Delhi – The Forts Part 3 Feroz Shah Kotla and Tughluqabad

Feroz Shah was the third of the Tughluq rulers reigning from 1351 to 1388. His citadel stood until 1398 when Timur (or Tamburlaine) sacked what was then the fifth incarnation of the city of Delhi.

The citadel stands next to the cricket ground of the same name and is entered through a main gate on its western side flanked by two large bastions.

Most of the stonework was removed in the 17^th Century for the construction of Shahjahanabad although the foundation works remain as a layout particularly in the gatehouse and barrack areas inside the main gate.

The citadel is said to have included palaces, pillared halls, mosques, a pigeon tower and a baoli (stepped well) although most of the site is now in ruins.

There had been some considerable progress in preserving the site between my visits in 2001 and 2004, not least to the outer walls to help preserve the integrity of the site.

Although reputedly a weak ruler Feroz Shah was known as a great builder, intellectual and “antique” collector who encouraged a great deal of translation work of Sanskrit texts into Arabic and Persian. In typical Mughal style the grounds include a large walled garden area that was undergoing a lot of work in 2004 to improve the site.

The main palace that remains is built pyramid style in three tiers with an Ashoka pillar placed on top. Feroz acquired two Ashoka pillars (carved between 273 and 236 BC) at Meerut and Topla that were floated down the Yumana to Delhi. One he placed on the North Ridge above the City while the other tops his pyramid style palace at his citadel.

The Ashoka pillar sits on top and is thought to have been surrounded by ornamental friezes with a stone balustrade around it. It also reputedly had a canopy of gilded copper. Only some very small segments of the balustrade remain.

This is the Topla pillar and in addition to the Ashoka edicts it records the 12^th Century conquests of the Chauhan Prince Visala Deva.

Despite all his other translation works the Ashoka edicts could not be translated by Feroz’s scholars and so he is reputed to have been told that they were magical charms used in ancient religious rituals.

The mosque was built in 1354 and was the largest of a total of seven mosques that were built in Delhi during Feroz Shah’s reign. The entrance is on the northern side as the wall at the Eastern end of the courtyard was next to the Yumana when it was built.

The rear of the West wall is the only one now standing and in a poor state of repair. It is said that the courtyard had a sunken octagonal feature in the centre in the walls of which was carved a record of Feroz Shah’s public works.

The mosque is thought to have been visited by Timur in 1398 and he took a number of the artisans with him to build a mosque on the same pattern at Samarkand.

The baoli (stepped well) is the other remaining building although in poor condition and is fenced off for safety reasons.

Fortunately the gates are not very secure and it was interesting to see that it still had (very unhealthy looking) water inside.

Feroz Shah Kotla photo collection:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bt92hsylfiqs7dg/AACSLy_s6nr7CyDutLvw9I0Ta?dl=0

More on the Feroz Shah Kotla:

http://www.indiasite.com/delhi/places/ferozeshahkotla.html

The site of Tughluqabad (the third city of Delhi) is on a rocky outcrop to improve its defences and has a perimeter of approximately 6.5q km on an octagonal pattern.  The walls are rubble built and pierced by loopholes and it is crowned with stone battlements. There are thirteen outer gates that are all very small and protected by large bastions and just three inner gates to the citadel.

The fort is in ruins with excavations still going on but it is easy to see the stone block over rubble, over earthwork wall construction. Curiously the wall slope inwards at an angle of approx 25 degrees.

Entering from the south the citadel lies to the right with the palace buildings to the left with the town beyond in a grid pattern. There was very little left of the Palace building on my visits in 2001 and 2004.

Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq was the first of the Tughluq dynasty ruling from 1320 to 1325 before being murdered by his son Muhammad. In marked contrast to my visit in 2001 by 2004 there was extensive renovation work under way on the palace area.

The Citadel is extensively ruined with the exception being the underground market, a stagnant and very smelly (but also very large) well, and a modest mosque that stood in the harem quarter.

The underground market could be entered although it didn’t appear very safe with rubble having fallen into the space below ground and access by the steps being a little awkward.

The central passageway was in decent condition with the recesses for lamps clearly spaced out. The “shops” are arranged on each side and many of them are however now “caving in”, although on my visit in 2001 I was more concerned about how many times I disturbed the bats who were in residence!

The Zenana (or harem) mosque is very small but remains in place with a small courtyard to its front.

Tughluq’s tomb stands to the south across a causeway that ran across the reservoir, although dry today it is separated from Tughluqabad by the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road.  The mausoleum is in a pentagonal enclosure in the style of a small fortress complete with battlements and bastions.

The entrance is via a large red sandstone gatehouse at the head of a large flight of steps from the causeway.

The mausoleum is a large square red sandstone structure of sloping walls topped by battlements and a large marble dome.

