The tomb of Ataga Khan is a modest yet meticulously designed monument situated near the revered dargah of Nizamuddin Aulia (1238-1325). Now hidden within a maze of narrow alleys in a densely populated part of the city, this tomb is the final resting place of Ataga Khan, a high-ranking official of the early Mughal period who was assassinated. Despite being exalted as a martyr by court historians of Emperor Akbar, such as Akbarnama’s author Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, the tomb never became a major pilgrimage site and is often overlooked today. However, its precise craftsmanship and rich calligraphic ornamentation offer a glimpse of the Mughal era’s later affinity for using unpainted stone to create visually striking works of art and architecture.
At the time of his death, Ataga Khan, born Shams al-Din Muhammad, was a trusted minister (wakil) in the service of Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605). He came from humble beginnings, the son of a farmer, but rose to prominence through a combination of skill and fortune. During the reign of Akbar’s father, Emperor Humayun, Shams al-Din Muhammad was a mere foot soldier, who became pivotal when he saved Humayun’s life during the Battle of Kannauj in 1540. Grateful for this act of loyalty, Humayun entrusted his infant son, Akbar, to Shams al-Din Muhammad and his wife, Jiji Anaga. The couple became integral to Akbar’s early life—Jiji as his chief wet nurse, and Shams al-Din as a foster father, earning the title “Ataga,” meaning foster father.
While Ataga Khan was gaining favor, other prominent figures around Akbar were vying for influence, knowing that Akbar, as the heir to the Mughal throne, would one day rule. Among them was Bairam Khan (1501-61), a trusted adviser of Babur, the Mughal Empire’s founder, who had risen through the ranks under Humayun. Bairam was given the title Khan-i-Khanan and served as Akbar’s personal guardian. After Humayun’s death, when Akbar was only fourteen, Bairam Khan acted as de facto ruler. Another influential figure was Maham Anga, the head of Akbar’s foster mothers, who had close ties with Bairam Khan and supervised Jiji Anaga. Although loyal to Akbar, their individual ambitions would ultimately lead to their downfall.
The first to fall was Bairam Khan. As Akbar matured, he began to resent Bairam’s control and turned to Maham Anga, described by contemporaries as “a marvel of sense, resource, and loyalty”. Maham Anga orchestrated Bairam Khan’s removal, effectively exiling him by sending him on a “pilgrimage” to Mecca, a polite way of banishment. Bairam Khan accepted the order, but after receiving a rushed message to leave immediately, he reacted by raising an army. Ataga Khan, commanding Akbar’s troops, defeated Bairam’s forces, and Bairam was taken into custody. Akbar, holding no ill will toward his former guardian, offered him a position within the empire, but Bairam chose to leave. He was later killed by Afghans seeking revenge for an unrelated feud.
The next to fall was Adham Khan, Maham Anga’s son and Akbar’s foster brother. On a military campaign in Malwa, Adham Khan defied Akbar by seizing a large share of the spoils and selecting captive women for his harem, despite Akbar’s claim to them. Akbar, infuriated, dismissed Munim Khan, a supporter of Maham Anga, and appointed Ataga Khan as his new wakil. Six months later, Adham, driven by jealousy, murdered Ataga Khan in the palace. Akbar, enraged, personally punished Adham by throwing him from a balcony. When Adham survived the first fall, Akbar had him thrown again, ensuring his death. Maham Anga, upon hearing the news, reportedly told Akbar he had “done well.” The tomb of Adham Khan can be visited in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, the tomb of his brother, Quli Khan, lies just outside the park. Maham Anga died forty days later, marking the end of this influential trio.
Ataga Khan’s death in Akbar’s service, without blame for the surrounding violence, earned him a kind of martyr status. His tomb was constructed adjacent to the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya, which had been refurbished in 1562 by Sayyid Faidun Khan. Historian Anthony Welch suggests that the tomb’s proximity to the dargah allowed it to be bathed in the spiritual grace (baraka) associated with Nizamuddin Auliya’s grave, symbolizing the purity of Ataga Khan’s deeds and his hope for entry into paradise. Abu’l-Fazl, in his Akbarnama, even declared Ataga Khan a martyr, elevating a family conflict to quasi-religious significance.
Akbar seems to have spared no expense in constructing the tomb. Historian Catherine B. Asher notes that the tomb “reflects the apex of Mughal technology and taste”, and its cubical form continues the tradition of square monuments in Delhi. Ebba Koch highlights the exquisite surface ornamentation, noting that the Timurid tile mosaic patterns were skillfully transposed into stone intarsia, or pietra dura, a Mughal art form that would later achieve global renown in monuments like the Taj Mahal and Itimad-ud-Daulah’s mausoleum.
Similar to the construction of Humayun’s Tomb, built around the same time, Ataga Khan’s tomb employed red sandstone and marble inlays. The intricate geometric designs and calligraphy, notably Quranic verses, adorn the structure. The name of the calligrapher, Baqi Muhammad al-Bukhari, appears in several places, along with the date 1566-67 and the name of the construction foreman, Ustad Khuda Quli. The supervision of the tomb’s construction likely fell to Ataga Khan’s brother, Mirza Aziz, a trusted associate of Akbar.
Inside the tomb are three graves: Ataga Khan’s, his wife Jiji Anaga’s, and one unmarked. The unmarked grave is speculated to be that of their son, Yusuf Muhammad, Akbar’s foster brother, who died of alcoholism around 1566. Though the tomb’s interior was once richly adorned with plaster and Quranic inscriptions, it is now in poor condition. Access is restricted, and the south entrance remains locked, though the structure stands as a testament to the importance and complexity of the early Mughal court.
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