Haft Gumbaz

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Haft Gumbaz
Haft Gumbad.jpg
The tomb of Firuz Shah, the largest of the tombs. An unnamed tomb is also seen in the background.
Location Kalaburagi, Karnataka
Coordinates 17°20′31″N76°50′43″E / 17.34194°N 76.84528°E / 17.34194; 76.84528
Built14th and 15th centuries
Architectural style(s) Indo-Islamic architecture

The Haft Gumbaz, also spelt Haft Gumbad are a group of tombs of the Bahmani dynasty situated in Kalaburagi, in the Indian state of Karnataka. [1] [2] Built during the 14th and 15th centuries, the tombs are examples of early Indo-Islamic architecture. There are seven tombs in total, with four being tombs of the rulers of the Bahmani dynasty. The tomb complex is a monument of national importance, maintained by the Archeological Survey of India. [3] [4] The tomb complex is part of the "Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate", which is an ensemble of various structures added to the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. [5]

Contents

History

The tomb complex was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. [6] The capital shifted to Bidar in 1425, and the later Bahmani sultans are buried in the Bahmani tombs complex in Bidar. The tomb complex has been encroached by local businesses and institutions. [7] A social activist, K.M. Mujeebuddin, has filed an RTI query regarding the upkeep of the tombs. [2] [7] [8]

Architecture

The tombs are situated in a garden HAFT GUMBAD.jpeg
The tombs are situated in a garden

The architectural style is reminiscent of Tughlaq architecture. A unique feature seen only in the Haft Gumbaz is the double-chambered tomb, with one chamber for the king and the other for his family members. [9]

There are seven tombs in total, with four being Sultan's tombs. The tombs are situated in a garden.

Tomb of Mujahid Shah

This was the first tomb to be built. [9] It is a single-chambered square tomb, free of any elaborate embellishments. [10] It is on the West end of the tomb complex. [11]

Tomb of Daud Shah

It is a double-chambered tomb. [12]

Tomb of Shams al-Din and Ghiyath al-Din

The two tombs share the same basement. [11] [13]

Tomb of Firuz Shah Bahmani

The tomb of Firuz Shah Bahmani is the largest, and is considered the most important of the complex. [9] It is also a double-chambered tomb. The external and internal elevation is divided into two tiers, adorned by double-recessed arches. The arches of the upper tier have jali-style decorations. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalaburagi</span> City in Karnataka, India

Kalaburagi, formerly known as Gulbarga, is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kalaburagi district and is the largest city in the region of North Karnataka (Kalyana-Karnataka). Kalaburagi is 568 km north of the state capital city of Bangalore. It was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore State through the States Reorganisation Act in 1956.

The Deccan sultanates were five late-medieval Indian kingdoms—on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range—that were created from the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate and ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. The sultanates had become independent during the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate. The five sultanates owed their existence to the declaration of independence of Ahmadnagar in 1490, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year. Golconda became independent in 1518, and Bidar in 1528.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gol Gumbaz</span> Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur

Gol Gumbaz, also written Gol Gumbad, is a 17th-century mausoleum located in Bijapur, a city in Karnataka, India. It houses the remains of Mohammad Adil Shah, seventh sultan of the Adil Shahi dynasty, and some of his relatives. Begun in the mid-17th century, the structure never reached completion. The mausoleum is notable for its scale and exceptionally large dome. The structure is an important example of Adil Shahi architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahmani Sultanate</span> Kingdom in Deccan India (1347–1527)

The Bahmani Sultanate was a late medieval empire that ruled the Deccan Plateau in India. The first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan, the Bahmani Sultanate came to power in 1347 during the rebellion of Ismail Mukh against Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi. Ismail Mukh then abdicated in favour of Zafar Khan, who would establish the Bahmani Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar</span> City in North Karnataka, India

Bidar (/biːd̪ər/) is a city in the north-eastern part of Karnataka state in India. It is the headquarters of Bidar district, which borders Maharashtra and Telangana. It is a rapidly urbanising city in the wider Bidar Metropolitan area. The city is well known for its many sites of architectural, historical and religious importance. Bidar has a population of more than two lakh (200,000) and is likely to be upgraded to a municipal corporation in the next five years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lodi Gardens</span> City park in New Delhi

Lodi Gardens is a city park situated in New Delhi, India. Spread over 90 acres (360,000 m2), it contains Mohammed Shah's Tomb, the Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, the Shisha Gumbad and the Bara Gumbad, architectural works of the 15th century by Lodis - who ruled parts of northern India and Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of modern-day Pakistan, from 1451 to 1526. The site is now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Islamic architecture</span> Islamic architecture in Indian subcontinent

Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid dynasty in 1193. Succeeding the Ghurids was the Delhi Sultanate, a series of Central Asian dynasties that consolidated much of North, East, and Central India, and later by the Mughal Empire during the early 16th century. Both of these dynasties introduced Islamic architecture and art styles from West Asia into the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar Sultanate</span> Late mediaeval Indian kingdom (1492–1619)

