Badshahi Mosque
In 1671, the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb chose Lahore as the site for a new mosque. This decision marked a departure from his usual focus on military conquests rather than art and architecture. The mosque was built to commemorate Aurangzeb's military campaigns in southern India against the Maratha ruler Shivaji. Construction began that year under the supervision of the Emperor's foster brother, Muzaffar Hussein, also known by his title Fidai Khan Koka. After only two years of construction, the mosque opened in 1673. It stands directly across from the Lahore Fort and its Alamgiri Gate, which was concurrently built by Aurangzeb during the mosque's construction.
On the 7th of July 1799, the Sikh army of Ranjit Singh took control of Lahore. Maharaja Ranjit Singh used the vast courtyard as a stable for his army horses. His soldiers occupied the 80 Hujras, small study rooms surrounding the courtyard, as quarters and magazines for military stores. In 1818, he built a marble edifice in the Hazuri Bagh facing the mosque, known as the Hazuri Bagh Baradari. Marble slabs for this structure may have been plundered from other monuments in Lahore. During the First Anglo-Sikh War in 1841, Sher Singh, Ranjit Singh's son, placed zamburahs or light guns on the mosque's large minarets to bombard supporters of Chand Kaur. Henri de La Rouche, a French cavalry officer employed in Sher Singh's army, used a tunnel connecting the Badshahi Mosque to the Lahore Fort to temporarily store gunpowder.
In 1849, the British seized control of Lahore from the Sikh Empire. The mosque and adjoining fort continued to be used as a military garrison during the British Raj. The 80 cells built into the walls surrounding its vast courtyard were demolished by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. These cells were replaced by open arcades known as dalans. Due to increasing Muslim resentment against the use of the mosque as a military garrison, Khan Bahadur Nawab Barkat Ali Khan helped set up the Badshahi Mosque Authority in 1852. This authority oversaw restoration efforts to re-establish it as a place of religious worship. John Lawrence, Viceroy of British India, officially handed the building back to the Muslim community. In April 1919, an estimated crowd of 25,000, 35,000 gathered in the mosque's courtyard to protest the Amritsar Massacre. A speech by Gandhi was read at this event by Khalifa Shuja-ud-Din.
Extensive repairs commenced from 1939 onwards when Sikandar Hayat Khan, Premier of the Punjab, began raising funds for restoration. The renovation was supervised by architect Nawab Alam Yar Jung Bahadur. Restoration works continued after Pakistan's independence and were completed in 1960 at a total cost of 4.8 million Rupees. On the 22nd of February 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered Friday prayers in the Badshahi Mosque during the 2nd Islamic Summit held at Lahore. In 2000, marble inlay in the main prayer hall received repair work. Replacement work on red sandstone tiles on the mosque's large courtyard began in 2008 using red sandstone imported from the original Mughal source near Jaipur in Rajasthan. Sikandar Hayat Khan is buried adjacent to the mosque in the Hazuri Bagh due to his role in extensive restorations.
The mosque features an exterior decorated with carved red sandstone and white marble inlay. This design departed from typical Lahore mosques which used intricate kashi kari or Kashan style tile work. Aurangzeb chose an architectural plan similar to Shah Jahan's Jama Masjid in Delhi but built it on a much larger scale. Both mosques feature red sandstone with white marble inlay. The entrance is via a two-storey edifice made of red sandstone elaborately decorated with framed and carved panelling. The gateway contains several chambers not accessible to the public. A flight of 22 steps leads up to the massive gate situated on a plinth. The full name "Masjid Abul Zafar Muhy-ud-Din Mohammad Alamgir Badshah Ghazi" appears in inlaid marble above the vaulted entrance.
An expansive sandstone paved courtyard spreads over an area that can accommodate 100,000 worshipers when functioning as an Idgah. The courtyard is enclosed by single-aisled arcades. The main prayer hall has a central arched niche with five niches flanking it about one third the size of the central niche. Three marble domes top the structure, with the largest located centrally and flanked by two smaller domes. The mosque can accommodate 10,000 worshippers inside the prayer hall. At each corner stand octagonal three-storey minarets made of red sandstone standing tall. Each minaret features an outer circumference and inner circumference measurements. Marble canopies top each minaret. An additional four smaller minarets appear at each corner of the main building.
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Common questions
When was the Badshahi Mosque built and who ordered its construction?
The Badshahi Mosque was constructed between 1671 and 1673 under the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Construction began in 1671 and the mosque opened two years later in 1673.
Who supervised the initial construction of the Badshahi Mosque?
Muzaffar Hussein, also known by his title Fidai Khan Koka, supervised the construction as the Emperor's foster brother. He oversaw the building process from its start in 1671 until completion in 1673.
What happened to the Badshahi Mosque during the Sikh rule in Lahore?
On the 7th of July 1799, the Sikh army of Ranjit Singh took control of Lahore and used the mosque courtyard as a stable for horses. Soldiers occupied the 80 Hujras surrounding the courtyard as quarters and magazines for military stores.
How did the British Raj change the structure of the Badshahi Mosque?
The British demolished the 80 cells built into the walls after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and replaced them with open arcades known as dalans. They continued to use the mosque and adjoining fort as a military garrison throughout their rule.
When was the Badshahi Mosque officially returned to the Muslim community?
John Lawrence, Viceroy of British India, officially handed the building back to the Muslim community in April 1919. This followed efforts by Khan Bahadur Nawab Barkat Ali Khan to establish the Badshahi Mosque Authority in 1852.
Who supervised the restoration work on the Badshahi Mosque from 1939 onwards?
Sikandar Hayat Khan, Premier of the Punjab, began raising funds for restoration in 1939 under the supervision of architect Nawab Alam Yar Jung Bahadur. The renovation works were completed in 1960 at a total cost of 4.8 million Rupees.