Isa Khan's tomb

In the saga of my favorite Mughal emperor, Isa Khan was an advisor of Sher Shah and his son, rivals of Humayan.
Yet his tomb and masjid--built before Humayan's--are inside the Humayan complex.
The walled area has been closed off to visitors for the past two years due to reconstruction work.  When I heard the gate was opening back up this month, I wanted to go.
No:  I had to go.

Isa Khan lived to be 95 years old, so he had time during his life to design his tomb and the masjid that stands nearby. 
He brought over architectural influences from his Pashtu, Afghan background in the glazed tiles and the chattris.

He put up pillars and carvings...

...and he designed gardens that reminded him of home.
He probably never imagined that he and Humayan--exiled at the time of Isa Khan's death--would be tombstone neighbors.  Or that those who visited his garden would actually have come to see his enemy's tomb.
Life--and death--doesn't seem to follow our plans.

Tomb mystery

One of the interesting things in all of my reading and research over Mughal history and architecture means I sometimes find unexpected links.  Mysteries I once thought unsolvable--for my limited knowledge and information base--come unraveled.
In reading about Balban and learning his story, I came across a picture of a place I'd been before.  The caption sited it was the tomb of Khan Shahid, Balban's son.  Khan Shahid died fighting against the Mongols--the actual Ghengis Khan people who had captured and enslaved his father.
When I first came upon this tomb, the historical marker was overgrown and uninteresting.  Somebody Khan died--aren't they all named Khan, and didn't they all die?
The tomb was an enchantingly overgrown structure.  It may not be the most well preserved, but that's just what makes it so appealing--the trees and vines winding through all the old stones and pillars.
And now what makes it even more appealing is that I can place it in context historically.  It represents Balban's greatest loss and the end of his sultanate legacy.
The impervious dictator died a broken man when his dreams died with his son.  And this is all that remains today of his grief written in brick and concrete.

Balban's neglected tomb

Ghiyas ud din Balban is the warrior slave who took over the sultanate of Delhi after Iltutmish, Razia Sultan and her unsuccessful brothers. 
As a child he was captured by the Mongols and sold into slavery.  Bought by Iltutmish, he climbed his way up through political and military gain, finally declaring himself emperor when there was no male heir for the throne.

Balban was an iron-fisted ruler.
He established an efficient espionage system, breaking up the noble networks and their opportunities for hatching plots to usurp the throne.
He was tough on crime and set up garrisons of Afghan soldiers to keep peace and carry out strict justice for all classes.  He ordered that the forests the bandits hid in be destroyed so they would have no where to take refuge.
One of the most important battles he fought was against the Mongols--the very power that had originally stolen him from home, enslaved him and set him on the path towards Delhi.  He successfully defeated them and kept them out of his territory, but lost his favorite son in the battle.
Balban subscribed to the Divine Right of Kings and he is the one who put 'sijda' into practice--to greet the sultan, people had to kneel and touch their head to the ground.  He thought he was God's representative on earth, was guided by God and was, therefore, above any public scrutiny.  There was no room to question his actions.  To keep people in a proper state of awe, Balban was followed around by tall, fearsome looking guards with their swords constantly out and at the ready.
It could be dangerous just to smile when Balban was around.

Architecturally, Balban's tomb complex claims the first true arch built in India. 
The conservationists have been at work here, but the last 700 years have taken their toll on the tomb.
Even a "divine right" to rule can't make a man or his tomb eternal.

Jamali Kamali

Jamali Kamali is a pretty mosque and tomb in the Mehrauli Archeological park.

Jamali was a sufi saint and poet from the time of Lodi, Babur and Humayan (one of his favorites).  The complex was built during Humanyan's reign.

Jamali Kamili has a fairly infamous reputation as one of India's "most haunted" places. 
Rumors of apparitions, tv shows and the unknown identity of the second tomb, that of Kamali, fuel the stories.
Delhites like a good ghost story

Though I'm the first to question and disbelieve historical sign markers, I've no reason to think the ASI is trying to hide anything from the public.
I saw nothing haunting during my visit other than the hauntingly beautiful texture of the red sandstone.

Razia Sultan

The story of Razia Sultan is way more interesting than what is found on an obscure plaque, buried in a crowded, bustling neighborhood.

But a plaque is where it began for me, as I found her name on a broken stone near Qutub Minar.  I then began to ask why I couldn't find another, replacement stone in the Qutub complex area itself--just who was Razia Sultan, besides being the daughter of Iltutmish?

