214 Akhar's Tomh at Sikandrah. [Nov, 



building was being erected, Prince Khusrau rebelled, and I was obliged to 

 go to Labor. The architects in the meantime went on building after their 

 taste. Afterwards, various sums had to be expended, till the whole amount 

 estimated for had been spent. They had been three or four years at work, 

 when I ordered clever architects, who were assisted by experienced people, 

 to build up several parts as I had before directed. Gradually a noble edifice 

 arose, and a splendid garden was laid out round about the mausoleum. 

 Gates of great height, with minarets of polished {pardakhtali) white marble 

 were also made. In all, 15 lacs of Rupees, i. e. 50,000 tomans as current 

 in Persia, or 45 lacs Khanis, as current in Tiiran, were spent on the building. 

 People called the building after me.' 



Mirza Aflatun, son of Mirza Yusuf Khan, was for some time Mutawalli 

 of Akbar's tomb. He died at Sikandrah.* 



Akbar's tomb, as is well known, is in a vault below the ground floor, 

 and bears no inscription.! " The mortuary hall is nearly 38 feet square, 

 and is surrounded by other chambers of smaller size containing tombs of less 

 distinguished members of the Imperial family." Mr. BealeJ mentions the 

 tombs of Aram Banu and Shukrunnisa Begam, both daughters of the emperor ; 

 but there are several others without name. Near Shukrunnisa's tomb is the 

 tomb of Sulaiman Shikoh, son of Shah 'Alam Padishah, who died in A. H. 

 1253 (4th February, 1838). 



The marble enclosure on the top of the building contains the jawdh of 

 Akbar's tomb, made of single marble block, with the words Alldhw Akhar 

 and ^'^//^jaZflZii^/m inscribed on the head and foot, and round about it are 

 the " ninety-nine beautiful names of God " (asmd i Jiicsnd). The inscription 

 on the walls of the enclosure§ makes no mention of the Prophet, and thus 

 harmonizes with Akbar's religious views, whilst it at the same time com- 

 pletely refutes the story of Akbar's " conversion on the deathbed." It con- 

 sists of 36 distichs (metre, Mutag^drih) — 



^y^jj'^^j^'^j\ oii^^ * ^j — ^^ \j^\ ^<^^ j\ <^^ 



* Am Translation, I, 347. 



t Vide Keene's Agra Hand-book, p. 49. 



X Miftah, p. 211. 



§ The common story is, that the inscription is taken from a poem composed by 

 Shaikh Faizi and Abulfazl. The translation will show that this is impossible ; besides 

 Faizi died ten years, and Abulfazl three years, before Akbar. 



