Historical Relics and Shrines in Mograpara Sonargaon
Sitalakhkhya river- south
Bridge on Sitalakhkhya river at Narayanganj
Kachpur ghat
Madrasa
female students
Dhaka- Chittagong highway towards Sonargaon- Mograpara
female workers on construction site
Madrasa
female students
Dhaka- Chittagong highway towards Sonargaon- Mograpara
female workers on construction site
Hindu pilgrims on way for a holy dip in Brahmaputra river at "Langalband"
gas station under conastruction
Masjid along highway
Museum- Sonargaon
ruins of Bara Sardar Bari, Sonargaon (from flicker)
Panam nagar- Sonargaon
gas station under conastruction
Masjid along highway
Museum- Sonargaon
ruins of Bara Sardar Bari, Sonargaon (from flicker)
Panam nagar- Sonargaon
Mograpara bus stand on Dhaka-Ctg highway
a school in Mograpara
old house
entry gate of Dargah- Khanqah and Madrasa
view of the Tomb complex with bangla type roof
graves of saints and their disciples
tomb of a spiritual leader
Tomb of Hazrat Syed Ibrahim Daneshmand
Mosque and Tomb of Pir Mohammad Yusuf built in 1700 AD (pic: Brennand 1872). On the left the tomb consists of two elongated, dome-roofed buildings, each surmounted by two pinnacles once covered with or formed of gold.
tomb complex and the historical Masjid
Historical Masjid and extension
another historical building on verge of collapse
remains of a madrasa and library founded by Abu Tawwamah
underground passage and rooms of Library for meditation
Tomb of Allama Sharfuddin Abu Tawwama Bukhari
Tombs of old Islamic scholars, preachers and sufis- spread in many places
near masjid and Panch Pirer Dargah
view of tombs of Panch Pir- (5 saints)
names of saints imprinted on wall by the tomb caretaker
tomb of a spiritual leader
Tomb of Hazrat Syed Ibrahim Daneshmand
Mosque and Tomb of Pir Mohammad Yusuf built in 1700 AD (pic: Brennand 1872). On the left the tomb consists of two elongated, dome-roofed buildings, each surmounted by two pinnacles once covered with or formed of gold.
tomb complex and the historical Masjid
Historical Masjid and extension
another historical building on verge of collapse
remains of a madrasa and library founded by Abu Tawwamah
underground passage and rooms of Library for meditation
Tomb of Allama Sharfuddin Abu Tawwama Bukhari
Tombs of old Islamic scholars, preachers and sufis- spread in many places
near masjid and Panch Pirer Dargah
view of tombs of Panch Pir- (5 saints)
names of saints imprinted on wall by the tomb caretaker
Panch Pir Masjid (pic 1872 Brennand)
inside historical masjid of Panch Pir Dargah
inside historical masjid of Panch Pir Dargah
outside of Panch Pirer Tomb
Panch Pir Dargah Govt. primary school
cheerful faces of the local school
Mograpara countryside- western side
old house
Mograpara countryside- western side
old house
Khaas Nagar Talab, Sonargaon (pic: 1872 by Bernnand)
old pond and 2 ghats
outside of Tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah
Tomb structure of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (died 1410 AD)
Tomb stone of Sultan of Bengal Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (also known as Kala Shah tomb)- recent pic
Tomb stone renovated during last century
Ruins of the Tomb stone of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah during late 19the century
outside of Tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah
Tomb structure of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (died 1410 AD)
Tomb stone of Sultan of Bengal Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (also known as Kala Shah tomb)- recent pic
Tomb stone renovated during last century
Ruins of the Tomb stone of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah during late 19the century
Tomb of Qazi who held trial of the Sultan seen in the background
Once a navigable canal near the historical places
Once a navigable canal near the historical places
view through the central arch of a bridge over a canal in Sonargaon (pic: 1870s)
map mograpara-panam
Map of Sonargaon-Mograpara
Sonargaon-Mograpara: The area between the Sitalakhya and the Megna Rivers located about 28 km east of Dhaka on Dhaka-Chittagong highway, was once the seat of 'Deva' Dynasty until 13th century. After Muslim occupation in 14th century, Sonargaon rose to be the seat of an independent ruler under Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah. After his fall it remained the headquarters of the eastern province of Bengal under the Tughlaqs till 1338.
