Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's Tomb | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Tomb |
Architectural style | Mughal |
Location | Mathura Road, Nizamuddin East, Nizamuddin, Delhi, India |
Coordinates | 28°35′35.8″N 77°15′02.5″E / 28.593278°N 77.250694°E |
Groundbreaking | 1557 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) |
|
Official name | Humayun's Tomb, Delhi |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv) |
Reference | 232bis |
Inscription | 1993 (17th Session) |
Extensions | 2016 |
Area | 27.04 ha (0.1044 sq mi) |
Buffer zone | 53.21 ha (0.2054 sq mi) |
Humayun's tomb (
The complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of Empress
The site was chosen on the banks of
The Tombs of Battashewala Complex lie in the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site of the Humayun Tomb Complex; the two complexes are separated by a small road but enclosed within their own separate compound wall.[22]
History
After his death on 27 January 1556, Humayun's body was first buried in his palace in Purana Quila at Delhi. Thereafter it was taken to
The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of his first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum (also known as Haji Begum). Construction began in 1565 and was completed in 1572; it cost 1.5 million rupees,[9] paid entirely by the Empress.[26] Bega Begum had been so grieved over her husband's death that she had thenceforth dedicated her life to a sole purpose: the construction of a memorial to him that would be the most magnificent mausoleum in the Empire, at a site near the Yamuna River in Delhi.[27] According to Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century detailed document written during the reign of Akbar, Bega Begum supervised the construction of the tomb after returning from Mecca and undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage.[28]
According to
An English merchant, William Finch, who visited the tomb in 1611, describes rich interior furnishing of the central chamber (in comparison to the sparse look today). He mentions the presence of rich carpets, as well as a shamiana, a small tent above the cenotaph, which was covered with a pure white sheet, and with copies of the Quran in front along with Humayun's sword, turban and shoes.[25]
The fortunes of the once famous
In 1882, the official curator of ancient monuments in India published his first report, which mentioned that the main garden was let out to various cultivators; amongst them till late were the royal descendants, who grew cabbage and tobacco in it.[29]
In Ronaldshay's biography of Lord Curzon a letter is quoted from Lord Curzon to his wife in April 1905: "You remember Humayun's tomb? I had the garden restored, the water channels dug out and refilled and the whole place restored to its pristine beauty. I went to England last summer and, the eye of the master being away, the whole place has been allowed to revert. The garden has been let to a native and is now planted with turnips and the work of four years is thrown away! I shall drive out there, and woe betide the deputy commissioner whose apathy has been responsible."
During the Partition of India, in August 1947 the Purana Qila together with Humayun's Tomb, became major refugee camps for Muslims migrating to the newly founded Pakistan, and was later managed by the government of India. These camps stayed open for about five years, and caused considerable damage not only to the extensive gardens, but also to the water channels and the principal structures. The camps were raided many times by jathas which caused vandalism to occur during the early partition days in 1947. Eventually, to avoid vandalism, the cenotaphs within the mausoleum were encased in brick. In the coming years, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took on responsibility for the preservation of heritage monuments in India, and gradually the building and its gardens were restored. Until 1985, four unsuccessful attempts were made to reinstate the original water features.[16][30]
An important phase in the restoration of the complex began around 1993, when the monument was declared a World Heritage Site. This brought new interest to its restoration, and a detailed research and excavation process began under the aegis of the Aga Khan Trust and the ASI. This culminated in 2003, when much of the complex and gardens were restored, with the historic fountains running once again after several centuries of disuse. The restoration has been a continuous process ever since, with subsequent phases addressing various aspects and monuments of the complex.[16]
Architecture
The high rubble built enclosure is entered through two lofty double-storeyed gateways on the west and south, 16 metres high with rooms on either side of the passage and small courtyards on the upper floors. The tomb, built of
Inspired by
The symmetrical and simple design on the exterior is in sharp contrast with the complex interior floor plan, of the inner chambers, which is a square ninefold plan, where eight two-storied vaulted chambers radiate from the central, double-height domed chamber. It can be entered through an imposing entrance
The main chamber also carries the symbolic element, a
