The architectural prelude to the great Taj Mahal

 

The liberal, mystic scent of Sufism was buried in an unknown grave. So was the fate of a Sufi shahjada, Dara Shikhon, who lies buried in an unidentified grave in Humayun tomb complex situated in Delhi.

Humayun’s tomb was built by his wife Hamida Bano Begum. I like this emperor because he died in his library, not a bloodied battlefield. And his mausoleum is a beautiful precursor to the great Taj Mahal. The grand beauty of Taj Mahal doesn’t stand in abstract and doesn’t sprout on its own. This modestly grand tomb is the inspiration behind the majestic Taj. You can say it’s Taj Mahal in infancy.

Made mostly of red sand stone, with thin marble inlays, it contains many structures (containing about 150 graves in 60 chambers) within the sprawling complex. It’s a mosaic of architectural styles blending Rajput and Iranian styles such as jharokhe (windows), projections of the entrance, arches having elephant trunks and circular medallions. Interestingly, there is a structure named Bu Halima, probably named after a famous Arab dancer.

Had Dara Shikhon, the Sufi shahjada, become the emperor of India, he would have been a great Sufi, philosopher and king combined in the rarest of a rare personality blend. To understand the Upanishads and translate them in Persian one has to be the master of soul as well as languages. I’m mesmerized looking at his massive commentary on the Upanishads displayed at the museum.  This is something phenomenal; simply out of this world.

His life is a testament to the fact that it’s possible to be ‘a prince with esteemed spiritual values’. A unique royal personality, he tried to walk on the unorthodox bridge between the royal palace and the Sufi khanqah. He possessed keen interest in Hindu thought and philosophy and in pursuit of that interest he commissioned translation of many Hindu sacred texts into Persian.

A prolific writer he chronicled the life of 400 Sufi saints in his work Sufinat-ul-Aulia. In another work named Risala-i-Haq Nama he sets up a treatise on the path to the divine. In Hasanat-ul-Arifin he delves into Hindu thought through Ramayana and Krishna stories. Most importantly, his translation of Upanishads into Persian shows the depth of his soul and vastness of his mind. The beloved prince of the masses believed that Sufis and Hindus share the essential core of mystical truth.

Had he become the emperor of India, it would have been a different India altogether. But he was killed by his Islamic zealot brother Aurangzeb who ruled with sword on hardcore communal Islamic principles. The latter left enough communal mud for the current Hindu nationalists to wallow in it for political gains. The voice of sanity and secularism lies buried in one of the dozens of graves in the Humayun tomb complex, unrecognized, unsung.

Auragzeb was very punitive towards his secular brother. He buried him in an unknown grave. The historians haven’t so far been able to recognize the Sufi prince’s cenotaph. I think his grave should be discovered and a separate memorial should be built in memory of this great philosopher prince whose life symbolizes our composite culture. 

The impressive museum on the tomb premises gives a nostalgic peek into the poets who scented the society with their sweet emotions about eight centuries back. It’s an overpowering feeling to look at their works at the museum. The great poet Amir Khusro’s works displayed at the museum whisper to you, conveying the message of love and peace.

Amir Khusro’s Shirin-o-Khusro (1298-1301) deals with the tragic love story of Emperor Khusro and Armenian princess Shirin. It’s a grand feeling to look at a copy at the museum. The ancient book decorated with gold borders in nastaliq calligraphy by a master calligrapher and containing many illustrations by a master painter.

Imagine Rumi’s 25,000 couplets drenched with universality of love and compassion. That was the time when Sufism, the jewel in the crown of Islam, was at its peak. Sufism that stood for the unity of faith across various religions; Sufism that was liberal; Sufism that was mystical Islam’s loveliest prayer to the Almighty. Unfortunately Sufism too was buried in an unknown grave like Prince Dara by the hardcore, fundamentalist followers of Islam. It would have been a different world had Sufism become the public face of Islam.