History of Dargah Sharif

8/6/2019 History of Dargah Sharif

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"HISTORY OF DARGAH SHARIF, AJMER (INDIA)"

THE DARGAH SHARIF OF KHWAJA GHARIB NAWAZ IS INDEED AN

ORNAMENT TO THE CITY OF AJMER. IT IS ONE OF THE HOLIEST

PLACES OF WORSHIP IN INDIA NOT ONLY FOR THE MUSLIMS BUT

ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE OF OTHER FAITHS WHO HOLD THE SAINT IN

HIGH ESTEEM AND REVERENCE.

THE KHWAJA SAHIB AS A LIVING SPIRIT OF PEACE AND HARMONY,ENJOYS UNIVERSAL RESPECT AND DEVOTION EVER SINCE HE SET

HIS HOLY FEET ON THE SOIL OF HINDUSTAN. HE HAS

UNQUESTIONABLY BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST SPIRITUAL

REDEEMERS OF HUMAN SUFFERINGS. TO THE FAITHFUL AND

AFFLICTED SOULS INVOKING HIS BLESSINGS, HE HAS EVER BEEN A

NEVER-FAILING SOURCE OF MORAL STRENGTH AND SPIRITUAL

ENLIGHTENMENT. APART FROM THE COMMON PEOPLE, EVEN THE

MIGHTY KINGS OF INDIA, HAVE PAID SUBMISSIVE HOMAGE TO THE

GREAT SAINT AND SOUGHT HIS MIRACULOUS AID TO SOLVE THEIR

PROBLEMS. THE PRECIOUS BUILDINGS AND VARIOUS RICH

ENDOWMENTS DEDICATED TO THE DARGAH OF HUZOOR GHARIB

NAWAZ ARE LIVING MEMORIALS TO AND REMINDERS OF HIS

CONTINUED PATRONAGE ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE OF INDIATHROUGH OUT THE PAST EIGHT CENTURIES.

THE DARGAH LIES AT THE FOOT OF THE NORTHERN EXTREMITY OF

HILL. ITS MAIN ATTRACTION IS THE MAUSOLEUM CONTAINING THE

TOMB OF THE SAINT WHICH IS THE SANCTUM SANCTORUM OF THE

DARGAH. THE DARGAH INCLUDED MANY OTHER ATTRACTIVE

BUILDINGS, TOMBS, COURTYARDS AND DAALANS SOME OF WHICH

ARE EXQUISITE SPECIMENS OF THE MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE AND

WERE ERECTED DURING THE MUGHAL PERIOD.


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A History of the Dargah Sharif (SHRINE)of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty Ajmeri(R.A.)

The first recorded visit to to the Dargah Sharif (SHRINE) of Hazrat

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty Ajmeri (R.A.) was Muhammad Bin

Tughluq in 1332. In the first year of the reign of Firuz ShahTughluq (1351-2) the important Chishty, Zain al-din, the khalifa of

Burhan al-din Chishty, who was himself the khalifa of Hazrat

Nizam al-din Awliya, made a pilgrimage to Ajmer.

A further reference to regular pilgrimage to Ajmer in the latter half

of the fourteenth century occurs in the conversations of Syed

Muhammad Gesudaraz recoreded in 1399-1400 AD. Gesudaraz was

talking about his refusal to impart further instructions to one Hazrat

Khwaja Hisamuddin, who had previously received Sufi teachingfrom other Shaikhs. An unnamed darvish approached Gesudaraz and

gave him a resume of what he might have imparted to him. This

included an injuction to perform the ziyarat of the Panj Pirs (five

pirs) who, as explained in the anecdote, are the five great Chishty

ShaIkhs who preceded Gesudaraz, viz. Hazrat Khwaja Nasiruddin,

Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin, Hazrat Khwaja Fariduddin, Hazrat

Khwaja Qutbuddin,and Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin.Between the

death of Firuz Shah Tughluq (1388) and the invasion of Timur

(1398), Zafar Khan, progenitor of the Sultans of Gujarat, made the

pilgrimage to Ajmer from Nandalgarh. He dismounted at a distanceof 3 koos from Ajmer and went on foot to the shrine where he

performed the appropriate ceremonies.