Map of Sonargaon-Mograpara
Sonargaon-Mograpara: The area between the Sitalakhya and the Megna Rivers located about 28 km east of Dhaka on Dhaka-Chittagong highway, was once the seat of 'Deva' Dynasty until 13th century. After Muslim occupation in 14th century, Sonargaon rose to be the seat of an independent ruler under Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah. After his fall it remained the headquarters of the eastern province of Bengal under the Tughlaqs till 1338.
Sonargaon emerged as the capital of an independent Sultanate under Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah (1338-1349) and his son Ikhtiyaruddin Gazi Shah (1349-1352). Iliyas Shah, an inhabitant of Sijistan — the country to the east of Persia led a campaign from north and conquered Bengal to consolidate Iliyas Shahi Dynasty.
By the second quarter of the fourteenth century Sonargaon developed into a commercial metropolis; seafaring boats could easily reach from west Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Travellers like Ibn Batuta, Ma Huan, Fahiean and Ralf Fitch visited Sonargaon. Ibn Batuta describes Sonargaon as an important port city which had direct commercial relations with countries like China, Indonesia (Java) and the Maldives. The Chinese envoy Ma Huan found Sonargaon a great commercial metropolis.
Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah (1390-1411 AD) the third sultan of the Iliyas Shahi dynasty of Bengal earned great name for his ideal character, patronage of learning and for good administration. The events of his life are so variegated that he may be compared to a prince in a fairy tale. He had a profound regard for the law. It is on record that the sultan while practicing with a bow hit the son of a widow with an arrow and caused his death. The widow appeared before the Qazi and brought a charge of murder against the sultan. Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, being summoned by the Qazi, appeared before the court like an ordinary accused person, made graceful submission to the custodian of law and satisfied the complainant by offering a suitable indemnity in accordance with the decree. When the trial was over the Qazi stood up and praised the sultan for his regard for the law. At this the sultan remarked that he would have instantly beheaded the Qazi if he was found wanting in his duty as a judge. The Qazi smilingly retorted that he would have scourged His Majesty had he not obeyed the law.
Himself a scholar and poet, Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah held literary men in great esteem. He corresponded with the famous Iranian poet Hafiz and inviting him to visit Bengal. Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah contributed a good deal to the development of Bengali literature; Shah Muhammad Sagir wrote his famous work, Yusuf-Zulekha, under his patronage.
Like his father Sikandar Shah and grandfather Iliyas Shah, Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah had great respect and reverence for the Alims and the Sufis. He paid great homage to Shaikh Muzaffar Shams Balkhi of Bihar. He gave all kinds of help to pilgrims to the holy cities of Makka and Madina. Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah is known for his friendly relations with foreign countries, sent envoys to Makka, Madina and China. This great sultan died in 814 AH/1410 AD and buried in Mograpara (see tomb pic above).
After Mughal conquest of Bengal Subehdar Islam Khan Chisti transferred the capital from Rajmahal to Dhaka in 1608 AD. The political and economic significance of Sonargaon soon began to diminish and its establishment, buildings and shrines crumbled.
It is evident from the extant archaeological remains that an extensive Muslim settlement had grown over the entire Mograpara and Goaldi region, and perhaps the Muslim capital city developed in and around Mograpara extending towards Goaldi and Baidyer Bazaar. Muslin produced in Sonargaon, especially its finest variety called khasa, had a worldwide reputation. Sheathed in greenery and encircled by serene lakes and transparent pools, Sonargaon (literally golden village) was a feast to the eye. Sea lanes from Sonargaon directly went to Java Island at one point of time. Sonargaon was not only administrative capital, but also developed in culture, art and science.
Sonargaon developed into a seat of Islamic learning under the scholar Maulana Sharfuddin Abu Tawwamah of Bokhara who came to Sonargaon (sometime between 1282 and 1287) and established there a ‘Khanqah’ and a madrasa wherein all branches of Islamic learning as well as secular sciences were taught and studied. This madrasa earned a great reputation throughout the subcontinent and attracted students from far and near. Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri, the celebrated sufi scholar of Bihar, was a product of this madrasa. The present Dargahbari in Mograpara is possibly the site of that centre of learning.
