Written by: Sadaf Shahzad
Posted on: June 07, 2021 | 
| 中文
Takht-e-Babri and the Lake Beyond It
When visiting Kallar Kahar, a small town that lies between Islamabad and Lahore, one comes across a trail that heads into a jungle and leads up to a lovely view of a lake. The track is easy and peaceful, ending at a black monument made from stone. There is a broken staircase that leads up to a platform, from which one can view the trees and water below. This small, rather unimpressive platform is Takht-i-Babri, the Throne of Babur and the first Mughal construction in India.
Emperor Zahir-ud-din Baber (1526-1530) is regarded as the founder of the Mughal empire, India’s last dynasty before the British colonized India. Born in Andijan (in present-day Uzbekistan), he was the eldest son of a direct descendant of Mongol conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) and his mother was a descendant of Genghis Khan. At the age of 12, he ascended to the throne in Fergana (also in present-day Uzbekistan) in 1495, and in 1524 he set his sights on India.
Mughal Emperor Babur and The Baburnama (Book of Babur)
History shows that Babur had a complicated relationship with the land that his dynasty would come to rule, and the ‘Baburnama (Book of Babur)’ offers a fascinating insight into this dichotomy. As a man of poetry and literature, Babur took his time to note down the different plants, creatures and social customs of this new land. He was taken aback by the boundless resources and craftsmen, but most importantly enjoyed the sophisticated water systems and the breezy weather during the monsoons. At the same time, the most famous and oft-quoted line in the Baburnama has been, “Hindustan is a place of little charm. There is no beauty in its people, no graceful social intercourse, no poetic talent or understanding, no etiquette, nobility or manliness. The arts and crafts have no harmony or symmetry. There are no good horses, meat, grapes, melons or other fruit. There is no ice, cold water, good food or bread in the markets. There are no baths and no schools. There are no candles, torches or even candlesticks.”
Babur visited Kallar Kahar in around 1519 CE, and described it as a “charming place with good air, perhaps due to its similarity to Central Asian landscapes. Babur also characteristically enjoyed making gardens, and had done so in places like Adianpur (now in Afghanistan) to commemorate his arrival. He would have oranges, citrus and pomegranates brought over from his homeland to plant into this foreign soil.
Babur supervises a garden being laid out
In the same tradition, Emperor Babur also constructed a beautiful garden at Takht-e-Babri called ‘Bagh-i-Safa (Garden of Purity)’. He noted that, “In unpleasant and inharmonious India, marvellously regular and geometric gardens were introduced. In every corner were beautiful plots, and in every plot were regularly laid out arrangements of roses and narcissi.”
According to the slab visible next to Takht-e-Babri, in the middle of this new garden was his throne. Babur would sit there, and give orders to his soldiers as they arrived from Kabul as Babur made preparations for the conquest of Delhi. However, the story cannot be confirmed as the throne or seat is no longer present on the platform. Although this monument is a far cry from the beautiful, elegant and grand architecture we have come to associate with the Mughals, the throne and the garden carry nascent features of Mughal aesthetics as they developed later.
The Slab at Takht-e-Babri
Takht-e-Babri receives a considerable number of tourists due to its proximity to the Motorway exit and other historical sites. On the same trail, one can reach the now-abandoned Tilla Jogian, the holy Katas Raj temple, Nandna Fort and many others.
The Stone Platform
However, in 2006, construction near the lake and cutting down the trees massively affected the beauty of the garden. Moreover, the early Mughal and Sikh traditions that were once a part of the area have vanished. With the government’s interest in converting this stretch of land into a heritage site, comes the hope that Takht-e-Babri or Bagh-e-Safa would be conserved in a relatively authentic manner.
A View of the Lake from the Platform
Takht-e-Babri may not resemble the grand and beautifully preserved Mughal buildings, and has a long way to go in terms of getting the same amount of attention from tourists. However, it still has great symbolic importance as a monument that marked the arrival of Babur the Great in India. It is the throne of a pauper prince in search of his kingdom, who would go on to establish the Great Mughal Empire, with a rich and culturally heterogeneous legacy.
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