South Asian History

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Fatehpur Sikri

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Fatehpur Sikri or Fathpur Sikri , historic city (1991 pop. 25,446), Uttar Pradesh state, N India. It was founded (1569) by the Mughal emperor Akbar to honor the Muslim saint Shaikh Salim Chishti, who had foretold the birth of Akbar's son and heir, Jahangir. The city was Akbar's capital until 1584. By 1605 it was largely deserted because of the inadequate water supply. A masterpiece of Muslim architecture, the city is unique in India as a nearly intact Mughal city. The Buland Darwaza [gate of victory], flanked by colossal statues of elephants, was the principal entrance. Carvings and murals cover many of the buildings. Among the most notable are the Jami Masjid (the Great Mosque); the ornate marble mausoleum of Salim Chishti; the palaces of Jodh Bai and Birbal; and the Panch Mahal, the royal audience hall.

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Fatehpur Sīkri

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Fatehpur Sīkri, Uttar Pradesh/India A historical site with a name meaning ‘City of Victory (at) Sikri’ from the Arabic fath ‘victory’ or ‘conquest’. Anxious that he might have no male heir, Akbar^†, the Mughal emperor, sought help from a Sufi Muslim saint, Shaikh Salim Chisthī, who lived in Sīkri. He reassured Akbar that he could father a son, and forecast that the emperor's wives would give birth to three sons; a year later in 1569 a boy (who became Emperor Jahāngīr) was born and then two more. In gratitude Akbar built a palace‐fort at Sīkri that year as his new capital and renamed the site Fatehpur Sīkri. However, due to the brackish nature of the local water, the city had to be abandoned in 1586.

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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Fatehpur Sīkri." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Fatehpur Sīkri." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-FatehpurSkri.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Fatehpur Sīkri." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-FatehpurSkri.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

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