imported>Gowhk8 at 19:32, 21 August 2021

2021-08-21T19:32:59Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Mahmud Gawan Madrasa
| image = File:Complete view of Mahumad Gawan.JPG
| caption = Complete view of Mahumad Gawan Madrasa
| type = Ancient [[University]], Now a [[Mosque]]
| locmapin = India
| coordinates = {{coord|17.91476|77.53010|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Bidar]] ([[Karnataka]])
| elevation = {{convert|2330|ft}}
| area = {{convert|205|x|180|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| height = {{convert|131|ft}}
| founder = [[Mahmud Gawan]] (''Khwaja Mahmud Geelani'')
| formed = during [[Bahamani|Bahamani Dynasty]]
| founded = 1460
({{Start date and years ago|1460|df=y}})
| built = 1472({{start date and years ago|1472|df=y}})<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=106–108}}</ref>
| architect =
| architecture = [[Persian architecture|Persian]]
| original_use = Educational
| current_use = Religious (Sunni Islam)
| governing_body = [[Govt. of India]]
| owner = [[Archaeological Survey of India]] since 1914
| designation1_free1name = Designation
| designation1_free1value = [[Monument of National Importance]]
| designation2_free1name = Value
| designation2_free1value = Archaeological and Cultural Heritage
| designation3_free1name = [[Archaeological Survey of India|ASI]] Code
| designation3_free1value = N-KA-D40
}}

The '''[[Madrasa]] of [[Mahmud Gawan]]''' is an ancient [[madrasa]] or Islamic college in [[Bidar]], [[Karnataka]], India. It was built in the 1460s and is an example of the regional style of [[Indo-Islamic architecture]] under the [[Bahmani Sultanate]]. This heritage structure is placed under the [[List of Monuments of National Importance in Bidar district|list of monuments of national importance]]. Founded by the prime-minister of the [[Bahamani|Bahamani empire]] in the late 15th century, it bears testimony to the scholarly genius of Mahmud Gawan, who first came to Delhi as a Persian trader (in exile)<ref>{{cite web|title=Mohamad Gawan Madarsa|url=http://www.holidayiq.com/Mohamad-Gawan-Madarsa-Bidar-Sightseeing-649-8581.html|website=HolidayIQ.com|accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> from [[Gilan]] in [[Iran]] and moved to Bidar in 1453.<ref name="Deccan dreams">{{cite news|title=Deccan dreams|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-life/deccan-dreams/article2205099.ece|accessdate=16 March 2015|agency=Business Line|date=23 September 2005}}</ref>

Mahmud reportedly built the madrasa with his own money and it functioned like a residential University which was built and maintained on the lines of Madrasa of [[Khurasan]]. The imposing and spacious building of the institution is considered as an architectural gem and an important landmark of [[Bidar]].

==Location==
Situated on the [[Deccan Plateau]] 2330 feet above the sea level,<ref name=report>{{cite book|author1=James Burgess|author2=John Faithful Fleet|title=Report on the antiquities in the Bidar and Aurangabad districts, in the territories of His Highness the nizam of Haidarabad, being the result of the third season's operations of the Archæological survey of Western India, 1875-76.|date=1 May 1878|publisher=Her Majesty's secretary of state for India in council.|location=London}}</ref>{{rp|42}} Bidar has long been a place of Cultural and Historical Importance. The monument is located between the Chowbara (''Clock Tower'') and the [[Bidar Fort|fort]] from where it is a few hundred meters away. Remains of the monument stand strong amongst the chaos of urban settlement around it. Its principal east facade, now partly ruined, faces the city's main street leading to the [[citadel]].

==Description==
The Madrasa (religious seminary) has been a striking building though long in a ruinous condition. It occupied an area of 205 feet by 180, and was entered by a large gateway on the east in front of which it had two lofty [[towers]] about a hundred feet high. The rooms surround an open area 100 feet square, in the middle of each of three sides of which was a large apartment or hall 26 feet wide by about 52 in length, rising to the full height of building, which is of three stories. Each of these hall has a [[dome]] on the outer end over the oriel that projects beyond the line of the walls.<ref name=report />{{rp|43}} The walls of the Madrasa measure exactly 242 feet from east to west and 220 feet from north to south.

The foundations and the lower courses, at least, of the building are all jointed with thin sheets of lead. The tower (minar) has been faced with enameled tiles of different colours in zig zag lines round the lower half of it. Portions of the walls, especially in the front have also been covered with the same materials, and a broad frieze along the top of the front wall has been inscribed with sentences from [[Quran|Q'uran]] in coloured letters on a ground of green and gold. Of this a part is still to be seen on the right side of the front.

