THEFT OF GATES OF SULTAN MAHMUD’S MAUSOLEUM

THEFT OF GATES OF SULTAN MAHMUD’S MAUSOLEUM

Silly aspersions of Hindu story-telling

Gates of Mazar Sultan Mahmud
Gates of Mazar Sultan Mahmud

The myth is evident even today. Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi stole the Golden Gates of Somnath. The accusation gets repeated again and again and has led to so many misunderstandings that it needs to be corrected once or all. Truth must prevail now about these actual Sandalwood Gates of the Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi.

The Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi was built by his son Sultan  Masud Ghaznavi, and in no way relics of a Mandir could have been placed on a sacred monument of the Muslims. Could his son have commit’ed this outrage against Muslim sentiments? Not in a million years.

Mazar of Sultan Mahmud
Mazar of Sultan Mahmud

The myth was perpetuated to the extent that the most silly Lord Ellenborough made it his personal ambition to get them back to India around 1845 AD. Some writers have written that the Gates were removed and taken to the British Museum. Others talk it of being placed in the Agra Fort. What was the truth? Captain Van Orlich published a detailed engraving of the same in his ‘Travels to India’, published in 1845. They were then in the Agra Fort. One look at the Gates should have made people hang their Heads in shame. Pure Islamic designs with Arabic Kufic inscriptions on them. Masud Saad Sulaiman the Lahori poet has given the existence of wonderful carpenters and naqashi carvers in Lahore. The illustration is self evident.

Syad Muhammed Latif in his ‘History of the Punjab’ eulogizes Lord Ellenborough for bringing them back after centuries , and places them in British Museum. Dr Nazim corrects the same in his history of Mahmud Ghaznavi by writing:

“the misguided enthusiasm of Lord Ellenborough who believed that the gates were of the temple, which the Sultan was supposed to have carried away.”

The image is rare and here we give it to you. The Gates of Somnath stolen from Mandir of Somnath are Islamic designed Gates with Arabic Kufic inscriptions. The temple of Somnath was a LINGAM carved out of mountain and that is a another story worth telling. What is next about story telling? Truth breaks the shackles of falsehood.

Mazar of Sultan Mahmud 19th century
Mazar of Sultan Mahmud 19th century

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