heritage conservation - gate bagh e-mullah shah

Gate Bagh-e-Mullah Shah(Documentation + conservation Proposals)

August 2013

Community Support By

Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gillani

Technical Support By

Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects18-A, Street C, Upper Mall Scheme, Lahore- [email protected](92-42)35713322,35758252

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Acknowledgements

Kamil Khan Mumtaz (Project Director)Syed M. Mehdi (Project Coordinator)

Faiza Mehmood (Internee)M. Ibrahim Saeed (Internee)

Neha Fatima Inayat (Internee)Nouman Tufail (Internee)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

DARA SHIKOH

Dara Shikoh (1615-1659) was the eldest son of

Emperor Shahjahan and designated crown prince.

Unlike his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather,

Dara Shikoh seemed not only to engage saints in his

service but also to submit himself in their guidance.

It is said that when Dara was in his youth he became

quite ill and none could cure him, he was then taken to

Lahore to visit Hazrat Mian Mir. He soon recovered

after his visit and credited his recovery to the saint.

Later in 1639 AD Dara Shikoh and his sister Princess

Jehanara were both initiated into the sufi order by

Mullah Shah Badakshi, who became the successor to

Hazrat Mian Mir after his death.

Prince Dara ShikohSource: Wikipedia

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Dara believed that the mystical traditions of both

Hinduism and Islam spoke of the same truth. Among

his many literary works are the translations of the

Hindu Upanishads from Sanskrit to Persian.

He also had a great influence on the urban

environment of Lahore. He realigned the main road

from Lahore to Delhi away from Shalimar back onto its

original route. It now passed through Lahore’s spiritual

center, the burial site of Hazrat Mian Mir. Dara started

the construction of a tomb over Hazrat Mian Mir’s burial

site but was murdered before it could be complete.

Aurangzeb used the materials that Dara had collected

and saw to it that the tomb was completed. After the

death of Mullah Shah, Princess Jehanara had a garden

tomb constructed for him next to the shrine of his

spiritual leader, Hazrat Mian Mir.

Shah Jehan with his son Dara Shikohca 1620Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

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SOCIETYHISTORICAL BACKGROUND

HAZRAT MIAN MIR

Hazrat Mian Mir, originally named Shaikh Muhammad,

was born in Sistan in approx. 1550 A.D. He belonged to

the Qadiri order of Sufism. Hazrat Mian Mir never went

through a formal religious education, but was taught

mystic disciplines by his mother. At the age of 12, the

young mystic went into the jungles to practice self-

mortification where he became the disciple of Shayk

Khizer. Later, Hazrat Mian Mir studied religion under

Maulana Sadullah, an outstanding scholar of Lahore.

Hazrat Mian Mir shunned fame and worldly gain and

preferred to stay in seclusion, often retreating to the

forest during the day and retiring to his cell at night. In

his biography of Hazrat Mian Mir, Dara Shikoh records

that the mystic never slept at night and for several years

used only two breaths from night till sunrise.

Hazrat Mian Mir

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While on his way to Kashmir from Sirhind in 1620 AD,

Emperor Jehangir heard of this Sufi saint and invited

him to his royal camp. Hazrat Mian Mir visited the camp

and left quite an impression on Jehangir with his

spiritual discourse. Emperor Shahjehan called twice on

Hazrat Mian mir at his home at Lahore. Despite

attention from rulers, the mystic remained aloof from

worldly authorities. Prince Dara Shikoh was introduced

to the Shaykh through his disciple Mullah Shah.

Hazrat Mian Mir holds a pivotal rank in Sikh history for

laying the foundation stone of the Haramandir Sahab at

the Golden Temple in Amritsar, upon the request of

Guru Ram Das. Hazrat Mian Mir died in 1653 AD and

was buried in Lahore. He continues to be venerated by

followers of the Islamic and Sikh faith.Hazrat Mian Mir and Dara

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MULLAH SHAH BADAKSHANI

Shah Muhammad, affectionately called Mullah Shah

belonged to the village of Arkasai, in Badhakshan, where

he completed his early education.While travelling to

Lahore, Mullah Shah heard of Hazrat Mian Mir and

sought a meeting with the famous mystic. Later he

became the most prominent of Hazrat Mian Mir’s

disciples.

Mullah Shah lived a hard life of self-mortification and

remained a celibate. He never cooked anything in his

house and did not even light a lamp during the night. He

practiced meditation with breath control, even during the

severest Kashmir winters and taught these practices to

disciples including the Crown Prince Dara Shikoh. Dara

creditated his spiritual progression to the blessing of

Mullah Shah.

