Daily Times

Nadira Banu Begum spent many a blissful years with her husband but this bliss was not long lasting.

The wars of succession started. Dara Shikoh was running from pillar to post to gather enough support to gain control of the empire. She was by his side during all his wanderings. She could almost foresee the fate of her husband and sons at the hands of Aurangzeb. Luckily, she passed away before her worst fears came true and she was spared the agony of witnessing the horrible end of her beloved family. Maulvi Zakaullah Dehlvi gave a detailed account of Nadira Banu Begum’s death in his book Tareekh-e-Hindustan (The History of Hindustan) and has established that she passed away because of dysentery in an area between Sindh and Baluchistan and was buried in Lahore as per her last will.

“When he reached the banks of Sindh, his companion Feroze Mewati, who had remained by his side even in adversity, witnessing his continued misfortune deserted him and went to the capital. When Dara Shikoh entered the territory of Ja Dewan (family of Jad Khan), the dwellers of the desert intercepted him. He had some soldiers, after some effort and skirmishes; finally he got rid of the interceptors. From here he went to the realm of the Bangash. Mirza Bagshi who was the head of this tribe greeted him; he took him home with honour and showed him great hospitality. He advised him to go to Iran and respectfully said that I would give you a guide. Qandhar is at the distance of just 12 Manzal. He made utmost effort to convince him and tried to persuade him but Dara Shikoh was fixated on getting the throne as soon as possible and to gain hold of power and pelf so he paid no heed to the words of Mirza Bagshi. He decided to depart for the estate of Dhandar which was under the control of the landlord, Malik Jeevan. He was indebted to Dara Shikoh. He claimed to be his loyal servant and used to send him messages.

When he reached the borders of this landlord, Malik Jeevan welcomed him with the expediency of the angel of death. This ungrateful and charlatan host took him home and got ready to accommodate him. It is a coincidence that during these three four days Dara Shikoh’s wife Nadira Begum daughter of Sultan Pervaiz passed away due to dysentery. The love between these two was legendry. She died of the anguish that was a result of witnessing her husband’s sufferings. The husband had to bear one grief and misery after another. The wife had specifically asked to be buried in Hindustan so Dara Shikoh sent her body to Lahore to be buried near the mausoleum of his murshid (spiritual mentor) Mian Mir.

He was in a destitute state and made the mistake of sending Gull Muhammed, who was a sincere caring friend, a capable soldier and moreover didn’t want to leave his side; along with seventy men, to accompany the coffin. He also sent Khwaja Ma’aqol with them, whose company was required in those dire times. He himself stayed back with some servants and useless eunuchs. On top of this the calamity was that he thought it prudent to take Malik Jeevan as a guide and taking some provisions he left for Iran via Qandhar.” Her death drew Dara into such a frantic state of grief that his own fate appeared a matter of indifference to him (Hansen, Waldemar (1972). The Peacock Throne: The Drama of Mogul India)

Professor Aslam in his book Khuftagan e Lahore (pg. 289) writes:

“Nadira Begum passed away in Baluchistan while traveling. Dara Shikoh sent her body to Lahore for burial, under the supervision of Gul Muhammad Baluch.”

At present, moving from Lahore Railway Station, following Allama Iqbal Road one can find Mian Mir colony on the Infantry road after crossing the Dharam Pura Bridge. This colony is named after Hazrat Mian Mir as the shrine of this great Sufi saint is situated there. Nadira Begum’s tomb and Bara Dari (gazebo with twelve arched entrances) are located on the left side of the road. A little farther, there is shrine of another revered saint Hazrat Baba Bahari Shah which is known as Darbar Baba Bahari Shah. Dara Shikoh’s and Nadira begum’s devotion with Hazrat Mian Mir is recognized to this day and that is why even today Nadira begum’s tomb is known as Barahdari of Hazrat Mian Mir.

Generally the Mughal tombs were built in the centre of gardens but Nadira Begum’s tomb is constructed in the midst of a large pond. It has a flat roof instead of a dome. The roof along with the arches and the location, give this building an appearance of pavilion instead of a traditional Mughal tomb. Lucy Peck in her book Lahore: The Architectural Heritage writes (pg. 200);

“The square building once stood in the centre of a large lake and was approached from the east along a causeway. Curiously, despite its original condition, a renovation included the creation of a char bagh garden layout around the tomb. The pavilion follows the common hasht bihisht plan of a large central chamber surrounded by eight interlinking chambers on two floors around it. The exterior has plastered surface with niches and cartouches modelled in the recessed panels. The interior has same arch- netting on some of the vaults and extensive areas of painted plaster in the central chamber”.

It’s pertinent to mention here that in Mughal Era the word pond was synonymous with a small lake. Along with the mausoleum there is a Bara Dari. The same architecture is found in the tomb of Sher Shah Suri and Hiran Minar that was erected by Jahangir in Sheikhupura.

Nadira Begum’s tomb was also a matchless and exceptional building of its time. The construction of this building and Hazrat Mian Mir’s shrine started during the life of Dara Shikoh. Both the buildings were completed by Aurangzeb Alamgir after the heartrending deaths of Nadira Begum and Dara Shikoh. Kanhaiya Lal in his book Mian Mir writes, “Since Prince Dara Shikoh was a disciple of Mian Mir, meaning he was devoted to Sheikh Muhammad known as Mullah Shah, he provided a vast quantity of valuable stone and other building material. First he constructed the shrine of his Pir (spiritual guide) in the boundary of which Mian Mir’s place is now situated and Maharajah Ranjeet Singh stripped the tomb of its expensive stones, then he laid the foundation of this magnificent building. During this time revolution in the empire came to be. King Shah Jahan was imprisoned by Aurangzeb, Dara Shikoh was murdered. Owing to this reason the construction of the building was suspended for a few years. Eventually the successors of this family beseeched Alamgir to resume its construction and this building was completed”.