The Sultanate of Bidar was one of the Deccan sultanates of late medieval India. The sultanate emerged under the rule of Qasim Barid I in 1492 and leadership passed to his sons. Starting from the 1580s, a wave of successions occurred in the rulership of the dynasty which ended in 1609 under the last Sultan Amir Barid III who was eventually defeated in 1619 by the Bijapur sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II. Bidar became annexed into the Bijapur Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Shah I Wali</span> Wali

Ahmed Shah Al Wali Bahamani was the ruler of the Bahmani Sultanate from 1 October 1422 to 17 April 1436, and was a great patron of arts and culture. He brought Persian artisans from Iran, including the metal-worker Abdulla-bin-Kaiser, who was the master of Bidriware, the inlaying of zinc alloy with silver and gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bidar Fort</span> Fort in Bidar, Karnataka, India

Bidar Fort is located in old city area, Bidar, Karnataka, India. The fort, the city and the district are all affixed with the name Bidar. Sultan Ahmad Shah I of the Bahmanid dynasty shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427 and built his fort along with a number of Islamic monuments. There are over 30 monuments inside Bidar fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulbarga Fort</span> Bahmani-era fort in Kalaburagi, India

The Gulbarga Fort is located in Kalaburagi in the Kalaburagi district of North Karnataka. This fort was originally constructed by a hindu king Raja Gulchand, but it was subsequently significantly enlarged in 1347 by Al-ud-din Hasan Bahmani of the Bahmani Dynasty after he cut off his ties with the Delhi Sultanate; Islamic monuments such as mosques, palaces, tombs, and other structures were also built later within the refurbished fort. The Jama Masjid, built later within the fort in 1367, is a unique structure built in Persian architectural style, fully enclosed, with elegant domes and arched columns, unlike any other mosque in India. It was built to commemorate the establishment of the dynastic rule of the Bahmani kingdom at Kalaburagi fort between 1347 and 1424, though the capital was initially Daulatabad. It remained the capital of the Bahmani Kingdom till 1424 where after the capital was shifted to Bidar Fort, as Bidar had better climatic conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taj ud-Din Firuz Shah</span> Royalty in India

Taj ud-Din Firoz Shah, also known as Firoz Shah Bahmani, was the ruler of the Bahmani Sultanate from 16 November 1397 to 22 September 1422. Firuz Shah is considered an important ruler of the Bahamani Sultanate. He expanded his kingdom and even succeeded in conquering the Raichur Doab from Vijaynagara kingdoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of the Bahmani and Deccan Sultanates</span> Islamic architecture of the Deccan Plateau, India

Deccani architecture, particularly the architecture of the Bahmani and Deccan Sultanates, is the architecture of the Deccan Plateau, and is a regional variant of Indo-Islamic architecture. It was influenced by the styles of the Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal architecture, but sometimes also influenced from Persia and Central Asia. Hindu temple architecture in the same areas had very different styles.

<i>Sabz Burj</i> Monuments in Delhi

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Telangana</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Hyderabad</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahmani Tombs</span> Necropolis in Bidar, India

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Qutb Shahi architecture is the distinct style of Indo-Islamic architecture developed during the reign of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, also known as the Golconda Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chor Gumbad</span> Building in Kalaburagi

Chor Gumbad, Kalaburagi is a domed building in Kalaburagi. It is listed as a state protected monument.

References

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  2. 1 2 Sivanandan, T. V. (2013-12-18). "ASI finally takes up restoration of Haft Gumbaz". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  3. "Alphabetical List of Monuments – Karnataka – Dharwad". Archeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 2020-07-22. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  4. "ASI spends ₹1.38 cr. on restoration of Haft Gumbaz". The Hindu. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  5. "Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  6. Bowman, John C. (2000). Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture. Columbia University Press. p. 340. ISBN   978-0-231-11004-4.
  7. 1 2 Sivanandan, T. V. (2013-09-24). "A social activist's fight to protect the Haft Gumbaz". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  8. Staff Reporter (2019-01-21). "ASI uses just 7% of funds granted for restoration in Hyderabad Karnataka". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  9. 1 2 3 Brown, Percy (2013-04-16). Indian Architecture (The Islamic Period). Read Books Ltd. ISBN   978-1-4474-9482-9.
  10. Iyer, Meera (2019-07-27). "Alluring Bahmani architecture". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  11. 1 2 "Gulbarga". Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia.
  12. "Haft Gumbad". ArchNet . Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  13. Merklinger, Elizabeth Schotten. Indian Islamic architecture: the Deccan 1347-1686.
  14. "Mausoleum of Firuz Shah Bahmani". ArchNet . Retrieved 2021-07-09.