Safdarjung Tomb

Safdarjung Tomb, also called the Tomb of Safdarjung or Safdarjung ka Maqbara, is a Mughal-era monument located in the capital city of Delhi. The tomb was built in the eighteenth century during Ahmad Shah Bahadur’s rule.

The monument was built using marble and sandstone. Nawab Shujaud Daula, Safdarjung’s son, proposed building a mausoleum in Safdarjung’s name. The Safdarjung Tomb is the last garden tomb that displays the dominant architecture during the Mughal period.

The Safdarjung Tomb is situated between Aurobindo Marg and Lodhi Road in New Delhi and is not far from the Safdarjung Airport. IAS exam aspirants must refer to the history, background and facts about the tomb of safdarjung further below in this article.

Safdarjung Tomb History

The Safdarjung Tomb was built by Nawab Shujaud Daula in 1753-54. It was built in the memory of Safdarjung, a Viceroy of Awadh under the rule of the Mughal emperor Mohammed Shah.

Safdarjung was a native of Persia, which is now present-day Iran. He was a descendant of Qara Yusuf from the Kara Koyunlu. His name at birth was Muhammad Muqim in-Khurasan. In 1722 AD, he moved to India and became the Subadar Nawab of Oudh, or the ruler of the Awadh state on March 19, 1739. He served this position till his death and was bestowed with the title of ‘Safdarjung’ by Emperor Nasir-ud Din Muhammad Shah.

In 1748, upon the ascension of Ahmad Shah Bahadur as the new Mughal emperor, Safdarjung relocated to Delhi. Here, he was elected as the Wazir ul-Mamalik-i-Hindustan or the Prime Minister of Hindustan. However, five years later, in 1753, Safdarjung returned to Awadh and passed away a year later in Sultanpur, which is close to Faizabad. Later, the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur granted Safdarjung’s son, Nawab Shujaud Daula, to construct a museum in the memory of his father in Delhi.

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Architecture of Tomb of Safdarjung

An Ethiopian architect created the architectural style of the Safdarjung Tomb. It was inspired mainly by the architecture of Humayun’s Tomb, although it lacked the magnificence and glory of the latter.

The monument was built on an elevated ground and surrounded by a large square-shaped garden. The square garden measures 280 metres or 920 feet. Each side has a courtyard, and a three-domed mosque is enclosed within a wall inside the compound of the tomb.

The tomb was constructed using red and brownish-yellow sandstone. It has a massive central dome and a high terrace. The two-storeyed main gate gives a beautiful view of the mausoleum’s interiors. Intricate designs have been carved on its facade and rear side, of which the latter houses several rooms and a library. The graves of Safdarjung and his wife Amat Jahan Begum are placed in an underground chamber inside the monument.

One of the key features of the Safdarjung Tomb is an Arabic inscription carved on its surface, which reads, ‘When the hero of plain bravery departs from the transitory, may he become a resident of God’s paradise’.

The tomb has a nine-fold plan consisting of numerous rooms and libraries. The facade and the central dome somewhat give it a resemblance to the Taj Mahal. Four octagonal towers surround the tomb.

The square-shaped garden surrounding the mausoleum was designed keeping in mind the Charbagh style of architecture adopted by the Mughals. The garden was then divided into four smaller squares. Each square consisted of footpaths and water canals around it. Further, every square was segregated into four smaller-sized gardens.

One of the four water canals leads the path to a beautifully made gateway. The other three give way to three pavilions known as ‘Jangli Mahal or Palace in the Woods’, ‘Badshah Pasand or The Emperor’s Favourite’, and ‘Moti Mahal or Pearl Palace’. According to research, these pavilions were used as places of residence by the family of Safdarjung. At present, the offices of the Archaeological Survey of India are situated in the pavilions.

An interesting fact about the Safdarjung Tomb is that the brownish-yellow and red sandstone used in its construction was removed from the tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.

The lesson on Safdarjung Tomb is an important part of your UPSC Syllabus, and hence, you must keep it as a part of your UPSC Notes and IAS Preparation.

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