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51-448: The mosque was built during the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb , and is one of several mosques in Dhaka dating to his reign. Its construction is traditionally attributed to Shaista Khan , Mughal governor of Bengal in the period 1678–1684; however, there are no inscriptions on the structure attesting to this. A few kilometers to the north of Pilkhana, for long the end of Mughal Dhaka, was

102-690: A region, the Mughals always sought to occupy a strategic fortress in some region, which would serve as a nodal point from which the Mughal army would emerge to take on any enemy that challenged the empire. This system was not only expensive but also made the army somewhat inflexible as the assumption was always the enemy would retreat into a fortress to be besieged or would engage in a set-piece decisive battle of annihilation on open ground. The Hindu Marathas were expert horsemen who refused to engage in set-piece battles, but rather engaged in campaigns of guerrilla warfare upon

153-418: A syncretistic mixture of Hinduism and Islam. Akbar allowed freedom of religion at his court and attempted to resolve socio-political and cultural differences in his empire by establishing a new religion, Din-i-Ilahi , with strong characteristics of a ruling cult. He left his son an internally stable state, which was in the midst of its golden age, but before long signs of political weakness would emerge. Akbar

204-406: A way of becoming fresh before prayer is now abandoned. In the southern side of the garden stands a tall, old palm tree bearing the symbol of ancient for the place. This ancient structure can be beheld at 150 meters west on the road that goes beside Lalbag fort. The mosque, other than being an architectural site of Dhaka city, is also used as a mosque. Mutawalli of the mosque says, "Though the mosque

255-656: A wider garden that was gradually eroded by river and encroached by buildings. A distinct gateway in front of the sahn that was now subsided because of gradual rise in the surrounding levels can be climbed over for azan (prayer call). The river Turag on which the picturesque structure was standing even few decades back, has now moved nearly a kilometer away from it due to silt, encroachment by filling up, and change of course. The surrounding reclaimed lands for many years were used by small scale manufacturers, semi-permanent houses and slums. But now heavier and more intensive uses can be seen. The Nawab of Dhaka Khwaja Ahsanullah had

306-507: Is 16'-6" above the ground level. The tahkhana comprises vaulted rooms for living purposes. The mosque is accessed from the east, up a flight of twenty-five steps. Area wise, the mosque occupies only a small portion of the platform. The prayer hall is a rectangular structure measuring 48' x 24' and is capped by three domes, the central being the larger one. The smaller sizes of the side domes are achieved by using intermediary pendentives. The corners minarets are short and slender, rising just above

357-518: Is a historical mosque near Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka , Bangladesh. The mosque was built in Atish Khan Mahalla by Khan Mohammad Mridha under the instruction of Qadi Ibadullah in 1706 CE. The mosque rises above its surroundings because the tahkhana or underground rooms of the mosque are above grade. The roof of the tahkhana forms the platform on which the mosque is situated. The spacious prayer place before

408-519: Is divided into three bays by two lateral arches. Each bay contains a mihrab that is marked by multi-cusped arch within a rectangular panel. Various kinds of seasonal flowers are cultivated in the garden in the eastern portion making the compound a sight for sore eyes. A gardener appointed by Department of Archaeology is in charge of the upkeep of the garden. A well in the northern portion of the garden, once used for supplying water for ablution (wudu in Arabic),

459-435: Is embellished with moulded plaster relief, recalling the ornateness of the mihrab in the mosque of Haji Khwaja Shahbaz. It used forms shapes—octagon, rectangle and circle—all beautifully juxtaposed. Besides the typical three domes on the main prayer hall, there are four hollow double-storey domed corner towers that gave rise to its name (Seven-Domed Mosque). The corner turret provided structural stability and visual balance to

510-584: Is owned by the government as an archeological site and is being supervised by the Department of Archeology under Ministry of Cultural affairs there is lack of sincerity and transparency in the government intervention." In 1913, the Archaeological Survey of India listed Mirza's Masjid as a historic monument; by then it had undergone alterations and appropriations that had to be demolished to restore it to its original form. The earliest photograph available on

561-578: The Indian subcontinent , mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India , Pakistan , Afghanistan and Bangladesh . They ruled many parts of India from 1526, and by 1707, and ruled most of the subcontinent. Afterwards, they declined rapidly, but nominally ruled territories until the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , where they gave their last stand against the invading British forces in India. The Mughal dynasty

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612-414: The architecture practiced during the sixteenth century. Two Persian inscriptions, one over the central archway and the other over the central Mihrab. According to an inscription found, the mosque was built during the rule of Deputy Governor of Dhaka, Farrukhsiyar , by a Khan Muhammad Mirza, who could have been the architect. The construction was ordered by a Qazi Ibadullah during 1704–05 AD. The platform