The Khiljis of Malwa and Mandu has close connections with the

shrine in the last half of the fifteenth century. Sultan Mahmud Khilji

visited Ajmer in 1455. The Muslim population of Ajmer resented

their governor, so Mahmud marched on Ajmer. On the fifth day he

captured the fort and appointed his own governor.

'He then paid his respects to the shrine and distributed offerings

among its attendants in thanks giving for his successful campaign.

Sultan Mahmud Khilji also built a mosque near the shrine,known as the Sandal Khana especially for the Khadims as at thattime the only population present was that of Khadims.

At that time there was still no proper mausoleum to house the tomb

of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin. According to 'Abd al-Haqq Dihlawi,

it was Hazrat Shaykh Husain Nagauri, a descendant of Hazrat

Khwaja Hamid al-din Nagauri and pir of Sultan Ghiyas al-din
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were singing enchanting ditties about the glories and virtues

of the great Khwaja, Khwaja Moinuddin--- May his grave be

hallowed---who sleeps in Ajmer.

Often had his perfections and miracles been the theme of

discourse in the holy assemblies. His Majesty, who was a

seeker after Truth, and who, in his zealous quest sought for

union with travelers on the road of holiness, and showed a

desire for enlightenment, conceived a strong inclination to

visit the Khwaja's shrine. The attraction of a pilgrimage

higher seized his collar.

The Emperors subsequent devotion to the shrine was

remarkable. He made it a rule for himself that he should go

every year in the beginning of Rajab (the time of the 'urs) to

the holy shrine'. But his visits were not confined to attending

this annual festival. As the expeditions of just rulers are a

source of soothment to mortals, and are market-days of

justice, His Majesty was disposed to traveling and hunting

especially when in this way he could make a pilgrimage to

the shrine of some great ascetic. Akbar also visited the shrine

regularly to give thanks after important military victories.

Thus, he went there after the conquest of Chittor in 1568 and

of Bihar and Bengal in 1574.

Akbar believed the birth of his son, Prince Salim, in 1570 to

have been the result of the successful intercession with Godby Salim Chishty, a darvish whose marble mausoleummay still be seen at Fatehpur Sikri. This reinforced theEmperor's faith in the Chishty order and was the occasion of

his most striking display of devotion to Hazrat Khwaja

Moinuddin Chishty. He, at the time when he was seeking for

a son, had made a vow to his God that if this blessing should

be attained, he would perform an act of thanksgiving which

would be personal to himself, viz., that he would walk

from Agra to the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin

Chishty and there pay his devotions to God. He repeated thevisit on the birth of his second son later in the same year,

through this time he only walked the last stage of the journey.

Each of Akbar's visits to Ajmer was celebrated by his making

substantial offerings at the shrine, conferring endowments on it and

beautifying it. His Majesty also arranged for the management of the

shrine, and for the treatment of pilgrims, and for the extension of
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mosques and khanqas in the territory.

Badayuni records how in the year 1573-4 a lofty

college and high spacious palaces were built on the road to

Ajmer. And the cause of this was as follows: His Majesty's

extreme devotion induced his every year to go on a

pilgrimage to that city, and so he ordered a palace to be built

at every stage between Agra and that place, and a pillar to be

erected and a well sunk at every kos (kilometers). Ever so

many hundreds of thousands of stags' horns, which the

Emperor had killed during the course of his life were placed

on these pillars as a memorial to the world.......... Would that

instead of these he had ordered grandness and caravanserais

to be made.

In 1571 Akbar initiated the building of the mosque

(AKBARI MASJID) which is named after him at theshrine, and in 1579 he had the mausoleum of Hazrat KhwajaMoinuddin Chishty further embellished. This is mentioned in

an inscription painted in golden nastaliq lettering inside the

dome of the mausoleum. For early topographical descriptions

of Ajmer and its shrine, reliance must be placed on the

foreign travellers who went there. Contemporary local

authors give no such descriptions. W. Finch, who was in

India between 1608 and 1611, left the following account of

the shirne:

Ajmer is only famous for the sepulchre of HazratKhwaja Moinuddin Chishty, a saint much respected by the

Mughals.

It was not only Akbar and the Khilji Sultans who

adorned Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty 's tomb. By the

early seventeenth centrury the dargah was clearly an

impressive establishment with a considerable staff financed

by the endowments and offerings of devotees. There was

already accommodation for the staff, facilities for the

pilgrims' ritual ablutions, a monumental gateway the (the

Buland Darwaza), at the entrance of the shrine, and a lavishlydecorated mausoleum for the saint. Finch mentions that there

were many men of distinction to be buried in his vicinity.