There are three graves in the main tomb chamber, being Tughluq, his main wife and his son and successor Muhammad (who reigned from 1325 to 1351).

In the lower level of one of the bastions is the tomb of Zafar Khan and this is thought to have been the first construction on the site prior to Tughluq deciding to also build his tomb here.

Tughluqabad photo collection:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jicm29nijes1f5k/AAAOTEl3S4x5XoFZU3uAGo2_a?dl=0

More on Tughluqabad:

http://www.indiasite.com/delhi/places/tughlaqabadfort.html

More on the Tuqhluq tomb:

http://www.indiasite.com/delhi/places/tombofghiyasuddin.html

Delhi – The Tombs, Part 1 Humayun and Safdar Jang tombs

The most magnificent of the tombs in Delhi is Humayun’s tomb which was the first large Mughal garden tomb and was built on the banks of the Jumana (as was) near the Purana Qila fort complex where he died.

Humayun was the 2nd Mughal ruler and reigned from 1530 to 1539 and 1545 to 1556.

The tomb was designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas who was a Persian architect who based his design on Timurid tradition coupled with the ancient Persian vision of a spacious formal garden as a representation of paradise as described in the Koran.

Between my visits in 2001 and 2004 a great deal of work had been done on this site especially to the gardens that were a bit of a mess. The gardens include a complex of small fountains and sandstone lined water channels. These were extensively damaged in 2001 but by 2004 had been fully restored and were carrying (some) water once again.

Successive gateways open into the large char-bagh “quartered” garden where the marble domed tomb is of red sandstone with marble inlay and sits on a large red sandstone plinth that is similarly inlaid with marble. In 2004 the inner gatehouse contained a small exhibition about the remedial work that was being done on the site to try and return it to something like its Mughal glories.

The central chamber contains the grave of Humayun while the surrounding chambers contain a number of other graves including Bega Begum (Humayun’ senior wife), the “minor” Mughal emperor’s Farrukh-siyar (ruled 1713 to 1719) and Alamgir II (ruled 1754 to 1759) and Shah Jahan’s son Dara Shukoh.

This was the first Mughal tomb with a double dome, a large dominant exterior dome but a smaller well proportioned interior which is in any case very impressive with the Mughal arches rising through each floor of the central chamber to the dome.

Nearby is the earlier tomb of Isa Khan that was completed in 1547 and sits in its own compound that used to house a whole village within the enclosure.

The octagonal tomb is highly ornamented with lattice work screens although most of the glazed tiling has been removed.

Isa Khan was a prominent noble at the court of the Afghan ruler of Delhi Sher Shah (whose rule interrupted that of Humayun between 1540 and 1544). The western side of the compound has a three dome mosque with a grand central red sandstone bay and mihrab.

Some of the tile work on the mosque is still in place and gives some sense of what the tomb looked like in previous days.

Humayun’s Tomb photo collection:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7u8tky3lndf2oop/AAD8cYv6Ivhqx5KT6A2EFKROa?dl=0

More on Humayun’s Tomb:

http://www.indiasite.com/delhi/places/humayuntomb.html

On the way south out of central Delhi toward the Qut’b Minar is the last of the grand Mughal tombs, that of Safdar Jang.

The tomb of red sandstone with marble inlay work sits under a large marble dome which in this period is starting to develop towards a more “onion” shape in style. The inlay work is noticeably lesser than older tombs although this could be attributed to Safdar Jang not being an Emperor but a leading noble who was the Nawab of Oudh under  Emperor Muhammad Shah between 1719 and 1748 and then the Prime Mister under Emperor Sher Shah between 1748 and his death in 1754.

The tomb compound is in typical Mughal style with a "quartered" garden set inside a large rectangular enclosure.

The tomb was in good condition and the gardens very well maintained. The corner towers provide a slightly unusual feature and are very nicely decorated.

The central chamber has just the single tomb with some impressive decoration carved into the stone. There are no tombs in the outer chamber.

The ceilings throughout the tomb are in excellent condition showing the ornate plasterwork to good effect in the tomb chamber (as in the ceiling shown here), and the other chambers and over the balconies which being in good condition were all accessible on my visit in 2004.

Safdar Jang photo collection:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7gxzh4kt2x1nuw8/AACBfMRQGvBjNOSJaDieHTOAa?dl=0

Delhi – The Tombs, Part 2 Lodi Gardens and tombs and Jamali Kamali

My favourite park in Delhi for a walk and some time with a good book was Lodi Gardens. The gardens were within wlaking distance of my hotel in 2001 but were a 30 minute car ride away in 2004.

