The Jal Mahal, also known as the Jal Mahal of Narnaul or the Water Palace, is a late 16th century

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

, and

artificial lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...

located in Narnaul,

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

. Built by a Mughal governor of Narnaul, the structure currently serves as a tourist attraction.

Description

The Jal Mahal was built in 1591 AD by Shah Quli Khan, a member of the nobility of the Mughal empire and the governor of Narnaul. Khan was a protegee of

Bairam Khan Muhammad Bairam Khan (; 18 January 1501 – 31 January 1561), commonly known as Bairam Khan or Bayram Khan was an important military commander, and later commander-in-chief of the Mughal Empire, Mughal army, a powerful statesman and regent at ...

, an important official in the Mughal court and one-time

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of the empire. He was also a successful military commander who served in the Mughal army under

Akbar the Great Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor exp ...

. The campaigns of Akbar to conquer northern India made Khan wealthy, and the commander distinguished himself by wounding the Suri general

Hemu Hemu (; 1501 – 5 November 1556), also known as Hemu Vikramaditya and Hemchandra Vikramaditya, was an Indian king (maharaja) who previously served as a general and Vizier, Wazir of Muhammad Adil Shah (died 1557), Adil Shah Suri of the Sur Emp ...

at the

Second Battle of Panipat The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on 5 November 1556, between the Mughal Empire, Mughals under Akbar and emperor Hemu, titularly known as Hemu, Hemchandra Vikramaditya. Hemchandra had conquered Delhi and Agra a few weeks earlier by defeati ...

. In gratitude for Khan's service, Akbar granted him titles, wealth, and appointed him as the governor of Narnaul. In addition to being a competent military leader, Khan was a noted architectural patron. Upon being appointed governor, he began a series of construction projects in Narnaul; these projects, the first of which was a tomb (built 1574-75) for himself, are described as being of a "personal sort" and as being different from some of his projects elsewhere in India; furthermore, Khan's projects were noteworthy enough to be recorded in contemporary Mughal texts. 15 years after completing his tomb, Khan began to construct a new palace in Narnaul; this structure became what is now the Jal Mahal. Khan began by creating a square artificial lake (often described as a tank or reservoir) with an island in the center; this lake was intended to form a "second Kausar" (the Pond of Abundance in Muslim paradise) for the palace's occupants. Khan then ordered the construction of a fortified gateway on the northern edge of the lake. Following this, a causeway was built out into the center of the reservoir, where a foundation was laid and a palace built. The construction of the Jal Mahal, its gate, and the lake took 2-3 years. The palace itself was decorated in the style of other Mughal palaces and pavilions; the structure was adorned with art and carvings, including inscriptions that celebrated Khan's famous victory over Hemu. In terms of area, the compound encompasses 11 acres. In the centuries after its completion, the palace's pool gradually filled with earth. This debris was cleared in the late 20th century and the lake restored.

References

{{coord missing, Haryana Palaces in Haryana Mahendragarh district Buildings and structures of the Mughal Empire Mughal palaces