Most remarkable of them, at the time Finch was writing, was

the grave of Nizam, the water carrier who saved the Emperor

Humayun's life. In his gratitude, the emperor promised that

he hould seat the water carrier on his throne. Humayun did
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not fail to keep his word and the humble bhishti was able to

dispense imperial authority for a period which varies in the

sources from two hours to two days. By the time Aurangzeb

visited Ajmer (1659) the water carrier's grave was so

elaborately decorated that the Emperor mistook it for the of

the saint. He ordered that it should be stripped of its

embellishments.

The next addition to the shrine of any significance was the

gateway to the north of the mausoleum, adjacent to the

present Mahfil Khana. The inscription above the gate records

that it was built by Mir Shamani in A H 1021/1612-13.The Emperor Jahangir lived at Ajmer 'for five days less than

three years'. The prospect of going there pleased him:

"In this undertaking two things were agreeable to me, one a

pilgrimage to the splendid mausoleum of Khawaja

Moinuddin Chishty, from blessings of whose soul great

advantages had been derived by this dignified family and

whose venerable shrine I had not visited after my accession to

the throne."

Accordingly, on Monday, 5 Shawwal (18 November 1613)

the hour for enterning Ajmer was fixed. On the morning of

the said day I went towards it. When the fort and the

buildings of the shrine of the revered Khwaja appeared insight, I traversed on foot the remainder of the road , about one

kos. I placed trustworthy men on both sides of the road, who

went along giving money to faqirs and the necessitous. When

four gharis of the day had passed, I entered the city and its

inhabited portion, and in the fifth gbari had the hoour of

visiting the venerable mausoleum.

In fact, this was not Jahangir's first independent visit to

Ajmer. In AH 990/1582-3, Badayuni records that the Prince

Salim went to Ajmer to meet Gulbadan Begum and SalimaSultan Begum, who had returned from pilgrimage. On this

occasion they paid a gratuitous visit to the shrine of the saint

Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty left their gifts there.

A year after his first visit to Ajmer as Emperor, Jahangir

decided outwardly to symbolize his devotion and
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gratitude to the saint:

During my illness it had occurred to me that when I

completely recovered inasmuch as I was inwardly an ear-

bored slave of the Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty and

was indebted to him for my very existence, I should openly

make holes in my ears and be enrolled among his ear-marked

slaves. On Thursday, 12th Shariwar, corresponding to the

month of Rajab, I made holes in my ears and drew into each a

shining pearl. When the servants of the palace and my loyal

friends saw this, both those who were in the presence and

some who were in the distant borders, diligently made holes

in their ears and adorned the beauty of sincerity with pearls

and rubies, until by degrees the infection caught the ahadis

and others.

That Jahangir believed that he owed not only his 'very

existence' to Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty but also his

throne is suggested by a miniature by Bichti which show

Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty proffering the orb and

crown of imperial office to Jahangir (who is out of the

picture). On the orb is inscribed 'The key of victory over the

two Worlds is entrusted to thy hand.'

A notice in the Tuzuk-i Jabangir mentions that later inthe same year he presented '732 pearls of the value of36,000 rupees to the servants, who, by way of loyalty, had

bored their ears.'

In the three years he was at Ajmer, Jahangir visited the shrine

nine times. He gave the dargah one of its cauldrons (degs)

and on the inaugural occasion he lit the fire beneath it

himself and the contents of the pot fed five thousandpoor, as well as himself and his wife, Nur Mahal. In 616,Jahangir had made a vow that they should place a gold railing

