Hyderabad: The history of Hyderabad is well documented. Romance, beauty, architecture, treachery, dungeons and tunnels form part of this old and historic city. But this tale has a twist to it because it is truly about a Hyderabadi ‘queen’ and ever so local.
The city was founded and designed by the fifth ruler of Golconda, the poet and lover Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. Legend has it that he built Hyderabad where the village of Chichlam had stood, where he had met his beloved wife Bhagmati. Because of that, there had been talk of calling the city Bhagyanagar.
The couple had a baby girl whom they named Hayat Bakshi, or, as the name suggests, the giver of life.
Forward thinking, they brought her up like a prince and her birth celebrations were the talk of town for days on end.
The young Hayat Bakshi grew up to be beautiful and smart. Though the Nizam’s younger brother had a son, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah wanted Hayat Bakshi to succeed him. So, he did the next best thing and married Hayat Bakshi to Sultan Mohammad, the young man who went on to become the next ruler of Golconda.
The historian Ferishta in describing her marriage ceremony writes that the king gave his exceedingly beautiful daughter to Prince Muhammad, the son of Prince Mohammad Amin.
Sultan Mohammad was religious, loving and artistic, and heeded his wife’s advice in the affairs of the kingdom. Unfortunately, when a son was born to them, it was under an inauspicious star and the father and son could not meet each other for 12 years according to the royal astrologers.
The Sultan passed on before the stipulated time, and the next ruler was his 12-year-old son Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah. Hayat Bakshi, in her twenties then, became the Queen Mother, or Ma Saheba, as she is known to this day. The Masab Tank, a huge water body in those times, got its name from her. Now, it is a crowded locality, with no sign of water anywhere.
Since the young Sultan was just a boy when he came to the throne, it was Ma Saheba who took charge of ruling the kingdom until he was about 18. The reign was peaceful, and she spent her years practically in retirement till the day when the Mughal prince Aurangzeb turned up with his troops.
Ma Saheba was a wise queen and sought an audience with Aurangzeb on behalf of the kingdom of Hyderabad and struck a deal with him. The deal was simple: The Sultan’s daughter would marry Aurangzeb’s son. This ensured that Golconda would go to the Mughals after the Sultan’s death. Aurangzeb found the deal satisfying and did not return to Hyderabad for another 30 years. Thanks to this smart ruse of Ma Saheba, Qutb Shahi rule in Golconda got a new lease of life.
As per history books written on her, Hayat Bakshi Begam, better known as Hayat Ma Saheba, took a prominent part during the reigns of three Qutb Shahi Kings daughter of Sultan Muhammad Quli, wife of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah and mother of Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah.
Darling daughter, intelligent wife and wise mother this amazing woman, who meant the world to three successive rulers of Golconda is buried under an imposing tomb along with the rest of her family in the Qutb Shahi Tomb complex. It’s size and elevation of tomb speaks of her importance. Her mausoleum is said to be a replica of the tomb of her husband Mohammad Qutb Shah.
She proved that she was the daughter of her father and thus was keen on art and culture and good buildings. She commissioned a beautiful mosque and a huge sarai or inn in Hayatnagar, an area named after her.
Hussaini Alam, Bibi ka chasma, Bibi ka Alam and Langar Houz, make us think of Ma Saheba.
The Hayat Bakshi mosque is a beautiful example of Qutb Shahi architecture and is located on the old route to Machilipatnam. A grand mosque on a terrace is situated in this huge compound, the caravan serai built around it with close to 130 rooms. These rooms were for weary travellers to rest in, since this was a route to Machilipatnam.
This was also known as the sarai of Ma Saheba. There are three lofty entrance gates of the sarai to the north, east and south. Now, only the eastern gate is in use.
To the northeast of the mosque is a huge step well called the Hathi KI Baoli which lies in ruins. A beautiful structure presumably for the animals of the tired travellers. This step well has no life now, but otherwise it is beautifully constructed. It has arches inside with bird motifs built into the walls.
There are tall structures, shaded with arches.
Old historical books say that the mosque is composed of five double arches of massive majority and is flanked by two lofty minarets. The prayer niche is made of plaster and bears no inscription. The Hayat Bakshi mosque was constructed in 1672 during the reign of Ma Saheba’s son Abdullah Qutb Shah, the fifth Sultan of Golconda. Built on nearly five acres of land, the sarai is on a 150-metre by 130-metre courtyard.
The Hayatnagar mosque complex apparently was constructed as a thanksgiving for saving Abdullah Qutb Shah from a freak accident involving a rogue elephant. Hayat Bakshi Begum took a vow that she would construct a mosque on the spot where the elephant came to rest.
While the inside of the mosque has been kept in its old glory, the land abutting mosque has been completely occupied. The beauty of the 348-year-old mosque has been marred by buildings adjoining the premises and there is no safe perimeter left either.
Apparently permission was sought by the archaeology and museums department from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to tear down structures so close to the mosque, since they were in violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1960. Those living in the structures of course say that no authority ever stopped them and so they now live there.
“Why should they be there in the first place,” asks an angry and frustrated Anuradha Reddy, convener, Intach, Hyderabad. She says it should the norm for the state archaeology department to protect such monuments.
“There has to be backing by the state government, the police, the revenue department and the municipality. Right from the village pachayat, officials have to be sensitised and made responsible of protecting such ancient structures. This is valuable heritage and the department of archaeology must wake up,” says Ms Anuradha Reddy.
There is information that Rs 45 crore was sanctioned by 13th Finance Commission and the department took up renovation of not only the mosque but also several other structures under its control in the state. Out of the 133 sarais, restoration works have been completed in 45 rooms and work is continuing.
The Hayatnagar mosque was awarded the Intach heritage award in 2003.
