ATTAULLAH RUSHDI ELDEST SON OF USTAD AHMAD MIMAR;
ACTUAL DECCAN MANUSCRIPT RECORDS AND SEALS PROVE,
HIS ROLE AS CHIEF ARCHITECT OF AURANGZEB ALAMGEER.

It is amazing that when you search for unknown things, you come across an abundance of records. Records people have neglected or were too difficult to pursue. In the Deccan state archives the first reference we come across is a reference to Attaullah in document 17 dated 19th Rajab, 1047 AH or 27th November, 1637. Attaullah arrives from Bijapur and presents his credentials He was presented to Prince Aurangzeb in the Times of Emperor Shah Jahan. He made an offering of 59 Huns to the Prince. The Prince bestowed Robe of Honour to Attaullah for his exceptional services. At the same time orders were issued for repair of apartments of Sultan Murad and petty repairs to the Royal palace.This copy was published in 1959, but later on more and more volumes were printed by the Deccani government. I got some volumes but later on the exchange became difficult.  We have a few volumes of Aurangzeb period, and Attaullah is mentioned in many of them related to the construction of Mausoleum of Rabia Dirrani, wife of Emperor Aurangzeb, also known as Bibi ka Maqbra. But what cannot be forgotten is that the name of Attaullah as Mimar is on the gateway to the mausoleum on the brass sill of the main gate. The tourist booth gives the same information too, and visitors to Aurangabad cannot put two and two together. The Bibi ka Maqbara is considered a copy of the Taj Mahal (not a copy different development under different patronage),but forgotten that work of father and son. Professor Dr Shaikh Ramazan the complete historian of Aurangabad is so much afraid of extremist Hindus, that even in his thesis he avoids these references. Life becomes more important than research matters. And the amazing part is that during Aurangzeb’s tenure, the mAusoleum of Rabia Durrani was protected on site by various Hindu officials of Aurangzeb’s court, and their names are on record too. In fact some died while on duty there. Aga Beg son of Abdul Mahdi was the Darogha of the tomb.

Besides the State archives next to Attaullah Rushdi, another name of a mimar comes up that is Shukrullah Mimar, but that is again a reference to repairs to the Mausoleum of Rabia Durrani. That name comes up in “Ruqat Alamgeeri”. In a personal manuscript of Hadees, there is a seal of Attaullah on it. He calls” himself as “Ash of the Grave”, or “Qabar Khaq”. It looks like he is 99 years old at that time. But on a property document, we find two seals of Attaullah. One when he was in the services of Aurangzeb Alamgeer and the other smaller one after that. Dates are 1078 AH and 1082 AH. Clear cur association with the Emperor, large seal denotes his important rank there. And this is around the same year when the Badshahi masjid Lahore was made in 1082 AH and completed in 1084 AH.  Attaullah Mureed Badashah Aurangzeb Alamgeer.

In the book Maasir i Alamgiri the ereference is more astounding. The Emperor calls three persons to build the Mausoleum of Princess Zebunnisa

Two mentioned directly are Attaullah and his son Hafiz Hafeez (Nur Muhammed). Attaullah is an old man by now or Ash of Grave as he calls himself. But his son Hafiz Hafeez *Nur Muhammed is a working architect, fully versed in his fathers knowledge. Documents prove the relation, including a hand written Quran in Jahandar Shah period. What more proof one can require?

Documents and seals prove the personal association of Attaullah Rushdi with Emperor Aurangzeb, even as a Prince and later as emperor. But there is more. If we see and compare the domes of some buildings associated with family, we see the bulbous dome on the Taj Mahal, Bibi ka Maqbara, Mausoleum Asif Khan and even the Pirzada Masjid in Haryana (Yusuf Mimar) , we see the similarity in proportions of same. The same Euclid principles manifested in design. Research clears everything in history. In fact this research deserves a book of its own.

P.S,

BARKAT ALI KHAN MUHAMMEDAN HALL MOCHI GATE LAHORE – MISTRI MANGA CONTRACTOR ARCHITECT BUILDING IN 1888 AD

Barkat Ali Khan hall Mochi Gate MANGA MIMAR in 1888 restoring Badshahi masjid.