with lattice-work at the enlightened tomb of the revered

Khawaja. On the 27th of this month (Rabi II) it was

completed and I ordered them to take and affix it. It had been

made at a cost of 110,000 rupees.
http://dargahsharif.com/A%20year%20after%20his%20first%20visit%20to%20Ajmer%20as%20Emperor,%20Jahangir%20decided%20outwardly%20to%20symbolize%20his%20devotion%20and%20gratitude%20to%20the%20saint.%20DARGAH%20SHARIF,AJMER.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/Tuzuk-i%20Jabangir%20mentions%20that%20later%20in%20the%20same%20year%20he%20presented%20'732%20pearls%20of%20the%20value%20of%2036,000%20rupees%20to%20the%20servants,%20who,%20by%20way%20of%20loyalty,%20had%20bored%20their%20ears.%20AJMER%20SHARIF.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/Tuzuk-i%20Jabangir%20mentions%20that%20later%20in%20the%20same%20year%20he%20presented%20'732%20pearls%20of%20the%20value%20of%2036,000%20rupees%20to%20the%20servants,%20who,%20by%20way%20of%20loyalty,%20had%20bored%20their%20ears.%20AJMER%20SHARIF.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/A%20year%20after%20his%20first%20visit%20to%20Ajmer%20as%20Emperor,%20Jahangir%20decided%20outwardly%20to%20symbolize%20his%20devotion%20and%20gratitude%20to%20the%20saint.%20DARGAH%20SHARIF,AJMER.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/Tuzuk-i%20Jabangir%20mentions%20that%20later%20in%20the%20same%20year%20he%20presented%20'732%20pearls%20of%20the%20value%20of%2036,000%20rupees%20to%20the%20servants,%20who,%20by%20way%20of%20loyalty,%20had%20bored%20their%20ears.%20AJMER%20SHARIF.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/Tuzuk-i%20Jabangir%20mentions%20that%20later%20in%20the%20same%20year%20he%20presented%20'732%20pearls%20of%20the%20value%20of%2036,000%20rupees%20to%20the%20servants,%20who,%20by%20way%20of%20loyalty,%20had%20bored%20their%20ears.%20AJMER%20SHARIF.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty..JPG


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The Emperor Shah Jahan visited Ajmerfive times during

his reign (1627-58). The Shah Jahani mosque at the

shrine is the chief monument of his devotion to Hazrat

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty. He ordered the mosque to be

constructed in fulfilment of a vow made during his Mewarcapaign. The result is a building of striking quality, its beauty

enhanced by the enclosure, which stretched before the

mosque itself. According to the Siyar al-Aqtab, Shah Jahan

built 'such a splendid mosque that no former ruler has ever

built a mosque to rival it anywhere on the face of the earth.

May Allah preserve this building for ever.'

Tirmizi has noted the

details of the mosque's

construction thus:

It measures 148 feet inlength and 25 feet in

width, having in front an

enclosure measuring 150

feet by 53 feet. This

enclosure, paved with

polished marble, is

surrounded on the south,

north and east of an

elegant balustrade having

five entrances, one in thesouth, one in the north

and the remaining three

in the east, each reached

by a flight of stairs.

The mosque proper is on

a plinth, which is again

reached by a flight of

stairs. Under the roof of

the mosque there is an

exterior row of elevenarched entrances running

parallel to an interior row

of the same number, all

the twenty-two being

identical to one another.

The back-wall has five

Shahjahan Mughal Emporor of India,

IN DARBAR SHARIF, AJMER

National Museum
http://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/SHAH%20JAHANI%20MASJID_DARGAH%20KHWAJA%20SAHIB.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/SHAH%20JAHANI%20MASJID_DARGAH%20KHWAJA%20SAHIB.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/SHAH%20JAHANI%20MASJID_DARGAH%20KHWAJA%20SAHIB.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20text%20of%20the%20%20inscription%20over%20the%20frieze%20of%20the%20facade%20of%20Shahjahan's%20mosque%20in%20the%20Ajmer%20Dargah%20Sharif..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20text%20of%20the%20%20inscription%20over%20the%20frieze%20of%20the%20facade%20of%20Shahjahan's%20mosque%20in%20the%20Ajmer%20Dargah%20Sharif..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20text%20of%20the%20%20inscription%20over%20the%20frieze%20of%20the%20facade%20of%20Shahjahan's%20mosque%20in%20the%20Ajmer%20Dargah%20Sharif..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20Emperor%20Shah%20Jahan%20visited%20Ajmer%20five%20times%20during%20his%20reign%20(1627-58).%20The%20Shah%20Jahani%20mosque%20at%20the%20shrine%20is%20the%20chief%20monument%20of%20his%20devotion%20to%20Hazrat%20Khwaja%20Moinuddin%20Chishty.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/SHAH%20JAHANI%20MASJID_DARGAH%20KHWAJA%20SAHIB.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/SHAH%20JAHANI%20MASJID_DARGAH%20KHWAJA%20SAHIB.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/SHAH%20JAHANI%20MASJID_DARGAH%20KHWAJA%20SAHIB.JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20text%20of%20the%20%20inscription%20over%20the%20frieze%20of%20the%20facade%20of%20Shahjahan's%20mosque%20in%20the%20Ajmer%20Dargah%20Sharif..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20text%20of%20the%20%20inscription%20over%20the%20frieze%20of%20the%20facade%20of%20Shahjahan's%20mosque%20in%20the%20Ajmer%20Dargah%20Sharif..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/The%20text%20of%20the%20%20inscription%20over%20the%20frieze%20of%20the%20facade%20of%20Shahjahan's%20mosque%20in%20the%20Ajmer%20Dargah%20Sharif..JPG


