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12:00 AM, April 09, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:08 PM, April 09, 2018

Humayun's Tomb
A Masterpiece of the Mughal Era

Aerial view of Humayun's tomb. Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture

Farhat Afzal

Since the beginning of the eleventh century, massive tombs have been a part of the
Muslim architectural world. Red sandstone and white marble structures dating
back to the fourteenth century can be found in various parts of India. The Timurid
dynasty contributed to many radially symmetrical buildings—tombs and palaces—
in many parts of Iran and Central Asia. However, before the construction of
Emperor Humayun's tomb, no structure incorporated all these elements in a single
monument . Documented as the first ever tomb built for a Mughal emperor, this
structure is considered to be an inspiration for the most well-known example of
Mughal architecture, the Taj Mahal.

But the significance of Humayun's tomb goes way beyond than just being a
prototype for the Taj Mahal. This tomb was the first structure in which the slightly
bulbous and double dome, a feature borrowed from Persia and Samarkand, was
introduced in India. It is also the first example of a tomb set within a cross-axial
garden in India. Its enormous scale and radially symmetrical plan makes the
building stand out as one of the greatest examples of the Mughal royal mausoleum
building style.

There has been a lot of debate about the identity of the builder of the tomb.
Scholars have argued that it was Haji Begam, Humayun's widow who had
commissioned this mausoleum. However, according to Akbar Nama (2: 367),
written by Emperor Akbar's official biographer Abu'l Fazl, Haji Begam was on a
pilgrimage to Mecca during much of the construction period of the tomb. This is
confirmed by both Abu'l Fazl and Father Monserrate, a Jesuit priest who resided in
Emperor Akbar's court during the early-1580s. Although, there are various reports
regarding the construction period of the tomb, the common belief is that
construction began in 1565, nine years after Humayun's death. The work was
completed in 1572, at a cost of 1.5 million rupees at the time. Given the
magnificence, the huge cost and innovation in planning of the mausoleum, it was
evident there was a patron involved—this was none other than Humayun's son
and successor, Akbar.

A combination of Persian
architecture and indigenous
building styles is perhaps another
of the many striking features of this
grand mausoleum. One
contemporary historian, 'Abd al-
Qadir Badauni, mentioned that the
structure was designed by Mirak
Mirza Ghiyas, an architect of
Iranian descent, who was brought
from Herat in northwest
Afghanistan.

The location of the tomb also

happens to be on an incredibly
significant archaeological setting;
the shrine of the 14th century Sufi
Saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is
located just outside the main
complex of the tomb. The tomb
itself sits on a flat plain of Delhi,
near the banks of the Jamuna,
surrounded by a series of Sultanate
and Mughal monuments. Due to the
widespread belief that it was
auspicious to be buried near a saint,
the location has turned out to be the
densest ensemble of Islamic
medieval buildings in India, thanks The Mughal Emperor Humayun, Mughal India, 18th century. Gouache
heightened with gold on paper, framed and glazed- folio 10¾ x 7¼in.
to all the tomb constructions, (27.5 x 18.5cm.). Source: columbia.edu
spanning seven decades.

The tomb stands on a large plinth, which, at a height of 6.5 metre and width of 99
metre, is a terraced platform with two deep vaulted cells on all four sides. In spite
of the fact that the tomb is basically a square structure, it appears to be octagonal
in shape due the chamfered edges. Four distinct octagonal units separated by four
recesses make up the mausoleum, with the entrance through the recess located in
the centre of the southern facade.

Topping off the mausoleum is the 42.5 metre high Persian double dome, flanked by
pillared kiosks, or chattris, which is a distinctly Indian architectural feature. This
combination of Persian and Indian architectural styles work beautifully together,
thus making Humayun's Tomb a great example of a hybrid of styles of two
separate cultures.
Elevation of Humayun's tomb.

Contrast is one of the key elements the architect had in mind when designing the
mausoleum. The exterior dome is made of purely white marble, while the rest of
the building is of red sandstone, with white and black marble and yellow stone
detailing. Additionally, the symmetrical and simple exterior design is distinctly the
opposite of the complex interior floor plans. Two radially symmetrical floors make
up the interior of the building. A central domed chamber with the emperor's tomb
in the middle and four corner rooms comprise the first floor. The second floor
consists of a complex system of halls and passageways surrounding the tomb's
central chamber. The large corner rooms as well as the numerous cells at the
plinth level are a clear indication that the structure was originally designed to
accommodate several graves. As a result, Humayun's tomb is also referred to as the
"dormitory of Mughals", since over 150 Mughal family members are buried there.

Persian style is once again evident in this

complex in the Char-Bagh (Four Gardens),
a quadrilateral garden layout inspired by
the gardens of Paradise mentioned in The
Holy Quran. Causeways divide the
gardens into four sections, with shallow
water channels connected to pools,
located at the centre of each causeway.
Each of the four sections in the 30 acre
garden is further divided into smaller
squares with pathways. With the
synthesis of garden and mausoleum,
Humayun's tomb became one of the
unique ensembles of Mughal garden-
tombs. As a matter of fact, this style was
so much favoured that it was repeated
fifty years later at the tomb of Itimad al-
Dawla (Agra, 1626-28) and the Taj Mahal
(Agra, 1632-43).

For Humayun's son and the patron of this

First floor plan of Humayun's tomb. Source: Hidden
tomb, Akbar, there were two purposes
Architecture
behind building this great structure: to
commemorate his father's legacy as well as to make a political statement. By
building the tomb at such a large scale, Akbar wished to represent the range and
scope of the empire, as well as establish his personal goals and alliances. Akbar's
dynastic origins are defined by the symmetrical plan and double dome, while the
red sandstone and white marble represent his Indian origins.
Perspective view of Humayun's tomb. Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture

By late 20th century, the magnificent tomb had fallen into a state of dilapidation.
The masonry and stonework were broken and the gardens were run down.
Additionally, vandalism and illegal encroachments were taking place, which posed
a serious threat to the preservation of the mausoleum. In 1997, research for
restoration work was taken up by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), in
collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Restoration began in
1999 and was completed in 2004, with the gardens fully restored as well.

Although Humayun's Tomb stands as a precursor to the Taj Mahal, the most widely
celebrated of Mughal architecture, for many historians, as well as myself, this
building deserves to be known for what it is, rather than what it inspired. Perhaps
art historian, Glenn Lowry has described it best in his dissertation titled The Tomb
of Nasirud-Din Muhammad Humayun, “....its combination of boldness and
refinement, energy and strength gives the building its power. That its parts vary in
the degree of their success does not detract from the monument's forcefulness or
its attempt to create an entirely new approach to architecture in India.”
Farhat Afzal is working as an Academic Associate at Bengal Institute for
Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Lowry, Glenn D. “Humayun's Tomb: Form, Function, and Meaning in Early

Mughal Architecture.” Muqarnas, vol. 4, 1987, pp. 133–148. JSTOR, JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/1523100.

2. Lowry, Glenn D. “The Tomb of Nasirud-Din Muhammad Humayun.” Harvard

University, 1982.

3. Ruggles, D. Fairchild. 1997. "Humayun's Tomb and Garden: Typologies and

Visual Order." In Gardens in the Time of the Great Muslim Empires: Theory and
Design, edited by Attilio Petruccioli, 173-186. Leiden; New York: E.J. Brill.

4. Fazl, Abul (1907). Akbar Nama, Volume 1. The Asiatic Society. p. 340

5. World Heritage Sites- Humayun's Tomb. http://asi.nic.in

6. The Tomb of Humayun: The Garden Tomb that Inspired the Taj Mahal.
http://www.ancient-origins.net

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