Safdarjung Tomb Delhi The city of Delhi is probably the most happening city of India. One can even say that it breathes of multiculturalism, and the localities of Delhi know how to live peacefully asking men of a different culture, while also having utmost fun with it.
The architecture and the heritage of the city speak volume about itself. It is one of the few cities of India where one will find a local who can be the native of any part of India, be it from the south, north-east of the western parts of India.
Such is the diversity and culture of this city. Delhi, which is situated in the ‘heart’ of India can surely be called the literal heart of the nation just because of its take on the Indian culture and the unity in diversity of the nation. In this city, one finds the beautiful and the ever so holy Safdarjung Tomb.
History
Safdarjung, a Persian native and a descendant of Qara Yusuf from the Kara Koyunlu, was born as Muhammad Muqim in-Khurasan in 1708 AD. In 1722 AD, he relocated to India. He became the Subadar Nawab of Oudh that is the ruler of the state of Oudh or Awadh province on March 19, 1739, succeeding his maternal uncle turned father-in-law Burhan ul Mulk Saadat Ali Khan I, seemingly bribing Nadir Shah with twenty million rupees. He served the position throughout his life. Emperor Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Shah bestowed upon him the title of “Safdarjung”.
Following the demise of the Emperor, his son Ahmad Shah Bahadur ascended the throne as the new Mughal Emperor in 1748. The ever powerful and resourceful statesman Safdarjung, who proved his mettle as an able administrator relocated to Delhi where he was made the Wazir ul-Mamalik-i-Hindustan or Prime Minister of Hindustan. From 1750 to 1754 he remained the Subehdar of Assam. He was also made the governor of Ajmer. However as a result of court politics he was dismissed in 1753 and ousted from Delhi. In December 1753 he returned to Oudh. On October 5, 1754, he passed away in Sultanpur near Faizabad. The Mughal Emperor granted the plea of his son Nawab Shujaud Daula to allow the latter to construct a mausoleum of his father in Delhi. Construction of the tomb was completed in 1754.
Architecture of Safdarjung Tomb
Safdarjung Tomb is the last garden tomb of the Mughals and thus, it gains another significant role in Mughal history.It was designed by an Ethiopian architect who built the tomb in a similar style to that of Humayun’s Tomb.
The tomb is surrounded by a massive square garden where you will find birds of all kinds, people sprawled in the sun and children enjoying nature. Inside the compound is a mosque with three domes and while not many come here to worship, it has a serenity to it which immediately inspires you to slow down.
The huge central dome of the tomb will immediately attract your attention but look closer and you will discover some interesting details on the walls. The tomb is constructed out of brownish yellow and red sandstone, synchronising it in looks with several other Mughal monuments across the city. If you stand at the entry gate, you will have a picturesque view of the monument.
Look for an Arabic inscription that has a very interesting meaning: “When the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of god’s paradise”.
The square central chamber has a cenotaph at the centre and is divided into eight partitions. The four towers around the main tomb are of an impressive height and one can imagine the prestige they must have lent to the monument at the time of its creation. The towers have faded marble panels and on the arches, you can still see the careful work of the artists.
The graves of Safdarjung as well as his wife are in the underground chamber of the mausoleum which is not accessible. The ceiling of the mosque is especially beautiful as the plaster has been painted and decorated.
When you see the monument for the first time, you will immediately be struck by its resemblance to the Taj Mahal but an interesting fact is that it lacks the symmetry of Taj Mahal and thus has a slightly askew appearance. The four minarets are also a part of the mausoleum unlike those in Taj Mahal which are constructed separately.
The architecture of the monument holds a contradiction within it when it is both admired and looked down upon. While there is a certain beauty in its understated construction, the lopsided proportion and use of lower quality material do take away from what its impact could have been. But, if it had not been so, it would have given a false narrative of the true state of affairs during this period of the Mughal empire.
