Hasht Bihisht: A Spatial Interpretation of the Location, Size, and Layout of Humayun’s Tomb-Garden in the Nizamuddin Area of Mughal Delhi
In: Muqarnas OnlineSearch for other papers by James L. Wescoat Jr. in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
Humayun’s tomb-garden has many levels of spatial significance that include the garden’s elegant layout, monumental size, and strategic location in the Nizamuddin area of New Delhi. Previous research has shed light on spatial aspects of the tomb’s architecture, visual power, and religio-political symbolism. This article focuses on the garden’s fourfold and ninefold layout, size, and location. It interprets the garden’s hasht bihisht layout through a combination of historical geographic and spatial analysis methods. Conversion of garden measurements to gaz-i Sikandarī (a unit of measurement introduced by Sikandar Lodi [r. 1489–1517], 77.01 cm) units enabled testing hypotheses about garden layout in 5-gaz and 6.5-gaz modules. Topographic analysis sheds light on the garden’s siting in relation to natural landforms, drainage, urbanization, and antecedent architectural sites. Geometrical analysis identifies strong spatial linkages between the tomb-garden, dargāh of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Awliyaʾ, and grave of Nizamuddin’s poet-disciple Amir Khusraw, with additional connections to antecedent tombs, the city of Dinpanah (Purana Qila), and the Grand Trunk Road from Agra to Delhi. The paper concludes with an interpretation of parallels and connections among Amir Khusraw’s poem Hasht Bihisht, Humayun’s imaginative administrative apparatus, and the hasht bihisht tomb-garden layout.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 381 | 381 | 104 |
| Full Text Views | 58 | 58 | 30 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 316 | 316 | 59 |
Hasht Bihisht: A Spatial Interpretation of the Location, Size, and Layout of Humayun’s Tomb-Garden in the Nizamuddin Area of Mughal Delhi
In: Muqarnas OnlineSearch for other papers by James L. Wescoat Jr. in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Humayun’s tomb-garden has many levels of spatial significance that include the garden’s elegant layout, monumental size, and strategic location in the Nizamuddin area of New Delhi. Previous research has shed light on spatial aspects of the tomb’s architecture, visual power, and religio-political symbolism. This article focuses on the garden’s fourfold and ninefold layout, size, and location. It interprets the garden’s hasht bihisht layout through a combination of historical geographic and spatial analysis methods. Conversion of garden measurements to gaz-i Sikandarī (a unit of measurement introduced by Sikandar Lodi [r. 1489–1517], 77.01 cm) units enabled testing hypotheses about garden layout in 5-gaz and 6.5-gaz modules. Topographic analysis sheds light on the garden’s siting in relation to natural landforms, drainage, urbanization, and antecedent architectural sites. Geometrical analysis identifies strong spatial linkages between the tomb-garden, dargāh of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Awliyaʾ, and grave of Nizamuddin’s poet-disciple Amir Khusraw, with additional connections to antecedent tombs, the city of Dinpanah (Purana Qila), and the Grand Trunk Road from Agra to Delhi. The paper concludes with an interpretation of parallels and connections among Amir Khusraw’s poem Hasht Bihisht, Humayun’s imaginative administrative apparatus, and the hasht bihisht tomb-garden layout.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 381 | 381 | 104 |
| Full Text Views | 58 | 58 | 30 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 316 | 316 | 59 |