Jhajjar is a city in the District of the same in Haryana located 32 km south of Rohtak and 56 km west of Delhi falling within the National Capital Region. It was founded by a person namely Chhaju Jat on his name as Chhaju Nagar, which eventually turned to be called Jhajjar. During Sultanate Period, one of the five canals created by Firozshah Tughlaq brought water from Sutluj to Jhajjar. After the fall of Mughal Period, the area passed on to many hands until the Jats defeated the Nawab of Farrukhnagar. When the British were ruling the Country, George Thomas made Jhajjar as his Headquarter. In 1803, General Late gave Jhajjar to the Nawab Najibat Ali Khan and it remained under the Nawabs till 1857. All of these dynasties and kings erected many structures in Jhajjar for their security, residence and for the religious purposes.
One of the oldest Islamic monuments in the area is Kali Masjid built by Daud Khan Son of Malik Ashraq Afghan in 1397 AD. Another is Bazarwali Mosque built by Nawab Rumi, a Governor of Sarkar Khawja Katoor in 1563 and Shah Bura Masjid was built by Rustam Khan Son of Muhammad Khan in 1625. All of the above mosques have the inscriptions of their builders and the year in which they were built.
There is a group of tombs and mosques located in Bua Ka Talab in the Mughal Period. One of their architectural features is that they resemble the style of Sharqi Monuments in Jaunpur of Uttar Pradesh. The tombs were seven in number but only seven are in existence today, while the remaining five tombs are only stone walls of the platforms. Each tomb is built of concrete stones and erected on the raised platform. The most elegant is the mausoleum of Hasan Shahid, which was begun in 1625 AD. Hasan Shahid was killed in a battle and the daughter of Kot Kalal built the mausoleum. It has flight of step, bastions on all four corners with two graves in its yard. This tomb has attractive features and is a nice example and rare in Pathan Architecture of that era. A big tank was also built adjacent to Sayyads tomb, known as Buawal tank. In this very year two other monuments of Jhajjar Shaikhanwali Masjid was completed and the tank near Shah Ghazi Kamal in the memory of the saint Abdul Samad was started. The pucca masonary tank was built by Rai Darghal at Sampla Road in 1625 AD. One of the tombs was built in the vicinity of the tomb of Hasan Shahid for the saint Abdus Samad. A mosque is attached to this tomb, which is said to have been built by Ismail Irah Raib in 1611 AD. This reputed saint belonged to the Abbasid Family of the Arab. Other tombs have individual gateways and smaller enclosures, all constructed in the similar pattern. They have stone pillared Chatris and arched shelters with the towered corners. One of the smaller tombs is of Rustam Khan having Persian verses on its gateway built in 1919. Other resembling tomb is of Mian Raib begun in 1594 AD. That Mian Raib is said to have built a mosque to the south of Bazarwali Mosque in 1582 inside the town of Jhajjar. Close by, exists of the tomb of Kalal to which a mosque is attached built in 1629 AD. An exceptionally beautiful tomb was built by Nawab of Dujana in 1894 lying on the northern bank of Sampla Road Tank. This tomb was built for a saint named Game Shah, who mediated continuously at the same spot from 1857 to 1894 AD.
The later Nawabs during the British Period built some palaces at Jhajjar and in the village Chhuchhakwas. The palace built for the darbar and the official works is now a ruin and not maintained. Another palace was built by the last Nawab Abdur Rehman Khan. The third one exists at Chhuchhakwas built by Abdur Rehman Khan for his hunting lodge. A large tank was also built beside. Both the tank and palace are now dismantling due to lack of the proper care. In 1750 AD Murtaza Khan Irani built a fortress in Jhajjar for security and residence and Begum Samru added some parts in the structure of the fortress.
Read Also:
Leave a Reply