Humayun’s Tomb Garden Complex : The bare beginning of Mughal

Gardens in India

Abstract:
The intent of this paper is to study the evolution of design in Mughal gardens since
its advent in Indian context. It tries to study the Mughal gardens in light of the elements used for its
construction, leading one to identify them as Mughal. Also the paper would trace the general
transformations of the elements used to suit their purpose. The purposes of these gardens varied
from mere encampment areas in the beginning to pleasure gardens, kitchen gardens tomb gardens,
fruit orchards so on and so fourth in the later Mughal era. The Mughals who were the descendants
of Timurids were heavily influenced by the Persian style gardens observed in Central Asia. The
elements that were used were borrowed from the Persian gardens but modified as per the function
and site topography of the newly conceived gardens. The paper would primarily look at the concept
of Tomb gardens and the design principles followed for the same differing from the other
typologies of Mughal gardens yet having the common identifying Mughal characteristic.
The paper would examine Humayun’s tomb garden complex in this context and
also put light on the fact as to how, Humayun’s tomb-garden established a dynastic exemplary
model for a ritual funerary space that continued throughout the Mughal period and reached its
zenith in the Taj Mahal Complex in Agra.
The paper would also illustrate the design considerations, both aesthetical and
functional for the derivation of the form of the Humayun’s Tomb gardens. It would further
elaborate on the point as to what relation did the garden complex have to the larger city landscape
in the Mughal era as well as in the current context.

Mughal Tomb Gardens:

The Koran promises that the faithful shall dwell in a cool, fruitful paradise and gives
details of the attractions that await them there. Sura 76 specifies that they shall ‘recline upon
couches’ and shall see ‘neither sun nor bitter cold’ Sura 47 describes ‘rivers of waters unstalling’
plus rivers of wine, of milk, and of honey. Sura 55 tells of gardens, green pastures, palm trees, and
pomegranates, and of ‘houris, cloistred in cool pavilions’.
The Mughals built tombs within gardens constructed in the image of the promised
paradise. This could probably compared to the Egyptians building huge pyramids with a similar
concept of life after death. (ref: Moore, Charles W., Poetics of gardens)

PA202014 | Khushboo Adhiya Humayun’s Tomb Garden Complex 1

 Humayun’s Tomb Complex Design:
Humayun’s Tomb complex was the first major Mughal architectural project in Indian
context during Akbar’s reign. The tomb construction was initially commissioned by Haji Begum
Humayun’s senior widow but was majorly completed by Akbar. The tomb was constructed on as site
about 15 kilometres south of Purana Qila, only a short distance from Nizamuddin. The architect of the
tomb was Sayyid Muhammad from Herat, which explains the influence of Timurid styled double-
skinned bulbous dome, and the layout of the mausoleum at the centre of the garden.
Humayun’s tomb stands in the middle of a spacious walled charbagh, around 365
square meters. The Garden is dominated by a grid of 3by 3 squares, the central square being occupied
by arcaded podium on which the tomb is raised. This nine-square grid is combined with quadripartite
arrangement dominated by cross-axes to create a total
6 by 6 subdivisions, the four central ones coinciding with
the podium. Axial pathways leading from the tomb to
the gateways and secondary buildings at the midpoints
of the garden walls are emphasized by broader
walkways with channel and square or octagonal pools
with fountains. (ref: George Michell, Mughal
Architecture & Gardens )
.(Source: Mughal Architecture & Gardens by George Michell)

Design considerations:
The initial glance that a person gets when entering the Tomb complex is that of a vast
green carpeted area divided with water channels. This amazes one with the shear proportion and size
of the entire complex, this design aspect has been explained by Charles W Moore in his book poetics
of Gardens that the massive red sandstone building surmounted with a bulbous dome has been
planned at the center of a chahar bagh laid to match the monumental scale of the Tomb structure.
What led to the layout of the garden in a grid of this 36 squares divided by a narrow water channel
with the central 4 squares forming the podium for the Tomb is a matter of practical approach towards
planning. These narrow water channels were not mere features of embellishment, though the
conceptual idea of char-baug was applied, the further subdivision of these 4 squares into a labyrinth
type of layout implies it being a derivative of the irrigation that would have probably been required to
serve such a massive stretch of land. The system of irrigation is further explained by Charles W.
Moore, that as the traditional four central irrigation channels would have been insufficient and the
corners would have been left far from source of water. There was a need to further subdivide these
central channels which resulted into the subdivided grid wherein each part of the garden became a
miniature of the whole, with its own four channels and stone platform at their crossing. This recursive
division of space became characteristic of Mughal tomb gardens. Charles W. Moore further explains
.
PA202014 | Khushboo Adhiya Humayun’s Tomb Garden Complex 2
 that, the water was supplied to these channels from a well located at the north gate. Moreover the
channel widths were designed to be narrow and the depths were kept shallow so that the volume of
water required to feed them would be less. Charles W. Moore states that there was a mere mismatch
between the grand scale of the designer’s conception and the comparatively meagre supply of water;
this difficulty was resolved as the channels were designed just a little more than incised lines in a stone
surface, but surrounded by broad slightly raised, red sandstone causeways. These boldly mark out the
grid of the channels, establishing its significance in the scheme, while the delicate channels give
maximum importance to every ripple and trickle of water.