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niches in which the

fundamental creeds of

Islam are inscribed in

letters of gold. Over the

frieze of the facade there

is an inscription in

Persian verse.

The text of the

inscription over the

frieze of the facade of

Shahjahan's mosque in

the Ajmer Dargah Sharif.

The inscription is inlaid

with blas marble

occupying 66 horizontal

panel; each panel

contains a hemistich

flanked by various

attributes of Allah. The

whole runs into 33 verses

of high quality. The

inscription is in masnawi

from and the meter

employed is a variation

of the mutaqarib. Thestyle of writing is Naksh

of a very high order.

1. I have heard from the clite of happy omen that prior to {his}

eternity bound accession.

2. Faith-cherishing refuge of the religion, of heavenly dignity, Shah

Jahan the King.

3. Asylum of nation, lord of throne and crown, in whose reign the

Divine Law prevails.

4. After scoring victory over the Rana, pitched up his tent at Ajmer

with great dignity, pomp and felicity.5. For praying a visit to the shrine of the truthful Moin (helper) of

the world, Khwaja of the age.

6. The refuge of the truths, the receptacle of divine knowledge to

whom the heaven has a awarded the title of Qutub-e-Alam {pole

star of the world}.

7. As there was no mosque in {the enclosure of} that holy


10/16

mausoleum, a desire for {constructing} a mosque in memory of

him.

8. Between the lord {Shahjahan} and God it was ratified that there

should be a mosque in memory of him.

9. Many revolutions of the sphere were not over when that altar of

monarchs and angles.

10. Occupied the seat of emperorship and sovereignty, through

divine favor.

11. Girded up his lions and went ahead, not by way of formality, but

through sincere intention {to put his desire into reality}.

12. By the grace of Allah, the work was done as desired. He laid the

foundation of this mosque and it was completed.

13. How excellent is the mosque of the king of the world which

bears the stamp of the Bait-ul-Muqaddas {the name given to the

mosque in Jerusalem}.

14. How happy is the dignity of this house that on account of its

sanctity is the companion on the Holy Kaaba.

15. It is scared shrine like the sanctuary of Abrahim A.S. the tongue

is dedicated to honorable mention for its description.

16. It is considered a twin of the Kaaba, who has beheld a mosque

with such splendor and grandeur?

17. The sun makes a broom from its rays in order that he might

receive the honorific of 'sweeper' at this place.

18. The Kaaba is visible therein at the time of prayer, having opened

the door of the niche towards the Holy Sanctuary.19. When you rub your fortunate face on its floor, your book of

deeds becomes as white as marble {i.e. your sins are washed away}.

20. The indigent seeker has his heart attaches therein; its guldasta is

the spring-time of prayer.

21. When the king of the world {Shahjahan} turned the face of

supplication towards its niche, at the time of prayer.

22. Through divine favor, the niche was honored on both sides; it

has its back to one qibla {the Kaaba} and its face to another {the

mausoleum}.

23. There are two pupils that sit in the eye of the world; one is thehouse of Kaaba and the other is this {the mosque}.

24. The emperor of the faith sits in the mosque as if the Kaaba

occupies the mosque for ever.

25. In the mosque prayer is favored with response; so happy is the

one who offers prayer there.

26. The soul can be burned as incense at its pulpit from which the


11/16

name of the King of the World {Shahjahan} is raised.

