Precursors to Paradise Gardens

PRECURSORS TO PARADISE GARDENS Analyzing the possible forerunners of the Mughal Gardens - Shivansh Singh In survey books on world garden history, the Islamic chapter tends to follow that on medieval gardens, and precede either the chapter on Renaissance gardens of Europe or East Asian gardens of China and Japan.1 But when taking reference of the factual data, Mughal Gardens of South Asia paralleled the Baroque and early modern gardens of Europe and East Asia, which might have inculcated cross-cultural exchange of garden plants and styles. If we follow the history of Mughal Gardens, back to the very first garden by Zahir-al-din Muhammad Babur (first Mughal Emperor in India), the function of the gardens evolves from the military encampments to the pleasure gardens, and further to the tomb gardens. Babur spent his childhood in Uzbekistan, and the description of Fergana Valley, in his personal memoirs, the Babur-nama, elaborates the origin of Mughal Gardens. Fergana was a distinct example where small streams rush down the mountain valleys and deposited to the alluvial fans, leading to the formation of gardens, which cascaded along the mountain slopes. These beautiful little gardens were productive and refreshing with fruit orchards and flowering beds.2 The other antecedent to Babur’s garden can be brought down from the Timurid Gardens in Samarkand. We have copious historical evidence for the existence of monumental gardens in Samarkand under Timur, complete with pavilions and artificial bejeweled trees.3 The agricultural manual Ershad-el-zera, written by Qasem B.Yusof in 1515 gives a detailed description of the layout and planting of a chahâr-bâgh, the Persian formal, quadripartite, architectural garden with pool and pavilion, which the author states was based on the knowledge imparted by his superior Mirak-e Seyyed Ghiyas. By the time Babur rose to power, Samarkand possessed only a shadow of its beauteous glory. It was attacked and the gardens were treated more as military camp bases, rather than their actual purpose. The gardens served for the appeasement of soldiers after losing wars as well as the place for relaxation after victorious battles. Babur would have taken this forward to build his first Garden “Bagh-e-Wafa”. The third forerunner of Babur’s “Bagh” was Sultan Husain’s garden at Herat. Babur established himself in Kabul and started building his first garden. But his accomplishments could not match his sophisticated cousins in Herat who seduced him with wine as well as the courtly refinements of their irrigated gardens outside the walled city.4 As in Samarkand, the gardens of Herat surrounded the citadel, but in this case they were primarily aligned along an elaborate network of irrigation canals.5 Babar used all the three influences, plus his experience of Gardens in Kabul, and after conquering Hindustan in 1527, makes his first Garden in Plains, Bagh-eSafa(Garden of Purity) at Kallar Kahar, Pakistan, which featured a rough carved stone platform still known as the Takht-i Baburi (Throne of Babur) in an orchard overlooking a lake. Mughal Gardens, made after this were made under the supervision of Mirak-e Seyyed Ghiyas (the master landscape architect of Timurid Gardens) and thus the codification of design of chahârbâgh was reflected very well in the gardens which followed. The legacy was continued by Seyyed Mohammad-e Mirak (Son of Mirak Seyyed) who was the builder of Humayun’s tomb. And it has generally been accepted among architectural historians that Humayun’s tomb-garden is the first preserved Mughal garden built according to the “classical” Timurid chahârbâgh pattern.6 Notes 1.

Ruggles, Islamic Gardens and Landscapes; Wescoat, “Mughal Gardens.”

2.

Beveridge, Annette , “The Babur-nama” in English, 2nd volume.(London, 1921)

3.

Golombek, Lisa “The Gardens of Timur:New Perspectives”, Muqarnas 12 (1995), p. 137-147.

4.

Bâbur-nâma (Vaqâyi’), ed. Eiji Mano, 2 vols, Syokado, Kyoto, 1995-96, vol. I, p. 298

5.

Allen, A Catalogue.

6.

Subtelny, “Mîrak-i Sayyid Ghiyâs”, esp. p. 31 f. and 46 F.