663-424: The 38'×27' building on a river bank and was probably used as viewing galleries for enjoying the river. The upper level of the octagonal turrets starts from around half the height of the main prayer hall. Both levels have arched panels and windows, surmounted by cornice and capped by domes with kalasha (pitcher) finials planted on lotus base. Otherwise with a bigger dome in the middle flanked by two smaller pennis,

714-545: The 40-year-old prince Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass . Babur's forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow the new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India. The instability of

765-409: The 400-year-old city of Dhaka has always been ignored, leading to destruction of the sites. Destruction of heritage sites and historical monuments started during Pakistan period on a moderate scale but it gained momentum after independence. Heritage properties suffered destruction in an appalling extent during military rule. According to conservationist architects, friezes and other ornamental features of

816-510: The Indian subcontinent, extending from Dhaka in the east to Kabul in the west and from Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri River in the south. Its population at the time is estimated to be 158,400,000 (a quarter of the world's population), over a territory of more than 4 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles). Mughal power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century and

867-453: The Jafarbad or Katasur area, originally part of mouza Sarai Begumpur. Many of the mouzas (or revenue circles) were delineated during the reign of Shershah and later by Kartalab Khan. A small urban settlement on a route along the river, this was an alternative to reach Brahmaputra or Garh Jaripa without having to go through the hostile areas along the main stream of Sitalakhya and Brahmaputra on

918-497: The Marathas. The Indian campaign of Nader Shah of Persia culminated with the Sack of Delhi and shattered the remnants of Mughal power and prestige, as well as capturing the imperial treasury, thus drastically accelerating its decline. Many of the empire's elites now sought to control their own affairs and broke away to form independent kingdoms. The Mughal emperor, however, continued to be

969-421: The Mughal supply lines. The Marathas were unable to take the Mughal fortresses via a storm or formal siege as they lacked the artillery, but by constantly intercepting supply columns, they were able to starve Mughal fortresses into submission. Successive Mughal commanders refused to adjust their tactics and develop an appropriate counter-insurgency strategy, which led to the Mughals losing more and more ground to

1020-504: The abandoned structure re-embellished as it was later listed in 1913 by the ASI. Due to its uninterrupted use and some care and maintenance since then, the mosque did not require any renovation. However, in the past, the DOA made several unacceptable modifications while carrying out periodic repairs that show the poverty of its mind. For example, the use of terrazzo on the floor of the main prayer hall and

1071-505: The authority of the emperor, accepting him only as 'King of Delhi' and removing all references to him from their coinage. After the Indian rebellion which he nominally led from 1857–58, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar , was deposed by the British, who then assumed formal control of a large part of the former empire, marking the start of the British Raj . Titular emperors Over

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1122-1058: The course of the empire, there were several claimants to the Mughal throne who ascended the throne or claimed to do so but were never recognized. Here are the claimants to the Mughal throne historians recognise as titular Mughal emperors. (4 years, 8 months and 6 days) (9 years, 4 months and 21 days) 22 February 1555 – 27 January 1556 (11 months and 5 days) (49 years, 8 months and 16 days) (21 years, 11 months and 25 days) (30 years, 6 months and 12 days) Alamgir عالمگیر (48 years, 7 months and 3 days) (3 months 6 days) Shah Alam I (4 years, 253 days) (0 years, 350 days) (6 years, 48 days) (0 years, 98 days) (0 years, 105 days) (28 years, 212 days) (6 years, 37 days) (5 years, 180 days) (0 years, 282 days) (27 years, 301 days) (0 years, 63 days) (18 years, 339 days) (30 years, 321 days) (19 years, 360 days) Khan Muhammad Mirdha%27s Mosque The Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque

1173-520: The court, however, began to exceed the revenue being levied. Shah Jahan's eldest son, the liberal Dara Shikoh , became regent in 1658, as a result of his father's illness. Dara championed a syncretistic Hindu-Muslim religion and culture. With the support of the Islamic orthodoxy, however, a younger son of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb , seized the throne. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, there

1224-440: The courtyard is contrary to normal conservation practices that would have avoided using most modern materials to maintain an authenticity. Some recent renovation jobs, for example applying the thick white plaster, have also drawn criticism from experts. Like in and around many other heritage structures all over the country, the premises of Sat Gambuj Mosque is occupied by religious groups building illegal structures and extensions to

1275-406: The door, all of which are enclose arched niches. The transition from the square to the circle of the dome base is made by pendentives. However, the domes are conventional, rest on octagonal drum shoulder, embellished with blind merlons. The brick lime walls of the naturally cool structures are 6 feet deep. There is a graveyard in front of the mosque used as late as the 1950s. It was originally inside