Before he died, Iltutmish appointed his daughter Razia to be the next Sultan of Delhi.  His sons were too irresponsible and wasteful, he said.  Razia, who had not been raised among the women of the harem, had learned sword fighting, battle strategy, and leadership skills along with her brothers because her father had taken a personal interest in her education and training.  By the time she was thirteen, she was acknowledged as an accomplished archer and horse rider who would frequently accompany her father on his military expeditions.
Iltutmish would often say, “This daughter of mine is better than many sons.”
Razia had also already once demonstrated her ability to keep the nobles in line and run the affairs of state while her father was away in battle and she was interim governor.
Iltutmish was sure she was the right one for the job.

The nobles, however, were not at all supportive of his decision.
When Iltutmish died, they put her older brother on the throne instead.  He was an awful ruler who spent his time partying, while his mother ran things and put plots in motion to execute all of his rivals, Razia included.  Razia brought the matter to the public court, demanding justice.  There was an outcry from the people; her brother was deposed and his mother punished.
The people wanted Razia made ruler in his place.  The nobles had no choice but to do as they wished.

As ruler of Delhi, Razia refused to be called 'sultana', because that title was used for the wife or consort of the sultan.  She would answer to the title of 'sultan' only.
She had never been trained in the customs of women of her day--those are things you learn in the harem, where she hadn't spent much time. 
So now that she was sultan, she dressed in men's tunics and headdress, and rode with her face unveiled when she led the army into battle. 

It was likely Razia knew her reign would be short and lonely but that she had nothing to loose by accomplishing as much as she could.  She got right to work establishing schools, research centers, libraries, and building her father's tomb.  She was a good politician, managing the nobles and her enemies, gaining the favor of both the people and the army.
She was good at her job, just as her father suspected she would be.
But the nobles were wary--she was still a woman.

And this is when Yaqut entered the picture.
Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut had climbed the ranks among loyal and trusted courtiers from slave to amir.  Razia appointed him to a high position and made him one of her closest advisers.  The problem was that he was of African descent and most of those in power were of Turkish lineage--they didn't want an outsider moving in.  From that point, it was easy for those who disliked Razia as sultan to start rumors that the relationship between her and Yaqut was illicit and to turn others against her.

Was she really having an affair with Yaqat?
Historians don't seem to agree. Some say he was only an adviser and friend.  Others say the two spent far to much time together and he look liberties, such as helping her on to a horse--flagrantly inappropriate. Rumors flew.
It didn't matter anymore what was true about the relationship, the nobles already resented her as ruler and now others turned on Razia.  Another formerly-trusted courtier, Malik Altunia, had raised a rebellion against her and she had another battle to fight.

So with Yaqut, she led her loyal army out to battle.  But it was Ramadan, and the men of the army fasted from food and water all day.  By the time they reached the enemy, they were exhausted and easily defeated.
Yaqut was killed in the fighting and Razia was imprisoned by Altunia.

According to the comic book version of history, Altunia had long been in love with Razia.  But she had put him off, placing her position as sultan first and refusing to share the throne with anyone.  So it was jealousy that provoked his uprising against her, and now that he had her in his prison she had no choice but to marry him.
The motivations of Altunia and Razia are speculation only, but marry they did, within three days of her capture.

And now there was another problem:  while she was out of town, her younger brother had taken over the throne of Delhi.
Altunia and Razia set out to take it back.  Their forces were defeated by her brother's army, and here's where history isn't sure what happened.

One version says they were killed in battle and that is the end of the story.
Another says Altunia and Razia fled the battle scene and the two of them were abandoned by their remaining army in a rough, wilderness area far north of Delhi.  Here they were robed and killed by peasants.  Now that's a tragic ending.

So after all of that drama and historical intrigue, you're convinced that Razia Sultan is an important figure in Indian history, right?
She was the first Muslim woman ruler in India, and she was good at it.  There's a well-known comic book about her, a movie and she even features in the light show of Lovers of Delhi at the Purana Qila.
Surely her tomb is well taken care of, right?
Not so.

First of all, there are conflicting claims as to where her tomb really lies.
The most popular claim is that she is buried with her sister Shazia in Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi, near the tomb of Shah Turkman--of whom she was a follower and who had died around the same time. 
Another claim is that it is in Kaithal Haryana, where she was killed--also a forgotten place. 
Both of these tombs have no markings to say whom they belong to.
And the third claim is for a place far south of Delhi in Tonk, Rajasthan.  That one is based on an inscription that scholars have recently translated to say it is where Yaqat and Razia lie--but then where is Altunia?  He doesn't show up at any of these sites.