Humayun’s Tomb as Pioneer of Mughal Tomb gardens in India

(Source: Poetics of Gardens by Charles w. Moore)

The image above shows plans of the tomb complexes and

evolution of the Chahar-Baug garden system in the tomb
complexes. The plans represented above are in the same scale
and depict the proportion of the garden to the tomb structure.
Its observed that Ram bagh being the first tomb garden where
Babur was buried initially is a preliminary layout which has been
(Source: www.indiapicture.in)
enhanced in Humayun’s Tomb which has generally formed a
Arial Image showing the entire
basis for the design for the preceding tomb gardens. tomb complex view . Which would
not be entirely visible at human
eye-level.
PA202014 | Khushboo Adhiya Humayun’s Tomb Garden Complex 3
 The point that strikes us here is that in all these tomb garden
complexes the main tomb structure stands in centre of the site
where the axis intersect which leads to breaking of the sites
entire view. But as opposed to this peculiar planning the Taj (Source: Wikipedia)

Gardens have the tomb structure placed at the end of the Eye level view of Humayun’s Tomb
garden.
central axis which gives an ease to the viewer to comprehend
the composition in one glance. This kind of modification in the
layout would have come after the study from the former tomb
garden i.e. Humayun’s Tomb. Hence its being termed as a
pioneer for tomb garden design in Indian context.
(Source: www.mapsofindia.com)
Eye level view of Taj Mahal showing
entire garden stretch in one glance
Humayun’s Tomb in Context to Delhi:
At the time of Babur’s momentous victory in 1526, Delhi had already served as the
capital of a succession of Islamic dynasties that ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent for more
than 300 years. It was here that the Muslim invaders from Central Asia had first settled, and it was here
that Sufi saints such as Sheikh Nizam-al-Din Auliya of the Chishti order lived and preached. Though
Babur had been based mainly at Agra, in 1533 Humayun shifted his residence to Delhi on the right bank
of Yamuna river, refurbishing an ancient earthen citadel which he renamed Dinpanah, Asylum of faith.
Identified today with so-called Purana-Qila, or Old Fort, Dinpanah served as the headquarters of
Mughal power until 1540, when Humayun was compelled to abandon Delhi. Sher Shah Sur seized
control of Humayun’s Indian territories. To install himself in Dinpanah, where he possibly completed
the fortress’ ramparts and gates, and probably added the splendid mosque still to be seen inside
Humayun’s ramparts. Vanquishing the forces of Sher Shah’s grandson Sikandar Shah, Humayun
returned triumphantly to Delhi 15 years later once again occupy Dinpanah. Soon after that he passed
away in 1556, thereby leaving the throne to Akbar.
Akbar was a frequent visitor to Nizam al-Din’s shrine laocated in the small settlement
known as Nizamuddin that grew around the saint’s dargah, a short distance south of Dinpanah. The
emperor’s visits signalled. The beginning of Mughal interest in the patronage of the Chishti saints, a
practice that was sustained through the 17th and 18th centuries. And it was next Yamuna, in the vicinity
of the saint’s shrine, that Akbar erected a magnificent tomb in the memory of his father Humayun.
(ref: George Michell, Mughal Architecture & Gardens )
From the above context explained we can draw a conclusion that Akbar probably
wanted to mark the territory of Nizzamuddin in Delhi under his reign which might have played an
important role in the site selection of the garden, as he had shifted his capital from Dinpanah in Delhi
to Agra and later to Fatehpur Sikri.
PA202014 | Khushboo Adhiya Humayun’s Tomb Garden Complex 4
 Current context of Humayun’s tomb in Delhi
Currently Humayun’s Tomb has been restoration by Aga Khan Foundation and ASI. The
location around the tomb garden is being restored and upgraded under the Urban renewal project.
The areas under urban renewal projects are as shown on the Google map below.

The map shows the entire zone of

PURANA Humayun’s Tomb, Sunder Nursery along with the
QILA
regional zoological park becoming thriving green
lungs of the Nizzamuddin Precint. Also a number
of smaller Mughal ruined monument have been
restored here, as well as a similar charbaugh
REGIONAL arrangement is followed in the layout of Sunder
ZOOLOGICAL
PARK nursery.
SUNDER The above context explains the
NURSERY
importance of the Tomb complex as an important
HUMAYUN’S
monument in the current scenario of the city. It
TOMB
gives us an idea as to how a space can last ages if
designed to do so.

PA202014 | Khushboo Adhiya Humayun’s Tomb Garden Complex 5