Gordon Risley Hearn

“ The comparative table is distinctly interesting, for it shows that in our own history kings have succeeded each other as quickly as those of Delhi.
Domes are a very prominent feature in both Hindu and Mahomedan architecture ; it is at times doubtful whether they surmount a mosque, or a tomb, or even a Hindu temple. The two latter have each one dome, a pyramidal one in the case of the temple, but a mosque has (with very rare exceptions) three or more domes. A Hindu temple is also distinguishable by the fact that a small flag on a bamboo pole flies over it. ”

“ On the racecourse in rear, among the bodies of camels, horses, and cattle, was another piquet, and two heavy guns were in battery there. Lastly, the river flank of the camp was watched by cavalry patrols, supported by two light guns.
And now let us pause for a moment at this point, the promontory against which the sea of the enemy's attacks first broke, and consider what our troops had to endure. In June, when they first arrived, the rocks of the Ridge are burning hot, there is a terrific glare, hot winds blow constantly, so that the men could hardly fight, and many dropped with sunstroke. ”

“ The walls of Old Delhi and of Tughlukabad, it is true, have not been entirely removed; but of the other four cities next to nothing remains to show their limits. Much the same thing may be seen at Old Goa, where churches stand scattered about on a plain, without a house at hand to shelter a worshipper.
It may well be asked, "Why did they abandon a city which had been surrounded by walls, and was therefore secure ; why pull down those walls to build others not so very far off ?" Many a city in India still occupies the same site which it has occupied for many a century ”

“ Further on, a branch juts out to the east, and on part of this is situated Old Delhi, towards which the road is leading. At the fifth milestone four buildings, all domed, come into view on the left. That nearest to modern Delhi is the mausoleum of Sikandar Lodi, the next that of Ibrahim Lodi, while a fine, high dome among trees is above a gateway to a small mosque close by. Last of all, close to a cross-road, is a tomb of an earlier king — Mahomed Shah, of the Sayyad dynasty. All are over four hundred years old. ”

“ A little beyond this was the Sohan Gate, and from about this point the ruins of a straight wall run across to Adham Khan's tomb. It has been contended, and it is probably the case, that these walls enclosed the citadel of Rai Pithora, or Prithwi Raja, the King of Delhi, who lost his life fighting against the Mahomedan invaders in 1192. We have reason to believe that the western wall was raised, and that outer defences were added to it, by the conquerors, who were determined that their foes should have greater difficulty in entering the city than they themselves had experienced. ”

“ The building follows rather the bad principle of "constructing ornament" than of "ornamenting construction :" there is a too free use of plaster. It is sixty feet square and ninety feet high, surmounted by a marble dome, which is, unfortunately, bulbous and heavy. It stands on a high terrace, in an enclosed garden, and the view of it through the gateway is, like all such views, an effective one. It was the last large mausoleum to be erected near Delhi, and cost thirty thousand pounds sterling. Safdar Jang's successors were Independent of Delhi, and preferred to be burled at Lucknow. ”

“ Hindu history is practically non-existent, for we are now in the epoch known as the Iron Age, the deeds performed in which are not considered worthy of record ; all we have are certain inscriptions on pillars or copper-plates, and these usually concern themselves only with religious matters, such as the resolutions of Buddhist councils, or grants of land to temples. The earliest mention of Delhi, as a city of that name, occurs in the songs of Hindu bards; there is a story, in one of these lays, of the site having been abandoned for 792 years before it was repeopled. ”

“ Of course, the material and workmanship there are magnificent, while here both are rough; but then Humayun's tomb Is that of a man. The dome has a constricted neck, foreshadowing the bulbous domes of a later fashion, but it is formed in the old style. The copper pinnacle is 140 feet above the level of the terrace.
On the left of the steps, which lead up to the platform from the western side, is a marble grave, which holds the decapitated body of Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Shah Jahan, defeated by Aurangzeb, and murdered not far from here by his orders. ”