This chamber with its high ceiling is encompassed by four main octagonal chambers on two floors, set at the diagonals with arched lobbies leading to them also connecting them. There are four auxiliary chambers in between, suggesting that the tomb was built as a dynastic mausoleum. Collectively the concept of eight side chambers not only offers passage for
The building was the first to use its unique combination of red sandstone and white marble, and includes several elements of
Char Bagh
While the main tomb took over eight years to build, it was also placed in centre of a 30-acre (120,000 m2)
Standing in the center at the place where the main axes intersect, the tomb is similar in form and position to a garden pavilion. But here it marks the place where the body of the deceased ruler rests. "The garden is about sovereignty, and the mausoleum is about dynasty. When the mausoleum is implanted in a garden, as it is at Humayun's tomb, sovereignty and dynasty are combined in a teleological statement that the king is king as he always has been and always will be."[23]
The entire tomb and the garden is enclosed within high rubble walls on three sides. The fourth side was meant to be the river Yamuna, which has since shifted course away from the structure. The central walkways terminate at two gates: a main one in the southern wall, and a smaller one in the western wall. It has two double-storey entrances; the West gate is used now, while the South gate, which was used during Mughal era, is now closed. Aligned at the centre on the eastern wall lies a baradari, which is a building or room with twelve doors designed to allow the free draught of air through it. On the northern wall lies a hammam, a bath chamber.[36]
Other monuments
Bu Halima's Tomb and Garden: When entering the complex from the West, visitor's first enter a garden complex, known as Bu Halima's Garden, though little is known about her, and since the tomb or the raised platform where it once stood is not at the centre, it appears to be a later addition.[32][38]
Arab Serai: Literally meaning the sarai (resthouse) for the horses, the structure stands adjacent to the Afsarwala mosque and was built by Bega Begum[39] around 1560-1561 CE, ostensibly built for the craftsmen who came for the construction work. It could accommodate 300 Arabas. (in Persian ارابه means:Cart or Gari (vehicle)).
Chillah Nizamuddin Aulia: Believed to be the residence of patron saint of Delhi,
Yet further away from the tomb complex, lie Mughal-period monuments, Bada Bateshewala Mahal, the tomb of Muzaffar Husain Mirza, the grand nephew of Humayun, built 1603–04 on platform with five arches on each side, has its interior walls decorated with incised and painted plaster; the Chote Bateshewala Mahal once an arcaded octagonal building with a domed ceiling and stone jaalis. Both these monument now lie inside a commercial area facing the complex's parking lot.[41] Another period structure is Barapula, a bridge with 12 piers and 11 arched openings, built in 1621 by Mihr Banu Agha, the chief eunuch of Jahangir's court.[42]
Barber's Tomb: Towards the south-east corner, within the Char Bagh, lies a tomb known as Nai-ka-Gumbad, or Barber's Tomb, belonging to royal barber, it is datable to 1590-91 CE, through an inscription found inside. Its proximity to the main tomb and the fact that it is the only other structure within the main tomb complex suggests its importance, however, there are no inscriptions suggesting as to who is interred therein, the name Barbers tomb is the local name of the structure, hence still in use.[32]
The tomb stands on a raised platform, reached by seven steps from the south, it has a square plan and consists of a single compartment covered with a double-dome. Inside lie two graves each inscribed with verses from the Quran. Also, one of the graves is inscribed with figure 999 which may stand for the
Tombs in Monument
- Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun
- Hamida Banu Begum
- Bega Begum
- Shahzada Murad Mirza
- Shahzada Dara Shikoh
- Shahzada Kam Baksh
- Shahzada Bidar Bakht
- Muizuddin Muhammad Jahandar Shah
- Muinuddin Muhammad Farrukhsiyar
- Shahzada Azim-ush-Shaan Mirza
- Shahzada Rafi-ush-Shaan Mirza
- Shahzada Jahan Shah Mirza
- Shahzada Humayun Mirza
- Rafi ud-Darajat
- Rafi ud-Daulah
- Azizuddin Muhammad Alamgir II
Restoration
Before the restoration work was undertaken, vandalism and illegal encroachments were rampant at the site of the tomb, presenting a serious danger to the preservation of the tomb. At the main entrance of Humayun's Tomb, dingy stalls had been put up under a very corrupt system of municipal patronage known as tehbazari, and all sorts of heavy vehicles were allowed to be parked illegally in these open spaces. On the Nila Gumbad side was a huge citadel of India's vote bank politics – thousands of "slum dwellers" were kept by an influential section of the political leadership to serve as "bonded voters" during elections. The environment of the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya had also been ruthlessly degraded and the holy tank had become a messy cesspool.
Restoration work by the
After the restoration work, the conditions in and around this complex underwent a sea-change. All the stalls and other intrusions were removed and the monuments and green spaces restored. Elegant gardens now surround the monuments, adding to their dignity and grace. When illuminated at night, the monument looks truly magnificent.