I've started with a visit to the Delhi site.

When we finally reached the tiny alleyway that was said to house the tomb, this is what we found outside the gate:  an assortment of shoes.

We peaked inside and saw that the area had been turned into a small masjid, and our arrival coincided with prayer time.

We waited outside with the mongooses in the sewers until we were given permission to come in.
The imam there told me that they don't get many visitors, and when I asked him if the masjid had been there long, he said it was fairly new, "since 1947."

Houses crowding all around, alleys full of people, motorbikes and cycles--it's hard to imagine that at one time this place would have been out in the middle of nowhere.  Shah Turkman was a bit of a hermit and he insisted on being out in the forest, far away from the rest of society.
That was a really long time ago.  800 years ago.  There is nothing forest-like left.

There is little left that is tomb like.
Yes, it's there with a modernly-placed plaque to mark it as the burial place of Razia Sultan and her sister Shazia, but there's not much to it.

And that's who Razia Sultan is.
She was ahead of her time, appointing slaves to positions of authority and insisting on submission to the spirit of the law, not tradition.  She was a competent and efficient ruler.  It is seemingly true that her only weakness as a leader was in her being a woman.

She inspires legends.
And she inspired me to go out grave seeking.

Bu Halima's tomb and garden

Every time I go to Humayan's tomb, I mean to look for Bu Halima's tomb in the complex.  Somehow I always miss it.

So this time I was more intentional.  I made a point of searching it out.
And when I found it, I realized why I'd missed it time after time.  Because it looks like something that's not finished.  Where's the top of it?  Where's the dome?  Where are the arches?  What about the marble work?  What are the stairs for?

But, you know, since it was on my list of destinations, I went to take a closer look. 

This is it.
A slightly raised bump in the platform.  Bu Halima's tomb.
Okay.  I've seen it.  Check.

Who was Bu Halima, anyway?

The walls of the surrounding garden and the chatris are more fun to climb on.
You can get away with climbing on a lot of things in India that they would not let you in other places.
But then, there's a whole lot more stuff to climb on, too.
I like that.

Charming unknown tomb

On my latest visit to Humayan's tomb, I didn't enter by the usual route.  I walked around the outside walls instead. 
And that lead me to this place:  an unknown tomb from the 16th or 17th century.

"Charming" is the only description I can find of it.
I agree.

But again, it shows that if history doesn't care to remember you, it won't.

Hauz Khas

So there are a lot of tombs around Delhi.
But the ones here in Hauz Khas are in a location I would consider unusual. I guess that's because I wouldn't consider a college campus the best place to build a tomb.
But that's exactly what Firoz Shah Tuglaq did.

He liked the water tank that Alauddin built here years before--Haus Khaz means 'royal tank', so he had the tank repaired and built up a madrasa around it.
Then before he died, at 80-something, he built his tomb here, too.

The tomb is one of many in the area, but Firoz Shah's is typical of other buildings from his time.
They were strong, sloping, and square--kind of like a fortress. Maybe the architects had fortresses on the brain because during this time period their empire was threatened by invaders.
Instead of using sandstone, the buildings were covered with plaster. And maybe that's because the money was being used for defenses instead of building projects. Or maybe all the skilled stonemasons were moved away in one of the population comings and goings of war time.
It was Tamerlane (Timur the Lame) who eventually invaded the city, and the madrasa, water tank and many other places were destroyed.

The unique thing about the tomb is the stone fence around it. No other tomb in Delhi has such a feature.

Then there's the madrasa.
These days young people like to hang out on the walls and watch the sunset over the water.
But back in its heyday, the madrasa at Hauz Khas was the place for studying Arabic and the Quran. Students came from all over to study here on the upper floors, and to stay in the dormitory cells beneath. I wonder if the view of the lake and garden distracted their attention from the lectures.

The tank is now less than a quarter of what it used to be, and it still seems fairly large.
In the 1300s, it must have been nice to take a stroll along a lake on the far outskirts of Delhi. Now it sits squished into one of the busiest areas and it's hard to imagine it as the quiet place it once was.

Iltutmish's tomb

Shams-ud-din Iltutmish was a guy who went from being a slave to being king.

Good looking, talented, a promising future: as a young man, he was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. But his work was impeccable and as he was promoted from one position to another, no one could find fault with him. He made it all the way to lieutenant of the king and even married his daughter. When that king,Qtab-ud-din Aybak's, successor proved to be no good at the job, the nobles offered the throne to Iltutmish. He accepted.
Slave to king.

