Tomb of Jahangir

The entrance to the mausoleum is through two massive gateways of stone and masonry opposite each other (to the north and south) which lead to a square enclosure known as the Akbari Serai. This enclosure leads to another one, on the western side, giving full view of the garden in front of the mausoleum, which is traversed by four-bricked canals proceeding from the centre, and in which many fountains were placed which are now in ruins. The corridor around the mausoleum is adorned with a most elegant mosaic, representing flowers and Quranic verses.

The interior of the mausoleum is an elevated sarcophagus of white marble, the sides of which are wrought with flowers of mosaic in the same elegant style as the tombs in the Taj Mahal at Agra, India. On two sides of the sarcophagus the ninety-nine attributes of God are inlaid in black. Beautiful ‘jalis’ admit light in various patterns.

Hundreds of visitors come to the mausoleum every day to pay their respects to the poet-philosopher.He was one of the major inspirations behind the Pakistan Movement, and is revered in Pakistan as Muffakir-e-Pakistan (The Thinker of Pakistan) or Shair-e-Mashriq (The Poet of the East). Iqbal died on April 21, 1938 in Lahore at the age of 60. Since the independence of Pakistan, an academy named after him (Iqbal Academy) has been established to promote and disseminate his poetical and philosophical messages and teachings. As another tribute, the newly built Lahore airport has also been named after him as Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Baituraza

Syed Hakim Ali Shah, famous as Abu-ur-Raza is a Muslim Sufi saint who started preaching Islam in suburbs of Lahore during early twentieth century.

He inaugurated Baituraza as the common place for those who wished to get wisdom and knowledge of Islam and sufism.

History

Syed Hakim Ali Shah Abu-ur-Raza was born in a small village called Kotli Fateh (although some references mention it to be Kotli Muno as well) near Gujranwala Pakistan. His exact date of birth is not known but some old letters mention it to be around 1885.

He rececived his early education at home and then traveled to the nearby places to further enhance his knowledge of Quran, Fiqah and Hadith. By the time he was twenty, he was chosen to be the Imam of the local mosque in his native village.

After serving a few years as Imam at the village mosque, he went to Sharaqpur Sharif , the famous Dargah of Hazrat Mian Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri.

He was welcomed warmly by Mian Sahib and was awarded with the Naqshbandi Khilafat in a very short period of time.

Even some narrator said that Mian Sahib came out of his place and welcomed Hazrat Sahib saying that he had been waiting for his arrival since long.

Once the Naqshbandi Khilafat was awarded, Hazrat Sahib expressed his desire to attain the Qadri khilafat as well. Although Mian Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri initially hesitated to allow him to go for it but Hazrat Sahib showed a phrase to Mian Sahib from the famous book Futooh-ul-Ghaib and requested for the permission of completion of Qadri Silsila. Mian Sahib finally allowed him to go for it and also prayed for his success. Just before his departure from Sharaqpur Hazrat Mian Sahib blessed him with his own turban along with the shirt (Kurta) and Aasa.

He then left the city and headed towards the barren lands of East Punjab and central India full of forests and wild animals.

Although there is no verifiable evidence, it seems that around 1920 he finally achieved his goal and being successful he was awarded with the title of Abu-ur-Raza.

He was ordered to move to Lahore and get stationed there. He settled down near a small village Pakki Thatti in the outskirts of Lahore where he stayed till his passing to the final abode in 1940.

On January 22, 1940, he died and a shrine was built by his son Sahibzada Syed Muhammad Siddique Shah Sahib on his grave which is a display of the heights of traditional masonry and artistry combined with the modern architecture.

Urs

A three day Annual Urs ceremony (Death anniversary) is held at his shrine every year on 18th,19th and 20 Zil Hajj (12th month of Islamic Lunar Calendar).

Descendants

Originally Syed Hakim Ali Shah had two sons back in his home town Kotli Fateh, Gujrasnwala. It’s narrated that Hazrat Sahib had a special love for Quran and when he used to recite the Book, he never talked with anyone, nor he moved. One day he was reciting the Quran in the compound of the village mosque, and it suddenly started snowing heavily that continued till the streets turned totally white. After snowing was stopped people ran towards the mosque to see what happened to Hazrat Sahib but they were surprised to see that inside the compound there was no snow at all.