1326-535: The east these give the impression that the mosque has five exterior bays. On the east are three cusped entrances arches flanked by shallow niches. Slender engaged columns with bulbous bases demarcate the central bay (as seen as the Lalbagh Fort Mosque, although this mosque's colonettes are more prominent). Its interior compares favourably with that of others dating to the second half of the 16th century. The central mihrab has two rows of cusping, and its surface

1377-536: The east. This is evident from its geographic and strategic location, origin of the names of the locality, and the remnants around it. The place where the seven-domed mosque is was known as Sarai Jafarbad or Katasur, under Sarai Begumpur. There was a small agricultural community in between Pilkhana and Jafarbad where the Sat Gambuj Mosque was built. The area became like a jungle due to disuse, dereliction, and desertion. However, in last 55 years, it has become one of

1428-593: The empire became evident under his son, Humayun , who was driven into exile in Persia by rebels. Humayun's exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal courts and led to increasing West Asian cultural influence in the Mughal court. The restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayun's triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from an accident shortly afterwards. Humayun's son, Akbar , succeeded to

1479-532: The empire heavily in both militarily and financially. A further problem for Aurangzeb was the army had always been based upon the land-owning aristocracy of northern India who provided the cavalry for the campaigns, and the empire had nothing equivalent to the janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire. The long and costly conquest of the Deccan had badly diminished the "aura of success" that surrounded Aurangzeb, and from

1530-731: The empire's decline, but he ultimately had to seek the protection of outside powers. In 1784, the Marathas under Mahadaji Shinde won acknowledgement as the protectors of the emperor in Delhi, a state of affairs that continued until after the Second Anglo-Maratha War . Thereafter, the East India Company became the protectors of the Mughal dynasty in Delhi . After 1835 the Company no longer recognised

1581-457: The fabulous wealth of the Mughal court, but the glittering court hid darker realities, namely that about a quarter of the empire's gross national product was owned by 655 families while the bulk of India's 120 million people lived in appalling poverty. After suffering what appears to have been an epileptic seizure in 1578 while hunting tigers, which he regarded as a religious experience , Akbar grew disenchanted with Islam, and came to embrace

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1632-561: The highest manifestation of sovereignty. Not only the Muslim gentry, but the Maratha, Hindu, and Sikh leaders took part in ceremonial acknowledgements of the emperor as the sovereign of India. In the next decades, the Afghans , Sikhs , and Marathas battled against each other and the Mughals, revealing the fragmented state of the empire. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II made futile attempts to reverse

1683-505: The kingdom stretched to 3.2 million square kilometres, including parts of what are now India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. After his death in 1707, "many parts of the empire were in open revolt." Aurangzeb's attempts to reconquer his family's ancestral lands in Central Asia were not successful while his successful conquest of the Deccan region proved to be a pyrrhic victory that cost

1734-523: The last emperor, Bahadur Shah II , was deposed in 1857, with the establishment of the British Raj . The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur , a Timurid prince and ruler from Central Asia . Babur was a direct descendant of Timur , the 14th century founder of the Timurid empire on his father's side, and Genghis Khan on his mother's side. Ousted from his ancestral domains in Turkestan by Shaybani Khan ,

1785-568: The late 17th century onwards, the aristocracy became increasingly unwilling to provide forces for the empire's wars as the prospect of being rewarded with land as a result of a successful war was seen as less and less likely. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the conquest of the Deccan, Aurangzeb had very selectively rewarded some of the noble families with confiscated land in the Deccan, leaving aristocrats unrewarded with confiscated land feeling strongly disgruntled and unwilling to participate in further campaigns. Aurangzeb's son, Shah Alam , repealed

1836-511: The listed building, ignoring its heritage value, building codes and rules, fiercely protecting their possessions. Mughal emperor The emperors of the Mughal Empire , who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur ), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were the supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in

1887-605: The lower part. The mosque has three cusped entrance arches, the middle one being taller and edged with multi-foil arch, a late-Mughal refinement, flanked by shallow niches and rectangular panels and echoed by mihrabs on the qibla wall, slender engaged pilasters with bulbous base demarcating the central bay, mihrab surface embellished with moulded plaster relief, corner turret stretched above merlon parapet with pinnacles, mingle, openings on side walls, etc. The side entrances have mere decoration applied to their external faces some of which may not be original. All these elements emphasize

1938-653: The main mosque is open in all directions allowing air to flow and keep the Musullis cool. A madrasa was also built north-west of the mosque building. Its founding teacher, Mawlana Asadullah (d. 1709), taught fiqh , philosophy and logic in the Arabic and Persian languages to the pupils, and was funded by the Nawabs of Bengal . The main mosque, where the Imam and a few Musullis are accommodated, consists of three domes and bears testimony of

