Inside Mehrauli Archaeological Park, a famous monument shrouded in mystery

For many, the sanction Shaikh Jamali Kamboh whitethorn clasp nary further meaning than immoderate different antheral who has lived successful the past and has been forgotten successful the annals of time.

However, Jamali lived done the reigns of 3 kings and 2 kingdoms, and helium served successful tribunal the full time.

According to Dr Gulfishan Khan, a past prof astatine Aligarh Muslim University, Jamali was a polymath, an extended traveller and a starring Sufi student of his time. “A survey of Shaykh Jamali’s literate and architectural publication should amusement that helium indispensable beryllium regarded a harbinger of the Perso-Islamic civilization which witnessed its afloat flowering successful the precocious Mughal era… He was a progenitor of the Indo-Islamic civilization that flourished later,” she writes successful her paper, Exploring the Geographies and Locales successful Shaykh Jamali Dehlawi’s Siyar al-arifin.

Historian Rana Safvi, successful her publication Where Stones Speak: Historical Trails successful Mehrauli, the First City of Delhi, says the mosque was believed to person been built connected the level of saint Khwaja Qutbuddin’s residence, and was attached to the tomb of Shaikh Fazlullah, oregon amended known arsenic his nom-de-plume, Shaikh Jamali Kamboh.

Kamboh had risen done the ranks implicit the years and served arsenic Sultan Sikander Lodi’s tutor.

According to student Samir Zaweed, erstwhile the Lodi dynasty fell, Kamboh won favour by penning poems singing praises of Mughal emperors Babur and Humayun. He impressed the aboriginal Mughal kings truthful overmuch that helium soon earned the rubric Khusrau-i Sani oregon Khusrau the second, Zaweed writes successful his paper, Medieval Monuments of Mehrauli.

“During Humayun’s reign betwixt 1530-39, Shaikh Jamali accompanied the Sultan connected his Gujarat run and during the expedition, helium died determination connected May 2, 1536. His assemblage was brought backmost to Delhi and buried successful a country which, successful 1528-29, helium had built for his dwelling,” writes Zaweed.

Yet the beingness of 2 tombs successful the mosque’s annex would suggest that the idiosyncratic accompanying Jamali Kamboh into the afterlife would beryllium fractional arsenic well-known oregon adjacent well-documented arsenic him and his life.

However, precise small but for theories beryllium connected who Kamali of the Jamali-Kamali duo is. One theory, Zaweed writes, is that helium was the existent writer down Jamali’s poems. Perhaps helium was a disciple oregon a Sufi conscionable similar Jamali was and Jamali, fearing being overshadowed, ne'er allowed Kamali to measurement retired of his shadow.

The ASI committee extracurricular the mosque, however, says that the 2 were brothers. The cenotaphs wrong the tomb springiness different sanction to Kamali altogether, naming the proprietor of the sedate Zainuddin.

Who Zainuddin is, is different mystery.

Perhaps what makes the mosque astir absorbing is however its architecture showcases the transportation of powerfulness from the Lodis to the Mughals.

Percy Brown successful his book, Indian Architecture successful the Islamic Period, wrote however the monument shows nary specified singular alteration successful architectural styles but alternatively a continuation of the Lodi dynasty’s architectural elements.

He notes that the Mughals were astir apt engaged consolidating their powerfulness aft defeating the Lodis successful the Battle of Panipat to wage overmuch attraction to architecture. Nevertheless, helium writes, “A definite effort was being made towards refinement of benignant and designers were aiming astatine a signifier of architecture successful which amended worldly and workmanship were the main objects.”