Safdarjung's Tomb: A Reflection of Mughal Architectural Style

 

Safdarjung's Tomb: A Reflection of Mughal Architectural Style 

The Safdarjung Tomb, also known as "Safdarjung Ka Maqbara," is a garden tomb in New Delhi, India. It is made of marble and sandstone and was constructed in the late 18th century as the mausoleum of Safdarjung, a statesman who served as the Wazir ul-Hindustan (Prime Minister of India) during the rule of Ahmad Shah Bahadur.

Nawab Shujaud Daula, the son of Safdarjung, constructed this mausoleum, which is still the only substantial garden tomb that exemplifies Mughal architectural style. This historical landmark, which is situated in New Delhi near Safdarjung Airport at the intersection of Safdarjung Road and Aurobindo Marg (Road), has remained a well-liked tourist destination for both domestic and foreign visitors to the Indian capital city.

Tomb’s Historical Aspect:

Safdarjung was born as Muhammad Muqim in Khurasan in the year 1708 AD. He was a native of Persia and was a descendant of Qara Yusuf from the Kara Koyunlu. In the year 1722 after the Common Era, he moved to India.

On March 19, 1739, after ostensibly bribing Nadir Shah with 20 million rupees, he succeeded his maternal uncle turned father-in-law, Burhan ul Mulk Saadat Ali Khan I, as the Subadar Nawab of Oudh, the ruler of the state of Oudh or Awadh province. He remained in office until the end of his days. He was given the honorific title "Safdarjung" by Emperor Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Shah.

Following the Emperor's death in 1748, his son Ahmad Shah Bahadur ascended the throne as the next Mughal Emperor. Safdarjung, the ever powerful and resourceful statesman who established his mettle as an adept administrator, relocated to Delhi and was appointed Wazir ul-Mamalik-i-Hindustan, or Prime Minister of Hindustan. His tenure as Subehdar of Assam lasted from 1750 until 1754.

In addition to that, he was given the position of governor of Ajmer. But because of politics at the court, he was dismissed in 1753 and pushed out of Delhi. He moved back to Oudh in December of 1753 where he died on October 5, 1754, in Sultanpur, near Faizabad. The Mughal Emperor agreed his son's request to build his father's mausoleum in Delhi. The tomb's construction was completed in 1754.

Tomb’s Architectural Style:

The Safdarjung Mausoleum, constructed by an Ethiopian architect, is the Mughals' final magnificent garden tomb. Although the design and construction of the Safdarjung Tomb mirrored that of the Humayun's Tomb, the tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, it lacked both grandeur and style in comparison to the latter. A massive square garden with a courtyard and a three-domed mosque situated inside the enclosure that is surrounded by a wall measures 280 metres (920 feet) on each side of the tomb, which is built on an elevated platform.

The red and brownish-yellow sandstone structure of the tomb features a high terrace and a huge central dome on top. Abdul Rahim Khankhana's tombstone slabs were utilized to build it.

The vast garden that surrounds the monument is divided into four squares and surrounded by footpaths and water canals in the traditional Mughal Charbagh garden style. Each square is then subdivided into a total of four individual gardens. Jangli Mahal, also known as "Palace in the Woods," Badshah Pasand, also known as "The Emperor's Favorite," and Moti Mahal, also known as "Pearl Palace," are the names of three pavilions connected by a network of waterways. According to records, the Safdarjung family previously lived in these pavilions, which are now used by the 'Archaeological Survey of India' (ASI). 

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