Travels in the Far East Part 4

The most prominent feature of the landscape is Kutub Minar, rightly named the Tower of Victory. Some have thought it of Hindu origin, but the now accepted opinion is that it was built by the Moguls, after the conquest. It is two hundred and thirty-eight feet high, and has five stories with balconies, each story being decorated with bands of inscriptions. The first three stories are of red sandstone and are fluted; the two upper stories are of white marble and have been restored. The diameter of the first story is forty-seven feet, three inches; that of the upper story, nine feet; three hundred and seventy-nine steps lead to the summit, and ninety-five steps lead to the first gallery, from both points of which we obtained a fine view of ruins in every direction.

Tughlakabad lies five miles east of Kutub Minar; the fort is so high and ma.s.sive as to be seen long before the point is reached. The enclosure covers nearly four miles and contains a ruined mosque and palace.

Outside the wall is the tomb of Tujlak Shah; it is situated in an artificial lake, and is connected with the fort by a causeway, six hundred feet long and supported on twenty-seven arches.

Of this tomb Mr. Ferguson says: "The sloping walls and almost Egyptian solidity of this mausoleum, combined with the bold and ma.s.sive towers of the fortifications that surround it, form a picture of a warrior's tomb unrivalled anywhere."

The day's experience included luncheon at a "rest house" near Kutub Minar; this term applies to a simple semi-hotel, provided by the Government for the convenience of members of the military and civil service and their families; it is situated in places where there are no hotel facilities, and, when unoccupied, the public may share in the convenience.

The long, intensely dusty ride to Delhi,[2] past ruin after ruin, gave us leisure to reflect on the ravages of time and the mutability of all earthly things.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Northern colonnade of the Islam mosque, showing ruined arch_]

Another afternoon drive about Delhi revealed new points of interest, including some which are a.s.sociated with the mutiny, such as the Ridge where the British troops were stationed and from which a fine view is afforded; Flagstaff Tower, where the women and children were a.s.sembled on May 11, 1857; and the very inadequate Mutiny Memorial Monument, erected to commemorate the heroic deeds of the officers and soldiers who fell during the summer of 1857.

But the scene that will linger longest in my memory is the panorama of the ma.s.sive walls, towers, gateways, and the half-ruined palace. Then, one can hardly forget the Pearl Mosque, which is of such rare beauty as to prove a fitting memorial to the "Great Builder," Shah Jahan; the latter has a prototype in modern times,--none other than Ludwig II of Bavaria, whose palaces also linger in the memory as a dream of beauty.

AGRA, _December 18th_: No one can visit Delhi and Agra without being impressed by the rulers of the golden period of the Mogul Empire, the great Akbar standing forth prominently as a wise potentate and the strongest personality in Indian history, certainly in Central India. His son, Jahangir, was not his equal, but his mantle of power seems to have descended to his grandson, Shah Jahan, who, like him, was famed in the matter of building, as we have seen at Delhi, and furthermore were to see at Agra, our next point of observation. We arrived on the afternoon of December 18th and proceeded to the Hotel Metropole.

As the train approached the city, we caught a glimpse of that incomparable creation, the Taj Mahal, and were immediately under its spell, so we at once took carriages and were conveyed there. As we drew near, the ma.s.sive, finely proportioned gateway burst upon us. The entrance is of red sandstone, with Moorish arches and pavilions, while a wall of masonry, with turreted corners, encircles the grounds. At the centre of the two adjacent sides are gateways of similar construction to the entrance. One is, however, unprepared for the white-domed vision beyond, which at once inspired admiration and awe. The first view was at sunset, and the atmosphere was filled with a golden haze that rested lovingly on the graceful turrets and dome. We lingered on to catch the moonlight effect, and as the twilight faded and the outlines became shadowy, there was a peculiar illusion, which was heightened by the first glimmering silvery light, soon to be succeeded by a full radiance which illumined the white marble pile and the whole environment. We sat spellbound amidst the loveliness of the scene; no one spoke, and this silent tribute of respect was shared by other "lookers on."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Kutub Minar, the Tower of Victory in Old Delhi_]

Our last visit was in the full effulgence of the morning, when we were able to obtain new points of view, and to visit the adjacent red sandstone mosque, as well as the corresponding opposite edifice (which is an audience room). Some of the party crossed the river Jumna, which runs back of the grounds, so as to see the reflection of the Taj in the water. No words of mine can fitly describe the impression, but figures sometimes aid the imagination. The foundation is three hundred and thirteen feet square and eighteen feet in height, and the edifice itself is one hundred and eighty-six feet square, with a dome rising to the height of two hundred and twenty feet. At each corner of the foundation stands a tall, graceful minaret, one hundred and thirty-seven feet in height. Add to this the statement that it took twenty thousand men seventeen years to complete the work, at a cost variously estimated at from $17,000,000 to $20,000,000, and you may form an idea of the delicate workmanship and artistic skill which the Taj represents. But simplicity is, after all, the keynote, and there is also a rare personality in its outlines reflecting feminine grace. This is distinctly felt when viewing the cenotaph (the real tomb is in a crypt below), which is, like the entire edifice, built of the whitest of marble and decorated with rare, beautiful designs, while the screen which encloses the cenotaph of the Queen is also of marble, carved in a lacework design of exquisite beauty.

