Safdarjung’s Tomb
One of the significant tombs in Delhi is the Safdarjung’s Tomb. The tomb is at the western end of the Lodi Road. It was built in 1735, during the Mughal decline. Safdarjung was a powerful nobleman at a time of enfeebled emperors, and played a major role in the civil wars which shook the kingdom during his lifetime.
Just as Humayun’s tomb heralded the beginning of a tradition, Safdarjung’s tomb marks the end, by its confusing details and lack of vigour. Its bulbous white dome rises above the walls of the extensive Mughal garden surrounding it. In fact, the shape of the dome was inherited from the Lodi dynasty and perfected during the Mughal dynasty.
In addition, the mausoleum is laced with stone removed from Khan- i-Khanan’s tomb in Nizamuddin and it represents the final and decadent flowering of Mughal architecture in Delhi. Siraj-ud-Daula, Safdarjung’s son, spend Rs. 300,000 on his father’s tomb, the last of the great mausolea to be built in the Mughal capital.
