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Dome
of Abdul Hassan Khan & His wife Mukhduma Begum
Mid-way between
the Shalimar garden and the Amristsar railway road, and the south-west
of the mausoleum of Nawab Ali Mardan Khn, is an old well, almost as large
s a tank. The well is so wide that several Persian wheels can be
worked together at it. A little above the surface of the water is
seen a window, now closed, which communicated with an underground chamber
connecting the well with the mausoleum of Abul Hassan khan, to the garden
of which it was originally attached. The dome of Makhduma Begam
(lately demolished) was close to this spacious well.
The dome was embellished with glazed pottery work, and stood on four arches.
According to the Khulasat-ul-Tawarikh, Makhduma begam was woman of lierary
attainments and a poetical turn of mind. She was the wife of Abul
Hasan Khan, whose fine mausoleum, said to have cost then lakhs of rupees,
was close by. It was partially destroyed by lightning during the
reign of Maharaja Sher Singh, but has been quite recently completely demolished
for the sake of the bricks. The mausoleum in which Mukhduma Begam
rested was built by her during her own life-time. Out of respect
for the memory. It is said that the lady, acting under the advice
of her son, Shaista Khan, had appointed one thousand Hafizes of the Kuran
to repeat the sacred text at the tomb of her husband. According
to the Tahqiqat-I-Chishhti, Hafizes used to attend the tomb until the
time of Khan Bahadur, Viceroy of Lahore, who himself furnished them with
food. In the time of Mahomed Shah, Hamid Kari was the manager of
the alms-house attached to this mausoleum. |
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