Shah Jahan gave orders for building a fort in Delhi in 1639AD and entered the “Qila e Mubarak”, as it was named on June 15, 1648. While the fort was being erected, he also had the city “Shahjahanabad” built around it. He encouraged his wives, sons, daughters and nobles to build houses, mosques and parks.
Thus, we hear that Princess Jahanara, the emperor’s daughter, had a beautiful sarai (quarters) called Begum ki sarai (the female royal’s quarters) — where the present-day Townhall stands — and a market called Chandni Chowk designed. According to European travellers, the sarai was a world-class monument in itself.
Prince Dara Shikoh had his haveli built on the banks of the river Yamuna and since it was on Nigambodh Ghat, he called it Nigambodh Manzil. It is here that he undertook the monumental work of having the Upanishads, written in Sanskrit, translated into Persian.
Shah Jahan’s wives also commissioned gardens and mosques: of these, the most famous is Fatehpuri Masjid, built by Fatehpuri Begum, which is just next to Khari Baoli in the Chawri Bazar area.
Fatehpuri Masjid, near Khari Baoli.
Once Shah Jahan began living in the Qila and the settlers in Shahjahanabad grew in number, he felt the need for a congregational mosque bigger than existing ones.
This was the Badshahi or imperial mosque built on the orders of the emperor himself; thus, the emperor had to care for many sentiments — the first of these was that the mosque had to be built on a higher plinth than that of the emperor’s residence and its pulpit had to be set higher than his throne. How could the Nasheman Zill e Ilahi or seat of the shadow of God on earth be higher than that of the imam who was calling the faithful to prayer.
The location chosen thus was a hillock called Pahari Bhojala, at a distance of 1,000 yards (0.91km) from the Qila. The mosque was planned in such a way that it would cover the hillock in its entirety. To this day, the area of Shahjahanabad is hilly and if one walks down the narrow alleys of the walled city, one can see huge rocks from the medieval time supporting old mansions.
On October 6, 1650, the foundation stone was laid for a Jama Masjid by the emperor himself and it was built under the supervision of Sa’dullah Khan, the prime minister, and Fazil Khan, the khansaman or the head of the imperial household establishments. According to Carr Stephens, the mosque is a specimen of the Byzantine Arabic style.
It was built in six years at the cost of Rs 10 lakh by 6,000 workers. The cost didn’t include the price of the stones that were presented to Basheeruddin Ahmed in Waqeat e Dar-ul Hukumat Dehli by various rajas and nawabs.
The red stone is interspersed with stripes of marble and inlaid with black stone. Photo: Reuters
The mosque was set on a plinth of 30 feet; it is 261-foot long and 90-foot wide. Its three marble domes with black stripes are a landmark, an icon of the area if you will, and visible for miles around.
Thus, it was appropriately named Masjid e Jahan Numa — a mosque which commands a view of the world.
It has three huge Darwazas on the east, south and north with more than 30 steps each that lead into the mosque. The west side is, of course, the qibla wall or the wall that is in the direction of the Mecca, which the faithful must face while offering prayers.
The mosque is built of red sandstone from the top to the bottom, with marble used up to the dados. The red stone is interspersed with stripes of marble and inlaid with black stone. Every wall is artistically decorated with calligraphic inscriptions above the eleven arches in the Tughra script, on marble tablets written in black slate.
The inscription on the central arch is simply Yaa Hadi (one of the 99 beautiful names of Allah; it means “O Guide”), while the other inscriptions give details of the construction besides praising the emperor.
A beautiful hauz in the centre of the huge courtyard was built for wudu, the ablution before namaz. The river Yamuna, which is now quite far from Shahjahanabad or Old Delhi, used to flow approximately where MG Road runs now. So, water for the hauz was pumped into it by a Persian wheel situated at a short distance from the mosque in a room that is now kept locked (it still bears an inscription describing its purpose). Even the old iron machinery is visible in the room next to the well, which has been converted into a small workstation by some residents.
