The Red Fort in Agra stood as the epicentre of Indian power from the Lodi dynasty to the Mughal Empire for more than a century before the capital of Mughal India was moved to Delhi. Maharaja Suraj Mal assumed possession of Agra Fort in 1761 following the defeat of the Mughals. In 1775, Mahadji Scindia, a Maratha chieftain, took control of it.
When the East India Company acquired control of the Agra Fort in 1803, they demolished a number of the buildings that had been built there to create room for their military barracks. As a result, many magnificent specimens of Mughal architecture were lost.
These abandoned lands are currently being excavated, and the old buildings are being restored, by the Archaeological Survey of India. Plaster drains have recently been unearthed beneath the ruins of the fort’s watergate, which is close to where Mughal-era floors and staircases were previously excavated.
During the rule of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who only entered the Taj Mahal by boat through this gate, this water entrance was regularly used. According to historians, these drains carried wastewater from the fort’s British-built barracks to a nearby moat, which would have accumulated detritus after being out of service.
An ASI team will examine the watergate and present its findings in an effort to understand the drainage system of the fort and determine when the structures near the watergate were built.
A top ASI official claims that the Agra Fort, which the ASI is currently scientifically studying, had a number of modifications during the British era. A 10-foot-deep sewer was found inside the fort in addition to the drains.
According to the official, there is a layer of dirt and debris approximately 2 to 4 feet thick between the well-known Musamman Burj and the fort’s outer defence wall. After capturing the fort from the Marathas, the military officers of the East India Company placed cannons there and constructed numerous ramps out of scrap material to install them on the wall, burying many Mughal-era structures beneath. Following the removal of up to 10 feet of debris from several locations, a room and some stairs were recently found.
The discovery of these drains was made possible by ASI’s work to clean the dry moat in the area surrounding Madhavgarh Garden, which extends from Akbari Mahal to Musamman Burj.
However, considering the importance of this water gate, additional excavation will be done here. This is because it is thought that there should have been a staircase and ghat (steps leading to a body of water) here that were used by Emperor Shah Jahan.
Post Your Comments