Ahmadnagar Sultan's Tomb

About the Ahmadnagar Sultan's Tomb

Bahadur Nizam Shah of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate was still a minor when, in 1600, Prince Danyal, son of Emperor Akbar, attacked Ahmadnagar and imprisoned the entire royal family. Bahadur Nizam Shah spent practically all his life in the prison at Gwalior and died there. On his death his body was being taken to Ahmadnagar for burial, but it had to be buried at Chanderi instead.

The mausoleum stands on the Chanderi Mungaoli road, near the Jama Masjid, and is built in the Mughal style. It is square in plan, with four pillars on each of the four sides supporting a domed superstructure. The only other tomb in Chanderi built in the Mughal style is that of the wife of Saint Sheikh Raji, which stands on the Chakla Baoli.

The tomb and its kind

The square plan and dome

The structure is square, with four pillars on each of its four sides carrying a domed superstructure. It is an open, pillared type rather than a walled chamber, which is what marks it out as Mughal work in a town full of Sultanate buildings.

The only comparison in town

Mughal style tombs are rare in Chanderi. The only other one is the tomb of Saint Sheikh Raji's wife, built upon the Chakla Baoli, and seeing both is the best way to understand how unlike the rest of the town they are.

Planning your visit

The tomb is on the Chanderi Mungaoli road near the Jama Masjid, so it is easily reached from the inner city.

• Combine it with the Jama Masjid, a short distance away.
• Walk around all four sides to see the pillared plan.
• Look up the Chakla Baoli tomb for comparison.
• Dress modestly, as this is a burial site.

Best time to visit

October to March is the comfortable season. An open pillared tomb like this photographs best in the early morning or the last hour of daylight, when the dome and the pillar bays catch side light.