Mandu- City of Joy (The Supreme Glory of Malwa)

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The book is meant as a work on a historical place in Madhya Pradesh having tourist interest as well. Since the historical aspect has been presented with great accuracy this book will be useful for students of history also. The main aim is to acquaint and guide the visitors of the rich history and architecture of Mandu which is indeed the supreme glory of Malwa with a long history and matchless architectural splendour. Its monuments can be favourably compared to monuments of Delhi and the Taj- Mahal of Agra. Lord Curzon found them more impressive than any other monument in India. "The place and the monuments have been described in detail by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir in his auto-biography. Emperor Akbar also found them very impressive. Every British Viceroy and British residents during the British period invariably visited Mandu-the city of Joy.

Shri S.C. Pathak, M.A.LL.B, is in the M.P. cadre of the I.A.S. since 1982. He did his LL.B. from the University of Sagar (M.P.) & his postgraduation from the same University in Modern History. He has worked in various capacities in the districts of M.P. under the G.A.D., Revenue and Tribal Welfare Deptts. He has also worked in the Govt. Secretariat at Bhopal in the Deptts. of Culture, Publicity, Irrigation, Food, Public Health Engineering & Revenue as Under Secretary & also as Joint Secretary to Govt. of M.P., Currently he is working as the Additional Commissioner, Ujjain Division, at Ujjain (M.P.). Throughout his multifarious duties he has been able to visit important historical & tourist places all over M.P. and as such is in a position to give an interesting description of these remarkable places.

This is the story of Mandu, an ancient fortress city which was originally in the kingdom and capital of the Parmara Kings of Malwa. Notable among them were Prince Vairsinha who conquered Ujjain and captivated its fair maidens, King Munja and Bhoja with scholarly tastes and surrounded by the very best of them, repulsing their foes and again returning to their scholarly pursuits, who were later on replaced by Dilawar Khan, Hoshang Shah. Mahmud-mighty warriors who used their peaceful moments to erect simple, grand and stately buildings after destroying older constructions. This city on a plateau 633.7 m above the sea level, having the natural defence of steep cliffs on three sides made the entry of the invaders very difficult. On this hill can be seen the finest gems of Afghan architecture. which have been favourably compared to monuments of Delhi and the Taj Mahal of Agra. Lord Curzon found them more impressive than any other monument in India. In fact the architectural splendour of Mandu is a standing record of Malwa's wonderful history and a visible monument of its past glory.

During rainy season, the beauty of Mandu is unmatched. due to the innumerable lakes and ponds filled to the brim with water and the gushing hill streams surrounded to their edges by a lush carpet of grass. Named 'Shadiabad' or the city of joy by the sultans of Malwa, the spirit of gaeity and joy still pervades Mandu, somehow bringing the past and the present closer. The beautiful natural setting of these architectural gems, the gay palaces. lofty tombs and the stately mosques with their emerald coloured domes must have presented a scene of unparalleled beauty in their hey day. Ustad Hamid Ali, one of the architects of Taj Mahal drew his inspiration from India's first marble edifice, the great tomb of Sultan Hoshang Shah, at Mandu.

Since ancient times Ujjain or Avantika and then Dhar and Mandu occupied the position of the capital of Malwa. From the 9th to 13th century AD they were in the hands of the Parmara Rajputs (800-1305 AD) and were later under the Pathan Sultans of Malwa (1401 -1531 AD). Malwa region is a vast plateau of black fertile soil situated in the west central region almost in the heart of India covering an area of approximately 1,50.000 kms. It occupied a key position in the cavalcade of history down the centuries having seen the rise and fall of illustrious rulers and mighty dynasties. During the rule of Mauryas, the Sungas, the Imperial Gupta's, the Gurjar-Pratiharas, the Sultans and the Mughals it was part of vast empires. Dynasties of the early Kalchuris, the Parmara's, the Tomar's, the Sultans of Malwa emerged independently in Malwa. Later on, it was brought under their control by the Marathas and Sindhias. Holkars, Pawars and other Rajput dynasties ruled over parts of this region.

Its geographical location made it historically very important. It has, from early times, been a link between northern India and the Deccan and all the important highways of commerce and military routes passed through this tract. The great Mughal road passed by Dholpur, Gwalior, Narwar, Sironj and Hindia. Malwa is also extremely rich in agricultural and forest wealth. Its fertile fields and forests gave birth to outstanding artistic and architectural traditions which flourished and flowered under different dynasties throughout the ages, resulting in its being named as the melting pot of cultures.

**Contents and Sample Pages**