The diamonds, pearls, rubies, and other precious stones which once embellished this and every other part of the edifice, were taken away by ruthless invaders of India; and their places filled by colored stones with little loss of effect. Shah Jahan's cenotaph lies unenclosed at the left, showing that it was not included in the original plan. Indeed, it had been the intention of Shah Jahan to build for himself a mausoleum, of corresponding style, yet of dark marble, across the river Jumna; the shadow which rested on his later life prevented the idea from being carried out. But the creation of this tribute to all womanhood typified in his beloved wife is a monument which time cannot efface. Arjamand Banu Begum was a Persian princess of rare beauty and of great personal charm. She died in giving birth to her eighth child, and through all the years had held the supreme place in Shah Jahan's life; despite the Oriental custom of having other wives, she had won for herself the t.i.tle of Mumtaz-i-Mahal, "The exalted of the Palace." Hence the Eastern habit of placing a mausoleum in a garden was peculiarly fitting for so peerless a queen; in this instance it forms a perfect setting for the Taj.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Gateway leading to Taj Mahal_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Taj Mahal_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Screen in Taj Mahal_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Shah Jahan and his wife in whose memory the Taj was built_]

The garden was redeemed from a hopeless tangle (into which it had fallen), under the direction of Lord Curzon, who did so much to stay ruin and devastation. It is laid out in a conventional style, one square being devoted to roses, another to poinsettia, while long stretches of foliage plants here and there, with a ma.s.s of dark green cypress trees, give it a breadth of view that is enhanced by a marble avenue, leading from the entrance to the tombs, the sweep of avenue being broken midway by a marble seat from which a fine view of the Taj is afforded. Running parallel were marble aqueducts which contained, at set intervals, playing fountains; these were inactive, however, at the time of our visits. One could return to the Taj day after day, as the subtle influence of its beauty and its spiritual significance are ever present.

Sad indeed was the fate of the builder, Shah Jahan, who ruled from 1620 to 1658 and who was then deposed by his son, Aurangzeb. The latter transferred the capital to Delhi, causing his father to languish seven long years in a small suite of rooms in the palace at Agra as a prisoner, his only companion a devoted daughter.

While the centre of attraction in Agra is the Taj Mahal, the fort, palace, and Moti Musjid (Pearl Mosque) are of equal interest. Here we see the impress of three rulers, Akbar (the grandson of the noted Mogul king, Baber, and son of Humayun, both of whom lived at Agra), Jahangir, his son, and Shah Jahan, his grandson.

Akbar removed to Agra, from the old capital Fatehpur-Sikri, about 1568, but the only monuments that are now attributed to him are the ma.s.sive walls of the fort and the red palace. Jahangir built the palace which bears his name, but as it is somewhat gloomy in appearance, his chief claims to distinction as a builder are the tombs of Itimid-ud-Daulah and Akbar's tomb at Sikandra. Shah Jahan built the palace which contains the beautiful Diwan-i-Am, or Hall of Public Audience; the Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience; the Shish Mahal, or Mirror Palace; the Saman-Burj, known as the Octagon, or Jasmine Tower; the Mina Musjid, or Gem Palace (the private mosque of the Emperor); with many other notable edifices. The Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque, is furnished with a superb exterior setting.

Having described similar halls in the palace at Delhi, I will only briefly enumerate some distinguishing features of each of the buildings just mentioned. All were either injured or defaced in the mutiny conflict of 1857, which raged in Agra from May 10th to October 10th, six thousand women and children, with a few men, having found a refuge there during the siege. A feature of the Public Audience Room is a grille in the back wall, through which the Sultanas or members of the Zenana could watch the proceedings below; and in the centre of the hall is a raised alcove of white marble, richly decorated in low relief.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Agra Palace and part of wall and gateway to the fort_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _An Octagon Tower of the Agra Palace_]

The Hall of Private Audience consists of an open colonnade in front of an enclosed room at the back. The ill.u.s.tration shows the front overlooking the court, while beyond is the Octagon Tower, the residence of the chief Sultana. In the court a portion of the marble pavement is made to represent a pachisi or chess board, and it is said the game was played with slave girls, who were used instead of the customary chessmen. The Octagon Tower is built out over the river Jumna, as will be seen in a later picture.

