Akbarabadi masjid- Will the 1857 martyr honoured!

Mohamed Tanveer

Photo copy of Akbarabadi Masjid sketch in the book Asarus Sanadeed   

“Sahib angrezo ney Akbarabadi  masjid ko shaheed kardiya hey”

“Sir, the Englishmen have martyred (demolished) the Akbarabadi masjid”.When Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, founder of the Aligarh Muslim University heard this news and can not believe that the beautiful masjid is no more. He still remember the days when he was researching on the masjid for his book Asarus Sanadeed  (Monuments in Delhi) which he published in 1847.

Akbarabadi masjid was a huge building had three domes, and seven arched openings all built of red sandstone and some marble. As per the recordings of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in Asarus Sanadeed  the masjid was measuring 63 yards by 17.5 yards with a platform m 63 yards in height covered with railing; the tank measured 12 yards by 12 yards; the courtyard measured 154 yards long and 104 yards broad and adjacent were several small rooms which used as hostel for students.Sir Syed Ahmed Khan visited the place once the masjid stood and some how he managed to recover its plaque and took it with him to Aligarh, where it holds pride of place on a wall of the AMU’s main masjid, built as a replica of the Akbarabadi masjid.

This masjid was built in Ramadan 10,1060 (September 1650) by Shah Jahan wife, Akbarabadi Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan offer the his ‘Id prayers in this masjid before the construction of Jama masjid in 1066.

Following the  Indian uprising of 1857 began as a revolt of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut.The company declared“People belong to God, Country to the King and Administration to the Company Bahadur”.Indians at the time were uncomprsing which could be felt from the edict (Fatwa) of Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi against the British rule that proclaimed from Akbarabadi masjid, "Our country has been enslaved. To struggle for independence and put an end to the slavery is our duty”.

When the flames of mutiny against were burning high in 1857 Delhi was the epicenter for this struggle, Mirza Mughal the elder  son of the last emperor of India Bahadur Shah Zafar was the commander in chief of the revolt  forces operating from Delhi against the British imperialism and Akbarabadi masjid near Red fort was the center for all discussion. Following the defeat of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the last Mughul Emperor, Bahadur Shah II, was captured by Major Hudson  and he even shot his son  Mirza Mughal.

The British coverted the big Jama masjid in Delhi into barracks for their army for use of  toilets,  food was cooked under the minarets, they would slaughter pigs and cook them in the masjid and the dogs accompanying the white British soldiers were allowed to roam freely inside the masjid.  The Famous Fathepuri masjid was sold to a merchant named Chunni mal. Zeenat Al Masjid was converted by the white soldiers to be their Musket house, the masjid of Sheeon which was known as the Nawab Hamid Aly Khan masjid was used as a stable for donkeys. 

The British demolished the Akbarabadi masjid as the charges against it were proven that it was the headquarters of freedom fighters operating from Delhi after the revolt of 1857 and  from where they were conspiring against the British. The British built a park at the place where the masjid stood and name it Edward park but later after the Indian independence in 1987 it was renamed as Subhash park.

On July 2012, while digging in Netaji Subhash Park area to construct a Metro station, the officials of the DMRC came across remains of some medieval era construction buried under the ground. After investigation by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it was confirmed that the remains belong to the Mughal era. It has however, not yet been ascertained if the remains are those of Akbarabadi masjid or are a part of it. Soon after the discovery, the local MLA Shoaib Iqbal began supervising re-construction of the masjid at the same site but it was stopped after orders from the Delhi government. More over Muslims started praying namaz from Friday 13th July but later after few day the construction was banned and the area was sealed.

Muslims praying Jummah at Akbarabadi masjid delhi on 20th july 2012

The recent reports in media said that “The Delhi High Court allowed the ASI to remove illegal construction at the purported excavated masjid site near the historic Jama masjid’.It is alarming why the ASI has not investigated in to the existence of Akbarabadi masjid so far which was demolished as mark of oppression of British against the Indian freedom struggle.

Alas was it is more pathetic that none has demanded for the investigation for the existence of Akbarabadi masjid and restoring the nations pride. A replica of the masjid can built in the same place and it would stand as the witness for the martyrs of Indian uprising in 1857.

Will the martyr of Indian revolt of 1857 will be honoured.