A beautiful hauz in the centre of the huge courtyard was built for wudu, the ablution before namaz. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
On three sides of the courtyard are beautiful corridors and galleries where I have often offered prayers. On all four corners of the mosque are four pavilions with attractive baradaris. During the holy month of Ramzan, the announcement to break the fast is made from one of the pavillions.
There is also a sundial in the southeast to indicate time, but it lies in a decrepit state today. Mirza Salim, the son of Akbar Shah II, built it in 1829 AD. During one of my visits, I saw clothes being hung out to dry on it. A map of the world suffers an even worse fate as people sit on it to get a better view of the mosque.
Jama Masjid has always been a symbol of faith for the Muslims of the country. It was also a focal point for the community living in Delhi. Though it is not the largest mosque in India (that distinction goes to Taj ul Masjid in Bhopal), it is certainly one of the most majestic.
It was inaugurated on the occasion of Eid ul Fitr in 1656 AD, and since then it has occupied a central place in the life of the city. The mosque was a focal point for gatherings during the siege of Delhi in the 1857 Uprising. It was on the walls of Jama Masjid that posters were put up by the forces who were trying to create a communal divide among India’s people. These were immediately taken down upon then Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar’s orders. Maulvi Mohammad Baqar countered these posters in his newspaperThe Delhi Urdu Akhbar, in which he said that Hindus and Muslims were “ahl e watan” (compatriots) and had been living together for a thousand years.
A mosque for the people. Photo: Reuters
Since it had been such a symbol of togetherness and rebellion against British power in 1857, after the uprising, the British occupied the mosque and stopped people from offering prayers within its premises. Its gateways were guarded by British Indian troops to prevent entry. It was used as a mess and horses tied along its corridors, with alcohol being freely consumed by the troops.
As Sadia Aziz writes in her paperMosque, Memory and State: A Case Study of Jama Masjid (India) and the Colonial State c. 1857, “the Muslim population was specifically targeted as the British perceived the uprising of 1857 as a ‘Muslim conspiracy’ against them.
Consequently, numerous mosques in the city of Delhi were demolished, leaving no trace of their existence. Various options were discussed in higher official circles as far as the fate of the Jama Masjid was concerned.
Plans ranging from its demolition to converting it into a Church or a more ‘secular’ college, floated in the bureaucracy. But finally, the plan to make it as a barracks for the Sikh soldiers from Punjab, who in turn deliberately desecrated its sanctity by undertaking prohibited activities was passed”.
After five years, on November 28, 1862, following innumerable petitions by Muslims, the government returned the mosque to the original inhabitants. A committee was formed for its administration with ten Muslims in it. The British put down many conditions, including that they could enter with their dogs and would not take off their shoes.
A view of the world. Photo: Reuters
This was a cause of much heartburn among Muslims. It was later decided that no dogs would be allowed inside the premises, and the British would take off their hats but not their shoes, as was the custom in churches.
After many years and petitions, new rules were framed, ensuring that no one could enter the edifice wearing footwear (if at all, they would have to wear covers over them), no dogs were allowed inside, and intoxicants such as liquor — prohibited in Islam — would not be carried into the premises.
In the medieval era, the khutba (Friday sermon) at this mosque was used earlier to validate the emperor’s rule, then to praise the British rule, and today the imam uses it to endorse his favourite political party.
A mosque whose grand gateways were once the lifeblood of the city — with dastangos reciting their stories on its steps and sellers showcasing their unique wares — has now deteriorated to hosting the hawking of cheap material and beggars.
Jama Masjid’s interiors are still grand and every day, the mosque sees thousands of visitors who gather to pray or to just admire its beauty. Though it’s still as majestic, every time I go there, I despair at its shoddy maintenance.
