1653
Taj Mahal Completed
Twenty-one years after the foundations were laid, the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal at Agra was declared finished.
Cromwell Becomes Lord Protector
Under a new written constitution drafted by army officers, Oliver Cromwell was installed as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland…
Cromwell Dissolves the Rump
Oliver Cromwell, impatient with the lingering Rump Parliament, marched a company of soldiers into the Commons, pointed at the mace and called it a bauble…
Blaise Pascal's Provincial Letters
The French mathematician and mystic Blaise Pascal published the first of his Lettres provinciales, anonymous broadsides savaging the casuistry of the Jesuits…
Aurangzeb Conquers the Deccan Forts
As Mughal viceroy of the Deccan, the ambitious prince Aurangzeb besieged and captured the fortress of Golconda and terrorized the sultanates of southern India.
Want 1653 in context? Print the whole 17th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1653?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1653. The most significant is Taj Mahal Completed: Twenty-one years after the foundations were laid, the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal at Agra was declared finished.
What era was 1653 part of?
1653 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1653?
The events from 1653 span South Asia and Europe.