In the feuding world of medieval India, the Sayyids were a dynasty of Islamic nobles who came to power after the Turkic-Mongol warlord Tamerlame had laid waste to the weakened but formidable Tughlaq Empire that once nearly encompassed the Indian subcontinent.
Muhammad Shah was the third ruler of the dynasty, hurriedly placed on the throne by nobles loyal to the ruling family after the murder of his predecessor and paternal uncle Mubarak Khan, and who had died without a natural heir.
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In the ensuing struggle for power, Muhammad supported by loyalists, had eliminated the men responsible for the death of his uncle but failed to stem the rapid disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate, which by the time of his death in 1444 CE was restricted to a radius of 40 km outside what was then considered to be Delhi.
Criticised by hostile historians as a pleasure-seeking, weak-willed and ineffectual ruler who even lacked the courage to lead men into battle, Muhammad ‘s beautifully designed octagonal mausoleum with his coffin in the centre is a product of Indo-Islamic architecture.
Depleted in territory and treasury, the Sayyids during this time lacked the financial power to raise armies or construct grand palaces and forts. Instead, they took to beautifying funerary monuments that could survive the ages as symbols of art and perhaps leave a better impression of the lives they led.
The Macabre era.
Sayyid rulers primarily depended on taxes and tribute collected from vassal kingdoms as income. Unchecked rebellions and loss of territory had left later rulers of the dynasty, such as Muhammad Shah and his son Alam Shah, with diminished coffers and insufficient funds to build anything larger than mid to small size mausoleums.
As a result, the architecture of this period is dominated by tombs and referred to by historians as the Macabre (derived from the word Maqbara) reign.
The period saw a revival in the use of ornamentation absent from the previous Tughlaq period, and the octagonal-shaped mausoleums came to be reserved for the royalty of the time.
The Mausoleum.
The mausoleum was an innovation of its time. Crowning the structure is a central dome ringed by eight Hindu-style Chhatris (umbrella-shaped domes). Lotus finials line the surface and in symmetry with the octagonal shape of the roof.
The roomy tomb area of the mausoleum is surrounded by an octagonal veranda. The ringed arcade comprises of pillars placed at measured intervals. Each pillar is decorated with light ornamentation.
Inside is a ceiling of carved stucco that is additionally decorated with arabesques and calligraphic motifs. Eight graves occupy the floor, and which are thought to be those of Muhammad Shah Sayyid himself and his family.
This octagonal mausoleum is believed to have inspired the later-built Mausoleum of Sikander Lodi.
Indo-Islamic architecture.
Indo-Islamic architecture is the use of Hindu and Islamic elements in combination. The trend began with the construction of the Quwaat-ul-Islam mosque, sponsored by the Turkish slave general, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak.
Under later Sultans, the trend gathered momentum. Immigrants trickling in from the Middle East (and in greater numbers during the Mongol invasions) further added to the talent pool, invigorating it with newer ideas and authentic Middle Eastern styles. The mix of styles and use of elements gradually evolved, reaching its pinnacle under the Gurkani.
The Period.
The Delhi Sultanate was a series of five short-lived Islamic dynasties that ruled large parts of the Indian Subcontinent from 1206 to 1526 CE. They ruled from their capital cities, now located within the 1,448 kms that make up the expansive megacity of New Delhi.
These dynasties were largely of Turkic or Afghan stock. The sultans are credited for spreading Islam in the subcontinent and sowing the seeds of Indo-Islamic art, music and architecture.
Internal feuds, rebellions and military invasions by foreign powers largely contributed to their individual short tenures.
The Sayyid dynasty.
The Sultans of the Sayyid dynasty had reigned from 1414 CE to 1451 CE. Their reign had lasted 37 years. They were the second last dynasty to rule as the Delhi Sultans.
The founder of the dynasty was Khizr Khan Malik Sulaiman, appointed governor by Timur in 1414 CE.