In the later period Shaikh Alaul Haq, his grandson Shaikh Badr-i-Islam and great-grandson Shaikh Zahid imparted religious and mystical teaching in Sonargaon. The khanqah and madrasa founded by Abu Tawwamah appears to have been maintained by his spiritual successors and later by the renowned saint Shah Ibrahim Danishmand and his descendants like Shah Kamel, Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf and others. Sonargaon had once been a rendezvous of distinguished sufis and fakirs. There are references to the compilation of valuable works at Sonargaon, such as the Maqamat, a unique work on Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf) by Sharfuddin Abu Tawwamah; a Persian book on fiqh entitled Nam-i-Haq, either written by Abu Tawwamah or compiled (1304)) by one of his disciples on the basis of his teachings; an early fourteenth century work on fiqh entitled Majmu-i-Khani fi Ain-al-Ma'ani by one Kamal-i-Karim; the Tafsir-i-Tatarkhani and Fatwa-i-Tatarkhani compiled at the instance of Bahram Khan alias Tatar Khan, the Tughlaq governor of Sonargaon,
On the western side of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, east of Bandar at Mograpara are the remains, such as, the Dargahbari complex with the Dargah building, Madrasa building, Fath Shah's Mosque (1484), Nahbat Khana, grave of Sharfuddin Abu Tawwamah, Tomb of Shah Ibrahim Danishmand, Tomb of Shah Kamel, Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf and Munna Shah Darwesh. The other remains of other group of spiritual saints lie further south in Damdama at Mograpara. Tomb of Ponkai Diwana at Gohatta, Panch Pir Dargah and a Mosque at Bhagalpur, Yusufganj Mosque, and Sheikh Saheb's Mosque at Darugola. Eminent historian, archeologist and professor emeritus Dr. Ahmed Dani in his book 'Dhaka-a record of changing fortunes' published in 1956 referred about 5 masonry graves of panch pir (5 saints) most noted among them was (Boro) Badr Alam. Although it is not certain who the Panch-Pirs (five Holy men) were, they were venerated in parts of Bengal particularly among poor or lower class village folk who sought asylum under their protection. There is a Mosque close to it. Thousand feet east of it is the tomb of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah believed to be the earliest Muslim monument of present Bangladesh.
The historic place Mograpara now survives only in name. Sonargaon lost its eminence with the rise of Dhaka as capital and by the second half of the nineteenth century during British period it was reported to have 'dwindled to a village' with 'dense jungle'. At present new hut-bazaars and houses have come up, there are several schools for boys and girls and a Degree college.
The historic place Mograpara now survives only in name. Sonargaon lost its eminence with the rise of Dhaka as capital and by the second half of the nineteenth century during British period it was reported to have 'dwindled to a village' with 'dense jungle'. At present new hut-bazaars and houses have come up, there are several schools for boys and girls and a Degree college.
What remains now of a few medieval buildings, scattered in this region exists in the villages of Aminpur, Dulalpur, Goaldi, Mograpara, Sadipur and Muazzampur etc. of the Upazilla Sonargaon and Bandar. The Dhaka Chittagong highway runs through this upazilla. This highway looks like the dividing line between the medieval Sonargaon city and colonial Panam city
27 km south-east of Dhaka, a road leads off to the left of highway to Sonargaon, once seat of Nawabs of Bengal and today harbouring Bangladesh’s Folk Arts and Crafts Museum. The surviving buildings there were built during British colonial period belonged to the traders and Hindu Shahas and Poddars. Most of the Hindu merchants were Kolkata based absentee landlords who could be found here only in the autumn to celebrate the Durga-puja festival.
Mograpara falls on the right side of road. To visit Mograpara and Sonargaon Museum from Dhaka taxi/auto rickshaw service would be better. Sonargaon bus services operate from Gulistan, Saidabad and other bus stands in Dhaka. Once in Mograpara bus stand, rickshaw can be hired for the entire trip inside villages. Local rickshaw drivers know all of these places. (ref: Banglapedia/Wikipedia)
posted by Ershad Ahmed at 11:25 PM
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