Mughal tombs are a set of tombs built by various ruling in Mughal Emperors. All of them have marked influence from Iranian Timurid forms. The Mughal dynasty was established after the victory of Babur at Panipat in 1526. During his five-year reign, Babur took considerable interest in erecting buildings, though few have survived. His grandson Akbar built widely, and the style developed vigorously during his reign. Among his accomplishments were Agra Fort, the fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri, and the Buland Darwaza. Akbar's son Jahangir commissioned the Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir. Mughal architecture reached its zenith during the reign of Shah Jahan, who constructed Taj Mahal, the Jama Masjid, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, the Wazir Khan Mosque, and who renovated the Lahore Fort. The last of the great Mughal architects was Aurangzeb, who built the Badshahi Mosque, Bibi Ka Maqbara, Moti Masjid etc.

Mughal architecture, a type of Indo-Islamic architecture developed during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed the styles of earlier Muslim dynasties in India as an amalgam of Islamic, Persian and Indian architecture. Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways, and delicate ornamentation; Examples of the style can be found in modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.[1][2][3]

Precedents

Iltutmish was the first emperor to have a large tomb in the subcontinent.[4] Most of the tombs in the Mughal Empire had marked influence from Iranian Timurid forms.[5] During the period of Lodis, there were hundreds of tombs built all across the empire. The tombs of nobles were bigger and more elaborate than that of the royals. While the royal tombs were octagonal, one of the nobles was square in shape. The square-shaped tombs were followed even during the Mughal tombs until the 18th century. Sher Shah Suri at one time had the largest tomb in India built for himself at Sasaram.[6] The nine bays in the Mughal tombs in replicated from Timurid women house architecture. Babur in his memoir records the numerous memories in Timurid Herat, which inspired him to create the Mughal gardens.[7]

