Darashkoh was the eldest son of Shah Jahan and heir to the throne after his father according to Mughal tradition. |
The Indian government is currently searching for the tomb of the 17th century Mughal prince Darius the Magnificent.
Why is it difficult to identify Darius' tomb?
Humayun's vast tomb contains several tombs besides Humayun's. And in the middle of the tomb there is only one of Humayun's tombs which has been identified. Professor Shereen Mousavi, a historian at Aligarh Muslim University, says, "Since there is no inscription on any of the tombs in Humayun's tomb, no one knows where he is buried."
The government has formed a team of archaeologists to identify Darius' tomb. The committee also includes Dr. Syed Jamal Hassan, former head of the Department of Archeology.
"There are about 150 unmarked graves here," he said. This is the first attempt at identification. He says, "We will inspect the tombs in the chambers that are under the main arch of Humayun's tomb. We will look at their designs. If there is any inscription, we will look for it. People will try to determine the tomb of Darius.
He believes that this work is very difficult.
Nameless graves in Humayun's compound |
Why is Modi government looking for Darius' grave?
Darashkoh was the heir of Shah Jahan. He dreamed of becoming a king of India who could transcend monarchy as well as philosophy, mysticism and spirituality.
According to sources, he used to discuss his religious views with leading Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian and Muslim Sufis of his time. Along with Islam, he had a keen interest in Hinduism and viewed all religions equally.
He had summoned Pandits from Banaras and with their help translated dozens of philosophical books on Hinduism, the Upanishads, into Persian. These Persian translations of the Upanishads reached Europe and there they were translated into Latin, which gave the Upanishads international fame.
In India, Darius the Magnificent is considered a moderate character. Hindu-leaning historians and intellectuals in India believe that if Aurangzeb had been replaced by Darius the Great, the situation in the country would have been very different.
These historians consider Aurangzeb to be a 'hardcore, fundamentalist and fanatical' Muslim who, according to him, hated Hindus and who had demolished several temples. This notion has intensified in the current political discourse.
Historians interviewed by the BBC believe that unlike Aurangzeb, Darius the Great was influenced by Hinduism and respected Hindu religious beliefs.
The Hindu ideological organization RSS, Prime Minister Modi and his ruling party BJP interpret the nearly 700 years of Muslim rule in India as slavery to Hindus.
In modern times, especially during the Muslim rule, Mughal rulers and events have often been used to incite hatred against the Muslims of India. Attempts are now being made to create the statement that Darius was more immersed in Indian soil than the present Muslims.
Shirin Mousavi: Since no tombstone is inscribed in Humayun's tomb, no one knows where he is buried. |
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