Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah

Mosque and Dargah of Zafar Khan Ghazi
Mosque and Dargah of Zafar Khan Ghazi
জাফর খান গাজী মসজিদ ও দরগাহ
	View of the Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque, Tribeni
Religion
Affiliation	Islam (former)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Mosque (former) Madrasa (former) Dargah (active)
Status	Inactive (as a mosque);; Partial ruinous state;
Location
Location	Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah, Shibpur, Tribeni, Hooghly District, West Bengal
Country	India
	Location of the monument in West Bengal
Administration	Archaeological Survey of India
Geographic coordinates	22°58′46″N 88°24′04″E / 22.979580°N 88.400985°E
Architecture
Type	Mosque architecture
Style	Indo-Islamic
Completed	1298
Specifications
Length	23.38 m (76.7 ft)
Width	10.53 m (34.5 ft)
Materials	Brick, Stone
Monument of National Importance
Official name	Dargah of Zafar Khan Gazi
Reference no.	N-WB-72

Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah (Bengali: জাফর খাঁ গাজী মসজিদ এবং দরগাহ), officially known as Dargah of Zafar Khan^[1] (Bengali: জাফর খাঁ দরগাহ) is one of the earliest surviving Muslim monument in Bengal. The mosque was built by Zafar Khan Ghazi, a general of Delhi in 1298 AD (696 AH). The tomb of Zafar Khan, built in 1315 AD (713 AH) is the earliest extant of mausoleum in eastern India.^[2] The original structure was also probably used as a madrasa.^[3]

History

The Mosque of Zafar Khan Ghazi, traditionally dated to 1298 AD based on an Arabic inscription above the central mihrab. however, the 1298 inscription describes the building as a madrasa rather than a mosque, raising questions about its original function. The mosque's qibla wall contains several inscriptions from the 13th to early 16th centuries, some of which are not original to the structure, suggesting later modifications or reuse of materials. Architectural elements from later periods further indicate renovations over time. Another monument in Tribeni, also patronized by Zafar Khan, is similarly inscribed as a madrasa but serves as a tomb, locally believed to be Zafar Khan's burial site. A inscription dated 1313 within the tomb’s sarcophagus may refer to the mosque or a related structure as a madrasa.^[4]^{: 135–136}

Architecture

Mosque Architecture

The mosque, an oblong edifice measuring 23.38 by 10.53 m (76.7 by 34.5 ft) externally, represents the earliest extant example of the brick and stone architectural style introduced by Muslim rulers in Bengal, supplanting the traditional Hindu method of stacking rectangular cut stones without mortar. Over time, the original structure has undergone multiple reconstructions.^[3]

Tomb of Zafar Khan

Situated few yards to the east of the mosque, across an open courtyard, are two square chambers aligned east-west, constructed side by side. The western chamber contains two graves, identified as those of Zafar Khan Ghazi and his wife, while the eastern chamber features four graves onn a platform. The roof of the structure is absent, exposing their interiors to the sky. Access to each chamber is provided by a central doorway in the northern wall, framed by a rectangular shallow niche and flanked by trefoil arches.^[3]

Inscriptions

One of the inscription at the site reads as follows:

Zafar Khan, the lion of lions, has appeared
By conquering the towns of India in every expedition, and by restoring the decayed charitable institutions.
And he has destroyed the obdurate among infidels with his sword and spear, and lavished the treasures of his wealth in (helping) the miserable.^[5]

Gallery

Full view of the mosque structure
Entrance of the former mosque
Interior of the mosque
Back view of the mosque
Central mihrab of the mosque
Right side view
Tomb complex of Zafar Khan Ghazi
Tomb on the road side
ASI description of Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah
Mosque inscription
Stone inscription on the wall
Stone inscription on qibla wall
Inscription on wall
Eastern doorway of eastern chamber
Eastern chamber containing four graves
Western housing two graves - those of Zafar Khan Ghazi and his wife
The dargah is active for visitors and pilgrims

References

^ "Alphabetical List of Monuments - West Bengal". Archeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
^ Asher 1984, p. 136.
^ ^a ^b ^c Khan, Muhammad Hafizullah (2012). "Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
^ Asher, Catherine B. (1984). "Inventory of key monuments". In Michell, George (ed.). The Islamic Heritage of Bengal. Paris: UNESCO. pp. 37–140. ISBN 978-92-3-102174-9.
^ Eaton, Richard M. (1993). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760. University of California Press. pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-0-520-20507-9.

External links

Media related to Zafar Khan Ghazi Dargah at Wikimedia Commons

[1] "Alphabetical List of Monuments - West Bengal". Archeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2025-06-10.

[FOOTNOTEAsher1984136-2] Asher 1984, p. 136.

[banglapedia-3] Khan, Muhammad Hafizullah (2012). "Zafar Khan Ghazi Mosque and Dargah". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 11 July 2025.

[4] Asher, Catherine B. (1984). "Inventory of key monuments". In Michell, George (ed.). The Islamic Heritage of Bengal. Paris: UNESCO. pp. 37–140. ISBN 978-92-3-102174-9.

[5] Eaton, Richard M. (1993). The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760. University of California Press. pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-0-520-20507-9.

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