piety, humility, and had an understanding of humanity that is a light for all times. (Perhaps the ancient kings whose greatness of heart inspired the temples in southern India were other men of this sort.) Though illiterate, he surrounded himself by the great minds of the age, in all fields, in all religions. He kept, on hand, over 50,000 manuscripts which traveled with him from capital to capital, palace to palace. He would be read to, for hours daily, and memorized vast amounts of information and pearls of wisdom. He sought advice, discerning truth and wisdom. He conquered many lands, but with a wisdom and compassion that brought peace and light to the realms that surrounded him. Such was his realm that all who were knowledgeable were welcome. He abolished taxes and fines that were given to those of a different religion. He employed Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Muslims, and Jews in high positions in court, much like the early Ottomans in Turkey and the Andalusian rulers in Spain. He had several wives, in keeping with eastern tradition and royal necessity, some of whom were of different religions and all of whom were treated with reverence and respect. They, too, wielded an influence in their own right. His was a realm where character, intelligence, and integrity mattered most – and it was in a relatively recent day and age.

Fatehhpur Sikri was the dream of this great man. His capital was at Agra Fort, where, surrounded by his court, he ruled … childless. He sought the blessing of a great Sufi teacher, and, after consulting and being guided by this Sufi teacher, his wife conceived a son and heir. In gratitude, he conceived of a plan for a city, starting with a mosque and surrounding grounds that would house scholars and poets and leaders of the Islamic faith. The grounds would also become the site of the tomb of the Sufi saint, Mu’in ad-Din Chishti. This was the first place we visited in Fatehpur Sikr, a place still living despite its remoteness, where pilgrims come to the tomb and tie a string on the stone screens that surround it – a heartfelt prayer, a hope for the future.

Then, over a course of 16 years, the rest of this magnificent palace was built. Inside its grounds, the palaces of the queens lay in stately array and the private quarters of the great king were a testament to his vision. This palace, built as a refuge from the court of Agra, was like a legend come to life. All was light and airy, with wide courtyards, fountains, blue sky, and wind. It was designed to catch all the winds, keeping the grounds and various buildings cool. It was made for the people to always be accessible to their king, with a large and impressive Hall for Public Audiences (for any citizen of the realm) as well as a smaller, more private and intimate (but equally impressive) Hall for Private Audiences. This hall in particular was a window into his soul, for it was not only designed as an audience chamber for higher ranking officials and aristocrats, but was also a great chamber for debate. In the center of the hall, open on all sides, is a large column, connected by light and fanciful bridges to the four upper corners of the building. Akbar would stand in the center, on top of the column, and have representatives of different points of view – often of the different religions of his realm – in each corner. From there, debate would ensue – king debating in an open and respectful fashion with the great minds of his time. All would be pursuing that highest common thread, that transcendent unity that binds all, and upon which he built his kingdom. His power, both military and financial, allowed this, despite grumblings amongst those with a less lofty vision. And, for his lifetime and the lifetime of his son, such were the times where all were valued for their humanity, their piety, their wisdom, their character, their art, and their strength of will.

Each building is a jewel. The Treasury – amazingly open, though one sees the remnants of where huge doors closed off various parts. The palaces of the queens, whose walls are decorated with that wonderful Islamic art that turns stone into something of air and light, twining arabesques that bring both privacy and light. The library, the fountain with a large platform in the center where one can sit, surrounded by light and water. There was even a court sized (LARGE) Pachisi board, played with women as the playing pieces – 16 games played before all was done! An abode of peace. A haven of beauty. A place of prayer. A paradise on earth.

But, like all things in this world, it passed. And as things are of this later age, its time was quick, a swan song in the night. Though highly engineered, water became a significant issue in this great palace, and after a mere 14 years, the gates were locked and the palaces were closed, abandoned, and preserved in their entirety, a dream frozen in time.

After the wonder of the Hindu architecture with which we have been immersed, dropping into this splendid city of Islamic grandeur, with its sweeping views, its light and airy magnificence, it’s emphasis on truth and compassion and humanity and art, was a journey into another world – one in which one can see all that is good and beautiful about the peoples of this religion, brought to light through the soul and patronage of a great man.