Asaf Khan

Abdul Hassan Asaf Khan (Persan: عبدلحساناصفخان) was the father of Arjumand Bânu Begam, also called Mumtaz Mahal, the preferred wife of the emperor moghol Shah Jahan. Asaf Khan was also the son of Mîrzâ Ghiyâs Beg, called the Itimâd ud-Daulâ (in Persan, " pillar of État"), and the older brother of Mehrunissa, more known under the name of Nûr Jahân), wife of the father of Jahan Shah, Jahangir.

Asaf Khan was named governor of Lahore by the Jahangir emperor in 1625. After the deposition of Jahangir in 1627, it got busy to ensure the accession of his/her son-in-law Shah Jahan while being combined Dawar Bakht (other wire of Jahangir) and by beating the rival applicant, prince Shahryar (son-in-law of Nûr Jahûn, married to his/her daughter resulting from its preceding marriage with Sher Afgan) close to Lahore. Asaf Khan had a position more raised even than under the preceding reign and kept it until in 1632, where it failed at the time of the seat of Bijapur, following what it seems to have lost its favor.

Asaf Khan died the June 12th 1641 and Shah Jahan ordered to build his tomb in the funerary complex of Shahdara with Lahore. He is in the west of the mausoleum of Jahangir, vis-a-vis him. The tomb is entirely in brick S. Its plan is octagonal, with a large central bulbous dome with double base. Each side comprises a Iwan , or alcove, deeply inserted, with a door and a window curves some giving on the tomb. The Marble, and the typical blue tiles kashi of Lahore covered the mausoleum formerly; they were removed since. The interior was famous for its prodigal use of white marble and invaluable stone inclusions, which were removed and re-used in temples under the reign raptor of the Sikhs (1799 - 1849). The interior ceiling of the dome is decorated with a high plaster relief made up of interlaced reasons, but a great part fell. The tomb contains the marble sarcophagus, engraved inscriptions Koranic, similar to those of the adjacent tomb of the Jahangir emperor.

The Hargreaves historian known as of the tomb: " In spite of its simplicity, there is a direction of quietude resting on this site (the tomb of Asaf Khan) which does of it one of the most attractive monuments of the vicinity of Lahore."

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