A Mughal era document around 250-years-old preserved at the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute throws light on the Holy Dip in the Ganga and how a large number of pilgrims were Gujaratis and Marthas.
| Photo Credit: Syed Mohammed
India was undergoing a transformation. The Mughal Empire was in the decline, and the East India Company was spreading it tentacles of influence across the subcontinent. Against this backdrop, a document from the era, now preserved at the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute (TSARI), sheds light on how religious autonomy was accorded to pilgrims arriving from various parts of the country to take a dip in the river Ganga.
The document is firman, a royal decree, issued by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, Abul Muzaffar Jalaluddin Muhammad.
Measuring 102 cm in length and 46 cm in width, the firman instructs officials posted in the subah (province) of Allahabad that no pilgrim should be charged any fees. Further, it mandates that the government bear all expenses.
“The firman, is dated 1773, and is written in shikasta script, often described as ‘broken script’. It directs the mutaqaddiyan, who werepublic officers or clerks, and other senior officials monitoring movements along the river not to charge pilgrims who come for the holy dip or bath,” Director of TSARI Zareena Parveen said.
Translating the document for The Hindu, she explained: “Levies and taxes were to be waived. Taking the holy dip was regarded as a religious ritual, and thus, should not be disrupted. Even the kotwali, meaning police, were issued similar instructions. Any contravention of the firman was to be dealt with sternly.”
The firman also offers insight into the communities that travelled to the Allahabad subah in large numbers for the ritual bath. Among them were ‘Gujaratis’ and ‘Marathas’, as specifically mentioned in the decree.
Annabelle Teh Gallop in The Genealogical Seal of the Mughal Emperors of India points out: “The distinctive design of the seal — a central circle containing the name of the ruling emperor, surrounded by a series of smaller circles, like satellites in orbit, containing names of his ancestors up to Timur each preceded by the filiative ibn — was self evident masterpiece of imperial symbolism in which the authority of the ruling emperor was both legitimised and enhanced by the deliberate referece to his illustrious ancestors.” The seal, she said, found fame beyond the boundaries of the Mughal empire.
A Mughal era document around 250-years-old preserved at the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute throws light on the Holy Dip in the Ganga and how a large number of pilgrims were Gujaratis and Marthas.
| Photo Credit:
Syed Mohammed
On the right hand side of the document, beside the legend, is a prominent orbital genealogical seal, bulbous at the base and tapering at the top, signifying imperial authority. At its nucleus is the name of the king, Abul Muzaffar Jalaluddin. Floating in orbs around this nucleus are the names of his predecessors.
“The seal is shaped like a surahi. The Mughals were meticulous about documentation, as noted by prominent historians including Jadunath Sarkar,” Ms. Parveen added. “The ink used on the handmade firman paper is indelible.”
Recalling an anecdote, she noted that about 25 years ago, the Mughal records section was flooded. Anxious staff members painstakingly dried the folios, only to heave a sigh of relief after they discovered that the ink had not washed away or faded. Instead, it had darkened.
At the top of the Mughal era document, preserved at the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute, has invocations to the Almighty in gold and red ink.
| Photo Credit:
Syed Mohammed
At the top of the Mughal era document, preserved at the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute, there is a square legend in gold and red bearing the king’s name.
| Photo Credit:
Syed Mohammed
At the top of the document are invocations to the Almighty in gold and red ink. Below that is a square legend, also in gold and red, bearing the king’s name, which only a trained eye can discern. Towards the end, the 250-year-old historical record indicates, that it was issued in the 14th regnal year of Shah Alam II.
Published – April 11, 2025 11:16 pm IST