The northern entrance on Man Singh road is via the Athpula Bridge built over a small tributary of the Jumana in the 16th Century by Nawab Bahadur, a nobleman at Akbar's court. The gardens were created in the 1930's and are arranged around a number of tombs and a mosque from the pre-Mughal period when the Lodi and Sayyid dynasties ruled northern India.


The tombs are late 15th and earlly 16th century.

At the northern end of the gardens and effectively separated from the other tombs is the tomb of Sikandar Lodi (ruled `489 to 1517) which lies within a large walled garden with its own gatehouse.

The tomb is octagonal with the central chamber surrounded by a verandah of arches with carved sandstone brackets.

The decoration of the tomb chamber is fairly well preserved with glazed tiles and painted stucco work.

The West wall contains a "wall mosque" in the gardens.

The gardens are a popular refuge for local birds as well as Delhi-wallahs.

Tip for visitors - a guide to the buildings and the trees planted in the gardens can be obtained from the shop in the Taj Mahal Hotel that is on Man Singh Road near the north entrance.

The gardens include a separate traditional Mughal style walled rose garden that has two small pavilions.

Almost certainly due to the large numbers of weekend picnic outings the park squirrels are happy to get very close to visitors to the gardens.

The Shish Gumbad or "Glass Dome" is a late 15th Century tomb for a number of relatively minor graves believed to be the pre-eminent courtiers from Sikandar Lodi's reign.

Some of the external turquoise and cobalt blue tiling (that gave the tomb its name) remain on the facade.

The Bara Gumbad or "Big Dome" also stands on a raised platform alongside a mosque and a small pavilion. there is no cenotaph or grave here so it is not clear if this is a burial dome or a rather grand "gatehouse" for the mosque.

The Big Dome has a three domed mosque that was built in 1494 with the pavililion opposite and a tank in the courtyard that was later filled and now contains an unidentified grave.

The interior of the mosque is quite magnificent in terms of its condition and has passages from the Koran carved into the stonework.

At the southern end of the gardens is the tomb of Muhammad Shah, the third Sayyid (Slave dynasty) ruler of Delhi (1434-1444).

The tomb stands on a raised platform with the cenotaph of Muhammad Shah in the middle of the central octagonal chamber.

There is a verandah of arches around the central chamber with carved stonework columns and some fine stucco work decoration to the ceiling area.

There are several other graves in the chamber, presumably of wives and courtiers although there is no attribution at the site.

The central decoration of the ceiling is especially well preserved.

Lodi garden photo collection:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p2i8861069t5b9l/AACEALMu2Kwk1cZvRIuIUidna?dl=0

More on Lodi Gardens:

http://www.indiasite.com/delhi/places/lodigarden.html

Just off the Mehrauli road heading south from the Qut'b Minar is a small complex of tombs and a mosque belonging to Balban and Jamali Kamali.

Balban's tomb is a rubble built square structure that is in poor condition but is significant for having the earliest examples of true arches having been built in the 13th Century. Balban was the last Sultan of the Slave dynasty and died in 1287. Nearby is the grave of Balban's son Khan Shahid who was killed fighting the Mongols in 1285.

The Jamali Kamali mosque and tombs were constructed in 1528-1529 in an enclosed garden area. The mosque has one entrance from the south and is constructed in red sandstone with marble inlay. There is a large courtyard and the prayer hall has five arches with a dome above the central arch.

The size of the arches increases towards the centre and are decorated with some beautiful ornamentation.

The central arch has fluted pilasters and the prayer wall beyond has a number of niches in addition to the mihrab. The niches and walls are decorated with inscriptions from the Koran.

Shaikh Jamali Kamboh (or Jalal Khan) was a renowned Sufi Saint and poet who lived during the Lodi period. Little is known of kamali other than that he was closely associated with Jamali.

The tomb is a square structurewith a flat roof and is impressively decorated with glazed tiling.

The interior is impressive with blue and red paintwork and incriptions from the Koran. There are also inlaid coloured tiles inscribed with Jamali's poems.

Jamali Kamali and Babur tomb photo collection:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eta8oh4np37q92a/AACNnzXiwn_TEGwIg9npNWcQa?dl=0

More on the Jamali Kamali:

http://www.indiasite.com/delhi/places/jamalikamalitomb.html

Mehrauli village on the road south out of Delhi is home to the Bhul Bhulyaian meaning labyrinth which describes the layout of the tomb. This is the tomb of Adham Khan, foster brother to the Emperor Akbar. He was put to death by Akbar for the murder of his chief minister in the palace at Agra.

Khan reputedly was thrown from the walls of the Agra Red Fort to his death, although the first effort failed to finish him and he had to be dragged up and thrown down a second time!

From its vantage point on a small hill there is a magnificent view of the Qut'b Minar.

Bhul Bhuliyan photos:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sbzjnpme63wwwwx/AACE_NCRjbizOwhJaijzpA35a?dl=0