Musafir

The next in line is the tomb of Sultan Nizam Shah, which is to the west of Humayun’s. The thought of a tomb to Nizam Shah was probably his mother’s as the Sultan was just eight when he became the ruler and ruled only for two years. The tomb is left incomplete due to the demise of the queen mother a few years later. Though small, the walls of this tomb rise to a height of 25 feet from ground level. The external dimensions are the same as the other royal tombs. It is very likely that the architect had initially planned a dome as the structure is massive enough to withstand the load. The exterior of the tomb towards the south has a large arch in the middle which forms the entrance.

Next is the tomb of Sultan Muhammed Shah III, entitled Lashkari which is also incomplete. The reason could be even if he ruled for nineteen years, he was merely a puppet in the hands of the queen mother and the two ministers, Khwaja Jahan Turk and Mahmud Gawan. His tomb is almost similar to that of Nizam Shah except that the dimensions of the arches vary a little. It is possible that it had been designed by the same architect. There are three graves inside and one of them must have belonged to Muhammed Shah’s wife.

The title Malika-E-Jahan is commonly given to the queen consorts during the Bahmani and subsequent dynasties when they ruled, but here it specifically refers to the wife of Sultan Humayun who played a very important role in Deccan politics during the reign of her minor sons, Nizam Shah and Muhammed Shah III. She retired from State affairs and devoted to religious activities once Muhammed Shah was of age. The Malika’s tomb is a little smaller than that of her husband and two sons. With respect to ornamentation, it has good stucco work which gives a pleasing look. There are four graves below the vault and the one right in the middle of the vault is of the queen.

The tomb of Mahmud Shah Bahmani is one of the most imposing structures in the vicinity. He also ascended the throne at a tender age of twelve years. He took control of the kingdom from the de facto rule of Ministers and ruled for thirty six years and probably had his tomb built during his lifetime. His tomb also possesses all the solid dignity of the tombs of the earlier Bahmani kings but lacks in austerity for it does not either have decorative tiles on its outside or paintings inside. The walls rise to a height of 45 feet and strongly support the gigantic dome and are crowned by a parapet of 5 feet.

The enclosure walls measure 77 feet on each side and has a wide arch in the center of each wall. There are smaller arches above this arch and this is a common pattern followed all across the building. The dome has an octagonal base on the roof and its circumference at the springing point is 206 feet. The interior of the tomb is somewhat somber with light entering through windows filled with trellis work. Apart from some minor designs here and there, there is no decoration found but the tomb is consistent in its massive and spacious interiors which is a signature of the earlier Bahmani tombs.

There are two unidentified tombs in front of this one. They are supposedly of two puppet kings Ahmed Shah and Allauddin who were placed on the throne by Amir Barid in 1518 and 1521AD. Of these two sepulchers, one has a conical dome with eight facets, which are marked by plaster ribs. The interior of the tomb is square measuring only 15 feet. The walls have an arch on each side with a parapet of 2 feet above. The second sepulcher is incomplete. The walls of this building have not been plastered but traces of a tomb were noticed and the building restored by the ASI.

Now that we have completed the Bahmani tombs, we will visit the remaining monument in this place, the very famous Chaukandi.