Similarly one day he was reciting Quran and his son got sick. His mother sent someone to bring him back home but he ignored and continued recitation. When he finished and went back home, the son had died. Mother got angry and said Ok now Quran belongs to you and you belong to Quran.

The second son Syed Muhammad Siddique Shah moved to Baituraza few years before Hazrat sahib’s death. After the death of his father, Sahibzada Siddique Shah Sahib took over the place and managed it till 1974 when he died due to heart attack.

It was quite unexpected situation, and a very hard time for Baituraza but Sahibzada Syed Muhammad Yusuf-ur-Raza, eldest son of Syed Muhammad Siddique Shah Sahib and grandson of Syed Hakim Ali Shah took over the management responsibilities. He is the current administrator of Darbar Sharif and famous for his unique and simplified description of Quranic verses

The tombs in Pakistan have ever been a great attraction due to their elaborate architecture, and elegant design. The national as well as international tourists flock to these places. These tombs have vaulted chambers dominated with the Islamic architecture.

The Mughal emperor Jahangir, a great ruler, is buried near the town of Shahdra Bagh in Lahore Pakistan. He actually died in Rajauri, but his body was brought to Lahore. His Tomb was built by his son Shah Jahan in 1637, almost ten years after his death. The tomb is believed to be designed by the Jahangir’s widow, Noor Jahan. Upon his will, the second story is kept unroofed to keep the grave open to the sky. The tomb extended over 55 acres, is made with marble, and red stones. It also bears the 99 attributes of Allah in Arabic Calligraphy.

Among the great tombs in Pakistan, the tomb of Noor Jahan is situated outside the Jahangir’s tomb. The tomb was built in 1645 AD near the railway lines in Shahdra Lahore. The marble cenotaph was built during her lifetime. However, after the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Jahangir and Noor Jahan tomb suffered much damage. All the treasures and tiles were taken off to decorate the Golden Temple in Amritsar India.

The tomb of another famous personality of past, Anarkali is also situated in Lahore. It is said to be built by the Mughal emperor Salim, after the death of Anarkali. The tomb signifies the unsuccessful love story of Nadra Begum, Anarkali, and Prince Salim. Akbar, father of Salim, and the then king interred Anarkali alive. The superstructure of the tomb was raised about 16 years after her death. After the British invasion, it was turned into church, with various design alterations. At present, though it does not stand as the original Mughal building, still it has great attraction for tourists, regarded by many as a symbol of love.

Multan, city of Pakistan is regarded as the land of saints, and is abundant in tombs. These tombs are the founders of funerary style tombs in Pakistan. The tomb of Hazrat Shaikh Baha-Al-Din Zakariya, a saint and preacher of Islam is situated in Multan. He was the disciple of Shaikh Shahab al-Din Suhrawardi. Shaikh Baha-Al-Din Zakariya was also awarded Khilafat in Baghdad. Some years after his death in 1627, his tomb was almost ruined by the British in 1848 AD.

The mausoleum of Shah Rukn-e-Alam is also situated in Multan. Based on his will, he was buried in the mausoleum of his Grandfather Shaikh Baha-Al-Din Zakariya. The land of Multan possesses the honour of raising the tombs of Hafiz Muhammad Jamal, Shah Yousuf Gardezi, and Shah Sabzwari.

The tombs of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal are situated in Karachi and Lahore respectively. The tombs are built to pay tribute to the services of the great leaders. Liaqut Ali Khan and Fatima Jinnah are buried near the grave of Quaid.

Nausherwani tombs

The Nausherwani tombs are a set of nine tombs dating back nearly 800 hundred years. According to district gazetteer of Kharan (1906) there were nine tombs of which two have collapsed by 2004. The district gazetteer of 1906 records that one of these buildings had the inscription ‘Mazar e Nikodar’ (Tomb of Nikodar).

