Plate 3 from the first set of Thomas Daniell’s ‘Oriental Scenery’ depicts Qudsiya Bagh’s north-east view facing the river Jamuna. The bagh was laid out along the west bank of the river Jamuna, north of Shah Jahan’s palace and fort in Delhi. Huge gateways paneled it and the Bagh was embellished with murmuring waterfalls.
The Bagh was built by Udham Bai, or Qudsiya Begum, the wife of the Emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-48). The story goes that Udham Bai was a dancing girl who had been introduced to the emperor by Khadija Khanam. The emperor became enthralled with her beauty and admitted her into the harem as his third wife. After the death of Muhammad Shah, his son, Ahmad Shah, a similarly incompetent ruler, left the state of affairs with his mother. During the reign of her son, Qudsiya Begum became highly influential and received high titles, honors and revenue assignments. One such piece of land which she received as a revenue assignment was converted by her into a garden just outside the Kashmiri Gate of the city and came to be known as Qudsiya Bagh.
Located in the north-west part of Delhi, the Bagh now is home to a few dying Mughal structures, including a private mosque, which was also commissioned by the Begum. The mosque consists of three bulbous domes along with three iwans and rests on Lakhori bricks. It is adjacent to the road where the Yamuna originally flowed. An esoteric inscription reveals that it was repaired by Bahadur Shah Jafar (1833-34), the last Mughal emperor to have ruled from Delhi.
When the area was initially being developed in the late 1750’s, the garden was originally designed to be a luxurious outhouse for the emperor and the queen, which included elaborately planned symmetrical gardens, beautiful fountains, a poignant palace and a private mosque. The gardens were supposed to be in the Persian Charbagh style, with four symmetrical gardens and water canals running through them.
None of the original Mughal plans are visible now. Years of destruction and neglect caused by many foreign factors have led to Qudsiya Bagh being classified as a ‘ruin’ by the authorities.The garden itself has been completely transformed into more of a park, with proper walkways and even a small playing ground for children with swings and slides. Much of the area of the garden has been covered with patches of green grass which are utilized by the local children as pitches for their games of cricket.
The ruins of the palace structure stands in the middle of the garden. Like any other Mughal structure, it consists of arched entrances and symmetrical minars on all the four sides. A dome might have adorned the top of the structure, which is now gone. Big stone staircases built on either side of the arched entries go up to the roof of the palace. The top of the structure is flat and now serves as a feeding ground to hundreds of pigeons which adorn the minars on the four sides. As we emerged at the top of the gateway we were astounded by the view; there was green as far as the eyes could reach but the walls were marred with proclamations of love. Towards the centre we noticed a small mitti ka chulha and concluded that perhaps this part of the Bagh was now home to one of the various vagabonds that roam the streets of Delhi in search of a resting place.
The month of April in Delhi is marked by scorching heat and is probably not an ideal time to roam around in Baghs in the afternoons. We wiped off beads of sweat that were forming on our brows as the sound of the azan engulfed us while we walked further ahead on paths lined with trees and flowers. It was time for zohr and the loudspeakers of the mosque blared, calling the faithful for prayers. As we walked on, we struggled to make sense of the connection between the sketches that we had once come across while browsing through books in Cha Bar during a warm winter afternoon and what was before us. It was almost as if we were at the wrong place altogether. However, the sign board put an end to our doubt.
The Qudsiya Masjid, as it is commonly known now, was the private mosque commissioned by the Begum. Now, the same mosque is used by the local residents as a place of worship. As we slowly circumscribed the masjid, we saw an old man resting on a charpoy under the shade of luscious trees. As soon as he heard the minarets blare the word of God, he quickly jumped to his feet. He put on his skull cap and walked towards the basin to rinse his hands and feet, and fervently walked up the steps of the masjid to offer his afternoon prayers.
Qudsiya Bagh is a remnant of the last phase of the Mughal empire. It is a small and inconsequential residue of a vast and ostentatious empire that covered the entire subcontinent in its heyday. However, the garden itself has a different story to tell. Commissioned and planned by a woman, it depicts the freedom and power that Mughal women enjoyed. The garden which stands entirely neglected today, reflects the dynamics of the Mughal society that existed in the early 18th century. Qudsiya Begum was a dancer by profession, which she ultimately gave up after her marriage to Muhammad Shah. However, she not only enjoyed gifts and titles as a queen and a mother of the heir apparent, she also was in-charge of a large part of the Mughal administration. Our neglect for the ruined buildings at Qudsiya Bagh not only negates the importance it has in the annals of history, but it also effectively negates the stories of strong and independent women like that of Qudsiya Begum.
Dastaan-E-Dilli 