Shah Jahan aliamuru ujenzi wa ngome huko Delhi mnamo 1639 na akaingia Qila Mubarak mnamo Juni 15, 1648. Wakati ngome ilikuwa ikijengwa, pia alikuwa na mji <unk>Shahjahanabad<unk> kujengwa karibu nayo. Aliwatia moyo wake, wanawe, binti zake na wakuu wake kujenga nyumba, misikiti na mbuga. Hivyo, tunasikia kwamba Princess Jahanara, binti ya maliki, alikuwa na sarai nzuri (mashamba) aitwaye Begum ki sarai (mashamba ya kifalme ya wanawake) - ambapo Town Hall ya leo inasimama - na soko linaloitwa Chandni Chowk iliyoundwa. Kulingana na wasafiri wa Ulaya, sarai hiyo ilikuwa mnara wa ukumbusho wa kiwango cha ulimwengu yenyewe. "Mfalme Dara Shiko aliweka nyumba yake ya kifalme kwenye ukingo wa Mto Yamuna, na kwa kuwa ilikuwa kwenye Ghati ya Nigambodh, aliita ""Nigambodh Manzil.""" Huko ndiko alikofanya kazi kubwa ya kutafsiri Upanishads, iliyoandikwa katika Kisanskrit, katika Kiajemi. Mke wa Shah Jahan pia aliagiza bustani na misikiti: kati ya hizi, maarufu zaidi ni Fatahpuri Masjid, iliyojengwa na Fatahpuri Begum, ambayo iko karibu na Khari Baoli katika eneo la Chawri Bazar. Msikiti wa Fatehpuri, karibu na Khari Baoli. Shah Jahan alipokuwa akijenga nyumba ya kifalme huko Qila, aliona uhitaji wa kujenga msikiti mkubwa zaidi. Huo ulikuwa msikiti wa Badshahi au wa kifalme uliojengwa kwa amri ya maliki mwenyewe; hivyo, maliki alilazimika kutunza hisia nyingi - ya kwanza kati ya hizo ilikuwa kwamba msikiti ulilazimika kujengwa juu ya nguzo ya juu kuliko ile ya makazi ya maliki na mimbari yake ililazimika kuwekwa juu kuliko kiti chake cha enzi. "Hii ni kwa sababu ""Nashman-e-Zilali"" (kiti cha kivuli cha Mungu duniani) ni cha juu kuliko kile cha Imam ambaye alikuwa akiwaita waumini kwa sala." "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, eneo la ""Pahari Bhojla"" lilikuwa karibu na mji wa Qila." Msikiti huo ulipangwa kwa njia ambayo ingefunika kilima hicho kwa ukamilifu wake. Hadi leo hii, eneo la Shahjahanabad ni mlima na ikiwa mtu anatembea chini ya vijia vidogo vya mji uliozungukwa na kuta, mtu anaweza kuona miamba mikubwa kutoka wakati wa enzi za kati ikiunga mkono nyumba za zamani. Mnamo Oktoba 6, 1650, jiwe la msingi la Jumba la Masjid liliwekwa na mfalme mwenyewe na lilijengwa chini ya usimamizi wa Sa'dullah Khan, waziri mkuu, na Fazil Khan, khansaman au mkuu wa taasisi za nyumba za kifalme. Kulingana na Carr Stephens, msikiti huo ni mfano wa mtindo wa Kiarabu wa Byzantium. Jengo hilo lilijengwa kwa miaka sita kwa gharama ya Rs 10 lakh na wafanyakazi 6,000. Gharama hiyo haikujumuisha bei ya mawe ambayo yaliwasilishwa kwa Basheeruddin Ahmed katika Waqeat e Dar-ul Hukumat Dehli na rajas na nawabs mbalimbali. Jiwe jekundu limechanganywa na mistari ya marumaru na kuingizwa na jiwe jeusi. Jengo la msikiti huo lilijengwa juu ya nguzo ya mita 30 na ni ndefu mita 26 na pana mita 90. Vibanda vyake vitatu vya marumaru vyenye mistari nyeusi ni alama ya eneo hilo, ikoni ya eneo hilo, na vinaonekana