Nikodar Ooghul belonged to the Arghun Dynasty and he converted to Islam and adopted the name Sultan Ahmad Khan in 681 Hijri. First from Marco Polo as he crosses the desert region near Kerman. He tells us that the villages were strongly defended against bandits who could magically bring darkness upon settlements and passing caravans. Since they themselves were very well acquainted with the country, they descended upon the blinded caravaners to plunder them. These bandits, Polo tells us, were under the leadership of a man call Nogodar. Now, there was a Nikodar (or Nogodar) Oghlan, grandson of Chaghata Khan of the house of Chengez whose range was northern Iran and Georgia. Here he attempted to dislodge his uncle Abaka Khan who ruled over Iran, but was defeated and disarmed by the Khan. Nikodar died in or about 1278 and his band of freebooters was absorbed in the Khan’s army.

Then again we hear of the Nikodaris from Mughal emperor Babur. He tells us that in 1519 these lawless men had to be punished for ganging up with the equally lawless Hazaras to plunder the countryside north of Kabul. The implication is that the charisma of Nikodar who gave his name to his followers lived on well over two hundred years after his death and that these people continued to follow the ways of banditry he had shown them.

The logical deduction to draw then was that the tombs of Mashkel date back to the late 13th century when Nikodar was terrorising the country south of Farah in Afghanistan as the Herat chronicle tells us. The rational story then would be that a large number of the Nikodari band was slaughtered during one such raid into this arid country and were buried here by the survivors. That would explain the multiple burials. That or some pestilence that wiped out most of the marauding army.

These are funerary monuments that are now known as the Nausherwani tombs, after the leading family of the district. The first floors contain variable numbers of graves, while the ground floor vaults, originally bricked up but broken into at some point in time, have multiple burials. Back in 1987 I found amid the jumble of human bones, skulls, femurs, ulnae et al., pieces of cereous, yellowed shroud as well which was missing on the second visit. Each of these vaulted chambers appeared to have held up to twenty corpses and it was evident then that the graves had been disturbed, perhaps by treasure seekers.

Sultan Ahmad Khan

It is related that Sultan Ahmad, before his conversion to the Islam, was called Nikodar Ooghul, and that after the death of his brother, having consulted with his chiefs and ameers, it was determined that Arghun, the son of Abukai Khan, who had received charge of the province of Khorasan during the life-time of his father, and who commanded a large army there, and was therefore an object of dread, should be summoned, by a fictitious order, to attend his father; and by such an order he did attend, and some consultation took place regarding the succession. Arghun Khan, who was ignorant of the death of Mango Timoor, his great-uncle, was of opinion he, Mango Timoor should succeed his father. Nikodur Oghul however, having assumed the office of Mango Timoor, Arghun was reluctantly compelled to submit. On the 13th Rabi’ al-awwal, 681 Hijri, Nikodur Ooghul ascended the throne in the town of Alatak, and reigned with justice over the country of Persia, particularly Azerbaijan and Iraq. This prince was the first person of his family who became a Muslim; when he was converted he took the title of Sultan Ahmad Khan. Sultan Ahmad continued the Vuzarut, as before, of Khawajah Shams-ud-deen Muhammad; he also received Alauddin Malik Ata into his favour, and gave up Mujeed-ul-Mulk Yezdi (for some offence against the Islamic law) into his hands to be put to death. Khawajah Ata Malik also died on the 4th Dhu al-Hijjah 681.

