Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani
Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum | ||
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Year consecrated 1623 | | |
Location | ||
Location | Sikandra, India | |
Territory | Sikandra | |
Geographic coordinates | 27°12′55″N 77°56′34″E / 27.2153°N 77.9427°E | |
Architecture | ||
Type | Tomb | |
Style | Mughal architecture | |
Completed | Before 1627 | |
Specifications | ||
Direction of façade | Open on four sides | |
Length | 145 ft | |
Width | 145 ft | |
Height (max) | 39 ft | |
Dome(s) | 8 | |
Materials | Red Sandstone Stucco |
The Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani or Mariam's tomb is the
History
Alongside Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani, her granddaughter Bahar Banu Begum is also buried in the same mausoleum insinuating that she might have been her favourite.
Misidentification as Christian
Mariam-uz-Zamani's identity has been throughout centuries falsely inferred as Christian primarily on the pretext of her title, 'Mariam' and the absence of her background details from official Mughal chronicles giving rise to speculation about her race and religion.[18] It was presumed by various writers that since she was named Mariam, she must have been a Christian lady. However Islam reveres Mary or Mariam as their own, in fact, Mariam is the only woman named in their holy book Quran and as per Muslims, she was the greatest woman to ever lived. This signifies the honour bestowed upon the empress and her distinguished rank as Akbar's wife.
According to Edmund Smith, this story was started by some visitors who expressed the idea that the painting in Mariam's house at Fatehpur Sikri represented annunciation and therefore believed that Mariam must have been a Christian, however, the liberal historian of Akbar,
Desecration of the Mausoleum
This tomb has been damaged heavily by the addition of white plaster during British rule which shadowed the former beauty of the tomb.[9] This mausoleum was used as a printing press for an orphanage centre by Britishers and suffered great damage. Before the mutiny when the High Court was at Agra, the Government Press was situated in her mausoleum and the Native Christian school and Orphanage occupied a portion of the garden. Since the transfer of the government press to Allahabad the whole mausoleum and garden passed into the hands of the native government who put up a large number of partitioned walls inside the mausoleum and established factories there significantly damaging the tomb.[22] The tomb after India-Pakistan partition housed Sindhi refugees and was degraded further.[23]
Architecture and Ornamentation
Mariam-uz-Zamani laid out a large garden near the tomb of her husband
The mausoleum contains three tombstones: one in the underground mortuary chamber, which is the grave itself; the cenotaph above it; and another cenotaph on the terrace.[15] The ground floor consists of some forty chambers, which bear faint traces of paintings on plastered walls. The center of the ground floor houses the cenotaph of Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani.[9]
This square tomb stands in the center of the Mughal garden. It is built on a raised platform with stairs on its northern and southern sides. The two corridors running from east to west and from north to south divide the structure into nine sections that are further subdivided into smaller compartments.[14] The largest one is at the center, four smaller square ones at the corners, and four oblong ones in their midst. Massive piers have been used to support the broad arches and vaulted ceilings. The tomb is built of brick and mortar, and finished with stucco.[13]
The baradari was remodelled by Mughals who converted it into the tomb and added
The
Another important aspect of the tomb is that it is identical both in the front and the rear. Unlike other Mughal era structures, the back entrance is not a dummy but an actual entrance.[24]
The red sandstone facade and panels with a variety of decorative designs, such as floral patterns, tell a lot about the former splendor of this tomb. There are chevron patterns in the nook shafts, wine vases within sunk niches, and geometrical floral designs gracing the piers between the arches. The chhatris have beautifully carved columns with hexagonal bases. The stone brackets occupy the spaces just below the chajja, while beautifully carved friezes are above it. And white marble is inlaid underneath the dome. The friezes of the chhaparkhats were originally covered with glazed tiles and have a pyramidal roof. Traces of floral paintings can still be seen in the corners that tell about the former beauty of the tomb.[14]
Gallery
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Tomb of Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani build near the Tomb of Akbar
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Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani in Sikandra, Agra
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The khiyabans are paved in the beautiful gardens surrounding the Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani.
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Detailing on the main complex insinuating the former beauty of tomb
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Intricate decorative engravings on the main complex of the tomb
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One of the facade's domes visible from the east side of the tomb complex
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Cenotaph of Mariam-uz-Zamani
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Circumferential gallery around the cenotaph
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ASI board outside the tomb
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Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani
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The Tomb Complex of Mariam-uz-Zamani
See also
- Tomb of Jahangir
- Tomb of Akbar the Great, third Mughal Emperor.
- Bibi Ka Maqbara, the tomb of Dilras Banu Begum, consort of Emperor Aurangzeb
References
- ISBN 8120704320.
Bihari Mal gave rich dowry to his daughter and sent his son Bhagwan Das with a contingent of Rajput soldiers to escort his newly married sister to Agra as per Hindu custom. Akbar was deeply impressed by the highly dignified, sincere and princely conduct of his Rajput relations. He took Man Singh, the youthful son of Bhagwant Das into the royal service. Akbar was fascinated by the charm and accomplishments of his Rajput wife; he developed real love for her and raised her to the status of chief queen. She came to exercise a profound impact on the socio-cultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar. Salim (later Jahangir), the heir to the throne, was born of this wedlock on 30th August 1569.
- ^ Hindu Shah, Muhammad Qasim. Gulshan-I-Ibrahimi. p. 223.
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 9780521850223.
- ^ ISBN 0895634716. Archivedfrom the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ ISBN 0141001437.
- ISBN 0895634716. Archivedfrom the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ISBN 0141001437.
- ^ a b c "Mariam's Tomb, Sikandara, Agra - Ticketed Monument - Archaeological Survey of India". Asi.nic.in. Archived from the original on 16 September 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 978-0-521-86362-9.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Frances Pritchett. "16fatahpursikri". Columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Mariam Tomb Mariam Tomb Agra Mariam Tomb Agra India Fatehpur Sikri Agra India". Egoldentriangle.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Mariam-Zamani Tomb - Mariam-Zamani Tomb Agra - Mariam-Zamani Tomb Agra India". Agraindia.org.uk. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Tomb of Mariam Zamani". Agra Redco. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ The Fatehpur Sikri Chronicles
- ^ "Unknown fact about Queen Mother Mariam uz Zamani". India Today. 1 October 2016.
- ^ Ashirbadi Lal, Srivastava (1964). Medieval Indian Culture. Universal Publications. p. 184.
- ^ Ashirbadi Lal, Srivastava (1964). Medieval Indian Culture. Universal Publications. p. 204.
- ^ Vogel, Dr. J. Ph. (1910). Annual Report Archaeological Survey Of India 1910-II. Superintendent Government Printing, Calcutta, India. p. 94.
- ^ Smith, Edmund W. (1973). Mughal Architecture of Fatehpur Sikri. Vol. I. Delhi: Indological Book. p. 31.
- ^ JSTOR saoa.crl.25922623.
- ^ "New twist to timeless riddle". The Hindu. 27 April 2017.
- ^ "Mariam Zamani's tomb: Jodha's rest - Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com. 6 March 2008. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2013.