The Jal Mahal, also known as the Jal Mahal of Narnaul or the Water Palace, is a late 16th century palace, fortification, and artificial lake located in Narnaul, Haryana. Built by a Mughal governor of Narnaul, the structure currently serves as a tourist attraction.
The Jal Mahal was built in 1591 AD by Shah Quli Khan, a member of the nobility of the Mughal empire and the governor of Narnaul. Khan was a protegee of Bairam Khan, an important official in the Mughal court and one-time regent of the empire. [1] [2] He was also a successful military commander who served in the Mughal army under Akbar the Great. The campaigns of Akbar to conquer northern India made Khan wealthy, and the commander distinguished himself by wounding the Suri general Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat. In gratitude for Khan's service, Akbar granted him titles, wealth, and appointed him as the governor of Narnaul. [2]
In addition to being a competent military leader, Khan was a noted architectural patron. [2] Upon being appointed governor, he began a series of construction projects in Narnaul; these projects, the first of which was a tomb (built 1574-75) [3] for himself, are described as being of a "personal sort" and as being different from some of his projects elsewhere in India; [2] furthermore, Khan's projects were noteworthy enough to be recorded in contemporary Mughal texts. [2]
15 years after completing his tomb, Khan began to construct a new palace in Narnaul; this structure became what is now the Jal Mahal. [2] Khan began by creating a square artificial lake (often described as a tank or reservoir [2] ) with an island in the center; this lake was intended to form a "second Kausar" (the Pond of Abundance in Muslim paradise) for the palace's occupants. [2] Khan then ordered the construction of a fortified gateway on the northern edge of the lake. Following this, a causeway was built out into the center of the reservoir, where a foundation was laid and a palace built. The construction of the Jal Mahal, its gate, and the lake took 2-3 years. The palace itself was decorated in the style of other Mughal palaces and pavilions; the structure was adorned with art and carvings, including inscriptions that celebrated Khan's famous victory over Hemu. [2] In terms of area, the compound encompasses 11 acres. [4]
In the centuries after its completion, the palace's pool gradually filled with earth. This debris was cleared in the late 20th century and the lake restored. [4] [2]
The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on 5 November 1556, between Akbar and the king of Delhi, Hemu. Hemu had conquered Delhi and Agra a few weeks earlier by defeating Mughal forces under Tardi Beg Khan in the battle of Delhi and crowned himself Raja Vikramaditya at Purana Quila in Delhi.
Burhanpur is a historical city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District. It is situated on the north bank of the Tapti River and 512 kilometres (318 mi) northeast of city of Mumbai, 340 kilometres (211 mi) southwest of the state's capital city of Bhopal. The city is a Municipal Corporation.
Mandu or Mandavgad is an ancient city in the present-day Mandav area of the Dhar district. It is located in the Malwa and Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh, India, at 35 km from Dhar city. In the 11th century, Mandu was the sub division of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom. This fortress town on a rocky outcrop about 100 km (62 mi) from Indore is celebrated for its architecture.
Panipat is a historic as well as planned industrial city in Haryana, India under HUDA. It is 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761 took place near the city. The city is famous in India as the "City of Weavers" and "Textile City". It is also known as the "cast-off capital" due to being "the global centre for recycling textiles". Panipat is also home to a variety of manufacturing industries including wool and cotton milling, saltpetre refining, and the manufacture of glass, electrical appliances, and other products. Panipat is included in the list of Critically Polluted Industrial Areas in India. The Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) of the city is 71.91 as against 88.50 of Ankaleshwar (Gujarat). The fatal field of Panipat is the site of three battles that changed the course of India's history, resulting in the creation and confirmation of the Mughal Empire. The third battle led to the decisive defeat of the Maratha Confederacy in North India, which became a dominating power in Delhi by then and paved the way for the British colonial rule of India.
The Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra, and also known as Agra's Red Fort. Mughal emperor Humayun was crowned at this fort. It was later renovated by the Mughal emperor Akbar from 1565 and the present-day structure was completed in 1573. It served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. It was also known as the "Lal-Qila" or "Qila-i-Akbari". Before capture by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas. In 1983, the Agra fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its importance during the Mughal Dynasty. It is about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 mi) northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city. It was later renovated by Shah Jahan.
