Fatehpur Sikri
Akbar's Magnificent City on a Hill
Paper Type: 130 gsm Art paper (matt) | Size: 229 mm x 229 mm
All colour; 167 photographs; 244 pages; Hardback
ISBN-10: 938152372X | ISBN-13: 978-93-81523-72-8
995 | 35 | 20
Four centuries ago, a magnificent king built
his city of dreams on a hill. And then after a few years he walked away from
it, never to return. The reason why Jalaluddin Akbar abandoned the city of
Fatehpur Sikri remains a mystery. It is a city, of legends, frozen in time, of
a grateful king's act of gratitude to a Sufi saint, and of a warrior who raised
a giant gateway as an arrogant symbol of his power. The city saw the most
gorgeous gatherings in Akbar's court-the poets Faizi and Abdur Rahim, the
historian Abul Fazl, the singers Tansen and Baz Bahadur and courtiers like Man
Singh, Birbal and Todar Mal. Few cities reflect the character of its builder
like Fatehpur Sikri does; that of a hard headed imperialist who was also
genuinely humane and tolerant and embarked on an unusual spiritual quest. To
understand Jalaluddin Akbar you have to seek him in the red sandstone shadows
of Fatehpur Sikri.
Subhadra Sen Gupta
Author
Subhadra Sen Gupta touches upon various aspects of Indian history and
culture in her fiction and travel writing. She captures the vibrant people,
places and history of India.
Prakash Israni
Photographer