SOURCE: VICTORIA ALBERT MUSEUM
The photograph shows the tomb of Mirza Muqim Abduíl Mansur Khan, known as Safdar Jang, who
served as wazir or vizier of Oudh from 1739 to 1754 for the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah. According
to an inscription over the eastern entrance, the tomb was built in 1753–1754 by Safdar Jang’s son,
Nawab Shujaíuíd-Daula. The mausoleum consists of a platform with a series of arches. Through
these are the graves of Safdar Jang and his wife. On the platform is a two-storey structure measuring
18.28 square metres inside and comprising a central chamber of 7 square metres surrounded by
eight other enclosures. This layout is repeated on the second storey. The entire tomb is made of red
and buff-coloured stone. The façade is dominated by a large cusped arch surrounded by four smaller
cusped arches. The dome is a triple dome rising from a 16-sided red sandstone drum.
Source: Victoria Albert museum
Photograph 1858-1860(NO FOUNTAINS)
Source: Victoria Albert museum
Safdar Jang's tomb in Delhi, water colour on paper, Delhi c. 1850
ANTIQUE MAP OF DELHI: SURVEY OF INDIA
Scale- 1:79,200
Source: Mehr Farooqi, Urdu Literary Culture
Source: Archive.org
After Sadat Khan there were two claimants for the governorship of Awadh. Sadat Khan's nephew
Sherjung and Abul Mansoor Muhammad Muqueem. Muhammad Mucked was efficient having the
experience of 5 years but for Nadir Shah these qualities were of no use. He only knows the language
of money. He accepted the offer of the advocate of Abul Mansoor, Raja Lakshminarayana that a sum
of rupees 2 crores will be given to him as Nazrana after Muhammad Muqueem becomes the
governor of Awadh. One crore eighty lakhs from Awadh and twenty lakhs from the Delhi's residence
of Sadat Khan were given to Nadir Shah and Muhammad Muqueem was made the governor of
Awadh. Muhammad Shah gave him the title of "Safdarjung". He has to face the same problem as of
Sadat Khan, currupt policy of Delhi court, rebellion kings and wellbeing of his people and army. He
succeeded on all the fronts, crushed rulers and maintained peace in Awadh, gained the confidence
of Muhammad Shah and was awarded with the title of "Meer-e-Atash" and the governorship of
Kashmir. Muhammad Shah was so impressed by him that all the administration was looked after by
Safdarjung. There was full peace in Awadh. After the accession of Ahmad Shah in 1748, he made
sufdarjung his Chief Minister and gave him the charge of "Harem". He was also made the governor
of Ajmer and became the "Faujdar " of Narnaul. His son Jalaluddin Haider has been given the title of
"Shuja-ud-daula" and was made the Superintendent. Of Imperial army. This was fact that all the
power of Mughal Empire was bestowed upon Safdarjung by the end of second half of 18th century.
Apart from these responsibilities of Delhi Safdarjung has not neglected the Awadh and its prosperity,
which he considered as his family property. Due to corrupt policy of Delhi court and confrontation
with Ahmad Shah, he came to Awadh in Dec' 1753 AD, where he died in Oct'1755 AD at the age of
46 years.
Although Safdarjung died in Awadh’s capital Lucknow, he was buried in Delhi given his political
importance. The tomb’s location he chose himself while he was still living: near the holiest Shia
site in Delhi known as the Dargah Shah-e-Mardan, in present day Jor Bagh, also popularly known
as Karbala.
Source: History of gardens in India Chapter 5 Gardens of the Great Mughals by C.M. Villiers Stuart
SAFDARJANG’S GARDEN still keeps the ancient form: the central tomb, the four watercourses, and
the four buildings to which they lead; one of which is, as usual, a fine entrance gateway; the others
in this case are pavilions, and living rooms built into the walls. The octagonal corner towers are still
to be seen; and the garden was once full of fruit trees; but the water-ways have changed. Instead of
the small fountain basins, the great tanks, and the raised walks of brick or stone with the canal
running down between them, the paths are now on the general level of the garden, while the canal
itself has become four oblong tanks, one on each side of the mausoleum. These are raised above the
paths and still further edged with a stone border about a foot high, so that almost half of the charm
of its reflection is lost.
Safdarjung’s tomb is built in what is called the Baghdadi octagonal style, with a multi-chamber
burial hall. The dome of the building is onion shaped in signature Mughal style— other excellent
examples of this style are Delhi’s Jama Masjid and the Taj. Inside the tomb contains bird motifs, a
rarity in Mughal structures. The building uses many elements of Rajput architecture as well, such as
balconies and cusped arches. The marble stones pillaged from other monuments are placed a bit
haphazardly, which affects the aesthetics. The tomb is surrounded by a garden in the charbagh style,
with water channels used as an aesthetic element, mimicking paradise with its gardens and rivers.
The manicured lawns one sees today around the main structure are a modern day addition. The
original tomb was surrounded by trees, shrubs and platforms to put up tents. Do ignore the palm
trees as well, as they were not part of the original plans, and were brought in by the British from
South Africa.