1989-416: The mosque bears all the characteristic features of Shaista Khani style. However, though the qibla facades of most such buildings remain unadorned, that of the Sat Gambuj Mosque is decorated with recessions within moulded panels, the middle portion delineated by two slender pilasters slightly protruding. These are much bigger than those usually seen at the front. The three central panels have an arch-shape on

2040-409: The mosque shows a ruined structure at the turn of the nineteenth century just before this early restoration attempt. Thereafter both the DOA and mosque committee have undertaken periodic repairs, some of which ignored the architectural and historic importance of the building. To compensate for the damaged drains and stop further deterioration, the authority provided new outlets to drain rainwater out from

2091-651: The most planned and most expensive residential enclaves of Dhaka. The Sat Masjid Road is the major peripheral road of the district to its west and is believed to have been built roughly along where the old Bank river Turag was. Picturesquely situated on the edge of a river, the Shat Cumbuj Mosque's exterior is the most innovative of all the Dhaka Mughal-period monuments . The north and south ends of this three-domed rectangular mosque are each marked by two enormous double-storied corner pavilions; when viewed from

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2142-616: The old buildings are replaced with dissimilar and odd-looking features. Details of the ornamental works, their sizes and proportions are lost in the intervention. Though the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC), the Metropolitan Building Rules of 2006 (revised in 2008) and the Antiquities Act of 1968 require the government to take measures and institute a standing committee to protect the heritage sites,

2193-412: The parapet and are capped by ribbed copulas. The annex to the north of the mosque serves as a madrasa or religious school and has a hujra or arcaded hall that is used for travelers and visitors. The facade of the mosque is decorated with paneling and ornamental merlons along the parapet. The entrances to the prayer hall are framed by multi-cusped arches and engaged columns on either side. The interior

2244-451: The plint level as the ground around was constantly elevated to remain above flood level. However, the two slender pinnacles rising on both sides of the panel provide a kind of vertically to this otherwise horizontal and stout structure. This element achieved a level of perfection and hence elegance in the Mridha's Mosque built quarter of a century later. There are eight small panels on each side of

2295-606: The religious policies of his father and attempted to reform the administration. "However, after his death in 1712, the Mughal dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds. In the year 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne". During the reign of Muhammad Shah , the empire began to break up, and vast tracts of central India passed from Mughals to the Marathas hands. Mughal warfare had always been based upon heavy artillery for sieges, heavy cavalry for offensive operations and light cavalry for skirmishing and raids. To control

2346-552: The symmetrical and axial arrangement along with the central dome and the mihrab. The style is very common among most of the surviving historic mosques of Dhaka. Built on a spacious and solid podium, it has many elements resembling those in Khwaja Shahbaz Mosque, Khan Muhammad Mirdha's Mosque , and the mosque inside the Lalbagh Fort. The heights of the entrances and other openings have been distorted or dwarfed by elevation of

2397-570: The throne under a regent, Bairam Khan , who helped consolidate the Mughal Empire in India. Through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari river . He created a new ruling elite loyal to him, implemented a modern administration, and encouraged cultural developments. He increased trade with European trading companies. The Indian historian Abraham Eraly wrote that foreigners were often impressed by

2448-463: The upper terrace (sahn); and improved water and sanitation services. The site experienced many encroachments that constricted the boundaries of the compound, which drew serious attention of the architects and other conservation enthusiasts when it was included as a case study in an architectural conservation workshop in 1989 in Dhaka, sponsored by the AKTC and UNDP. Conservation of invaluable heritage sites in

2499-438: Was a succession war for the throne between Dara and Aurangzeb. Finally, Aurangzeb succeeded the throne and kept Shah Jahan under house arrest. During Aurangzeb's reign, the empire gained political strength once more, and it became the world's largest economy, over a quarter of the world GDP, but his establishment of Sharia caused huge controversies. Aurangzeb expanded the empire to include a huge part of South Asia. At its peak,

2550-471: Was also interested in elevating the way individuals view leaders with the stylings of his clothes and ensemble. Akbar's son, Jahangir , was addicted to opium , neglected the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques . During the reign of Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan , the splendour of the Mughal court reached its peak, as exemplified by the Taj Mahal . The cost of maintaining

2601-557: Was founded by Babur ( r.  1526–1530 ), a Timurid prince from the Fergana Valley (modern-day Uzbekistan ), was a direct descendant of both Timur and Genghis Khan . The Mughal emperors had significant Indian Rajput and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as emperors were born to Rajput and Persian princesses. During the reign of Aurangzeb , the empire, as the world's largest economy and manufacturing power, worth over 25% of global GDP, controlled nearly all of

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