umbali wa maili nyingi. Hivyo, iliitwa kwa kufaa Masjid e Jahan Numa <unk> msikiti ambao unaamuru mtazamo wa ulimwengu. Darwaza tatu kubwa, upande wa mashariki, kusini na kaskazini, zina ngazi zaidi ya 30 kila moja inayoongoza kwenye msikiti. Sehemu ya magharibi ni ukutani wa Qibla, ambao ni upande wa Makkah ambapo waumini wanapaswa kuabudu. Msikiti huo umejengwa kwa mawe ya mchanga mekundu kutoka juu hadi chini, na marumaru imetumiwa hadi kwenye dados. Jiwe jekundu limechanganywa na mistari ya marumaru na kuingizwa na jiwe jeusi. Kila ukuta umepambwa kwa maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi ya maandishi. "Mkono wa mbele wa hekalu una maandishi ya Yaa Hadi (jina la Mungu) na ""O Guide"" (Mwongozo) na maandishi mengine ya kumsifu Mfalme." Hauz maridadi katikati ya ua mkubwa ilijengwa kwa ajili ya wudu, kuoga kabla ya namaz. Mto Yamuna, ambao sasa uko mbali sana na Shahjahanabad au Delhi ya Kale, uliwahi kutiririka karibu na mahali ambapo Barabara ya MG inaendesha sasa. Maji ya hauz yaliingizwa ndani ya msikiti huo kwa kutumia gurudumu la Kiajemi lililokuwa karibu na msikiti huo, katika chumba ambacho sasa kimefungwa (kila chumba hicho kina maandishi yanayoeleza kusudi lake). Hata mashine za zamani za chuma zinaonekana katika chumba kilicho karibu na kisima, ambacho kimebadilishwa kuwa kituo kidogo cha kazi na baadhi ya wakazi. Hauz maridadi katikati ya ua mkubwa ilijengwa kwa ajili ya wudu, kuoga kabla ya namaz. Picha: Wikimedia Commons Katika pande tatu za ua kuna vijia na majumba maridadi ambapo mara nyingi nimetoa sala. Katika pembe zote nne za msikiti kuna vibanda vinne vyenye baradari zenye kuvutia. Wakati wa mwezi mtakatifu wa Ramadhani, tangazo la kuvunja kufunga hutolewa kutoka kwa moja ya vibanda. Pia kuna saa ya jua kusini-mashariki ili kuonyesha wakati, lakini leo iko katika hali mbaya sana. Mirza Salim, mwana wa Akbar Shah II, aliijenga mnamo 1829 KK. Wakati wa ziara yangu moja, niliona nguo zikiwa zimewekwa juu yake ili kukauka. Ramani ya dunia ina hatima mbaya zaidi wakati watu wanapoketi juu yake ili kupata mtazamo bora wa msikiti. Jumba la Jamaa limekuwa ishara ya imani kwa Waislamu wa nchi. Pia ilikuwa kitovu cha jamii iliyokuwa ikiishi Delhi. Ingawa si msikiti mkubwa zaidi nchini India (tofauti hiyo inakwenda kwa Taj ul Masjid huko Bhopal), ni hakika moja ya masikiti yenye fahari zaidi. Jumba hilo lilizinduliwa wakati wa Eid ul-Fitr mwaka 1656 na tangu wakati huo limekuwa na nafasi muhimu katika maisha ya mji. Jumba hilo la ibada lilikuwa kituo cha kukusanyika wakati wa kuzingirwa kwa Delhi katika Mapinduzi ya 1857. "Kulikuwa kwenye kuta za Jumba la Masjid kwamba mabango yaliwekwa na vikosi vilivyokuwa vikijaribu kuunda mgawanyiko wa kikabila miongoni mwa watu wa India.""" Hizi ziliondolewa mara moja kwa amri ya maliki wa Mughal Bahadur Shah Zafar. Maulvi Mohammad Baqar alishutumu maandishi hayo katika gazeti lake la The Delhi Urdu Akhbar, ambapo alisema kwamba