Haft Gumbaz, a historical funerary complex in Gulburga, Karnataka - Bahmani Sultanate

The royal tombs popularly known as the Haft Gumbaz

Tomb of Mujahid Shah, Haft Gumbaz Complex, Gulbarga,www.123rf.com

Gulburga  (Kalaburagi) KA pinrest.com

Haft Gumbaz, a funerary complex in  Gulburga is an interesting and historical  monument that houses  seven tombs of  rulers and military commanders of the Bahmani Kingdom (14th – 15th Century. It also goes by the name of  Saat (meaning Seven) Gumbaz. Situated on the eastern end of the Gulbarga town and on the way to the Khaja Bande Nawaz Dargah, there tombs are in the midst of a fine lawn and all of them are lined from entrance

Site plans- tombs Haft Gumbaz, Gulburga, KA archnet.org

Haft Gumbaz,Gulburga, KA slide share.com

The tombs of Bhamani rulers lie within the enclosure and of the five buildings, two have twin domes and the total tombd comes to seven in number. The rulers who took eternal sleep here are: 

Mujahid Shah Bahmani, 3rd Sultan  (1375–1378 CE)

Dawood Shah Bahmani,4th Sultan (1378 CE)

Ghiyath-ud-din Shah Bahmani, 6th Sultan (1397 CE)

Shams-ud-din Shah Bahmani,7th Sultan (1397 CE)

Feroze Khan (1397–1422 CE): he was the last ruler with capital at Gubburga

 Mujahid Shah's tom bHaft Gumbaz, Gulburga, KA.karnatakatravel.blogspot.com

Firuz Shah's tomb, Haft Gumbaz, Gulburga. gettyimages.co.uk

These by-gone rulers, despite threats  from the Delhi Sultanate and other kingdoms, carried  on their reign  and the legacy of Bahmani Sultanate with firm determination, courage and faith. Simultaneously, they kept  improving their fort to withstand  raids from enemies. Most of the  Bahmani kings were great patrons of art, poetry, culture and architecture. Only in the later years, the capital of Bahmani Sultanate moved from here to Bidar. The  early tombs show elements of Tughlaq architectural style with high domes with little or no ornamentation. The closest tomb is that of  Sultan Mujahid Shah's that has a diameter of 50 ft and its dimension is 60 feet by 60 feet with 3 entrances. Here lie buried his sister and wife Its outer appearance is simple and solid, and walls have a gentle slope with no ornamentation. 

Structurally both  tombs of Giyasuddin Shah and Shamshuddin Shah are similar, having same dimension as that of  Mujahid Shah's tomb. The tomb of Dawood Shah, a twin dome whose diameter is 40 feet.and the two chambers are interconnected. Dimensions:150' x 110' x 80'.  .

Feroz Shah’s tomb, which is the largest and most elaborate one in the complex, has  twin domes (like that of  Dawood Shah's) and separate chambers, but one was used for burial purpose, and the other is empty. The vacant second chamber was meant for his brother  Ahmed Shah (r. 1422-1436), who was not buried in this place. Ahmed Shah, in 1432, made Bidar the new capital of Bhamani Sultanate on the advice of, it is said,  sufi saint  Khwaja Hazrat Bandenawaz (d. 1422), the most well-known and revered Sufi of the Deccan and who had close relation with the sultans of his period. The tomb shows better architectural articulation like geometric and arabesque designs inside, angled eaves above the door ways and diagonal panels with  brackets for support. The corner arches on the lower level have cusped profiles, but at higher level they have low  profiles and  squelches (to carry the dome/super structure). A unique feature is the appearance of non-Islamic motifs, many which appear first in temple architecture. It bears testimony to Firuz Shah's secular credentials.  These tombs of  Bahmani Dynasty vary from Mogul style tombs which are well designed and built with rich embellishment. The Moguls were affluent  and  had the money and man power to  come up with fine Islamic structures of grandeur and beauty.

Under the management of the ASI, visitors are, I understand, not allowed inside some of  the structures. The tombs came up slowly here over a period of 5 decades and it meant one could see gradual change in the architectural style of the tombs. The early tombs have slightly sloping walls and are less distinguished, while the later tombs such as that of Feroz Shah, are larger, have better finish and are embellished with fine carvings. 

Sultan Feroz Shah’s  was a man of letters and knew many languages and during his time the cultural fabric of his kingdom was a blend of different local ones as well. He created .Deccan’s idiosyncratic cultural identity . His tomb is a reflection of his aesthetic sense and well defined taste. Married to the daughter of a Vijayanagara king, his attitude toward people of varied cultures was broad. He built the town -  Ferozabad 30 km from Gulburga (name changed to Kalaburagi)  and the main entrance to the city is an arched gateway.   A self-contained town  with a fort, a palace, a mosque and royal residences, most of them are rotting due to poor management. The new town was intended for a pleasure resort and a resting place for the Bahmani troops on their war campaigns. Visitors can not get  rid of  the apathy, they experience. Part ofthe reason is the city itself was abandoned for good way back in the 15 century due to excess flooding caused by near-by Bhima river. The old town of  Ferozabad contains remnants of the past and they need to be repaired and restored. 

Under the management of the ASI, visitors are, I understand, not allowed inside some of the structures.  These  tombs came up slowly here over a period of 5 decades. It meant one could see gradual change in the architectural style of the tombs. The early tombs have slightly sloping walls and are less distinguished, while the later tombs such as that of Feroz Shah, are larger, have better finish and are embellished with fine carvings. 

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g1015902-d7023876-r219970099-The_Haft_Gumbaz_Tomb-Gulbarga_Kalaburagi_District_Karnataka.html

https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/heritage/article25296303.ece

https://www.journeynlife.com/2014/11/haft-gumbaz-gulbarga-islamic-architecture-in-india.html