Mughal tombs

Name of the Tomb Name year Photo Location Built Notes/Beliefs
Gardens of Babur Babur 1483 - 1530
Kabul, Afghanistan34°30′11″N 69°09′29″E / 34.503°N 69.158°E / 34.503; 69.158 1528 The original construction date of the gardens (Persian: باغ, romanized: bāġ) is unknown. When Babur captured Kabul in 1504 from the Arguns he re-developed the site and used it as a guest house for special occasions, especially during the summer seasons. Since Babur had such a high rank, he would have been buried in a site that befitted him. The garden where it is believed Babur requested to be buried in is known as Bagh-e Babur. Mughal rulers saw this site as significant and aided in further development of the site and other tombs in Kabul. In an article written by the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme,[8] describes the marble screen built around tombs by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638.
Humayun's tomb Humayun 1508-56
New Delhi, India28°35′35.8″N 77°15′02.5″E / 28.593278°N 77.250694°E / 28.593278; 77.250694 1547 The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's chief consort, Bega Begum.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] in 1558, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son, Sayyid Muhammad.[16] Persian architects were chosen by her for the construction of this magnificent tomb. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent,[17]
Akbar's tomb Akbar 1542 - 1605
Sikandra, Uttar Pradesh, India27°13′13.7″N 77°57′1.7″E / 27.220472°N 77.950472°E / 27.220472; 77.950472 1605-13 It was built in 1605–1613 by his son Jahangir and is situated on 119 acres of grounds in Agra. The tomb is surrounded by a walled enclosure 105 m square. The tomb building is a four-tiered pyramid, surmounted by a marble pavilion containing the false tomb. The true tomb, as in other mausoleums, is in the basement.[18] The buildings are constructed mainly from a deep red sandstone, enriched with features in white marble. Decorated inlaid panels of these materials and a black slate adorn the tomb and the main gatehouse. Panel designs are geometric, floral and calligraphic, and prefigure the more complex and subtle designs later incorporated in Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb.[19][20]
Tomb of Jahangir Jehangir 1569 - 1627
Lahore, Pakistan31°37′21″N 74°18′12″E / 31.6225°N 74.3032°E / 31.6225; 74.3032 1627-1637 The mausoleum dates from 1637, and is located in Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, along the banks of the Ravi River.[21] The site is famous for its interiors which are extensively embellished with frescoes and marble, and its exterior which is richly decorated with pietra dura. The tomb, along with the adjacent Akbari Sarai and the Tomb of Asif Khan, are part of an ensemble currently on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.[22] The emperor died in the foothills of Kashmir near the town of Rajauri on 28 October 1627. A funeral procession transferred his body from Kashmir and arrived in Lahore on Friday, 12 November 1627.[23]
Taj Mahal Shah Jahan 1592- 1666
Agra, India27°10′30″N 78°02′31″E / 27.17500°N 78.04194°E / 27.17500; 78.04194 1632–1648 It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India's rich history.[24][25]
Tomb of Aurangzeb Aurangazeb 1618 - 1707
Ahmednagar, India20°0′18.13″N 75°11′29.04″E / 20.0050361°N 75.1914000°E / 20.0050361; 75.1914000 1707 In notable contrast to other Mughal tombs, which are large monuments of Mughal architecture, including the Taj Mahal, at his own direction Aurangzeb is buried in an unmarked grave[26] at the complex of the dargah or shrine of Sheikh Zainuddin.[27] It is located in the south-eastern corner of the complex of the dargah of Sheikh Zainuddin.[27]
Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani Mariam-uz-Zamani 1542-1623
Sikandra, Uttar Pradesh, India27°12′55″N 77°56′34″E / 27.2153°N 77.9427°E / 27.2153; 77.9427 1623-1627 It is the mausoleum of Mariam-uz-Zamani, the favorite[28][29] and most influential consort of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.[30][31][32] The tomb was built by her son Jahangir, in her memory between years 1623-1627 and is located in Sikandra, next to the Akbar's Tomb,[33][34][35] in the direction of Mathura.[36] The structure was originally an open baradari (pleasure pavilion) under Sikander Lodi, who built it in 1495 AD. It was adopted by the Mughals in 1623 AD and was converted into a tomb by making a crypt below the central compartment and remodelling it substantially with heavy additions of embellishments like frescoes and floral carvings.
Bibi Ka Maqbara Dilras Banu Begum 1620-57
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India19°54′05″N 75°19′13″E / 19.90151°N 75.320195°E / 19.90151; 75.320195 1668-9 It was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his wife Dilras Banu Begum (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani) and is considered to be a symbol of Aurangzeb's 'conjugal fidelity'.[37][38][39] It bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's mother, Mumtaz Mahal.[40]
Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah Mirza Ghiyas Beg 1576 - 1622
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India27°11′33″N 78°01′55″E / 27.19250°N 78.03194°E / 27.19250; 78.03194 1622-28 Often described as a "jewel box", sometimes called the "Baby Taj", the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is often regarded as a draft of the Taj Mahal. Along with the main building, the structure consists of numerous outbuildings and gardens. The tomb, built between 1622 and 1628, represents a transition between the first phase of monumental Mughal architecture – primarily built from red sandstone with marble decorations, as in Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and Akbar's tomb in Sikandra – to its second phase, based on white marble and pietra dura inlay, most elegantly realized in the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum was commissioned by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, originally a Persian Amir in exile.[41]
Chausath Khamba Mirza Aziz Koka 1542 - 1624
New Delhi, India28°35′28.7″N 77°14′30.5″E / 28.591306°N 77.241806°E / 28.591306; 77.241806 1623-24 It is located in Nizamuddin precincts of Sufi Muslim shrines and tombs in New Delhi, India. The name means "64 pillars" in Urdu and Hindi. It was built by Mirza Aziz Koka, son of Ataga Khan, as a mausoleum for himself, at the time when Mughal Emperor Jahangir ruled from Delhi. Mirza Aziz Koka had served several times as Jahangir's Governor of Gujarat before he died in Gujarat.[42][43][44]
Chini Ka Rauza Afzal Khan Shirazi 1570 - 1639
Agra, India27°12′03″N 78°02′03″E / 27.20083°N 78.03417°E / 27.20083; 78.03417 1635 It is a funerary monument, rauza in Agra, India, containing the tomb of Afzal Khan Shirazi, a scholar and poet who was the Prime Minister of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The tomb was built in 1635. The Chini Ka Rauza is situated just 1 kilometre north of Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, on the eastern bank of Yamuna river in Agra, and 2 kilometres away from the Taj Mahal. The facade of the monument is also known for its glazed tile work, called Kashi or chini in Mughal era buildings.[45]
Khusro Bagh Shah Begum, Khusrau Mirza, Sultan-un-Nissa Begum
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India25°26′32″N 81°49′18″E / 25.4423°N 81.8216°E / 25.4423; 81.8216 1622 It is a large walled garden and burial complex located in muhalla Khuldabad close to the Prayagraj Junction railway station, in Prayagraj, India. Situated over forty acres and shaped as a quadrangle, it was primarily built for Shah Begum (born Manbhawati Bai) (d. 1604), Jahangir's chief consort and the daughter of Raja Bhagwant Das and Khusrau Mirza's (d. 1622) mother, by Jahangir. Later her children were also buried in the same garden, Khusrau Mirza, Jahangir's eldest son and briefly heir apparent to the Mughal throne; and Sultan-un-Nissa Begum (d. 1646), Shah Begum and Jahangir's eldest daughter. It is listed as an Indian Site of National Importance.[46]

  *   - Mughal Emperors.

