UNKNOWN CONSTRUCTION OF LUTUFULLAH AHMAD; BAGH MAUSOLEUM OF PRINCESS ROSHAN ARA BEGUM.

UNKNOWN CONSTRUCTION OF LUTUFULLAH AHMAD;
BAGH MAUSOLEUM OF PRINCESS ROSHAN ARA BEGUM.

Roshan Ara Begum had her Bagh constructed in Delhi in 1075 A H, or 1664 AD. She died in 1082 A H, that is 1671 AD. The present structure is just a small remnant of one of the biggest Mughal Garden in Delhi. No contemporary source has seemed to mention it, but with the discovery of the poetic Diwan of Khairullah Muhandis, son of Lutufullah Muhandis (dated 1089 AH or 1678 AD), the secret oozed out of history books. A background study is essential for same. After all Roshan Ara, herself was daughter of Arjumand Bano Mumtaz Mahall and Emperor Shah Jahan. Sister of the immortal Jahan Ara. However she is only mentioned twice in Shahjahan nama, at time of her birth, and some allowance made to her, along with her brothers and sisters, out of a total sum of two lakh rupees. Nothing more is known, except from accounts of foreigners who write about her. The most ridiculous and scandalous things about her are written by Bernier, Mannuci and Tavernier. Without any proof, these gossip makers had the harsh eye of weaving falsehood. It is strange that nobody has the guts to tell these gossip mongers to bring proof of their statements. Instead of any verbal truths, they lie as affront to history. Under Islamic law without proof of four witnesses they deserved to be beheaded all of them. And yet Western writers as well as Indians revel in their statements. These kind of people do not tell the truth even today, how is it possible that they spoke the truth then? I detest to repeat their calumny even, but to put it on record, one says that Roshan Ara had nine young men in her harem to satisfy her sexual instincts. Beheading and flogging was required for them.

There was a plan by Shah Jahan to assassinate Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was invited by the Emperor to facilitate him but in reality, a murder was being planned. Shah Jahan was hopelessly in love with the arrogant Dara Shikoh and knew that his elder son was no match for the fighting skill of Aurangzeb. The plan came to the knowledge of Roshan Ara Begum and she intimated her brother Aurangzeb of this dreadful plan. Aurangzeb stayed away from his father and as a result his life was saved. Shah Jahan was even using Jahan Ara to lure his son into the said trap. As Roshan Ara Begum had saved the future King, she became the favourite of Aurangzeb. She had her garden and pavilion constructed outside the consigns of Delhi. Who did that? Nobody knew. But a poetic collection of Khairullah Muhandis revealed a few pages of the details of the Garden, which included things like a pool, and even an Aaina Khana of its own. Many of its features were a source of marvel, and Khairullah has written about them in detail. The burial itself was one of a kind. Catherine B. Asher writes:

“The garden maintains none of its original appearance,  and only the tomb among the several structures once there remains. Approached by causeways, the pavilion containing her grave is in the midst of a small tank. The uncovered central portion of the pavilion contains Raushan Ara’s grave; the surrounding flat-roofed galleries have cusped arches supporting bulbous baluster columns, generally an imperial perquisite during Shah Jahan’s reign. Paradoxically however, her simple cenotaph remains open to the air, indicative of her role as God’s mere slave.”

Catherine B. Asher presumes the construction date to be around 1650 AD, when it is actually 1664 AD. She borrows information from Carr Stephen, who wrote about the Gardens of Delhi. Roshan Ara was not financially solvent to do so in 1650 AD.

 He has also mentioned many personal details that nobody else put down. It seems that even Khairullah had taken refuge in Gul bahar area near Kabul as a refuge when the family was under the animosity of Qazi Abdul Wahab Gujarati, the Chief Qazi of Aurangzeb. Suffice that it is not our concern here of those details. Till another relevant blog on same.

MANY MUGHAL MANUSCRIPTS THROUGH SEALS AND NOTATIONS; REVEAL HISTORY. ARCHITECTS LIKE LUTUFULLAH WERE LIBRARIANS.