In 2009, as a part of the ongoing restoration work, the ASI and AKTC, after months of manual work using hand-tools, removed from the roof a thick layer of cement concrete that had been exerting pressure of about 1,102 tons on the structure. The cement concrete was originally laid in the 1920s to prevent water seepage, and led to a blockage in water passages. Subsequently, each time there was leakage, a fresh layer of cement was added, leading to an accumulated thickness of about 40 cm; this has now been replaced with a traditional lime-based roof layer. In the next phase, similar treatment was given to the tomb's first chabutra (plinth), which was originally paved with large blocks of quartzite stone, some weighing over a 1,000 kg. In the 1940s, an uneven settlement in the lower plinth had been corrected by covering it with a layer of concrete, adding to the disfigurement of the original Mughal flooring, which matched with that at the West Gate.[52]
The Tomb in literature
Letitia Elizabeth Landon published the poetical illustration The Tomb of Humaioon, Delhi in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833. This reflects on the scene and is based on an engraving of a painting by William Purser, showing a somewhat distant view of the tomb.[53]
The mausoleum today
Ill thought out construction plans like The Delhi Government's plans in 2006–2007 to build a new tunnel to connect
On 30 May 2014, the finial of the tomb was knocked off the dome by a heavy storm which struck the city.[56] On 19 April 2016, India's Union Culture Minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma unveiled the restored finial of the monument.[57] The original finial will be conserved.[58]
Gallery
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View of the Southwestern Corner of Humayun's Tomb
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A reflection
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Six-pointed Stars on One of Humayun's Tomb's Pishtaqs
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Cenotaphs of Hamida Banu Begum, Dara Shikoh etc. in a side room
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A jali mihrab indicates the qibla direction while one stands inside Humayun's cenotaph's chamber and looks to the west.
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Humayun's Tomb Seen from Inside the West Gate
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The Western Facade of the West Gate at Humayun's Tomb
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Isa Khan's mosque, across his tomb, also built ca 1547 CE, near Humayun's tomb
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Gateway into Araba Sarai, south to the pathway towards Humayun's tomb
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Afsarwala tomb located near Humayun Tomb
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Tomb of Humayun, with his barber's tomb (Nai-ka-Gumbad) in the foreground, Delhi (1858 photograph)
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English garden-style roundabouts replaced the square central tanks of the Charbaghgarden in 1860
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Humayun's Tomb at night
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A side view of Humayun's Tomb
See also
- Sunder Nursery
- Sabz Burj
- Aga Khan Historic Cities Support Programme
- Tomb of Safdarjung
- Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments
References
- ^ Burke, S. M. (1989). Akbar, the Greatest Mogul. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 191.
- ISBN 978-0143102625.
- Clarendon Press. p. 125.
- ISBN 978-0313305139.
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Humayun's Tomb, Delhi". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "Mausoleum that Humayun never built". The Hindu. 28 April 2003. Archived from the original on 6 December 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ "Humayun's Tomb". ArchNet. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-0754631972.
- ^ a b c Humayun's Tomb Archived 10 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Archaeological Survey of India.
- ^ a b Humayun's Tomb, Delhi World Heritage Committee, UNESCO.
- ^ Humayun's Tomb Govt. of India Portal.
- ^ Plaque at Humayun's Tomb Site.
- ^ "Facelift for Humayun". The Indian Express. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
- ^ ISBN 81-7488-138-7. pp. 29–35.
- ^ Mausoleum of Humayun, Delhi British Library.
- ^ a b c d A Tomb Brought to Life Archived 26 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine by Ratish Nanda Historic Gardens Review Number 13. London: The Historic Gardens Foundation, 2003.
- ^ Humayun's Tomb and gateway British Library.
- ^ Humayun's Tomb Archived 17 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine archnet.org.
- ISBN 0-470-16908-7. p. 316.
- ISBN 0-87586-482-1. pp. 105–106.
- ^ "The Ex-king of Delhi – Question. (Hansard, 11 December 1857)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 11 December 1857. Archived from the original on 30 June 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
- ^ "Batashewala Complex Conservation". Archnet. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
- ^ ISBN 90-04-08155-0. pp. 133–140.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-26728-1.
- ^ ISBN 81-87780-00-2. pp. 45–47.
- ISBN 978-8174353979.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Haji Begum Archived 2 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Ain-i-Akbari. "He (Qa´sim 'Ali´ Khan) was employed to settle the affairs of Hájí Begum, daughter of the brother of Humáyún's mother (tagháí zádah i wálidah i Jannat-ástání), who after her return from Makkah had been put in charge of Humáyún's tomb in Dihlí, where she died."