The portion known as the Mirror Palace is unique, as it consists of two dark rooms furnished with fountains and an artificial cascade arranged to fall over lighted lamps. The walls and ceilings are decorated with innumerable small mirrors which were restored in 1875. The palace measures seventy by forty feet, and is built at the east end of a garden two hundred and fifty feet square, planted with flowers and shrubs.

Underneath the structure are subterranean apartments for use during the summer heat, and from here pa.s.sages lead to still cooler rooms in another portion of the fort.

In the southeast corner of this Anguri Bagh, or garden, are three finely decorated rooms which were once the private apartments of Shah Jahan.

The Jahangir Mahal, or palace, is noticeable on account of the bright red tiles used in the upper portion. It also has a fine domed hall which leads into a large central court.

But the crowning single feature in this fort (which is over a mile in extent) is the Moti Musjid, or Pearl Mosque. Mr. Ferguson considers it to be "one of the purest and most elegant buildings of its cla.s.s to be found in the world." It ranks next to the Taj Mahal among Shah Jahan's creations. The entrance gateway is of red sandstone and is approached by a lofty double staircase. The exterior is faced with slabs of red sandstone, but the interior is built of marble, white, blue, and gray veined. The courtyard of the mosque is deservedly celebrated. In the centre is a marble tank for ablutions, and a marble cloister runs around three of its sides. A flight of steps leads to the roof of the mosque, from which a fine view is obtained.[3]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _The Pearl Mosque_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Akbar's tomb in Sikandra_]

A pleasant excursion across the river led us to the tasteful tomb of Itimid-ud-Daulah. The entrance gate is fine, and the approach through s.p.a.cious, well-kept grounds gives one a wide perspective. The facade is of marble with considerable inlaid work. Itimid-ud-Daulah was a Persian High Treasurer, and the grandfather of the Lady of the Taj. The tomb was built by Shah Jahangir, as was that of King Akbar at Sikandra, five miles distant from Agra and a delightful excursion to make. It has an imposing gateway and is situated in the midst of a veritable park. It is of red sandstone, inlaid with white marble, and is a pyramidal building, four stories high, the first three being of red sandstone and the fourth of marble. The base measures three hundred and twenty feet, and the fourth story one hundred and fifty-seven feet (narrow stairways leading upward), which indicates a gradual decrease and tapering in size. A ma.s.sive cloister runs around the lower story, and the fourth story is occupied by the marble cenotaph of Akbar, directly over the crypt which contains his tomb. The cenotaph is engraved with ninety-nine names of the deity. This story is surrounded by a white marble cloister, and on the outer side of each arch is an oval-shaped recess, filled with delicate lacework carving of varied patterns in marble. The effect is unlike anything elsewhere seen. There are several other historic tombs in the vicinity, and many points of interest all the way to Akbar's old capital, Fatehpur-Sikri. This is twenty-two miles distant, a day's excursion, and easily reached in automobiles; although it took some faith to trust one's self to the rather indifferent chauffeurs.

FATEHPUR-SIKRI: This royal but long-destroyed city is sacred to the memory of the Emperor Akbar, who built a gorgeous structure and selected the site through the advice of the renowned Saint Selim Chisti. He eventually abandoned it on account of its unhealthy location, and transferred the capital to Agra, where, as we have seen, he built a fort and the red palace. There is an unusually imposing gateway on one side of Fatehpur-Sikri, leading up to the mosque, but we made our entrance from the adjacent side; hence our first view was like that in the ill.u.s.tration. A large, five-story building to the left served as a recreation place for the ladies of the court, while back and to the left of this was seen the beautiful dome of the mosque, said to be almost a counterpart of the one at Mecca. So many and varied are the buildings in this fort that it is inexpedient to do more than allude briefly to them.