27. To the throng of people who come to offer prayers its gate is

always open as it the gate of penitence.

28. In order that the sermon of the king may be worthy of it, it is

befitting that its pulpit should be made out of the wings of angels.

29. It reservoir is full to the brim with the water of Zam Zam;

through its niche it is door to door with the kaaba.

30. Its limped water has drawn a sword of waves to sever relations

{with everything mundane}.

31. The joints of the stone have been so finely set together that you

may say it was carved of a single piece.

32. Since at the behest of the Shadow of God {i.e. the king}, destiny

raised this edifice.

33. Men of faith recorded for its chronogram the words; the edifice

of the emperor of the surface of the world 1047 A.H

The chronogram yields the date AH 1047/1637-8.Shah Jahan is also belived to have constructed a ghat to give accessto the Jhalra tank which is adjacent to the south side of the dargah.

A second monumental gateway was built outside the BulandDarwaza during Shah Jahan's reign. The inscription on the gatewayindicates that it was built to commemorate a victory of Shah Jahan.One of the verses reads:During the reign of Shah Jahan, the religious-cherishing king, the sonof Faith has wiped away the darkness of infidelity completely. Year 29

(1654).This gateway is variously known as the Shah Jahani Darwaza andthe Naqqar Khana, the latter because it was used to house towimmense drums, which came from Bengal. An earlier referencesuggests, however, that there was some kind of naqqar khana beforethe reign of Shah Jahan.Early in Ramazan (1574) the atmosphere ofAjmer became fragrant from the storm raised by the musk-like hoof ofroyal horses. The king went straight to the shrine of KhwajaMoinuddin and duly observed the necessary religious ceremonies

there, and from the spoils of Bengal, two big drums, which from thefirst day had been kept apart to be presented to the Khwaja, werebrought and presented to the Naqqar Khana.Shah Jahan's daughter, Jahan Ara Begum,was a loyal follower ofHazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty & as an expression of herdevotion, she had a porch of white marble built over the main
http://dargahsharif.com/A%20second%20monumental%20gateway%20was%20built%20outside%20the%20Buland%20Darwaza%20during%20Shah%20Jahan's%20reign..JPGhttp://dargahsharif.com/A%20second%20monumental%20gateway%20was%20built%20outside%20the%20Buland%20Darwaza%20during%20Shah%20Jahan's%20reign..JPG


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entrance to the saint's mausoleum known as the Begumi Dalan thehas been recently decorated.

In 1888, the walls and pillars were painted arich red, gold andblue, at the expense of the Nawab Mushtak Ali Khan of Rampur

Another account of Ajmer and its shrine by a European traveller datesfrom Shah Jahan's reign. Peter Mundy describes 'a great resort ofpeople continuously from all parts thronging in and out'.The Emperor Aurangzeb was not wholly in favour of pilgrimages tothe shrines of saints: 'He forbade the roofing over of buildingscontaining tombs, the lime-washing of sepulchres, and the pilgrimageof women to the grave-yards of saints, as opposed to Quranic law.'Even so Aurangzeb himself did not fail to visit the shrine of HazratKhwaja Moinuddin Chishty when he was at Ajmer in 1659 after hisvictory over Dara Shikoh, he presented Rs. 5,000 to the attendants

as a thanks-offering for the victory. However, there are no lastingmonuments in the shrine of Aurangzeb's reverence of Hazrat KhwajaMoinuddin Chishty. But in spite of the lack of any obvious imperialpatronage at this time, there seems to have been no drastic decline inthe popularity of the shrine.The era of the Great Mughals was a time of unusual stability in thehistory of Ajmer. The cult of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty andhis shrine had development unhindered by political and territorialdisputes. This relative tranquillity ended with the death of Aurangzeb,

when Ajmer entered a period of uncertainty and political turbulence.The city became the focus for Rajput expansionist ambitions.Muhammad Shah, the new Mughal Emperor, recaptured Ajmer in1722.But by 1730 Ajmer was again in Rajput hands. It has beensuggested that the visit to Ajmer planned by Nadir Shah was no morethan a cover for political designs: 'At Delhi Nadir Shah talked ofmaking a pilgrimage to the tomb of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishtyat Ajmer. This journey was really intended for the spoliation of theRajput states because Ajmer is in the heart of Rajputana.'Ajmer was the center of endless disputes in the mid-eighteenth