The building has a high basement but to make the approach convenient, two terraces have been built in front of it. The main entrance has vanished, but its floor has been exposed during excavations. Beyond the entrance there was a portico, square in plant at the base, measuring 15 ft. 4 inches each way. The minaret at the northern and of the façade and the wall adjoining it towards the south are comparatively the best preserved portions of the Madrasa although their tile decoration and trellis work have survived only in fragments. The minaret has on octagonal base with round shape at the point. The lower has three storey, the first and second having balconies which project from the main body of the tower in a curvilinear form but have no brackets to support them.<ref>ASI, Dharwad Circle</ref>

Due to the shiny nature of coloured tiles on the ''minar'', local people call the monument as '''″Kaanchina Khamba″''' ([[Kannada]]; Kaanch=Glass, Khamba=Tower)

==History==
[[File:Front side view-Madarsa Mahmud Gawan, Bidar.JPG|thumb|Front of the madrasa]]
[[File:Madarsa mahmud gawan.jpg|thumb|]]
In the reign of '''Muhammad Shah Bahamani II''' (1463-1482), '''Khwaja Mahmud Geelani''' (better known as '''Mahmud Gawan'''), an old noble who bore the title of ''Maliku't-Tujar'' built the Madrasa<ref name=report />{{rp|43}} of which the remains still exist. In the time of [[Firishta]], nearly a century and a half later, it was still in perfect preservation and with the great mosque and other buildings by the same founder, in what was called Gawan-ki Chowk (present day Gawan Chowk) were then still applied to the purpose for which they were originally designed.<ref name=report />{{rp|43}}

In 1635, during the wars of [[Aurangzeb]], Bidar was ravaged by '''Khan Dauran'''. In the end of 1656, it was invested by Aurangzeb himself. The historians of this time describes ″he entered the city and proceeding to a mosque which had been built 200 years before, in the reign of [[Bahamani Sultanate|Bahamani Sultans]], he caused the ''Kutba'' to be read in the name of his father Emperor [[Shah Jahan]].<ref name=report />{{rp|43}}

After this capture, the madrasa was principally appropriated as [[Barracks|barrack]] for a body of [[cavalry]], while a room (or rooms) near the left [[Minar]] were used to store [[gunpowder]] which exploded in an accident. It blew up fully of one-fourth of the edifice, destroying the tower and entrance.<ref name=report />{{rp|43}}

It is also recorded in history that the structure suffered significant damage following a lightning struck in 1696.

==Significance==
The madrasa however, built to reaffirm ''Shia''ism as the state religion, is clearly modeled on contemporary central Asian buildings. The entire campus gives the grand impression which Islamic architecture awakes in many minds. Intelligent planning and construction have gone into building the madrasa. The surface treatment is composed of color produced by glazed tiles of different hues. Traces of exquisite colorful tiles are still visible on the walls of the building. The floral decor, arabesque design and decorative inscriptions with arches dominating everywhere make it a fine specimen of Islamic architecture. This was all possible because Mahmud Gawan was familiar with renowned colleges at Samarkhand and Khorasan. The building contains lecture halls, a laboratory, a mosque, students’ hostel, dining room, quarters for teaching faculty. This religious seminary which also taught [[science]] and [[maths]] was run by a carefully chosen faculty which comprised Islamic scholars, [[scientists]], [[philosophers]] and Arabic experts. It is recorded that free boarding, lodging and education to over 500 students from the world over was provided at any given time. The founder had established a library of 3000 volumes in this ''university'' before his death; what became of it is not known.<ref name=report />{{rp|43}}

==Preservation==
The [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) took up the programme to preserve and protect ancient monuments in [[Bidar district]] in 2005. It included marking boundaries around these structures, building aesthetically designed compound walls, providing lighting and laying gardens around some monuments.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archaeological Survey plans facelift for Bidar monuments|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080604300200.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150310173057/http://www.thehindu.com/2005/08/06/stories/2005080604300200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2015|accessdate=10 March 2015|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=6 August 2005}}</ref>

Bidar has found its place in the [[World Monument Watch|World Monument Watch List, 2014]] which gives some hope for improvements in this ''City of Whispering Monuments''.

=== Concerns ===
Today goats graze among the majestic ruins and the windows with exquisite jali-work look out like haunted eyes.<ref name="Deccan dreams"/>
According to an estimate, there are nearly 100 historic monuments in and around Bidar. Mahmud Gawan Madarasa is among the monuments in Bidar that require round-the-clock watch. The Archaeology office is understaffed.<ref>{{cite news|title=ASI needs manpower to protect monuments|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/asi-needs-manpower-to-protect-monuments/article1325838.ece|agency=The Hindu|date=29 August 2008}}</ref> Plans of developing park around the madarsa has not yet realised. The open space behind the monument is used as ''cricket ground'' by locals, with the balls often hitting the monument.

==Trivia==
*On 8 March 2015, A huge old tree in front of the monument was uprooted due to hours of wind, heavy rain and thunderstorms.<ref>{{cite news|title=Heavy rain disrupts life in Bidar|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/heavy-rain-disrupts-life-in-bidar/article6974539.ece|accessdate=12 March 2015|agency=The Hindu|date=9 March 2015}}</ref> The tree was believed to be more than a century old.

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="175">
File:Ruined Madrasa at Bidar.jpg
File:Mosque ( Also called as " Kaanch Khanbha" ).JPG
File:College Campus of yesteryears.jpg
File:Mosque view-Front side-Madarsa Mahmud Gawan, Bidar.JPG
</gallery>

==References==
{{Commons category|Mahmud Gawan Madrasa}}
{{KarnatakaHistory}}
{{source-attribution}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Historical Places in Karnataka}}
{{Monuments in India}}
{{Bidar topics}}

[[Category:Education in Bidar]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Bidar]]
[[Category:Mosques in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Madrasas in India]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Bidar district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Bidar district]]
[[Category:Bahmani architecture]]

Mahmud Gawan Madrasa - Revision history

imported>Gowhk8 at 19:32, 21 August 2021