Wahindu na Waislamu ni "Ahl-e-Watan" (watu wa nchi hiyo) na wamekuwa wakiishi pamoja kwa miaka elfu moja. Msikiti kwa ajili ya watu. "Mfano: ""Kwa kuwa ilikuwa ishara ya umoja na uasi dhidi ya mamlaka ya Uingereza mwaka wa 1857, baada ya mapinduzi, Waingereza walishika msikiti na kuwazuia watu kusali ndani ya majengo yake." Milango yake ililindwa na askari-jeshi wa India wa Uingereza ili kuzuia kuingia. Ilikuwa ikitumiwa kama jumba la chakula na farasi waliofungwa kando ya vijia vyake, na kileo kilitumiwa kwa uhuru na askari-jeshi. "Asad Aziz, katika kitabu chake ""Mosque, Memory and State: A Case Study of Jama Masjid (India) and the Colonial State,"" anasema: ""Watu wa Kiislamu walipigwa risasi hasa wakati Waingereza walipoona uasi wa 1857 kuwa ""mshambulizi wa Kiislamu"" dhidi yao." Kwa sababu hiyo, misikiti mingi katika jiji la Delhi ilibomolewa, bila kuacha alama yoyote ya kuwepo kwayo. Chaguzi mbalimbali zilijadiliwa katika duru za juu za maafisa kwa kadiri hatima ya Jama Masjid ilivyokuwa na wasiwasi. Mipango kuanzia kuibomoa hadi kuibadilisha kuwa Kanisa au chuo kikuu cha "kijamii", ilizunguka katika serikali. Lakini hatimaye, mpango wa kuifanya kama kambi ya askari wa Sikh kutoka Punjab, ambao kwa upande wao walidharau kimakusudi utakatifu wake kwa kufanya shughuli zilizokatazwa ilipitishwa. Baada ya miaka mitano, Novemba 28, 1862, baada ya maombi mengi ya Waislamu, serikali ilirudisha msikiti kwa wakazi wa awali. Halmashauri iliundwa kwa ajili ya usimamizi wake ikiwa na Waislamu kumi ndani yake. Waingereza waliweka masharti mengi, kutia ndani kwamba wangeweza kuingia na mbwa wao na wasivue viatu vyao. Maoni juu ya ulimwengu. Picha: Reuters Hii ilikuwa sababu ya uchungu mwingi miongoni mwa Waislamu. Baadaye iliamuliwa kwamba mbwa hawaruhusiwi ndani ya kanisa, na Waingereza waliondoa kofia zao lakini si viatu vyao, kama ilivyokuwa desturi katika makanisa. Baada ya miaka mingi na maombi, sheria mpya ziliwekwa, kuhakikisha kwamba hakuna mtu angeweza kuingia jengo la kuabudu akiwa amevaa viatu (kama hata, wangelazimika kuvaa vifuniko), mbwa hawakuruhusiwa ndani, na vitu vyenye kulevya kama vile pombe - vilivyokatazwa katika Uislamu - havingeweza kubebwa ndani ya jengo hilo. Katika enzi za kati, khutbah (mahubiri ya Ijumaa) katika msikiti huu ilitumiwa mapema kuidhinisha utawala wa maliki, kisha kusifu utawala wa Uingereza, na leo imam hutumia kuidhinisha chama chake cha kisiasa cha kupenda. Msikiti ambao milango yake mikubwa wakati mmoja ilikuwa damu ya maisha ya jiji - na dastangos wakisoma hadithi zao kwenye hatua zake na wauzaji wakionyesha bidhaa zao za kipekee - sasa umeharibika kuwa mwenyeji wa kuuza vifaa vya bei nafuu na waombaji. Jumba la Jamaa Masjid bado lina majengo makubwa na kila siku, jumba hilo la ibada linaona maelfu ya wageni wanaokusanyika kusali au kuvutiwa na uzuri wake. Ingawa bado ni yenye fahari, kila mara ninapokwenda huko, ninatamani sana kutunzwa kwake vibaya.