- ^ Preservation of National Monuments – First Report of the Curator of Ancient Monuments in India for the year 1881–82. The Government Central Branch Press, Simla. 1882. p. xxvii.
- ISBN 978-0-231-13846-8.
- ^ a b World Heritage Sites – Humayun's Tomb: Characteristics of Indo-Islamic architecture Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- ^ a b c d e World Heritage Sites – Humayun's Tomb: Tomb Complex Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). retrieved-31 May 2010.
- ^ "Revitalisation of the Gardens of Emperor Humayun's Tomb (completed 2003)". AKDN. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ^ Waugh, Daniel C. "Humayun's tomb, Delhi". depts.washington.edu. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ISBN 0-262-63153-9. p. 17.
- ISBN 978-0415317498.
- ^ Isa Khan Niyazi Tomb Complex Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine archnet.org.
- ^ "Bu-Halima's Garden and Tomb on the grounds of Humayun's Tomb complex".
- ^ Banerji, S.K. (1938). Humayun Badshah. Oxford University Press. p. 232.
- ^ Miyan Fahim Archived 7 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Ain-i-Akbari.
- Live Mint. 1 April 2011.
- Indian Express. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ Mausoleum of Humayun, Delhi British Library
- ^ Koka Koka A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary.
- ^ Old images of Chausath Khamba Columbia University
- ^ Plaque about the Experimental development at Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, 2000-2003.
- ^ Revitalisation of the Humayun's Tomb Gardens – AKTC Archived 4 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine Aga Khan Trust for Culture website.
- ^ ...Aga Khan Trust for Culture and help from the Oberoi Hotels Group The Hindu, 29 January 2004
- Indian Express, 18 November 1999.
- ^ Humayun Tomb Gardens Revitalisation, 2000s Archived 26 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine Archnet.org.
- New York Times, 29 September 2002.
- Times Of India. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1832). "poetical illustration". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833. Fisher, Son & Co.Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1832). "picture". Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1833. Fisher, Son & Co.
- ^ "Humayun's Tomb faces twin threats". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on 19 June 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ "Delhi govt passes Commonwealth road project". Business Standard. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ Vincent, Pheroze L. "Heavy storm knocks finial off Humayun's Tomb". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ "Dr. Mahesh Sharma Unveils Gold Finial at Humayun's Tomb". pib.nic.in.
- ^ "Gold finial at Humayun's Tomb unveiled". 20 April 2016.
Further reading
- Begum, Gulbadan (1902). Humayun-nama :The history of Humayun. Annette S. Beveridge (trans.). Royal Asiatic Society.
- Banerji, S K (1938). Humayun Badshah. Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press.
- Hearn, Gordon Risley (1906). The Seven Cities of Delhi. W. Thacker & Co., London.
- Humayun's Tomb & adjacent monuments, by Akbar Naqvi. Published by Archaeological Survey of India, 2002. ISBN 81-87780-08-8.
- Delhi – Humayun's Tomb and Adjacent Building[ISBN 81-7488-138-7. pp. 29–47.
- Orthodoxy, Innovation, and Revival: Considerations of the Past Imperial Mughal Tomb Architecture by Michael Brand. 1993
- Humayun's Tomb: Form, Function, and Meaning in Early Mughal Architecture, by Glenn D. Lowry, 1987
- Humayun Tomb Gardens Revitalisation, 2000s, documents and videos
- Zohreh Bozorg-nia, Mimaran-i Iran. ISBN 964-7483-39-2, 2004, p. 184.
- Mughal Architecture of Delhi : A Study of Mosques and Tombs (1556–1627 A.D.), by Praduman K. Sharma, Sundeep, 2001, ISBN 81-7574-094-9. Chapt 10.
- Garden Tomb of Humayun: An Abode in Paradise, by Neeru Misra and Tanay Misra, Published by Aryan Books International, Delhi, 2003
- Ruggles, D. Fairchild. 1997. Humayun's Tomb and Garden: Typologies and Visual Order. In Gardens in the Time of the Great Muslim Empires: Theory and Design. Attilio Petruccioli (ed). Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill
External links
- Official website
- Humayun's Tomb Archaeological Survey of India
- Humayun's Tomb Bibliography with Linked Articles
- Compilation of Indian Heritage Sites
- AKTC revitalisation of the Humayun's Tomb Gardens
- Humayun's Tomb on Delhi-Tourism-India.com
- Humayun's Tomb travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Geographic data related to Humayun's Tomb at OpenStreetMap
- Humayun's Tomb Best Time To Visit Archived 27 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- Images