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Nasrat Khan
This
lofty and superb building is situated two and half miles east of Lahore
in the modern village of Chintgarh, north of the Delhi Railway line.
It is a double storeyed building, and stands in the centre of a platform
of octagonal size. The upper storey has a lofty dome supported by
beautiful arches. In the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the mausoleum
was used as a private residence by General Court, who added to it many
rooms which have, however, been since destroyed, except three arches in
the upper storey to the west. It has recently been put in through
repair by the British Government.
According to the author of the Mirat-ul-Hind, Khwaja Sabir, alias Nawab
Nusrat Khan (vulgrly called Nastear Khan), belonged to a distinguished
family of omerahs and received the title of Khan-I-Dauran form the Emperor
Shah Jahan. He died at Lahore in 1070 A.H. the year in which
Dara Shekoh was defeated and put to death by his brother aurangzeb.
The present mausoleum was raised to his memory by Auranzeb.
The
mausoleum is now vulgarly called by the people Gumbaz Bijjar-wala, from
people of the Bijjar tribe having lived in it after the collapse of the
Sikh Government.
The
building is of octagonal form and is surrounded by turrets of much elegance
and beauty. The interior is decorated with painting of different
colors, which are still vivid and fresh. The platform is now partly
dilapidated.
South
of this mausoleum is an old mosque, with a spacious floor, and there is
a small well to the north. Over the middle arch inside is recorded
in large Arabic letters the Mahomedan confession offaith. The mosque
was built simultaneously with the mausoleum, and is now partly dilapidated.
South of this mausoleum is an old mosque, with a spacious floor, and there
is a small well to the north. Over the middle arch inside is recorded
in large Arabic letter the Mahomedan confession of faith. The mosque
was built simultaneously with the mausoleu, and is now used by the Mahomedans
of the neighborhood as a place of worship.
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