Over 500 years ago, in 1519, young Humayun was sent from his home in Kabul to serve as the governor of Badakhshan, a northern province of Afghanistan. The future Mughal emperor had just entered his teenage years, and he would govern the region for a decade before, eventually, ascending the throne.
Stories of Humayun’s adventures abound. During his lifetime, he travelled 34,000km as a warrior, crisscrossing present-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran—exploring more of the world than any other Mughal emperor. According to Ratish Nanda, noted conservation architect and project director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Humayun’s travels were three times more than those of Marco Polo, the famous Venetian explorer and merchant.
These fascinating tales are among the many details that adorn the walls of India’s first sunken museum at Humayun’s mausoleum, which was inaugurated on July 29. As we step into the 100,000 square foot facility, we are transported back several centuries to the Mughal era. And as you move from one artefact to another, history comes alive, offering a vivid glimpse into that time.
One notable work features Amir Khusrau, poet and singer. The gallery—Icons of a Sacred Landscape— includes Khusrau’s exhibit alongside other iconic cultural figures from the Nizamuddin area of the 14th century, such as Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Rahim, who was Akbar’s commander-in-chief, and Dara Shikoh, who translated the Upanishads into Persian.
Esta historia es de la edición September 01, 2024 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 01, 2024 de THE WEEK India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Chase For The Mace
The next three years throw up a gamut of challenges for Indian cricket; winning the World Test Championship is the most important
Two-horse race
Can the NC-Congress alliance reshape the future of Jammu and Kashmir?
Man-eaters don't spare women
Critics say Narendra Modi’s decade-long rule has been one of jobless growth. Factories produced more, companies earned more, owners profited more, the government earned more; but fewer hands were hired, or those who were hired got work for fewer days. Putting the last two together, economists said the Indian economy generated fewer ‘man-days’.
Decolonising the mindset
The vision of a Viksit Bharat hinges on India T breaking from the shackles of a colonial mindset and embodying the freedom of being unapologetically Indian. The laws of any nation are the cornerstone of its growth. The legal system offers the stability and adaptability essential for a country to thrive. The laws must be simple to understand and specific in their consequence.
The making of India's Mr Difficult Words
When my publishers at Aleph invited me to put together a book on words and language, I hesitated for a brief moment.
Couture's creepy corridors
If one is spending a summer in New York, any summer in New York, an absolute must-do is to spend an afternoon at the city’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the edge of Central Park, just gawking in gobsmacked awe at the annual fashion exhibition the museum’s Costume Institute puts together.
Stree 2 has given us hope
The unprecedented success of Stree 2 is the best news we have had in the recent times and with an unabashedly feminist agenda, has comprehensively out-performed Sandeep Reddy Vanga's toxic masculine star-studded Animal at the box office is (to me, at least) kind of the cinematic equivalent of Awadhesh Prasad winning Ayodhya-it redeems my faith in the inherent decency of Indians.
BRANDS BEYOND RAMPS
Whether through carpets, fragrances or home interiors, Indian couturiers are defying their own limits
RESERVOIR OF WORRIES
India has a robust dam management systém on paper, but inadequate maintenance and climate change pose serious threats
INTER-STATE ISSUES HAVE NO EFFECT ON DAM SAFETY
INTERVIEW: KUSHVINDER VOHRA INTERVIEW Chairman, Central Water Commission