• Home
  • Contact Me
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Rana Safvi
  • Home
  • About
  • Book & Publication
  • Culture & Heritage
    • Our Cultural Heritage
    • Sufi saints
  • Food
  • Hazrat-E-Dilli
  • Rana’s Space
    • Walks & Talks
    • Rana’s Space
    • Sher o Sukhan
  • Travel
    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    My favorite artworks from European Museums

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

    The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

    Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

    Trending Tags

    • Contact Me
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Home
    • About
    • Book & Publication
    • Culture & Heritage
      • Our Cultural Heritage
      • Sufi saints
    • Food
    • Hazrat-E-Dilli
    • Rana’s Space
      • Walks & Talks
      • Rana’s Space
      • Sher o Sukhan
    • Travel
      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      My favorite artworks from European Museums

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Gandhara Art in Humboldt Forum: Life of Lord Buddha

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Jewish Heroes Square in Krakow, Poland

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Block no. 4 in Auschwitz concentration camp

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      Ottoman tent in Princess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      The Steam Engine Building, Potsdam, Germany

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      Catacombs in St Peter’s Abbey Salzburg, Austria

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Gloriette, Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna,Austria

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      Matthias Church on Buda Castle Hill, Budapest

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Neptune fountain in Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria

      The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      St Peter’s Abbey Church in Salzburg, Austria

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      The Residence Fountain in Salzburg: Oundof Music

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Sultana Daku and Raj Bhawan of Nainital

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Jahan koshan cannon, Murshidabad

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

      Takht-e Marar, Golestan Palance, Teheran, Iran

      Trending Tags

      • Contact Me
      No Result
      View All Result
      Rana Safvi
      No Result
      View All Result

      Dilli’s Khooni Darwaza

      inHazrat-E-Dilli
      0

      I have driven past the Khooni Darwaza many a times as its very close to Firoz Shah Kotla,a favourite haunt of mine but few days ago I decided to explore it.
      Not many know that this gate was built by Sher Shah Suri for his city Shergarh (Purana Qila area) and was named Kabuli Darwaza because caravans to Afghanistan passed through this the northern gate of Sher Shah’s city according to Maulvi Zafar Hasan in his famous book.
      So at least till 1919 when Monuments of Delhi was published it was called Kabuli Darwaza or Lal Darwaza because of the red stone used.

      The facade of the gate is imposing amd measures 53’5″ in width and has a height of 50’9″ from base to top of the parapet. Its been built of Delhi quartzite.
      This gate is now fenced in with its own patch of wilderness and wild grass and very few who pass by it know of its gory past.

      The reputation of this gate was already bloody to start with since it is said that Emperor Jahangir had the two sons of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, a minister in his father Akbar’s court, killed and hung on this gate. Khan e Khana had supported the claims of Jahangir’s son Khusrau, who was also Akbar’s favourite against Jahangir and so paid the price later.
      It is said that Aurangzeb also displayed Dara Shikoh’s head here after he had him killed in the War of Succession.

      The name Khooni Darwaza alludes to the cruel and unprovoked act of Major Hudson on 22nd September 1857, when he was taking the sons of the Mughal Emperor, (who had surrendered to him in Humayun’s tomb) to the Red Fort. Mirza Mughal* who had been the initial leader of the Mughal troops against the British and Mirza Khizr Sultan and grandson Mirza Abu Bakr, were being taken in a bullock cart.
      As the procession went towards Red Fort they were joined by citizens of Delhi who had white cloth tied on their heads- kafan baandh kar niklay hain.
      Near the Kabuli Darwaza, Hodson panicked, fearing an attack against himself and his men, 100 in number. Hudson panicked that rescue of the princes may overturn the tide against the British who had subdued the “mutiny” after much bloodshed and effort. He shot the princes in cold blood.
      “Hudson latter recalled, “I was surrounded on all side by Ghazis as far as my eyes could see.” According to Archaeological Survey of India’s, board on the site/gate, it says Hudson, made them remove their “upper” garments) and using his service “sword” he “hacked”/cut the heads of all three sons, and entered the carriage and “slaughtered all men, women and children.” Others assert that Hodson ordered the three to get down at the spot, stripped them naked and shot them dead at point blank range.” (Source Wikipedia)
      It is said that after killing the prince, Hodson personally stripped their bodies of jewellery, this being the signet rings, turquoise arm-bands and bejewelled swords worn by the three princes. He pocketed these valuables as trophies of war, although they had been obtained by killing disarmed prisoners of war under dubious circumstances. He took the naked bodies of the princes, to the Chandni Chowk where they were left to rot in the sun in front of the kotwali for days.
      Hodson was later censured for this by the British authorities but by then it was too late and the barbaric deed was done.

      The Gate is kept locked after a student of Maulana Azad Medical College was raped here in 2002.
      And it has this board kept inside for some reason

      It is built on 3 levels with staircases leading to the top. The different floor levels of the gate are marked by windows framed in red sandstone each furnished with a balcony carried on heavy quartzite corbels.

      “Heavy kangura battlements rubble built and dressed with grey stone,crown the parapet of the gate and thevstring course immediately below them,being broken over the central arch by three damaghah intended for the vertical discharge of projectiles or boiling oul.” (Zafar Hasan)

      It is today lying totally abandoned and i saw one man sitting in the cold with a small bonfire going

      From afar it seems so innocuous and innocent but even during the Hindu Muslim riot of 1947 many refugees were killed while they were proceeding towards Purana Qila for shelter through this gate.

      IMG_2450.JPG
      Bahadurshah Zafar with this two sons – Ten year old Mirza Mughal (standing at right side of the image) and Mirza Fakhru (at left side of the image)
      *In May 1857, sepoys of the British Indian army rebelled against their British officers and streamed into Delhi. A few days later, Mirza Mughal and some of his half-brothers petitioned their father to be appointed in charge of the rebel troops. Their plea was initially refused but later granted, and Mirza Mughal was designated commander-in-chief. Mirza Mughal had no training or experience for his new office; however, he energetically sought to organize the troops, make arrangements for their billeting and provisioning, and bring a semblance of order to the edgy city. He was later replaced by Bakht Khan as commander in chief.

      Location: On Bahadur Shah Marg in front of Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. Nearest place is Pragati Maidan

      Share this:

      • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
      • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

      Related Posts

      Hazrat-E-Dilli

      Delhi’s Two Red Forts

      by ranasafvi
      February 21, 2022
      Chillahgah of Baba Farid in Mehrauli, Delhi
      Hazrat-E-Dilli

      Chillahgah of Baba Farid in Mehrauli, Delhi

      by ranasafvi
      February 21, 2022
      The tomb of Haji Rozbih, one of the first Sufi saints to enter Delhi
      Hazrat-E-Dilli

      The tomb of Haji Rozbih, one of the first Sufi saints to enter Delhi

      by ranasafvi
      February 21, 2022
      Leave Comment
      Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube
      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

      Browse by Category

      Currently Playing

      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.

      No Result
      View All Result
      • Home
      • About
      • Book & Publication
      • Culture & Heritage
        • Our Cultural Heritage
        • Sufi saints
      • Food
      • Hazrat-E-Dilli
      • Rana’s Space
        • Walks & Talks
        • Rana’s Space
        • Sher o Sukhan
      • Travel
      • Contact Me

      © 2018 Rana Safvi - A blog Exploring Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of India, website handcrafted by Abu Sufiyan.