- Mustafa Castle
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Mustafa Castle is a building of historical relevance located in Meerut, India, commemoratively built by Nawab Ishaq Khan to serve as a memorial to his father, the poet and critic Mustafa Khan Shaifta.
Contents
Establishment
The building was completed in 1899 by Nawab Ishaq Khan in his father's honor. Nawab Mustafa Khan Shaifta was a close friend, admirer and, in times of need, a patron of Mirza Ghalib, a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule. A man of letters, he found himself in trouble after the British succeeded in regaining control of Delhi in 1857. Mustafa Khan's mother was the daughter of the Commander in Chief of the Mughal army, Ismail Baig Hamadani. Even after the surrender of the Mughal army he continued his fight against the British and finally retreated to Nepal. Nawab Mustafa Khan was tried for allegedly supporting the uprising which had originated in Meerut. He was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and confined in a cell of the military jail of Meerut cantonment which had been improvised for the convicts of the 1857 uprising and was later abandoned. This small jail happened to be right in the centre of the area which is now enclosed by Mustafa Castle. The land was then purchased by Nawab Ishaq Khan along with the adjoining area comprising nearly 30 acres of land. He then built Mustafa Castle as his homage to the memory and honor of his father Mustafa Khan Shaifta. The cell in which he was imprisoned was retained in its original shape in the building Nawab Ishaq Khan constructed. The building was designed by himself with the help of some assistants who had experience of building barracks for the British Army. He amalgamated many styles of architecture in building Mustafa Castle. It has the facilities of British bungalows, the prominent features of the buildings of Rajasthan and Oudh area, mainly Lucknow. But as aresult of this amalgam the facade of Mustafa Castle is unique and unlike others seen in the cities of Delhi, Hyderabad and Lahore.
A Political Hub
It was during Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan's career in the national struggle (1918–1958) that Mustafa Castle was markedly transformed into a hub of political activity in Meerut. Some of the politicians who have visited and stayed in Mustafa Castle are as follows:
- Mahatma Gandhi (three days during the Khilafat Movement)
- Jawaher Lal Nehru (three days during the Khilafat Movement)
- Mohammad Ali Jinnah (twice during the Pakistan Movement)
- Mrs. Naidu
- Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
- Maulana Mohammad Ali
- Maulana Hasrat Mohani
- Mrs. Vijay Lakshmi Pundit
- Bahadur Yar Jang of Hyderabad
- Vitthal Bhai Patel. Elder brother of Vallabh Bhai Patel
- Bhula Bhai Desai
- Govind Vallabh Pant
- Liaquat Ali Khan
The Inner Portion of the Castle
Within the castle are several rooms named after colors such as "Basanti", "Gulabi" and so forth. They're used distinctly in summer or winter months, with the relevant color schemes. Some of the originality that remains in the castle include furniture brought by the Nawab from London when the castle was being constructed, to various showpieces that the castle displays with pride. Pendulum clocks, ornately designed lamps, antique chandeliers, carved wooden cabinets, chests, dressing tables, cupboards and drawers, antique lampshades, candle-stands, huge mirrors, family portraits are amongst some of the rare artifacts that have been preserved throughout the years and are present today.
See also
References
- Adani, Iftikar A. Khan (August 15, 2002). "A Note about Mustafa Castle". http://meerutup.tripod.com/mustafa.htm.
- Gupta, Deepa (November 20, 2008). "Mustafa Castle: Fading Histories". ET Bureau. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-11-20/news/28483684_1_rooms-nawabs-histories.
External links
Categories:- Palaces in Uttar Pradesh
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