As at that time by the righteous endeavours of Khawajah Shams-ud-deen Muhammad and Sultan Ahmad Khan, Islam began to acquire great strength, several of the princes who were pagans, commenced to entertain and display great malice towards the Sultan and his faith; among these, Arghun Khan, the son of Abukai Khan, retired to Khorasan and raised the standard of rebellion, and in the month of Safar 683 Hijri, advanced to Damghan. Sultan Ahmad on hearing this, despatched Ali Ibnak, otherwise called Alinak, to Khorasan, to oppose him. Alinak, on his arrival there, took and plundered Damghan and put the inhabitants of that city to death; and shortly after the armies met in the plains of Fuhwacheh, and a battle followed, in which prince Arghun was defeated. After this event, Sultan Ahmad Khan himself marched to Khorasan, and Alinak hearing of his movement, renewed his pursuit of Prince Arghun, who sought refuge in the fort of Kalat; about that time Sultan Ahmad and his army arrived at Khojan, and despatched orders to Alinak (who was his son-in-law), to prevail on Prince Arghun to quit the castle of Kalat, and then bring him to his presence. Alinak therefore entered the fort of Kilat, and by assurances of safety persuaded Arghun to proceed to Sultan Ahmad’s camp at Khojan. Alinak, in secret, however, used every means to prevail on the sultan to put him to death, but Sultan Ahmad did not attend to his suggestions, but placed him in confinement in a khirgah, and appointed Oorook, the brother of Meer Yoogha, with four other persons selected by Alinak, to keep him in custody. Alinak modestly gave those men orders to put Arghun to death seven days after he departed, and then went to amuse himself at the camp at Purmahro, in Iraq. After he departed, the independent horse of the Sultan Ameer Yoogha Jungshanuk, of Khutaie, and a number of other Amirs who were offended at the sultan’s conversion to Islam, assisted by the friends of prince Arghun released him in the night from prison, and in concert fell upon Alinak, who was slain, with many servants of Sultan Ahmad. The next day, Ameer Yoogha despatched a camel messenger to the tribe of Kara Qubash, to desire them to seize the passes by which the Oltulli troops under Sultan Ahmad Khan were about to advance, and after a few days Arghun also proceeded to oppose the sultan. The sultan heard of the release of Arghun and the events which followed it, in the vicinity of Isferain, and being without the means to oppose Arghun, sought refuge with his mother Kowuti Khatoon, who resided in the Sorab of Herat. When the sultan arrived at Qazvin, he fell in with Teelai Timoor, one of the chief ameers of Arghun, whom he seized and put to death with his sons; and from Kazvin, continued his flight without halting until he arrived at Herat. In his flight, almost all his servants abandoned him.

Two or three days after the arrival of Sultan Ahmad at the Sorab of Herat, the tribe of Kara Oubash attacked his camp and plundered it, and soon after Prince Arghun also arrived in that vicinity. In these circumstances Bookai and Shunkoor, the chief servants of his mother, to seek favour with Arghun, treacherously seized Sultan Ahmad, and carried him to Arghun, pretending they were originally his servants. For this reason some historians have stated, that when Sultan Ahmad arrived at Herat he was recognized and seized by the troops of Arghun Khan, and that by Arghun’s orders he was put to death. The facts are, however, that when Bookai and Shunkoor carried Sultan Ahmad to Arghun, he delivered the Sultan over to the sons of Kunkur Bai, whose father had been slain by Sultan Ahmad, and they, in retaliation, broke his back, and, at the same time, broke the hearts of Muslims. Sultan Ahmad reigned two years and about three months.

The entrance to the mausoleum is through two massive gateways of stone and masonry opposite each other (to the north and south) which lead to a square enclosure known as the Akbari Serai. This enclosure leads to another one, on the western side, giving full view of the garden in front of the mausoleum, which is traversed by four-bricked canals proceeding from the centre, and in which many fountains were placed which are now in ruins. The corridor around the mausoleum is adorned with a most elegant mosaic, representing flowers and Quranic verses.

The interior of the mausoleum is an elevated sarcophagus of white marble, the sides of which are wrought with flowers of mosaic in the same elegant style as the tombs in the Taj Mahal at Agra, India. On two sides of the sarcophagus the ninety-nine attributes of God are inlaid in black. Beautiful ‘jalis’ admit light in various patterns

Layout

The entrance to the mausoleum is through two massive gateways of stone and masonry opposite each other (to the north and south) which lead to a square enclosure known as the Akbari Serai. This enclosure leads to another one, on the western side, giving full view of the garden in front of the mausoleum, which is traversed by four-bricked canals proceeding from the centre, and in which many fountains were placed which are now in ruins. The corridor around the mausoleum is adorned with a most elegant mosaic, representing flowers and Quranic verses.

The interior of the mausoleum is an elevated sarcophagus of white marble, the sides of which are wrought with flowers of mosaic in the same elegant style as the tombs in the Taj Mahal at Agra. On two sides of the sarcophagus the ninety-nine attributes of God are inlaid in black. Beautiful ‘jalis’ admit light in various patterns.

* National commemoration days, especially Pakistan Day (23 March), Independence Day (14 August).
* Birth and death anniversaries of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, 25 December and 11 September respectively, and
* Birth (30 July) and death (8 July) anniversaries of Madar-e-Millat Fatima Jinnah.

Dignitaries and officials from foreign countries also visit this place. The Mazar-e-Quaid has been officially recognized as the National Mausoleum of the country.