Moving History of Murshidabad



Here history precedes the place. Murshidabad was a witness to those events which had changed the course of Indian history. It took its name from Murshid Kuli Khan - Aurangzeb’s Governor, originally a Brahmin who converted to Islam out of his gratitude to the man who brought him up. It was the capital of Sube of Bangla and was full of palaces, mansions and 700 mosques. But after the defeat of the Nawab Siraz-ud-Daula in the battle of Plasssey (1754), the British captured the city and handed it over to their puppet ruler Mir-Zafar. With the advent of the Company Raj, most of the palaces, public offices and religious shrines that were built by Murshid Kuli Khan and Siraz-ud-Daula were gradually laid in waste.

Siraz-ud-Daula lost the battle mainly due to betrayal of his own men. Obviously, often these traitors and collaborators were amply rewarded by the British colonizers. So the fabled Hazarduari Palace in Murshidabad is not the original one, but a new one built by the British for subsequent puppet kings and got its name from its one thousand doors - some real, some fake, and some imaginary. The edifice, however, is impressive, built in Indo-Sarcenic style, which distinguishes all colonial buildings in Bengal. With its characteristic pillars and green structural windows, the cream toned Hazarduari II stands majestically in its ground facing a few mausoleums and the Nazimat Imambara.





Hazarduary Palace - Uday K Chakraborty

The three-storied palace, now converted into a museum, has 50 halls and galleries. A vast staircase leads up to the first floor. Inside, the layout is grand though predictable - vast stone-floored halls, sweeping staircases and many more windows, then many doors. But the contents of the building are interesting - a silver chandelier with 96 branches, sent by Queen Victoria, that presides over the Darbar; a silver dressing table set used by Siraz-ud-Daula’s mother and handed down to the most important queen of his queens; a Burma jade dinner set, that is reported to change colour at the touch of a poison. There are a collection of arms, Phaeton and vintage cars and howdahs in silver and elephant tasks (ivory) and impressive collection of paintings and sculptures.





The second floor (entry with special permission) has great collection of books and manuscripts. Wander through and you will see examples of India’s most priceless manuscripts such as the original Ain-I-Akbari and Akbarnama, written by Akbar’s court historian Abul Fazal. A copy of Holy Quran penned by Emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring 4-ft by 3-ft , written by Haroon-al-Rashid, the Caliph of Bagdad. penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad.

The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad. The second floor of the Hazarduari Palace houses an equally (if not more) interesting collection of about 12,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts, in Persian, English, Arabic and Urdu. The Nawabs may or may not have been of a literary bent of mind, but their library certainly is well stocked. Wander through, and you''ll see examples of some of India''s most priceless manuscripts, such as the original Ain-e-Akbari and the Akbarnama, written by Akbar''s court historian Abul Fazal; a copy of the Holy Koran penned by the emperor Aurangzeb and another, weighing close to 20 kg and measuring around 4'' x 3'', written by the famous Haroon-al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad.

Tipola Gate - Uday K. Chakraborty

Around the palace are other attractions like the Wasef Manzil (the New Palace) by the bank of the Ganga, Tripolia Gate, the Dakshin Darwaza, the Chak Darwaza, the Gharighar (the Clock Tower), the Bachchawali Tope (a canon).  Parallel to the north face of the Hazarduari Palace, stands the Nizamat Imambara, built in 1847 AD., after the Imambara built by Siraj-ud-Doula had been destroyed by fire. The Imambara, which is the largest in Bengal, is perhaps the largest in India. The Imambara is recently renovated and deserves a detail look. Between the palace and the Imambara is a small mosque, ‘Madina’, with colourful tiled verandahs. The Mosque has an ornamented replica of Hazrat Muhammad's tomb at Madina. It is the only surviving structure built by Siraj-ud-Daula.

As it is locally said, Murshidabad is where silk and intrigue was woven in equal measure. There were intrigues and treason before and after the Battle of Plassey. Though Mir-Zafar became more ill famous, highly placed Hindus played equally active part in it. Jagat Seth was one such great traitor, who could have done anything for money. But, after the battle Clive tricked him and he hanged himself from one of these trees in his own garden. Nearby was the place, where captured Siraj was killed by Mir-Zaffar’s son after the battle of Plassey. Ironically, the imposing gateway Namakharamer Deori (traitor’s gate) still guards the way to the ruined palace of Mir-Zafar. Siraj-ud-Daula was assassinated near this gate. Later, harassed by Robert Clive, Mir-Zaffar also committed suicide at the mango orchard nearby. On the other side of the road are the cemeteries of Mir-Zafar and his descendents. Further away the palace of Jagat Seth at Mahimapur and the once famous Pareshnath Temple are now in ruins.

In contrast, most original Mughal edifices though look equally dilapidated, probably have better historical values. Nearby Hazarduari is the horseshoe-shaped Moti-jheel (pearl Lake), picturesquely framed by the ruins of Ghasiti Begam’s (Siraj’s wife) Garden palace. Here Lord Clive celebrated the acquisition of the Dewani of Sube Bangla (Bengal, Bihar & Orissa) in 1765. Moti Jheel was also the residence of Warren Hastings. In the area adjacent to the Mosques are the tombs of brothers and other family members of Siraj.

History and Gradure in decay - Uday K Chakraborty

Khosh Bagh lies on the opposite banks of Bhagirathi. The grave of Nawab Alivardi Khan, Alivardi's Mother, Siraj-ud-Doula and his wife Lutfannesha and other members of the Nawab family lie here. Further away, Kadam Sarif is a beautiful mosque near the much fabled Jahan Kosha canon and is said to contain a replica of the footprint of Hazrat Mohammad, the prophet.



Katara Mosque - Uday K Chakraborty



But the grand example of the original Mughal architecture stands about a kilometer away from the Hazarduari. Built in 1720, Katara Masjid stands as the lone testimony to the contributions of the city’s founder. The gorgeous mosque with its huge domes and high minarets has a simple cemetery of the Murshid Kuli Khan below the front staircase. Even in death he followed the austere style of Aurenzeb.

In Murshidabad history flows with time

Most people do Murshidabad in a day, running from palace house to garden to mosque and returning to Kolkata in the evening. But, this historically important town deserves a much longer time to explore as well as to understand how human pettiness, greed and betrayal of a few rich and powerful can start a two century long subjugation of a great nation.