Notes

  1. ^ Fatehpur Sikri was once a Jain pilgrimage centre: Book. 2013-02-27. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Excavation at Akbars fort at Fatehpur Sikri reveals flourishing Jain and Hindu habitation". Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  3. ^ "Fatehpur Sikri was once a Jain pilgrimage centre: Book". hindustantimes.com/. 2013-02-27. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  4. ^ M 1992, p. 4
  5. ^ M 1992, p. 10
  6. ^ M 1992, p. 13-4
  7. ^ M 1992, p. 16-17
  8. ^ Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme, "Babur's Garden Rehabilitation Framework," (Kabul, Afghanistan: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2004).
  9. ^ Annemarie Schimmel; Burzine K. Waghmar (2004). The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture. Reaktion Books. pp. 149. ISBN 9781861891853.
  10. ^ Kamiya, Takeo. "Humayun's Tomb in Delhi". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 January 2017. In 1565 the previous queen of the Mughal Dynasty, Haji Begum, ordered the construction of the largest and the most splendid mausoleum in the empire for her late ill-fated husband, Humayun, near to the Yamuna River.
  11. ^ Burke, S. M. (1989). Akbar, the Greatest Mogul. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 191.
  12. ^ Eraly, Abraham (2007). The Mughal world : Life in India's Last Golden Age. Penguin Books. p. 369. ISBN 978-0143102625.
  13. ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur (1919). Akbar: The Great Mogul 1542–1605. Clarendon Press. p. 125.
  14. ^ Henderson, Carol E. (2002). Culture and Customs of India. Greenwood Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0313305139.
  15. ^ "Mausoleum that Humayun never built". The Hindu. April 28, 2003. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  16. ^ "Humayun's Tomb". ArchNet. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  17. ^ Humayun's Tomb, Delhi World Heritage Committee, UNESCO.
  18. ^ "Fascinating monuments, timeless tales". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 22 September 2003. Archived from the original on 29 October 2003.
  19. ^ Akbar's Tomb Archived 2010-06-19 at the Wayback Machine Archnet.org.
  20. ^ Akbar's Tomb Architecture of Mughal India, Part 1, Volume 4, by Catherine Ella Blanshard Asher. Cambridge University Press, 1992. ISBN 0-521-26728-5. p. 107.
  21. ^ Wiki Loves Monuments: Top 10 pictures from Pakistan are here!
  22. ^ "Tombs of Jahangir, Asif Khan and Akbari Sarai, Lahore". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  23. ^ Nicoll, Fergus (2009). Shah Jahan. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780670083039. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Definition of Taj Mahal | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  25. ^ "Taj Mahal definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  26. ^ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2011). Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. I. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. pp. 148–149. ISBN 9781598843378.
  27. ^ a b "Tomb of Aurangzeb" (PDF). Archaeological Survey of India, Aurangabad. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  28. ^ Hindu Shah, Muhammad Qasim. Gulshan-I-Ibrahimi. p. 223.
  29. ^ Hunter Shah, Wlliam W. (1881). Lodge, Henry Cabot (ed.). The History of Nations: India and Modern Persia. Vol. 5. P.F. Collier & son, New York. p. 115.
  30. ^ Lal, Ruby (2005). Domesticity and power in the early Mughal world. Cambridge University Press. p. 170. ISBN 9780521850223.
  31. ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur (1917). Akbar the Great Mogul. Oxford, Clarendon Press. p. 58. ISBN 0895634716. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  32. ^ Eraly, Abraham (2000). Emperors of the Peacock Throne, The Saga of the Great Mughals. Penguin Books India. p. 136. ISBN 0141001437.
  33. ^ Smith, Vincent Arthur (1917). Akbar the Great Mogul. Oxford, Clarendon Press. p. 102. ISBN 0895634716. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  34. ^ Eraly, Abraham (2000). Emperors of the Peacock Throne, The Saga of the Great Mughals. Penguin Books India. p. 171. ISBN 0141001437.
  35. ^ "Mariam's Tomb, Sikandara, Agra - Ticketed Monument - Archaeological Survey of India". Asi.nic.in. Archived from the original on 16 September 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  36. ^ Havell EB (1912). A Handbook to Agra and the Taj Sikandra, Fatehpur-Sikri and the Neighbourhood. Kerala State Library. Longmans, Green & Co, London. p. 102.
  37. ^ Lach, Donald F.; Kley, Edwin J. Van (1998). Asia in the Making of Europe : Volume III, the Century of Advance (Pbk. ed.). University of Chicago Press. p. 738. ISBN 9780226467672.
  38. ^ Eraly, Abraham (2008). The Mughal world: India's tainted paradise. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 376.
  39. ^ "The Taj of Deccan". Deccan Herald. 19 February 2011.
  40. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 174.
  41. ^ Peck, Lucy (2011). Agra: The Architectural Heritage. Roli Books Private Limited. pp. 66–8. ISBN 9788174369420.
  42. ^ "Mirza 'Aziz Kotaltash Tomb". ArchNet Digital Library. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  43. ^ Geraldine Forbes; Gordon Johnson; B. R. Tomlinson; Stewart Gordon; Catherine Ella Blanshard Asher (1992). The new Cambridge history of India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-26728-1. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  44. ^ "Chausath Khambhaaccess". Delhilive.com. 2007-03-21. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21.
  45. ^ Stephen Meredyth Edwardes (1930). Mughal Rule in India. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. pp. 332–. ISBN 978-81-7156-551-1.
  46. ^ "Elegant tombs, unkempt greens". The Hindu. 22 September 2012.

References

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