MANY MUGHAL MANUSCRIPTS THROUGH SEALS AND NOTATIONS;
REVEAL HISTORY. ARCHITECTS LIKE LUTUFULLAH WERE LIBRARIANS.

The calligrapher of the Taj Mahal Amanat Khan Shirazi after his work on monuments, ended up as the Royal Librarian for the Mughals. His seal is on various manuscripts. Similarly the architect engineer Lutufullah Muhandis ended up as Librarian Incharge of the Manuscripts of Prince Dara Shikoh. Although his notations and seals are here and there, but mostly the same are related to the year 1069 A H. And the most important notation in one of the Royal Manuscripts of Prince Dara Shikoh is dated 21st Ramazan, 1069 A.H, which is a very important date in  Mughal history. It corresponds to 12th June, 1658 A.D. What was happening at that time?

The official chronicle of “Maaseray Alamgeeri” records that the fight of Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb was in full swing. Dara Shikoh entered his palace in Agra , with his son and a few servants on 1st June, 1658 A.D, that is 10th Ramazan, 1069 A.H. Then he took a flight to Delhi. Aurangzeb on Friday, the 11th June 1658 A.D, that is 20th Ramazan 1069 A.H, entered the city sand took possession of Dara Shikoh’s palace, which means library too. Learning that Dara Shikoh had left for Delhi, Aurangzeb on 13th June, 22nd Ramazan  started for Delhi. The Lutufullah seal is dated 21st Ramazan 1069 A H that is 12th June, 1658. What does that mean? That means Lutufullah was loyal to Prince Dara Shikoh even at the last moment when his own life would be in danger of being executed. What happened later is later? Eventually Lutufullah was forgiven by Aurangzeb and served Aurangeb as well as his sister Roshan Ara Begum as records of remain of same. After 21st Ramazan, 1069 or 12th June, 1658 A D, he was replaced by Azizullah Shahjahani as taweeldar of the manuscript.

The same manuscript carries a notation from Dara Shikoh himself as the same being put in his library. That is amazing history!

RARE WORK, RARE SUBJECT AND RARE ARTIST; NADEEM LAHORI AT AKBAR’S STUDIO LAHORE.

RARE WORK, RARE SUBJECT AND RARE ARTIST;
NADEEM LAHORI AT AKBAR’S STUDIO LAHORE.

Scholarship has become extremely poor in Pakistan. Journalists write about historical incidents and figures without any research work. Things already proven long ago are not used at all and we repeat mistakes made by others, even decades before our times. Smug anchors and writers pick up a couple of books possibly centuries old and weave their stories around outdated knowledge. This enables better research work at other countries, to manipulate our cultural background at will. And they are good at it.

A miniature made at Lahore and dated end of 16th century shows a subject extremely rare in Mughal art works. A sick Princess, surrounded by family and grieving women. Fifteen women, one child and six men. Who can this be person? Was she important enough to deserve a painting on her own? Obviously, she was very important. Certainly, it is a Royal subject. It is not an imaginative work. There is a sick Princess, surrounded by a lot of grieving ladies. There is a child being nursed by one elderly lady. There are dignified people looking at the incident. And a plumed Prince is watching all this. I think we can fit the incident that actually happened to all these characters well. The date is 25th June, 1599. Princess Sahib Jamal who had come from Kabul died in Lahore, beloved of Prince Saleem (later Emperor Jahangeer). Everything fits in place. And the most amazing thing in it is the tree of Pomegranate at the back, or the garden of Anaran in Lahore.

Writers cannot even solve simple dilemmas. How can they unravel the story of Anarkalli.  Total blasphemy of an English visitor, William Finch, who concocted the story of Saleem having an affair with his step mother, Maryiam Bibi. Cannot even got through his mischievous head that society would not have even allowed a Prince to build a mausoleum for an illicit love affair. Mothers are most sacred institutions in Pakistan, as well as the Muslim world. The lady was obviously Sahib Jamal beloved wife of Prince Saleem and the mausoleum was built in two phases. First as a Prince and then as an Emperor.