In 1540 AD, Emperor Shahjehan invited Mullah Shah to

the palace in 1640 AD, seeking his spiritual guidance.

Dara Shikoh with Mian Mir and Mulla Shahca. 1640Source: Smithsonian Institution

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The same year Prince Dara and Princess Jehanara

became disciples of Mullah Shah. It took a great deal of

persuasion for the Master to agree to initiate the children

of the royal family into the Qadri Order.

Shahjehan, Dara and Jehanara continued to meet

Mullah Shah regularly, both in Kashmir and in Lahore.

He renamed the Chashm e Shahi Gardens to Chashm e

Shahiba, after Jehanara’s title of Begum Shaiba.

Following Dara’s death, Aurangzeb launched an

attack on everyone who was close to him. He

decreed that Mullah Shah be brought to Delhi. but

the mystic could not travel on account of ill health.

Jehanara pleaded with Aurangzeb to excuse her

spiritual Master. Aurangzeb ordered Mullah Shah to

leave Kashmir and move to Lahore. where he lived

in the house assigned to him by Shahjehan.Shuja, Aurangzeb, and Murad Bakhshca 1637Source British Museum

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Location of Site on Map of Lahore

Jehanara arranged for one of her personal servantsto look after him. When Mullah Shah died in 1666, hewas buried close to the tomb of Mian Mir. Jehanarahad a red sandstone mausoleum built over his grave.adding a beautiful garden in the compound .

At the corner of the prominent mosque (see map), abrick gateway distinguishes the street where thisimportant saint, hailing from Badakhshan lies buried.Traversing the narrow street on foot. it is best to askfor the Durbar of Mulla Shah, for it is difficult todistinguish the entrance in the mass of structuresabutting it.

As you enter the doorway. a narrow passage leadsyou to a small courtyard, which is dominated by thesquare tomb of the saint. On its north is a smallverandah which leads to a small mosque.

THE GATE SEAL

This gate is located to the North wall of garden that had

been build by Dora Shikoh 1047 A.H .

This garden is the part of Hazrat Mullah Shah tomb.

A wall was located on the four sides of the garden which

measures four and a half yards,length 120 yards width

120 yards.

There were four minarates on the four corners of the

garden out of which only one still exists. The whole was

made of red sandstone. People got settled inside the

garden for the first time out of the fear of foreign attacks

in the reign of Sikhs. Nowadays the garden is known as

Mian Mir village.

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SOCIETYSITE LOCATION

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SOCIETYCEILING PLAN

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SOCIETYROOF PLAN

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SOCIETYNORTH ELEVATION

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SOCIETYSOUTH ELEVATION

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SOCIETYSECTION BB’

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SOCIETYSECTION AA’

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SOCIETYDECORATIVE BRICK WORK

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SOCIETYDETAILED DRAWINGS

Plan

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Ceiling Plan

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Roof Plan

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North Elevation

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South Elevation

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Section AA’

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Section BB’

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SOCIETYCAUSES OF DECAY

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS

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Ceiling Plan

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS

Roof Plan

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS

North Elevation

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS

South Elevation

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS

Section AA’

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS

Section BB’

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SOCIETYPROPOSALS (Mud Wash)

Ceiling Plan

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North Elevation

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South Elevation

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Section AA’

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Section BB’

References:

Sufism: The heart of IslamBy Dehlvi Sadia

Mughal Gardens: Sources, Places, Representations, and ProspectsEdited by James L. Wescoat, Joachim Wolschke-BulmahnSacred Spaces: A Journey with the Sufis of the IndusBy Samina QuraeshiThe Oxford History of IslamEdited by John L. Esposito

Community Support By

Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gillani

Technical Support By

Kamil Khan Mumtaz Architects18-A, Street C, Upper Mall Scheme, Lahore- [email protected](92-42)35713322,35758252

Acknowledgements

Kamil Khan Mumtaz (Project Director)Syed M. Mehdi (Project Coordinator)

Faiza Mehmood (Internee)M. Ibrahim Saeed (Internee)

Neha Fatima Inayat (Internee)Nouman Tufail (Internee)

LAHORE

CONSERVATION

SOCIETY

heritage conservation - gate bagh e-mullah shah

Data & Analytics

biography of hazrat

burial site of hazrat

hazrat mian mir shunned

ad dara shikoh

hazrat mian mirs burial

dara shikoh records

prince dara shikoh source

son dara shikohca