Tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar
Tomb of Bahadur Shah Zafar
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The final resting place of the exiled 18th-century Indian king.
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4.0
169 reviews
Excellent
52
Very good
64
Average
47
Poor
3
Terrible
3
AsadKhan
Metro Manila, Philippines54 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
For someone from South Asia, visiting the Mazar of the last Mughal Emperor is a unique treat and a privilege. It has a lot of pathos and immensely saddening history behind it. It’s a reasonably well maintained Mazar in the basement car park of the local masjid/mosque.
Written 15 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1dancing_fool
Connecticut1,336 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
I don't feel that many tourists take the time to visit, likely due to their self imposed time constraints for Yangon and the need to pack in the other main attractions, and I admit freely that this site is not what one would call Impressive... but the History! OMG.
This is where the British exiled the last Mughal emperor of India. They banished him to their new outpost of Rangoon to take him far away from his land & people in hopes of diminishing his usefulness as a rallying focus. He died a lonely and poor man, writing sorrowful poetry on the cement walls of his confines with lowly charcoal.
Once dead the British buried him in an unmarked grave in a hidden location of the grounds within the compound ( as it were ). A short while ago, during construction excavation, the coffin is presumed to have been located and a temple was build to house it's display.
As you can see from the pictures, there isn't much here that is impressive, insomuch as this is the resting place of one of India's last most powerful man... yet, the history itself is the compelling reason to stop by for a quick visit. I'd recommend it as a point of interest.
This is where the British exiled the last Mughal emperor of India. They banished him to their new outpost of Rangoon to take him far away from his land & people in hopes of diminishing his usefulness as a rallying focus. He died a lonely and poor man, writing sorrowful poetry on the cement walls of his confines with lowly charcoal.
Once dead the British buried him in an unmarked grave in a hidden location of the grounds within the compound ( as it were ). A short while ago, during construction excavation, the coffin is presumed to have been located and a temple was build to house it's display.
As you can see from the pictures, there isn't much here that is impressive, insomuch as this is the resting place of one of India's last most powerful man... yet, the history itself is the compelling reason to stop by for a quick visit. I'd recommend it as a point of interest.
Written 5 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunj Look InyKoijjJkiiki Mmchhar
Istanbul, Türkiye251 contributions
Mar 2014 • Friends
Bhadur Shah Zafar was the last Emperor of India who was exiled to Burma and died there far from Delhi where his throne - though at the mercy of the British was. Zafar died and was buried in an undisclosed grave without any ceremony by the British. True to the British tradition they kept a record of what was done which helped find Zafar's grave and give it a more befitting burial place then what was done by the British.
The tomb is very close to the Shwedagon Pagoda and is worth a visit.
The tomb is very close to the Shwedagon Pagoda and is worth a visit.
Written 1 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
surajitbh
Lucknow, India177 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
If the British wanted to wipe out the name of the last Moghul emperror from the fce of this earth, it must be sair that they tried very hard. The tomb is rarely visited by tourists and locals do not understand the significance of this legacy. The place is not very well kept and needs attention from organizations like Heritage foundations.
Written 15 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard766
Sydney, Australia3 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
Tired of Buddhas we decided look up old Badadur Shah Zafar the last Mughal Emperor of India.
Badadur broke his family's long term power sharing agreement with the British East India Company and sided with the rebels during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. 52 Europeans were murdered within his palace, possibly without his knowledge. All his sons took and active part in the rebellion and they were rounded up and summarily shot by Company officers as rebels. As a result, the Hindu sepoy regiments saw the real prospect of getting rid of the Mughals forever. They sought out every possible male heir and put them to death.
As we know this was from Imperial Burma this was not unprecedented, the last king came to power the same way. It even happened in Europe. It’s roughly what happened to the family of Alexander III of Russia on Lenin’s orders. Unfortunately for his girls, female heirs could succeed in Russia.
Badadur himself was arrested for treason and brought to trial. Now he had no heirs the old man who, was much admired as a poet and man of culture, was of no further threat. He was exiled to Rangoon with his wife and women of his court. When he died in 1862 the British afforded him full Islamic rights but his burial chamber was cleverly hidden under parkland against it becoming a focus for activism. His wife shares his grave.
Captain Davies was given the job of hiding the quite capacious mausoleum, appropriate to an ex-emperor, and did an excellent job. He even left enough clues for it to be rediscovered in 1991. Good chap Davies.
Now there is a mosque on the site that has indeed been a focus of recent inter-religious violence.
But it was very calm the day we went and we had some difficulty finding a driver who knew or admitted he knew how to get there. I had to draw in the street on a map and name it from Google Maps on my phone. It wasn’t on the local tourist map. Once there, we were greeted by a charming Tamil man who was delighted that we were interested. And yes, take as many photographs as you like. I found it a fascinating time warp into the past.
Badadur broke his family's long term power sharing agreement with the British East India Company and sided with the rebels during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. 52 Europeans were murdered within his palace, possibly without his knowledge. All his sons took and active part in the rebellion and they were rounded up and summarily shot by Company officers as rebels. As a result, the Hindu sepoy regiments saw the real prospect of getting rid of the Mughals forever. They sought out every possible male heir and put them to death.
As we know this was from Imperial Burma this was not unprecedented, the last king came to power the same way. It even happened in Europe. It’s roughly what happened to the family of Alexander III of Russia on Lenin’s orders. Unfortunately for his girls, female heirs could succeed in Russia.
Badadur himself was arrested for treason and brought to trial. Now he had no heirs the old man who, was much admired as a poet and man of culture, was of no further threat. He was exiled to Rangoon with his wife and women of his court. When he died in 1862 the British afforded him full Islamic rights but his burial chamber was cleverly hidden under parkland against it becoming a focus for activism. His wife shares his grave.