century, but stability returned when it was annexed by Scindia ofGwalior in 1791. It remained in his hands until it was ceded to theBritish government in 1818. The turbulent history of Ajmer is a factorin the growth of its shrine. Nadir Shah was not alone in realizing that

journeys to shrines could be used for military or political ends. Thestrategic importance of Ajmer may help to explain the interesttemporal rulers (including non-Muslims) took in the shrine.
http://dargahsharif.com/In%201888,%20the%20walls%20and%20pillars%20%C2%A0were%20painted%20arich%20red,%20gold%20and%20blue,%20at%20the%20expense%C2%A0of%20the%20Nawab%20Mushtak%20Ali%20Khan%C2%A0of%20Rampur.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/In%201888,%20the%20walls%20and%20pillars%20%C2%A0were%20painted%20arich%20red,%20gold%20and%20blue,%20at%20the%20expense%C2%A0of%20the%20Nawab%20Mushtak%20Ali%20Khan%C2%A0of%20Rampur.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/In%201888,%20the%20walls%20and%20pillars%20%C2%A0were%20painted%20arich%20red,%20gold%20and%20blue,%20at%20the%20expense%C2%A0of%20the%20Nawab%20Mushtak%20Ali%20Khan%C2%A0of%20Rampur.jpghttp://dargahsharif.com/In%201888,%20the%20walls%20and%20pillars%20%C2%A0were%20painted%20arich%20red,%20gold%20and%20blue,%20at%20the%20expense%C2%A0of%20the%20Nawab%20Mushtak%20Ali%20Khan%C2%A0of%20Rampur.jpg


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Geographically Ajmer is the gateway to much of Rajasthan. Itsposition, combined with the precipitous nature of the hill on which itsfort is built, made the city of supreme strategic interest.Thus, even during the political upheavals in Ajmer in the nineteethcentury the dargah was not entirely neglected. A succession ofMaharajas endowed it with a series of villages.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty 's grave, but it was replaced by MaharajaJai Singh of Jaipurin c. 1730. This contains approximately 42,961tolas of silver.The advent of Scindia rule in Ajmer in 1791 was marked by theNawab of Arcot wishing to repair the dargah buildings which hadbecome dilapidated. Rao Scindia co-operated in this and waspresented with a telescope in return. From the correspondence

between the two, it is clear that there was much rivalry to gain theprivilege of funding this repair work. The Nawab was considerablyalarmed by the potential competition, but the Maharaja was able toassure him the all was well and no-one would interfere with theNawab's requests.The Scindia family was devoted to the shrine. Bishop Heber, whovisited Ajmer shortly after the beginning of British rule noted that 'theScindia family, while masters of ajmer, were magnificent benefactorsof its shrine.' They spent Rs 2,000 annually on the distribution of food

to the poor at the two Id festivals.In 1793 the Nawab of Karnatak, Muhammad 'Ali Khan Wala Jah, built

the Karnataki Dalan as a shelter for pilgrims to the shrine.In 1800 the Maharaja of Baroda presented a chatgiri with which tocover the ceiling of the mausoleum of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty.Thiswas replaced in 1959 by Ghulam Dastgir of Hyderabad.Inscription on the Karnataki Dalan on the Dargah Sharif of KhwajaMoinuddin Chishty R.A.1. He is the Helper.

2. In the court of the lord of both the worlds- that Moinuddin, the Kingof Empeorors.3. When that Amir-ul-Hind, mine of justice and equity, ocean ofgenerosity and heaven of devotion,4. namely, that nawab of elevated rank whose name is Wala Jah,having high station,5. Who is successful ruler of the dominion ok Karnataka and who is
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undoubtedly a favourtie servant of Allah,6. With sincerity of intention and chaste truthfulness laid thefoundation of a charming edifice,7. With a view to people reposing therein and thus it may certainly bethe cause of blessing;8. In the reign of Shah Alam {II} the king, this abode was constructedwith glory and splendour;9. I sought from the heart the year of its construction; it becameenraptured and opened its lips,10. Saying, 'since it is an edifice of Wala Jah {and as} its foundationis dedicated to Allah.11. Seek the year of its construction in this benediction, May theblessed building endure for ever! 1207 A.H.12. Seek the thirty five from the year of the kings succession, it was

completed in the Holy Month of Rajjab.13. The devoted servants of Wala Jah, Mohammed Jaffar Khan QadirYar Khan and Ali Mohammed Khan had the good fortune ofsupervising its construction .

