Capture of Agra

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Capture of Agra Fort
Part of Mughal-Jat Wars
Agra 03-2016 10 Agra Fort.jpg
Present-day view of Agra Fort
Date3 May 1761–12 June 1761;264 years ago (12 June 1761)
Location
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Result Jat/Bharatpur victory
Territorial
changes		 Agra Fort occupied by Kingdom of Bharatpur. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Belligerents
Flag of Bharatpur1.png Kingdom of Bharatpur Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Bharatpur1.png Maharaja Suraj Mal Flag of the Mughal Empire.png Mirza Fazilka Khan
Mughal Faujdar of Agra

The Capture of Agra Fort ended a month-long siege by Jat ruler Maharaja Suraj Mal on 12 June 1761, marking the annexation of Agra into Bharatpur. After a one-month siege of Agra, the Mughal army, led by Mirza Fazilka Khan, surrendered to the Jat army. [6] The Jats seized the old capital of the Mughal Empire. It remained in possession of Bharatpur rulers until 1774. [7]

Contents

Background

Under Suraj Mal, Jats began to expand the boundaries of their kingdom. They expanded their territory to eastern Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, southern Haryana, and Delhi. The Jat ruler of Bharatpur Suraj Mal maintained control over the Braj region. He believed Agra had to be merged with his territory to dominate. [6]

Battle

Suraj Mal's army of four thousand Jat soldiers advanced towards Agra. After a month's siege, on 12 June 1761, Suraj Mal offered peace terms and promised the Qiledar, Fazilka Khan, one lakh rupees and five villages. Following the negotiation, Agra was annexed by the Jats.

Jat Rule Over Agra

Following their victory, the Jats melted the two silver doors of the famous Mughal monument Taj Mahal. These silver doors were never replaced. The Jats also looted the Taj Mahal's chandeliers, carpets, jewels, and other valuables, and transported them to their capital in Deeg. [8] [9] Agra remained under the control of Bharatpur rulers until 1774. [7] After the Jats captured Agra, the Taj Mahal had been severely damaged, as the mausoleum had been stuffed with straw and set on fire. [10]

Aftermath

After capturing Agra Fort, Suraj Mal became more powerful and influential. He now became the ruler of the area of Yamuna. For the Jats, the capture of Agra was an emotional moment, as in 1688, just a short distance away from the gate of this fort, Gokula, a Jat rebel, was executed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The Jats ruled Agra for 13 years from 1761 to 1774. On 18 February 1774, the Mughal Commander Mirza Najaf Khan re-captured Agra. [7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Maheshwari, Anil (1996). Taj Mahal: Moon Still Shines : an Environmental Mess. Ajanta Publications.
  2. ↑ Bhatia, O. P. Singh (1968). History of India, from 1707 to 1856. Surjeet Book Depot. p. 536.
  3. ↑ Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1950). Fall of the Mughal Empire: 1754–1771. (Panipat) 2d ed., rev. 1950. M.C. Sarkar.
  4. ↑ "University of Kerala. Dept. of History, University of Allahabad. Dept. of Modern Indian History, University of Kerala, University of Travancore". Journal of Indian History, Volumes 48–49. University of Kerala. 1970.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ↑ Edwardes, Michael (1970). King of the World: the Life and Times of Shah Alam: Emperor of Hindustan. Secker & Warburg. ISBN   9780436140914.
  6. 1 2 Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1950). Fall of the Mughal Empire: 1754–1771. (Panipat) 2d ed., rev. 1950. M.C. Sarkar. pp. 143–144.
  7. 1 2 3 Bhanu, Dharma (1979). The Province of Agra: Its History and Administration. Concept Publishing Company. p. 9.
  8. ↑ Gaur, Albertin (June 1991). "George Michell: The Penguin guide to the monuments of India, I: Buddhist, Jain, Hindu. 519 pp. New York and London: Viking, 1989. £30. - Philip Da Vies: The Penguin guide to the monuments of India, II: Islamic, Rajput, European. 604 pp. New York and London: Viking, 1989. £30" . Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 54 (2): 396–397. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00015184. ISSN   0041-977X.
  9. ↑ Tadgell, Christopher (2002). The history of architecture in India : from the dawn of civilization to the end of the Raj. Phaidon Press. ISBN   0-7148-2960-9. OCLC   749500267.
  10. ↑ "The lampless Taj". The Hindu. 30 August 2015. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2 December 2025.

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