“ A road to the Rajghat Gate, now filled up, ran in between the castle and Dariaganj, and near the gilded mosque was the staging bungalow ; in this two officers, whose names are unknown, met their death on the morning of the outbreak of the Mutiny.
Jāma Masjid (p. 165) . — The road to the Jama Masjid ran past elephant stables, on the left, and through a bazar and "chouk," all of which have been swept away, thereby opening up a splendid view of the magnificent mosque, which stands on high, erected as it is on an outcrop of rock, called the Jujula Pahar. ”

“ His habitual caution is shown by the fortification of a tomb built in a lake, but it is probable that he used this little fort as a summer house, and did not wish to be surprised outside the walls of his citadel.
The approach is by a causeway, under which the water has long ceased to ripple, and the openings in which have become silted up. The entrance to the enclosure is by a fine gateway, commanded by a bastion close by, and, even if the gate were forced, it would not be easy to get in alive, for there is a sharp turn, and the steps are open to attack from above. ”

“ About three miles beyond the cantonments the Alipur Road effects a junction with the old Grand Trunk Road, which, leaving the city by the Lahore Gate, runs under the Ridge, near the Mutiny Memorial, and through the Sabzimandi. The two roads meet near a village, Azadpur ; a mile further on is a fortified enclosure, the Badli-ki-Sarai, at which the rebels first opposed the avenging force in its advance on June 8, 1857. Having fought a successful action, the force was divided into its two brigades at Azadpur, and advanced to the capture of the Ridge by the two roads. ”

“ It is not in the least of the type common in the sixteenth century, when It was built, but rather belongs to the style of a hundred years previously : may it have been the grave of one of Adham Khan's ancestors ? In the thickness of the walls below the dome is a sort of labyrinth.
Jumping Well. — Not far from this tomb is a stone-lined well, which Is adorned with Hindu columns, and into which adventurous divers jump; since the notice, given by these men to visitors, conveys a reproach to writers of books on Delhi, It shall be reprinted here. ”

“ Now, however, the Moghal courtiers rest in their nameless graves ; the ashes of the Hindu princes have long been consigned to the Ganges or Jumna; the Peacock Throne was taken by Nadir Shah to Persia In 1739 ; and the last King of Delhi died, a prisoner, in Rangoon. These buildings also would crumble into dust, were it not for the care of Government ; and descendants of kings work, but not very hard, for their living.
There is a raised throne, of carved marble and inlaid work against the back wall. ”

“ All honour to those brave men, who by their courage and endurance upheld the prestige of the British arms against a by no means despicable foe, and under climatic conditions which it had always been supposed would make it impossible for British troops to take the field.
Police Lines. — The next objects of interest are the siege-batteries, the first of which was placed where now are the police lines. On the way there the road, as it descends from the Ridge, passes the "Crow's Nest," overhanging a deep pond, opposite the Sarai piquet. ”

“ The previous state of peace is brought to an end, there is a rapid in this part of the river, and the banks are cut away. The river, as it subsides, tries to resume a meandering course, but in order to do so has to change its course for miles above and below the rapid ; rich fields may be swept away, the villagers may see their unripened crops disappear in the waters ; their houses may follow suit ; new lands may be left high and dry, which formerly were covered by the river, and in the abandoned bends are formed those "jheels," so well known to sportsmen. ”

“ Across the road, at some distance, the marble dome of Humayun's tomb stands up ; another dome, with small pavilions around and on the top, among some trees, marks the tomb of a Sayyad king, Mubarik Shah, who died nearly five hundred years ago. Lastly, there Is the Moth-kl-MasjId, a mosque with the usual three domes. The other buildings are of little Interest.
Mile Nine. — At mile nine from Delhi, and two from the Kutb Minar, the tomb of Firoze Shah is still on the left, further round of course ; a mile behind, and close to the road, there is a group of nameless tombs, near Mujahidpur. ”

“ To show the effect of the canals on the river, it is on record that the reopening of the canal of Firoze Shah, about 1820, caused the flood-level at Muttra to fall two feet. It is significant that the founding of Firozabad followed the first opening of that canal.
It may be objected that there is no absolute proof of all this, but as well might it be objected that the scientist is wrong, who attributes an incomplete skeleton to a certain antediluvian animal, because he finds two or three characteristic bones. A regular survey might throw more light on this question ”