The Nizam of Hyderabad's patronage of the dargah began when he

gave a jagir to the shrine in 1851.A crown-like pinnacle for the apexof the mausoleum was presented in 1896 by Nawab Haider 'Ali Khan.

The next architectural tribute to the importance of the shrine came in

1888 when Sir Asman Jah initiated the construction of the MahfilKhana were sama ' is held every night during the 'urs.

The eastern and southern doors of the mausoleum were whenplated with nickel thanks to the generosity of Sadutullah Khan of

Jaora, and Shah Jahan's ghat was converted into a Square Hauz forthe ritual ablutions before prayers in the Shah Jahani mosque.

In 1901 the Akbari mosque was repaired at the expense of NawabGafur 'Ali of Danapur.

On 23 December 1911, Queen Mary of Britain visited Ajmer and its

shrine. She gave Rs. 1,500 to pay for the repair & roofing ofthe tankin front of the Mahifil Khana.
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The present main gate of the dargah was built by the Nizam ofHyderabad in 1915. It stands outside the Naqqar Khana. Theraised steps beneath this new gateway were, actually, built duringAkbar's reign in order to prevent flooding.

Distinguished individuals continue to visit the shrine. Thus, in 1951Dr. Rajendra Prasad, then President of India, Paid a visit to thedargah, as did the wife of President Fakhr al-din 'Ali Ahmad in 1975,and Indira Gandhi in 1977.

Mention was made above of Nizam the Bhishti's tomb. Numerousindividuals since then have elected to be buried within the precinctsof Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty 's shrine. Not only is this exceptionallyholy ground, but the saint is believed to be able to intercede on behalfof those buried near him and ensure for them the mercy of Allah.

Another ofthe graves belongs to Shahbaz Khan one of Akbar'sleading generals. There is a curious story behind his burial at theshrine: Shahbaz had expressed a dying wish to be buried in Ajmerwithin the hallowed enclosure of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty. But thecustodians of the sacred shrine refused to comply and Shahbaz wasburied outside.Near the Karnataki Dalan is the mausoleum built by MuhammadTahir Bakhsh, entitled Shah Quli Khan, who had been Subedar ofAjmer. Anxious to be buried near Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty, he hadthis small mausoleum built, but he died in Agra in 1605 and nobody

thought to return his body to Ajmer.Ghiyas al-din entitled Naqib Khan, who was made a commander of1500 at the beginning of Jahangir's regin, and died in 1614, is alsoburied in the Ajmer dargah with his wife beside him. Badayunithrought highly of him and described him as being 'endowed withangelic qualities and adorned with the graces and perfection oflearning, has no equal either in Arabia or Persia in his knowledge ofworks on travel, of history, and of chronicles.In 1616 Hur-al-Nisa', daughter of Shah Jahan, is believed to have

died of smallpox and to have been buried just to the west of GharibNawaz 's tomb.Outside the Begumi Dalan are several tombs, one of which housesthe remains of Shaykh Mir, commander of Dara Shikoh's forces andAuragnzeb's father-in-law. Another contains the body of Shah NawazKhan, Aurangzeb's gneral. They were both killed in the battle ofAjmer fought between Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb in 1658-9. In the
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same courtyard is the tomb of Mirza Adil, governor of Ajmer under theScindias. The chronogram on the tomb gives the date AH 1182/1768-9. Close to the grave of Mirza 'Adil is that of his son, Nawab MirzaChaman Beg, who was Subadar of Malwa under the Scindias.'The enclosure behind the Shah Jahani mosque is called the Charyarafter the forty companions of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty who aresupposed to have arrived in Ajmer with him, and whose remains arebelieve to be buried there.It was only a small minority who has the means to record theirrespect for the saint in the from of architectural monuments, or whowere in a position to select the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishtyas their last resting place. While these monuments are crucial to thetask of tracing the development of the cult, they represent only a verylimited range of the saint's followers. Since its inception, the cult of

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishty as always been popular movement.

With Dua

Aliwale Hussainwale

Email:[email protected]

History of Dargah Sharif

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