The Shat Gambuj Mosque

In mid-15^th century, a Muslim colony was founded in the inhospitable mangrove forest of the Sundarbans near the seacoast in Bagerhat district by a saint Ulugh Khan Jahan. He was the earliest torchbearer of Islam in the south who laid the nucleus of an affluent city during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1442-59), then known as ‘Khalifatabad’ (present Bagerhat).

Khan Jahan adorned his city with numerous mosques, tanks, roads and public buildings. The most spectacular of which is the imposing multidomed mosque in Bangladesh, known as the Shat Gambuj Masjid. The stately fabric of the monument stands on the eastern bank of a vast sweet water tank, clustered around by the heavy foliage of low-lying countryside characteristic of a seacoast landscape.

The mosque is roofed over with 77 squat domes, including seven chauchala or four-sided domes in the middle row. The vast prayer hall is provided with 11 arched door-ways on east and 7 each on north and south for ventilation and light. It has 7 longitudinal aisles and 11 deep bays by a forest of slender stones columns. From these columns spring rows of thickness, have slightly tapering hollow and round walls. The interior and the exterior of the mosque give a view of rather plain architecture but the interior western wall of the mosque was beautifully decorated with terracotta flowers and foliage.

Besides being used as a prayer hall the mosque was also used as the court of Khan Jahan Ali. Now it is one of the greatest tourist attractions and best architectural beauties of Bangladesh.

Personality: Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali

There are a lot of preachers of Islam who came to Bangladesh and spread Islamic education here. They are termed as saints. One of them is Khan Jahan Ali of Bagerhat. He had different names such as Khan Jahan Khan, Khan Jahan Ali, Khan Jahan Ali Khan and Khaja Khan. He was zealous worker, staunch warrior and devoted preacher. Not only that he was a powerful ruler and a spiritual leader. He is also regarded as a great saint. He is most famous for his piety and philanthropic activities. Nothing is clearly known about his early life. From history, we know that he had served for several years in the court of Delhi during the Tughlaq period. From there he came to Bangladesh to preach Islam. He halted at Bagerhat and settled there.

Bagerhat was then a backward area. Khan Jahan Ali found Bagerhat beset with various problems. First of all, he made some roads connecting Khulna and Jessore. He also made mosques, public buildings, bridges and dug tanks. Two of the tanks are still known to the people as Ghoradighi and Dargadighi. He built the Shat Gambuj Mosque. It was built in 1440. The mosque is one of the most magnificent ones. It is regarded as one of the best architectural beauties of the Bangladesh.

Khan Jahan Ali was a powerful leader of the people. He could build luxurious palaces and amass vast riches for his own pleasure, but he did not do so. He bought the love of Allah by giving up these worldly pleasures. On the other hand, he made roads, dug tanks and built mosques to lead the people of this part of Bangladesh to the path of well-being and prosperity both here and hereafter. It is said that each of his soldiers had a spade and not gun. They were always busy with development work. It was his sincere love for the people and Allah fearing attitude. Due to his continuous and selfless effort Bagerhat and nearby areas became developed. He turned and overpopulated jungle region of Bagerhat into a beautiful habitable land. Khan Jahan Ali was not a monarch but his deeds were no less glorious than those of a noble monarch. He was a monarch without a crown.