Captain Davies was given the job of hiding the quite capacious mausoleum, appropriate to an ex-emperor, and did an excellent job. He even left enough clues for it to be rediscovered in 1991. Good chap Davies.
Now there is a mosque on the site that has indeed been a focus of recent inter-religious violence.
But it was very calm the day we went and we had some difficulty finding a driver who knew or admitted he knew how to get there. I had to draw in the street on a map and name it from Google Maps on my phone. It wasn’t on the local tourist map. Once there, we were greeted by a charming Tamil man who was delighted that we were interested. And yes, take as many photographs as you like. I found it a fascinating time warp into the past.
Written 11 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WayfarerIndia
Bengaluru, India97 contributions
Feb 2016 • Solo
The tomb of the last Moghul emperor, who died in Burma while in exile. The poet emperor was exiled to Burma when the first war of Independence by the Indians against the English failed. The emperor who was a symbolic head of the movement lost his empire, his title rather as he did not wield any power at that time; and was shipped to Burma where he spent his last days. Interestingly the last king of Burma, King Thibaw; was exiled to Ratnagiri in India a few years later where he died.
In a poem he says "kitnaa hai bad_naseeb 'Zafar' dafn key liye do gaz zamin bhi na mili kuu-e-yaar mein" - How unfortunate is Zafar! For burial… Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the beloved land. That's how it worked out for him, an unmarked grave in a foreign land.
So when I was the tomb listed in sights of Yangon I decided to visit the place.
A simple though melancholy place the tomb isn't grand, certainly not befitting a Mughal emperor even the last one without an empire but it was much more than an unmarked grave. He had famously proclaimed "Na kisii ki aankh ka noor hoon" roughly translated to I am not the apple of anybodies eye, but the poet and the icon of the independence war that he was if not for being the last emperor he deserves something better.
This place would be of interest to Indian history buffs
In a poem he says "kitnaa hai bad_naseeb 'Zafar' dafn key liye do gaz zamin bhi na mili kuu-e-yaar mein" - How unfortunate is Zafar! For burial… Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the beloved land. That's how it worked out for him, an unmarked grave in a foreign land.
So when I was the tomb listed in sights of Yangon I decided to visit the place.
A simple though melancholy place the tomb isn't grand, certainly not befitting a Mughal emperor even the last one without an empire but it was much more than an unmarked grave. He had famously proclaimed "Na kisii ki aankh ka noor hoon" roughly translated to I am not the apple of anybodies eye, but the poet and the icon of the independence war that he was if not for being the last emperor he deserves something better.
This place would be of interest to Indian history buffs
Written 6 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PJW10K
Reno, NV116 contributions
Jan 2015 • Couples
I am a former Indian historian, so this was a a must do visit to see where the last Mughal emperor is buried. It's a quiet and out of the way spot, and to see the picture of this broken man just before his death in exile in poignantly moving. It's simple, setting...not much visited by tourists, but still a revered spot for local Muslims, is very worhwhile tor those so inclined to such things.
Written 7 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ashutosh1810
Gurugram (Gurgaon), India15 contributions
May 2014 • Business
There is nothing impressive about this place and thats what really touches your heart and makes it sad. This is supposed to be the mazaar of the last emperor of India, therefore, grand and opulent, but its none. The deewan tells you and reads the verses of the emperor .. "Umr-e-daraaz mang kar laaye the chaar din, 2 aarzoo me kat gaye, do intezaar me" ... and these lines Zafar wrote for his motherland India and not for some woman .. heart wrenching to imagine such state of an Indian emperor.
Written 23 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sajjad S
Lahore, Pakistan22 contributions
Shah zafar dargah or tomb of shah zafar is resting place of last mughal emperor bahadur shah zafar. An attractive place for those who have interest in history and sufism, located on zi wa ka road, close to shewadagon pagoda.
There is a mosque , graves of emperor's wife and his daughter on first floor whereas Shah's grave is in basement which was discovered in 1991 , caretaker (hafiz)of the shrine gives you detail insights of this place and history of zafar shah (saint, poet and last ruler of mughal dynasty). its a fascinating place for people coming from subcontinent.
There is a mosque , graves of emperor's wife and his daughter on first floor whereas Shah's grave is in basement which was discovered in 1991 , caretaker (hafiz)of the shrine gives you detail insights of this place and history of zafar shah (saint, poet and last ruler of mughal dynasty). its a fascinating place for people coming from subcontinent.
Written 20 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ranjan M
Sandhurst, UK161 contributions
Jan 2014 • Solo
Just South of the main entrance and garden of the Schwedagon Pagoda is a small road that leads to the entrance of the final resting place of the last Mughal Emperor of India banished by British to Rangoon. As the site is also a mosque, there was significant police presence to provide protection in case of trouble. You can leave your shoes and socks to the right after the gate with the girl and leave her a small tip to look after them. The grave of the last Mughal Emperor of India, Bahadur Shah Zafar, his wife and grand daughter are part of the tomb. The Emperor was exiled by the British to the then Rangoon, Burma and he spent his last days as a broken man until his death at the age of 90. As he was a poet, there is a poignant poem by him, framed on the wall around his tomb, reflecting his broken spirit. There are also old photos of him with his sons and a British officer as well as one of his wife. The features of the Emperor are very regal and elegant but unfortunately his wife and sons do not share the same distinguished appearance! Apparently his grave was forgotten and only discovered when the foundations of the mosque at the site was being built. There is a separate men's and women's side to the mosque and once a year his poems and ghazals are recited and sung. Felt rather sad to see the fate of this man who once ruled at Delhi, India. The British also exiled the last King of Burma to India. Such are the politics of colonialism!
Written 14 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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