SHAHI JAMA MASJID at Sambhal: An unheard Historical Gem

1526 A.D.:- (Sambhal Came under Mughal Dynasty)

Babur, the first Mughal took Sambhal under his control. He later made his son Humayun the governor of Sambhal and Humayun passed on the reigns to his son Akbar. This is during Babur’s ruling period, the construction of the Jama Masjid took place in Sambhal.

The Shahi Jama Masjid was erected in the year 1528, by Mir Hindu Beg. He was the Mughal general and a trustworthy court member to serve both Babur and Humayun. He took upon the work of the Masjid on the orders of emperor Babur. The Shahi Jama Masjid and two others were constructed during Babur's time. This structure is stated to be the only surviving Mughal building constructed during that time.

Soon after Babur arrived in India in 1526, he somehow got disgusted by the absence of the formal garden(to which he was formally accustomed). His major contribution to the field of architecture were therefore the terraced gardens with summer houses, the ornamented pavilions, and other religious structures. But none of his work has survived, except the Shahi Jama masjid at Sambhal. The Jama Masjid is thus considered to be a  mosque of outstanding significance because of its architectural features depicting the construction period of the late Mughal emperor Babur, along with certain additions by the following rulers.

The Jama Masjid traces back its history to multiple centuries, it has been addressed and repaired over the years by several rulers. An inscription in the south wing states that Rustom Khan Dakani repaired the mosque in 1657. A similar tablet in the north wing was erected by one Saiyid Qutb in 1626. Two inscriptions about the outer and inner arches of the central chamber record the restorations effected by the Musalman of the town and district about 1845.

Standing still over the centuries, the mosque served as a center of discussion and misconceptions. Shri Ram Sharma is one scholar who has leveled allegations against Babur in his book The religious policy of Mughal emperors 1963 ED, while he was a professor at Delhi college.  He says in the book named above that one of his officers Hindu Baig is said to have converted a Hindu temple at Sambal into a mosque. By Babur's order, Mir Baqi destroyed the temple and built a mosque in its place in 1528 - 29. He had based his distorted judgment on the findings of ACL Carlyle,  a junior officer in the survey department, and had not considered the opinion given by his senior major general A Cunningham setting aside the opinion of Mr. Carlyle.

The claim was however rejected in the Civil Court, regarding the very interesting documents going back to the days of Jahangir now in possession of the guardian of the mosque. General A. Cunningham also refuted the suggestion, the most important of these stating that the mosque was built by a Hindu baig at the orders of Babur in 1526, the temple should certainly have remained even till that date even though it had long been the seat of Musalman governors. And, it is still more surprising that a note class like Sikandar Lodi should have allowed a building of such a to stand in his temporary capital. Although the mosque at Sambal might be older than Babur judged from its appearance, the architecture resembles that of the Pathan buildings such as the great Mosque at Budaun. Whether Babur built or merely repaired the mosque it is certainly curious that Ain-e-Akbari refers to a celebrated temple of Vishnu at Sambal. This reference has been abduced in support of the contention that the Hari Mandir was still in existence though this does not necessarily follow. The architecture of the mosque entirely forbids the supposition that it was built after Akbar's day. 

Whatever the history of the mosque the traces of its significant historical timeline are numerous. Being one of its kind, the mosque holds significant relevance and is in greater need of attention.

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References-

• The New Cambridge History of India I, 4)Catherine B. Asher(1992) - Architecture of Mughal India-Cambridge University Press
• Central public work department(2013)- Conservation of heritage buildings
• B.M.Sankhder(1971)- Sambhal-a historical survey
• Secular emperor Babur: a victim of Indian partition by Surender Kaur & Sher Singh I.A.S.
• The Archaeological Survey of India, Report of the tour in the central Doab and Gorakhpur in 1874 -75 and 1875-76 by A.C.L. Carlleyele with the superintendence of major general A. Cunningham, volume XII, 1879