Farud Gah, Shahan e Mughlia

History

When Akbar laid the foundation of Attock Fort in 1581 he left Man Singh to hold the north-west frontier, and Man Singh founded this garden of two terraces. In 1607 Jahangir came to Hasan Abdal pursuing his rebellious son Khusrau and stayed three days; he twice sent money from Lahore for its enlargement — four thousand rupees, then five thousand — paying for a large bathhouse south of the baradari, a central canal and fountains. In 1639, resting here on his way to Kabul, Shah Jahan ordered the whole complex rebuilt by his central works department under Ahmed Maamar Lahori, the leading architect of the day; the work took two years.

Historical Significance

Three emperors in succession built here — Akbar's general, then Jahangir, then Shah Jahan's chief architect. Few Mughal gardens carry that continuous a record.

Architecture

At Wah, about 15 km from Taxila on the Grand Trunk Road, a complex of gardens, pavilions and water tanks built in Akbar's day by Man Singh and later visited by Jahangir. the middle stage held the main tank, 60 metres square, with a pavilion at its end.

Why Visit

The halting place that made the road to Kabul bearable for a travelling court, and the sister-work of Attock Fort a few miles away.

Interesting Facts

• Founded in 1581 by Raja Man Singh, in the same year Akbar began Attock Fort
• Jahangir stayed three days in 1607 while pursuing his rebel son Khusrau
• He sent 4,000 rupees and then 5,000 from Lahore to enlarge it
• Shah Jahan had it rebuilt in 1639 by Ahmed Maamar Lahori — two years' work