The three palaces of the Sultanas are notable for their beauty, variety, and wealth of ornament, the Sultanas being Miriam, the Portuguese Christian; Rakinah, Akbar's cousin; and the Turkish Sultana. The Emperor also has a suite of several rooms. The palace of Birbal, Akbar's prime minister, is, architecturally, the most perfect of any in the enclosure and was built for his daughter. The rooms allotted to the Zenana are s.p.a.cious. Near the recreation building is the famous pachisi or chess board, similar to the one at Agra, where Akbar and his vizier, sitting opposite, marshalled the slave girls to and fro.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _General view of Fatehpur-Sikri_]

The plan of the mosque is unusual in its construction, and so is the ma.s.sive gateway. Pa.s.sing through the latter, an exquisite monument presents itself in the tomb of Selim Chisti, the venerable hermit saint, who lived a retired existence in a cave and yet who was the controlling force in Akbar's life. The place is simple, and displays such delicacy of skill in its composition as to excite admiration. It is surrounded by a beautiful white marble lattice-work screen, ornamented with bra.s.s, and the canopy over the tomb of the saint is inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

The photograph is very effective, but, like many others, it has to be omitted (I have five hundred scenes of the tour). The public audience room is encompa.s.sed by cloisters. There is a treasury, a mint, a record office, and a building with three large rooms known as the Minchauli Anch, which is said to be the place where the Emperor played hide-and-seek with the ladies of the court; this is probably an erroneous statement.

The most unusual building is the Diwan-i-Khas, the council chamber. From the outside it seems to be two stories high, yet there is really but one story with a large central pillar which is surrounded by an immense circular capital. From this radiates four stone causeways to the corners of the room; these are enclosed by an open trellis with stone bal.u.s.trades. The shaft of the pillar is finely carved, and all is in perfect condition, due to careful restoration. It is said that the Emperor sat in the centre of the pillar when he held a council, while the four advisers sat in the corners. Stone staircases lead to the roof, where a glimpse of the whole enclosure is afforded. A novel view is obtained down a stone-paved roadway, leading to a large court, at the north end of which is the deer minaret, or circular tower, seventy feet high, decorated with protruding elephants' tusks in stone. From the lanterns at the top, the Emperor is said to have shot antelopes drawn under the column by beaters employed for that special purpose.

Reading between the lines, one learns that Akbar was a very peculiar character, domineering and despotic, yet generous to the immediate members of his household and to his favorite courtiers,--he was very cruel, however, when they displeased him; very broad in his religious views; and although a devoted Mohammedan, he was tolerant of all religions, and there are accounts of religious discussions taking place, in which every shade of belief was represented. He decreed that his daughters should all marry Hindu princes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A column in the Audience Hall (Diwan-i-Khas)_]

Our guide told us that formerly there were underground pa.s.sages and apartments, but he did not state, as did another guide to a party of tourists at Agra, that these apartments were for the disciplining and torturing of the members of the Zenana and even of his wives. Taking into consideration the attention he gave to the comfort and pleasure of the ladies of the court, as seen in the palaces and the large recreation building extant, this statement appears inconsistent, and so it is necessary to give him the benefit of the doubt. The "auto" ride back to Agra was accomplished without any broken limbs, and another red-letter day was ended.

Before leaving Agra one should either visit the Taj Mahal for a final look, or, from the Jasmine Tower of the palace, gaze through the intervening two miles of s.p.a.ce to catch its shadowy outline as seen by Shah Jahan during those seven solitary years of vigil. I chose the latter method for convenience' sake, after visiting the bazars, and in consequence was rewarded with a never-to-be-forgotten view.

Delhi and Agra are indissolubly connected by their rulers and by historical events; in leaving them one feels as if never again would so much of unique interest be presented in the line of architectural skill and poetic sentiment.

CAWNPORE, _December 24th_: We took a night train from Agra to Cawnpore, arriving there early on the morning of December 24th and stopping over a few hours to break the journey. Cawnpore is full of mutiny memories, and we visited some of the historic points, going first to the Ghat (steps) where cruel Nana Sahib burned, or murdered, a boatload of Englishmen; also to other scenes of horror. Then we went to the memorial well, and to the memorial church with its peaceful interior, which was being decorated with greens in true English fashion, for the service of the morrow, when "Peace and good will to men" would ring out, and for the time being mutiny memories would be forgotten. We drove to the park, where, as an accessory to a certain artistic building, there is to be seen an exquisite angel of carved marble, a memorial erected by the Government. Next, we visited some bazars of no special interest.

LUCKNOW, _December 24th_: After luncheon, we took the train for Lucknow.

On the way, Murray's "Lucknow" was re-read, and another mutiny chapter added. Lucknow is the capital of the province of Oudh. In 1813 the English conferred the t.i.tle of king on the ruler, but, for reasons of distrust, withdrew it in 1856, and at the same time discharged eighty thousand high-caste soldiers,--an action which produced instant dissatisfaction and was one of the direct causes for the mutiny. We arrived at Wutzler's Royal Hotel in the late afternoon, and felt gladdened by the comfort and good cheer that awaited us,--a hopeful sign inasmuch as the morrow was Christmas Day. A drive to Wingfield Park and a visit to an exquisite tomb mosque ended the sight-seeing day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Jasmine Tower and distant view of the Taj_]