“ Behind the line of arches used to be the covered mosque, but only a few pillars remain, supported by various expedients ; the "kiblah-gah," or place turned to at prayer, has completely disappeared, and a path runs over the site. Behind this have been excavated some turquoise-coloured tiles, and it is supposed that here stood the "Blue Palace" of an early Mahomedan king.
Tomb of Altamsh (p. 97) . — A detour to the right leads to the tomb of Shams-ud-din Altamsh, second Mahomedan king of India, who died in 1236 : there is no other tomb anywhere extant of earlier date. ”

“ Chausath Khamba.—In another court are some fine old trees, said to be as old as the shrine itself. Here is the grave of a famous poet, Abul Hassan, or Amir Khusrau, a friend of the saint; the other graves are of little importance, although said to include that of Khondamir, a historian, but this cannot be identified. To the east of the shrine of the saint is the mausoleum of Shams-ud-din Mahomed, Taga Khan, Azam Khan, the foster-father and Prime Minister of Akbar, who conferred on him the titles which make his name so long. ”

“ The rivers of Northern India, in comparison with which the Thames is a mere rivulet, flow through plains of alluvial soil, and wander very considerably. It is often a matter of difficulty to keep them in their courses, and to prevent their leaving the large railway-bridges high and dry and finding a new course elsewhere ; the soil is quite powerless to resist the cutting of the river, which is liable to sudden floods during the melting of the snows on the mountains and the heavy downpour of the periodical rains. ”

“ On the ground around the Ridge, and up to the walls, are many interesting objects, which tell the story of this strenuous struggle by which India was saved.
Mound Piquet. — From the Cashmere Gate, past Ludlow Castle and Maiden's Hotel, runs the Alipur Road, which, at a point beyond the Commissioner's house, dips and crosses a ravine. Here the road bifurcates, the left-hand road leading to the round red Flagstaff Tower on the Ridge. Opposite the rise of the right-hand road is a mound, which is an old brick-kiln, and was occupied by a piquet during the siege ”

“ From the top the eagle eye of old Tughlak Shah must have often fallen on the Kutb Minar, away to the west.
KHIRKI MOSQUE.
To face p. 109.
It is sad indeed to see these Cyclopean walls rent asunder by pipal trees (the seeds of which have found shelter in the crevices) , disintegrated by rain and wind, and fast being levelled with the dust. It may not be out of place to express a hope that the efforts of restorers may be directed to this city, founded so carefully on the solid rock, and deserving a better fate. Restoration will never make it habitable, on account of the want of water ”

“ Tomb of Sultan Ghari.—Some three miles to the west of Old Delhi, in Malikpur (now within the limits of Mahipalpur) , is the tomb of Abul-Fateh Mahomed, son of Altamsh, who died in Bengal in a.d. 1229. The term "Sultan Ghari," given to the tomb by the common people, means the "Cave King." It is a curious octagonal structure, sunk in the middle of a raised courtyard, so that the roof is attained by a few steps only. It is possible that a second story once existed, which may have been covered by a "horizontal" dome, such as those in the Kutb Mosque. ”

“ It would be most interestinor to see the citadel of this fourteenth-century city as it was ; this is not impossible of attainment, for the stones have not been removed to any great extent.
Khirki Mosque. — The village of Khirki lies just within the south-eastern wall of Jahanpanah, and the mosque is a very fine one. It was erected about a.d. 1380. In plan it is square, and within the encircling wall there is a colon- nade ; but the interior, instead of being left open, as other mosques of the time were, has arcades in the shape of a cross : four open courts are thus left. ”

“ This idea is purely Hindu, for they did not know the principle of the ordinary arch until they were taught by their conquerors ; but it is a very simple method of construction, and the top could be closed in with plain slabs. The outsides of these domes look like the ordinary dome, but this effect has been produced by building a false dome of masonry, shaped like a true dome on the outside only. These colonnades have been much admired, and justly so, but the credit for them belongs rather to the Hindus than to the Mahomedans, who merely rearranged the pillars and roofs. ”