Akbar's Church


Akbar's Church also known as Church of Akbar is a Roman Catholic Church, built in 1600 by Jesuit Fathers, situated in Agra, India.

History

Jesuit priest were invited by Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great from Goa to learn more about Christianity. So, Father Rodolfe Aquauiua, the Father Antoine de Monserrat and the Father Francois Henriques reached Agra on 18 February 1580. Akbar learnt about Christianity and gave land to Jesuit fathers to built a Church in Agra. This was the first Roman Catholic Church in Mughal Empire. After Akbar it was his son Jahangir who donated for further expansion of the Church. Khwaja Martins and Mirza Sikandar Junior too contributed for the expansion. The church was demolished by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1635, after he captured Jesuit Priests crossing religious limits of Islam and agreed to release them only if they demolish the Church. The Church was rebuilt in 1636 by the permission of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan after the pardon of Jesuits.
First Holy Mass was celebrated in the Church on 8 September 1636. In 1761, in the aftermath of the Third Battle of Panipat the church was looted by Afghan Invaders under Ahmed Shah Abdali.
In 1769 the church was rebuilt by Father Wendel S.J. with the help of Walter Reinhardt, Commander of Agra Fort. Bishop Antonino Pezzoni, O.F.M. Cap. extended the church westward with the contribution from Jean Baptiste Filose in 1835.

Historic events