Tracing Akbar’s Ibadat Khana

The existence and location of Ibadat Khana at Fatehpuri Sikri has always been a topic of discussion among noted historians and archaeologists. While its existence has been accepted and proved, its location has been a subject of debate. In an attempt to end the controversy, a documentary film citing similarities between the Mughal painting and the excavated structure by archaeologist KK Muhammed was released recently. In the short film, Muhammed explains what led to this discovery and how they confirmed that it is the ‘real’ Ibadat Khana. The 12-minute documentary shows step-by-step similarities between the two.

Dr Syed Ali Nadeem, a professor of History at Aligarh Muslim University, has mentioned in his article, ‘Religious Disputations and Imperial Ideology’, that Jalal Ud-din Muhammad Akbar, during his reign between 1556-1605, did a lot of work for the ‘imposition of reason’. Throughout his reign, there was a stress on reason (aql), which was to be given precedence over traditionalism (taqlid). It is believed that Akbar was a big follower of Sheikh Salim Chishti, for he gave credits to the Sheikh for winning battles and the birth of his son. The Sheikh’s predictions strengthened the emperor’s faith in Islam and he became eager to learn more.

This led to the construction of ‘Ibadat Khana’ in 1575, where Muslim scholars would come together to have discussions on Islam, thus enlightening the emperor. The ‘House of Worship’ soon became a place for arguments, which led to Akbar opening the gates for scholars of other religions, thus making it the first-ever attempt at secularism, also known as ‘Din-i-Ilahi’. Here, the best elements from all religions were encouraged.

For over a century, there have been controversies regarding the Ibadat Khana and its location. While VA Smith Percy Brown and HG Keen located it to be the single-pillar room inside Fatehpuri Sikri, Saeed Ahmed Muraravi in 1906 said that it is under the mound between Jodha Bai’s Mahal and the main mosque. Muraravi’s claim was also seconded by Vincent Flynn and AA Rizvi in 1975, but because of a lack of tangible evidence, they could never prove it.

Different archaeologists and historians have had different views on its location. “He (Muhammed) calls a small ‘chabootra’ outside the Fatehpuri as the main Ibadat Khana; it is the main structure with the ‘Lotus Pillar’, popularly known as Diwan-e-Khas,” says Irfan Habib, an Indian historian of ancient and medieval India, who follows Marxist historiography and is also KK Muhammed’s teacher at AMU.

In the early ’80s, a team from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and AMU students, including KK Muhammed, visited the site where Muhammed, with the help of a painting from Akbarnama, convinced others to conduct an excavation of the mound.

“This was the first time a painting was used for the discovery of an archaeological area for excavation,” said Muhammed, former regional Director (North), ASI. “When we started the excavation, we could find more proof of the Ibadat Khana, which matched with the painting. This painting has Christian fathers from Spain and Italy (Father Monserrate and Father Rudolf Acquaviva) and the painting is approved by Akbar himself,” Muhammed added. The excavation got young AMU student Muhammed an entry into the ASI.

The rare discovery shows two arches with a dome in the background and a running wall around it. Three platforms, each of different lengths, were found where the scholars sat. The lowest is 21m in length, the middle one is 13m and the topmost one, where the emperor sat, is 4.5m in length.

There are steps to these levels. Two stones on which a door stood behind where the emperor sat, were also found.

“The similarity of this excavated complex with the image in a miniature painting of Akbarnama housed at Chester Beatty Library convinced the excavators about the site being that of Ibadat Khana. Since 1984, this building has generally been projected, and accepted (with some exceptions), as the structure of the Ibadat Khana,” writes Dr Syed Ali Nadeem in his article.

BRIDGING DIVIDES

Ibadat Khana, built in 1575, was where Muslim scholars would come together to have discussions on Islam, thus enlightening Emperor Akbar. The ‘House of Worship’ soon became a place for arguments, which led to Akbar opening the gates for scholars of other religions, thus making it the first-ever attempt at secularism, also known as ‘Din-i-Ilahi’.