IN SEARCH OF THE MAUSOLEUM OF PRINCESS ZEBUN NISA

RESEARCH OF SCHOLARS WASTED ON MORONIC CHARACTERS

A long time back some writers made the mistake of naming a male mausoleum in Nawan Kot as the Mausoleum of Princess Zebun nisa. They also made the mistake of calling the Bagh of Jahan Ara as the Bagh of Zebun nisa. Of course only the gateway known as Chauburji survives to this day only. That would be a natural mistake for confusing the nomenclature Zebinda Begum as Princess Zebun nisa. But the same has been corrected by a number of scholars over the time, and I wonder why morons to this day insist in not moving forward and retaining a century old void. Even the mausoleum of Nawan Kot has been identified as the Mausoleum of Haji Abdul Kareem, but nobody reads the latest researches on the matter. And then they do not even want to listen to facts. Judge Lateef made a wonderful contribution to Lahore with his famous book, but he did commit many mistakes, and this was one of them.

During her life time Princess Jahan Ara had willed her famous TEES HAZARI BAGH in Delhi to Princess Zebun nisa. Zebun nisa died in Delhi and the news reached Aurangzeb Alamgeer, who burst out crying after hearing same. He loved Zebun nisa so much. He immediately ordered her to be interred in Tees Hazari Bagh and a mausoleum to be built on same. The three persons entrusted with the job was Syed Amjad Khan, Sheikh Atta ullah and Hafiz Muhammed (we will write separate on this fact, as no one has really touched same in depth). A beautiful mausoleum was built and it had a red stone mosque attached to it. This was just outside the Kabuli Gate In Delhi. In 1875 when the Rajputana Railway was made, the whole structure was razed to the ground. The inscription on the grave was transferred to the Red Fort Museum in Delhi. It may still be there to this day. Sir Syed Ahmad has reproduced the same and we attach it here for the view of history buffs. A number of references are known about this mausoleum. Mirza Sabukatageen in his Sehr Manazil clarifies same in clear cut way. The writer Beale says same again. Mentioned in Punjab notes and queries. But one interesting reference is Shamas ulama Muhammmed Hussain Azad who mentions spending time in the mausoleum with his tutor Maulana Zauq and his own father. But one step further they even had a portion of BALA KHANA repaired at their expense, for it was so peaceful and serene there. Amazing reference of olden times. Maulana terms it as a beautiful structure.

Most of the facts about Zebun nisa are well known as well the the distortions of the Indian lobbies. So we need not go though them. But one thing rarely known is that Zebun nisa built a Sheesh Mahal for herself in form of a travelling tent. This is the first of a kind we have heard in Mughal history and a very interesting read for us.

It goes to the credit of the Mughals, that two ladies, namely Jahan Ara and Zebun nisa were such famous icons in our history, that the whole region named their favourite daughters after these immortal ladies. The iconic status is so strong that hundreds of years after the death of both, daughters continue to be named after the great ladies, who represented the best of Eastern womenhood.