Jumbangla Desk: Baba got fever again, got cured in medicine (Babur-Humayun-Akbar-Jahangir-Shahjahan-Aurangzeb), this sentence is quite common to remember the main trend of the Mughal Empire. News BBC Bangla

One of the largest and most prosperous empires of the Indian subcontinent was the Mughal period. Its spread was from present day Afghanistan to Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

There are still several architectural traces of that period in the Bangladesh part, which give an idea of ​​the Mughal period in the region.

Characteristics of Mughal Architecture
Muslim architecture in Bengal began during the Sultanate period in the thirteenth century. However, during the Mughal period, there were many changes in the previous characteristics.

Although the Mughal architecture in Bengal is characterized on the one hand by the architecture of Delhi and Agra, there is also some combination of the earlier Sultanate period and local characteristics of the region.

These features include rectangular rooms, plaster walls that were absent during the Sultanate period. In addition, the middle one of the multiple domes has a large, bow-shaped arch, or archway, as the writer and historian Muntasir Mamun mentioned.

However, many experts feel that the architecture of Bengal is not the center of attention like Agra, Delhi or Fatehpur Sikri, so they lack the same characteristics or room for creativity.

But there is a different kind of 'strange attraction', as Dr. In the book 'Muslim Monuments of Bangladesh' by Syed Mahmud Hasan.

How the Mughals came to Bengal
The Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent began with Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, who originally came from present-day Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and then to India.

However, the Mughal Empire in the Bengal region began during the Mughal Emperor Akbar's reign, which is seen as the golden age of the Mughal Empire.

It is said that since the region of Bengal is fertile and fertile, it is possible to collect huge revenue, from the point of view that Emperor Akbar wants to establish control in Bengal.

According to Banglapedia, Raja Mansingh was appointed as Subadar of Bengal in March 1594 AD, who served three terms as Subadar. Although the main base at that time was in Rajmahal (present part of India).

However, the full occupation of Bengal or the Dhaka part of Bangladesh came mainly during the reign of Emperor Jahangir.

Historian Muntasir Mamun said, "During Jahangir's reign, Islam Khan was sent to make a new capital. Islam Khan returned from the Rajmahal and felt that this would be important for the capital. We say that in 1610, during the Mughal period, the capital city of Dhaka fell.”

The provinces of the Mughal Empire were called Subahs. It is mentioned in various books and articles that after the appointment of Islam Khan Chishti as the Subadar of Bengal around 1608, his political and administrative strategy can be observed quite effectively for Bengal.

He came to Dhaka in 1610 and named it 'Jahangirnagar' as his capital.

At that time the capital of Subah Bengal was shifted from Rajmahal to Dhaka. Since then various types of architecture started to be built in this part of Bengal.

Some surviving Mughal architecture in Dhaka Dhaka
was once called the city of mosques. Many mosques were built in Bengal during the Mughal period as well. Like Satgambuj Mosque, Haji Khaja Shahbaz Mosque, Lalbagh Fort Mosque, Khan Mohammad Mridha Mosque, etc.

Although there are many other types of mosques, they have lost their original appearance as a result of various damage or various renovations.

For example, the Khwaja Ambar Mosque, built around 1680 in Karwan Bazar, survives but is no longer in its original form due to renovations and expansions at various times. Worshipers still offer prayers in almost all mosques.

These mosques have their own stories. For example, the Khan Mohammad Mridha or Mirdha Mosque of Atishkhana in old Dhaka, which has survived in its original form, is often known as the Jinn Mosque by the people of the area.

The assistant imam and muezzin Qari Mohammad Shahidullah of that mosque said, "There is no mosque without jinn, there are many jinn in our mosque, they meet people in different tunes, but people do not understand."

Apart from religious buildings, mausoleums, inns, bridges or forts were also built during the Mughal period. For example, the most notable is Lalbagh Fort, which was started in 1678 by Mohammad Azam, son of Emperor Aurangzeb.

At that time it was named Qila Aurangabad. However, he had to return to Delhi on the call of his father Aurangzeb. The rest of the work was done by Shaista Khan, the then Subadar of Bengal, whose name was Mirza Abu Talib, but Emperor Jahangir gave him the title of Shaista Khan or Shaista Khan. However, the fort remained incomplete.

It is mentioned in various places including leaflets related to the fort that due to the death of Pari Bibi, daughter of Shaista Khan in 1684, the construction of this fort was considered as a ruin and stopped.

"Pari Bibi's mausoleum is probably the latest addition to the Lalbagh Fort. It was built by Shaista Khan following the Taj Mahal in Agra and Humayun's mausoleum in Delhi," said Afroza Khan Mita, regional director of the Directorate of Archaeology.

The tomb of Paribibi's shrine is said to belong to Shamshad Begum, another daughter of Shaista Khan, in another chamber. Apart from the shrine, the architecture built then includes the unfinished southeast portico of the fort. Adjacent to this pylon is the so-called Gupta Path.

Although there is no factual basis, there is a legend that another Mughal structure, Sonakanda fort, was communicated at Narayanganj through a secret passage through the Buriganga River.

As the various surviving structures have decayed or changed over time, the remnants are in some cases on the verge of extinction. Among them are two inns, Big Katra and Chota Katra.

Two inscriptions at Bara Katra date back to 1643 to 1646. which was assigned to be used as an office on the condition that 'no rent shall be charged from any genuine and competent person'.

Now much of it has disappeared due to squatters. The interior is used as a madrasah. Even if you go inside the small katra, where the original shape has almost disappeared, you can see that the work of making toys is going on there. Despite various efforts, the Department of Archeology could not take these structures for conservation.

The Zoula Period of the Mughal Empire
The Zoula period of the Mughal period in the Bangladesh part cannot be determined exactly with the central rule. Basically, the development of architecture depended on Dhaka becoming the capital.

“There is no doubt that during the Mughal period, there was a prominent city. Gardens, new architecture, everything together,” said Muntasir Mamun.

He also mentioned that the Mughals lived here in a fairly orderly state and people from different countries of the world came to Dhaka in search of fortune. Among them, Afroza Khan Mita mentions the period of Subadar Shaista Kha as the most prosperous period.

Basically, Shaista Khan was famous for various reasons such as victory of Chittagong, suppressing rebellion of hill states, development of trade and commerce, construction of various architectures, justice, public welfare, low price of grain.

He was Subadar for 24 long years between 1664 and 1688 with a break of a little over a year. However, the duration of the Mughal Empire was 200 years, but the prosperity of Dhaka was less than 100 years. Because after 1717 the capital was moved from Dhaka to Murshidabad.

And with this, the Mughals began to turn their attention away from Dhaka. And thus in this part the Mughal reign came to an end. Muntasir Mamun also expressed some anger regarding the preservation of the monuments that remain today.

"In every city we go, we look for traces of culture, culture that is sorely lacking," he said. According to him, all the old architecture or culture could be the center of tourist attraction in Dhaka rather than the new construction.

Finally, the child who was crying next to his mother was identified