Akbarabadi Mosque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Akbarabadi Mosque
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
District	Old Delhi
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Mosque
Location
Location	Delhi
Country	India
Location in Delhi
Territory	Delhi
Architecture
Architectural type	Mosque
Architectural style	Indo-Islamic

The Akbarabadi Mosque was a mosque located in Delhi, India. It was built in 1650 by Akbarabadi Mahal. She was one of the wives of the famous Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan.

This mosque was one of many Mughal-era mosques in Old Delhi. Sadly, it was destroyed by the British rulers in 1857. This happened after they took back control of Delhi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. People believe the mosque once stood in the Netaji Subhash Park area of Old Delhi today.

The Story of Akbarabadi Mosque

The Akbarabadi Mosque was built by Akbarabadi Begum, a wife of Emperor Shah Jahan. Construction started in 1650 and finished two years later. It is said that Akbarabadi Begum translated the Quran from Arabic into Urdu at this very spot. She then decided to build the mosque there to honor her work.

During its time, this mosque was one of many built by royal Mughal women. Other examples in Shahjahanabad include the Fatehpuri Masjid and Zeenat-ul Masjid.

Why the Mosque Was Destroyed

The mosque stood for about 200 years. Then, it was destroyed by the British after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. This rebellion was a very important event in the history of British India.

Delhi, the capital city of the Mughals, was a main center of the uprising. The revolt began with Indian soldiers stationed around Delhi. At first, the rebels had some success. However, the rebellion eventually failed for many reasons. These included a lack of strong leaders and poor teamwork. Some local Indians also spied for the British.

Delhi was the last major place the British took back. To stop more protests against their rule, the British destroyed many buildings in Old Delhi. The Mughal capital suffered greatly. Any building used by the rebels was torn down. The Akbarabadi Mosque was one of these places.

Since then, stories of the mosque have been passed down through generations. No one knows its exact location. However, many local Muslim people in Netaji Subhash Park believe a certain spot is where it once stood.

The broken pieces of the mosque were sold. A respected person named Syed Ahmed Khan bought them. He used these pieces to help build the Sir Syed Mosque at Aligarh Muslim University.

Finding the Mosque Again?

On July 6, 2012, something exciting happened. Workers from the DMRC were digging in Netaji Subhash Park. They were building a Metro station. They found the remains of an old building buried underground.

The ASI investigated the discovery. They confirmed the remains were from the Mughal era. They looked at the building materials, the style, and old pottery found there. However, they have not yet confirmed if it is the Akbarabadi Mosque. The ASI is still investigating to find out for sure. The Metro digging has stopped for now. The Metro route might need to change a little. This is to follow rules for building near old heritage sites.

This discovery made local people very excited. They strongly believe the remains belong to the Akbarabadi Mosque. After an illegal brick structure was built near the site, Muslim residents started offering namaaz (prayers) there.

Soon after the discovery, a local leader tried to rebuild the mosque. But the Delhi government stopped this. This led to some protests, including stone throwing and small fires. This happened when police tried to remove copies of the Quran and prayer mats from the site.

The local city group, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, first allowed only prayers at the site. But on July 20, 2012, the Delhi High Court stopped all building and religious activities. The court said it was not yet confirmed if the site was an ancient mosque. It also noted that no religious activities had happened there for over 100 years.

The court ordered the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to give the land to the ASI. This was so the ASI could start its investigations. On July 25, 2012, the site was given to the ASI. But the archaeology group said they would only start digging after the monsoon season. The police would provide strong protection for the ASI during their work.

On July 30, 2012, the Delhi High Court ordered the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to tear down the illegal building. This was at the request of the ASI. The court also asked for strong police presence to keep peace. On October 11, 2012, after delays from the monsoons, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation asked for extra police help to start the demolition.

See also

• Fatehpuri Masjid
• History of Delhi
• Indian Rebellion of 1857
• Old Delhi
• Shah Jahan
• Kali Masjid, Jalna
• Siege of Delhi