His tomb is at the Qutub Minar complex and, unlike most other tombs, it has no dome.
Maybe it collapsed and was never repaired. But none of the rest of the tomb is damaged, so over the years, people have developed other theories.
Some say that he had a fear of being buried and wanted the tomb left open.
Others say that due to his years as a slave, he was fond of sleeping under the stars and wanted to rest that way in his grave.

Eight hundred years later, I guess we'll never know the real reason.
But we can speculate along with everyone else and marvel at how a man can be freed from chains to sit on a throne, and be free from ceilings at one of the most visited places in India.

The barber's reward

Here's the other new thing I found when I visited Humayan's tomb: the barber's tomb.

Apparently, Humayan had found a really good shave and cut with this barber. So the barber got something special just for him right next to the emperor.
Wow.

Royal family members only get a slab on the platform of the tomb.
But a good barber? He gets his own mausoleum.

Imam Zamin's tomb

Here's another guy who used to live in the shadow of the Qutab Minar.
Imam Zamin came from Turkistan to carry out duties in the nearby mosque. He lived in a corner just outside the gate and taught in the madrasa.
The stories also say that he was pretty homesick,
but he liked looking up at the Qutab every day enough to stay around.

In fact, the Imam liked it so much that he had his tomb built here, and then shortly after he died.

Yup.
That's how the story goes.

Quli's tomb (part I)

Quli Khan was Adham Khan's brother. But other than being built to honor him, the fascination of this tomb has nothing to do with Quli.
For this place has three different names and many different stories.

The first name is Quli Khan's tomb, 'cause, ya, it is.
But no one knows it by that name. I am pretty sure, because as we walked all over trying to find it, I asked the people for Quli's tomb and got nothin' but blank stares.

What it is known as is the Metcalfe House.
Named after British official, Thomas Metcalfe, who bought the tomb in the 1830s from Quli's family and turned it into a summer residence for himself and later his brother, Charles.

I wouldn't think that living in a three hundred year old tomb would have been very comfortable, but it seems Thomas Metcalfe tried to make some improvements around the property.

And then he renamed the place 'Dilkusha' because it made his heart happy.

I think Sir Metcalfe must have been a peculiar man.

To be continued...

Adham Khan's Tomb

This sightseeing trip goes with several different versions to the story.
And you can pick and choose what to believe.

Here we have the tomb of Adham Khan.
Popularly it's known as Bhool-bhulaiyan--because of a maze-like stairway. (Really? I guess I must have missed that. It all seemed pretty straightforward to me.)

Adham Khan was one of Akbar the Great's (of Fatehpur Sikri) ministers, or maybe he was a general-- depending on your source--the son of Akbar's wet nurse, Maham Anga.
He did not get along with another of Akbar's ministers--Atgah Khan.
Jealously, power struggles, durbar intrigue--the usual Mughal history drama.
So anyhow, one day while they are at the Agra fort, Adham, who seems to have been known for a pretty short temper, get's mad at Atgah and kills him.

As soon as he hears about it, Akbar (also not very restrained) knocks Adham senseless (according to some), and has him thrown off the ramparts of the fort.
Then he has him thrown off again, because Adham wasn't dead the first time.
About forty days later, Adham's poor, sad mama Maham Anga dies of grief. Then someone finally shows some remorse in this saga of tempers and killing, and for dear, deceased aunty's sake, Akbar has this tomb built for Adham in Mehrauli.
Atgah, on the other hand, got to be buried next to Saint Nizamuddin, in a small but "blessed" repose.

For Adham, though, rumors of ill-omens float all around his massive burial chamber.
Some say its unusual octagonal shape (most tombs of the period being hexagonal) was done on purpose as a punishment.
Another saying is that some spurned lover of Adham's cursed his tomb saying no woman would ever visit, so women still avoid it, fearing it will bring bad luck.

Who knows.
Some truth.
Some legend.
Some piece of history standing on a street corner, waiting for a curious passer-by to wonder.

Jungle Book kingdom

Say you were walking along an empty-for-Delhi path through a park and you came upon this place.
What would you be reminded of?

Me, I thought of the Jungle Book and I wondered where King Louie was.

Isn't it amazing, though?
So lovely.
It's just marked as "enclosed tomb". Nothing else memorable, and there's not much care for it's preservation.

Even with all the trees and plants trying to take over, so much detail is still preserved all these many years later.

And nobody else is there to appreciate it. Where are the monkey's at least!