Hemu was an Indian emperor who previously served as a general and Wazir of Adil Shah Suri of Sur Empire during a period in Indian history when Mughals and Afghans were vying for power across North India. He fought Afghan rebels across North India from Punjab to Bengal and Mughal forces of Humayun and Akbar in Agra and Delhi, winning 22 battles for Adil Shah Suri.
Mughal architecture is the type of Indo-Islamic architecture developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed from the architectural styles of earlier Muslim dynasties in India and from Iranian and Central Asian architectural traditions, particularly Timurid architecture. It also further incorporated and syncretized influences from wider Indian architecture, especially during the reign of Akbar. Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways, and delicate ornamentation; examples of the style can be found in modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, Delhi, India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurugram and next to Vasant Kunj.
Mahendragarh district is one of the 22 districts of Haryana state in northern India. The district occupies an area of 1,899 km² and has a population of 922,088 (2021census). District have 3 Sub-divisions : Narnaul, Mahendragarh and Kanina
Shah Jahan period architecture is an architectural period of Mughal architecture. It is associated with Shah Jahan's thirty-year reign over the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658. The most notable structures of this period include the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Red Fort in Old Delhi. Shah Jahan period architecture is distinguished by the extensive use of symmetry, the embellishing of structures through features such as the Shahjahani column and the use of red sandstone and white marble as essential building materials. Shah Jahan is believed to have been heavily involved in the design and construction processes of the structures which had an immediate cultural impact seen through the involvement of social elites in architectural practices. Shah Jahan period architecture was influenced by previous Mughal emperors architectural works in addition to Persian architecture.
Narnaul is a city, a Municipal Council, and location of headquarters of the Mahendragarh district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in the National Capital Region of India.
Nangal Choudhary is a town and tehsil in District Mahendragarh near Narnaul in India. A famous personality, Baba Ramdev, belongs to the village which is a part of this region. Recently Haryana Govt declared Sub-Division status to Nangal Chaudhary as per Cabinet meeting held on 9th May 2023.
Zafar Mahal, in Mehrauli village, in South Delhi, India, is considered as the last monumental structure built as a summer palace during the fading years of the Mughal era. The building has two components namely, the Mahal or the palace, which was built first by Akbar Shah II in the 18th century, and the entrance gate that was reconstructed in the 19th century by Bahadur Shah Zafar II, popularly known as "Zafar" meaning ‘Victory’. It has a forlorn history because Bahadur Shah Zafar, who wished to be buried in the precincts of the Zafar Mahal (palace) and the famous Dargah of Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in Mehrauli, Delhi, was deported by the British to Rangoon, after the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, where he died of old age. The monument today is in a neglected and ruined state, locals play cricket and gamble freely inside the protected monument. The 18th-century palace has been all but subsumed by unauthorised constructions.
Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments is a book written in Persian by Dr Ali Asghar Hekmat E Shirazi and published in 1956 and 1958 and 2013. New edition contains the Persian texts of more than 200 epigraphical inscriptions found on historical monuments in India, many of which are currently listed as national heritage sites or registered as UNESCO world heritage, published in Persian; an English edition is also being printed.
Madhogarh Fort is a fort located on top of Madhogarh Hill in the Aravalli mountain range, near Madhogarh village, in the Mahendragarh district of Haryana state in India. It is located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Mahendragarh, reachable via Satnali Chowk or via Mahendragarh- Satnali- Loharu road.
Madhogarh is a village in Mahendragarh district, Haryana, India. It is located at the foot of Madhogarh Hill of Aravalli Mountain Range. Madhogarh Fort is on top of the hill.
Tourism in Haryana relates to tourism in the state of Haryana, India. There are 21 tourism hubs created by Haryana Tourism Corporation (HTC), which are located in Ambala, Bhiwani Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Sirsa, Sonipat, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Palwal and Mahendergarh.
Hemu's Smadhi Sthal, is a memorial to the Hindu king Hemu at Shodapur village on Jind road near Panipat city in Panipat district of Haryana state in India. It stands at the location where he was executed.
Shah Quli Khan was a 16th-century Mughal official, nawab (governor), and art patron. Shah Quli served as the Mughal nawab of Narnaul, India, and notably constructed a number of historic sites in the state.
Shah Quli Khan's Tomb is a tomb located in Narnaul in the Indian state of Haryana. It is the resting place of Shah Quli Khan, who was the governor of Narnaul. It was built in the 16th century.
