ABDUL RAHIM KHAN-e-KHANA TOMB

Subject: Culture

Context: The 16th-century mausoleum of one of the nine prominent courtiers during Mughal emperor Akbar’s reign, which is believed to inspire the Taj Mahal, has been restored to its lost glory and is now open to the public.

Concept:

• The tomb of poet Abdur Rahim Khan- I- Khana, popularly known as ‘Rahim’- one of Akbar’s ‘Navratnas’ and a military leader has been restored by Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and InterGlobe Foundation.
• The tomb stands within an ensemble of 16th century medieval monuments in the Nizamuddin area of the national capital.
• The tomb was originally built by Rahim for his wife, making it the first ever Mughal tomb to be built for a woman, with the more celebrated Taj Mahal having been built later.
• Abdul Rahim was the son of Bairam Khan, Akbar’s trusted guardian and mentor, who was of Turkic ancestry.
• Apart from writing various dohas, Rahim translated Babar’s memoirs, Baburnama from Chagatai language to Persian language. In Sanskrit, he wrote two books on astrology -‘Khetakautukam’ and ‘Dwatrinsha Yogavali’.