She died of the anguish that was a result of witnessing her husband’s sufferings. The husband had to bear one grief and misery after another. The wife had specifically asked to be buried in Hindustan so Dara Shikoh sent her body to Lahore to be buried near the mausoleum of his murshid (spiritual mentor) Mian Mir

Naqoosh Lahore number (pg. 290) mentions this building thus:

“In short this Bara Dari which is known as Bara Dari Nadira Begum and which also has a grave is definitely that of Nadira Begum who was Sultan Pervaiz’s daughter and Jahangir’s granddaughter. But this is neither the Nadira Begum whose name is found in the histories of Lahore nor was this building constructed by Dara Shikoh. Since Dara Shikoh had started the construction of a number of buildings in the compound of Hazrat Mian Mir during his rise to power, these were left incomplete due to his decline and death. It was in those days that the body of Nadira begum also came to be buried in Lahore and since most books also prove that Alamgir later on completed the unfinished buildings of this compound so this assumption seems true that the Bara Dari of Nadira Begum and the adjoining pond and causeway were also completed by Alamgir’s orders”.

This building, like many other unique and inimitable buildings of the Mughal Era, suffered many calamities after the decline of the Mughal Empire. Ravages of times and loot and plunder at the hands of the Sikhs have destroyed the splendor of many monuments. The British also played their part. During British era the pond of the tomb was dismantled by a contractor Mian Muhammad Sultan and its bricks were used in the construction of cantonment. Maulvi Noor Ahmed Chishti in his book, Tehqeeqat e Chishti, describes the condition of the mausoleum:

“The current state of the building is this that earlier the building had marble up to chest height which was removed in the era of Maharajah Ranjeet Singh. Now there is just a dilapidated building. Even the grave of Nadira Begum, in the centre, is just a plain mound of earth. Earlier there used to be magnificent vestibules on the north and south sides of the now vanished pond. They could easily accommodate around thousand people and on the four corners of the pond there were four octagonal pavilions of red stone. Their marks still remain.”

At present, the pond surrounding the plinth of the tomb has dried up but remnants of its high boundary and vestibules can still be seen. The ruins of waterways lined with red stone footpaths, along the pedestal of the tomb could still be seen. A look at these watercourses refreshes the memory of the times gone by. Delicate work in red stone in the structure of the pedestal has survived the brutal march of time. On the four sides dried up waterways can be seen that were once home to beautiful fountains. The actual grave of Nadira begum is in the basement. All approaches to the basement were closed off in the British era. The sarcophagus is still present in the centre building. The headstone is inscribed with calligraphy in Nastaleeq font, “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and the most Beneficent. There is no god but Allah; Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the messenger of Allah. Nadira Begum, Wife of Prince Dara Shikoh, Year of death 1659 AD 1069 AH.

Both of these inscriptions are recent. The original Kashi Kari and the Names of Allah that are typically an essential and distinctive feature of a Mughal sarcophagus are nowhere to be seen. Delicate mosaic work in some places on the walls and the ceiling is still visible. It is really unfortunate for Lahore that a large portion of this once glorious building is lost in the sandstorms of time.

The premises of the mausoleum are used for a variety of purposes. After partition and even before that time, two fairs of Lahore have been of paramount importance as they are the celebrations of two Sufi Saints. One is the fair of Madho Laal Hussain (Maila Chiraghan: Festival of lamps) and the other is the fair of Darbar Hazrat Mian Mir. Every time the fair is held at Mian Mir Darbar, the area surrounding Nadira Begum’s tomb is used to erect temporary stalls, shops, swings and rides. The crowd is of such scale that both these areas appear to merge into one. The area is also used by the locals as a play area. After 1970 the dried up pond is being used as a cricket ground. A very renowned cricketer campaigned for years to raze the building and to convert it into a proper cricket ground. While the city needs open spaces and play grounds, it should not be done at the cost of the history and architectural heritage. Maybe it’s because of the good deeds of Nadira Begum or her devotion to her patron saint that the mausoleum is still standing.

In 1956, this tomb was added in the list of protected monuments and since then the Department of Archeology and Museum is responsible for its conservation. This exquisite tomb and the surrounding area is a glaring example of the negligence of the concerned departments. The devastation of these buildings and lack of appreciation for their value reflects overall apathy of our nation towards preserving history. Maybe Mir Taqi Mir has said this for such a time

O ye who seek to put up an abode beware

The body crumbles within to raise the walls outside

Sitting on the platform in falling dusk as I gazed down at the waterways that are dry today, lines of shady trees and some children playing cricket in the grounds; I tried to relive the life of the Princess whose married life started in an unparalleled ceremony with such splendor and opulence that was unheard of and whose life ended in homelessness and heartbreak. What she must have gone through in those last months and days as she must have foreseen the horrible fate that awaited her loved ones. She, who lost 4 of her children in their infancy and whose rest of male progeny was murdered later (though blissfully she died before witnessing their gruesome end) today she lies in a rundown abode surrounded by the laughter of the children playing in the grounds of her derelict mausoleum. Sitting there I remembered the poem “Death” by Rainer Maria Rilke, “Before us great Death stands, Our fate held close within his quiet hands. When with proud joy we lift Life’s red wine. To drink deep of the mystic shining cup. And ecstasy through all our being leaps. Death bows his head and weeps. Some personalities outlive death.” *