Ahsan- Manzil- Is- Historical- Place- In- The- Dhaka.

  

Ahsan Manzil BD Dhaka

 

Ahsan Manzil is located on the banks of the Buriganga River in the south of Dhaka city.  It was the palace of Nawabs of Dhaka.  In 1872 Nawab Abdul Ghani named it 'Ahsan Manzil' after his son Khwaja Ahsanullah.

This palace was a major political center of Bengal for about 100 years from the middle of the 19th century.  The landmark was converted into a museum (Ahsan Manzil Museum) in 1992 with 23 galleries and opened for visitors.

In the mid eighteenth century, the zamindar of the pargana, Sheikh Inayetullah Ahsan, built a palace called Rangmahal at the present site of Manzil.  Later his son Sheikh Matiullah sold the palace to French merchants.  It was known for a long time as a trading post.  Then in 1830, Nawab Abdul Gani's father Khaja Alimullah, who lived in Begombazar, bought it and started living there.  Khawaja Abdul Ghani commissioned a European construction and engineering firm called Martin & Company to create a masterplan for this residence, with Ahsan Manzil as the main architect.  Nawab Abdul Ghani started construction of the palace in 1859 which was completed in 1872.  He named it 'Ahsan Manzil' after his beloved son Khwaja Ahsanullah.  During that period, the newly constructed palace building was known as Rangmahal and the old one as Andaramahal.

On April 7, 1888, the entire Ahsan Manzil was severely damaged by a strong earthquake.  The present high dome was added during the reconstruction of the damaged Ahsan Manzil.  Good quality bricks are brought from Raniganj for reconstruction and repair.  Engineer Govind Chandra Roy managed the repair work. In that period, there were no buildings as prominent as Ahsan Manzil in Dhaka city.  The dome over its palace was one of the highest peaks in the city, attracting attention from afar.

In 1897, another earthquake hit Ahsan Manzil and caused extensive damage.  The Nahwat Khana along Islampur Road along with the south balcony of Ahsan Manzil was completely destroyed.  Later, Nawab Ahsanullah rebuilt it. In 1952, Dhaka Nawab Estate was acquired by the government under the Zamindari Abolition Act.  But the Nawabs' residential buildings, Ahsan Manzil and garden houses remain out of acquisition.  As the wealth and influence of the Nawab family declined over time, the maintenance of Ahsan Manzil became difficult.  In the 1960s, the Nawab family members bought the valuables here at auction.

palace has a beautiful dome on the roof.  At one time the top of this dome was the highest in Dhaka city.  The stairs to the top also attract everyone's attention.  At the east and west ends there are two picturesque arcades which are most beautiful.  Ahsan Manzil has two parts inside.  The meeting room and library are in the eastern part.  The western part has the ballroom and other living rooms.  The ground floor has the courtroom and dining room.

The two-storied palatial building placed on a 1 meter high altar measures 125.4 meters and 28.75 meters.  The height from floor to ceiling is 5 meters on the ground floor and 5.8 meters on the second floor.  On the north and south sides of the palace are car balconies as high as one floor.  A large open staircase leads from the second-floor balcony over the south-facing carport to the riverside garden.  There was a fountain in the garden in front of the stairs, which is not there now.  Both the floors of the palace have wide balconies with semi-circular arches on the north and south sides.  The balconies and floors of the rooms are decorated with marble stones.
  The room is octagonal near the roof with squinches above a similar round room on the second floor.  This octagonal room has been turned into a barrel vault on the roof.  Finally, the dome shaped like Kumdra Kali is made by gradually tilting the octagonal heads towards the center. The height of the top of the dome is 27.13 meters from the ground.

Ahsan Manzil reached the brink of destruction due to neglect and abuse.  In this situation, in 1974, the descendants of the Dhaka Nawab family planned to sell Ahsan Manzil Palace by auction.  The auction sale proposal on behalf of the government's Ministry of Land Administration was submitted to the then Prime Minister Sheikh Mujib for final approval.  But realizing the architectural beauty and historical importance of Sheikh Mujib Ahsan Manzil, he rejected the offer to sell it by auction on 2nd November 1974.

The implementation of the project titled 'Renovation, beautification and conversion of Ahsan Manzil into a museum' started in March 1986. The main objective of the project was to renovate the Ahsan Manzil building and convert it into a museum and develop the surrounding area in harmony with the palace for the preservation of nationally important historical and architectural monuments.  However, the project implementation responsibility was jointly entrusted to Bangladesh National Museum and Public Works Department.  The renovation and conservation works are carried out by the Public Works Department.  The Bangladesh National Museum is converted into a museum by collecting artifacts and presenting exhibits.  On November 3, 1985, the government took over the Ahsan Manzil Palace and the adjoining premises, and the construction of the museum began there.  On September 20, 1992, the Ahsan Manzil Museum was officially inaugurated and opened for public inspection.

Exhibitions have been presented in 23 of the 31 rooms of Rangmahal. The furniture in Ahsan Manzil's Toshakhana and crockery room and the old office of Nawab Estate, Edward House, have been preserved and given in the exhibition.  Apart from this, various pieces of furniture have been made in conjunction with the said photographs and similar artifacts of the contemporary period have been purchased and collected and presented in the gallery.  The total number of artifacts collected in Ahsan Manzil Museum is 4077.

A brief history of the building, pre- and post-renovation photographs and paintings are displayed in the room on the eastern part of the ground floor of Ahsan Manzil.  There is also a model of the palace made of tarzali work.

Important historical facts associated with the palace building are presented here.  Its original architectural features, evolved forms are shown through photographs.  There are also specimens of cutglass chandeliers and lamps used in the palace.

The formal dining room of the Nawabs.  The chairs, tables, fans and light fittings displayed in this room are either original or collected.  The large cupboards, mirrors, glass and porcelain lamps displayed here are almost all the original artifacts used by the Nawabs found in Ahsan Manjil.

 

Such characteristic wooden stairs are not commonly seen in Bengali architecture.  The staircase has been restored and decorated with original patterns as per a photograph taken in 1904.  The spears-ballams, shields-swords shown here are found in Ahsan Manzil.  During the period of the Nawabs, a gold-plated visitor's book was kept in this stairwell.

  A hospital named 'Ahsanullah Memorial Hospital' was established.  During the acquisition of Ahsan Manzil, several equipments and ledgers used in the hospital are found here, some of which are displayed in this room.

This large room was used as a Durbar Hall during the Nawabs.  According to the traditional Panchayat tradition of Dhaka, the Nawabs used to administer justice here.  The building is specifically associated with the 'Nikhil Bharat Muslim League' and the 'Bengiya Provincial Muslim League' founded by Nawab Salimullah.  In this context, a brief history of the establishment of 'Nikhil Bharat Muslim League' has been presented in this gallery.  A large oil painting of All India Muslim leaders who attended the Shahbagh conference during the founding of the Muslim League in 1906 has been placed in this gallery.  Some of the Nawabs period souvenirs and accessories are displayed in a few showcases.  Besides, a beautiful octagonal table gifted by Nawabs of Dhaka from Italy is displayed here.

The horns of various animals from the Nawab era displayed on the wall are collected from Edward House.  Apart from outdoor sports, the Nawabs of Dhaka were also special patrons of indoor sports, this room inside the palace is a prime example of that.

The room used as the treasury of the Nawab of Dhaka is decorated according to their wealth.  The chests and wooden cupboards here along with the large iron chests are the relics of the Nawab period.

acquaintances of the famous people of the Nawab family of Dhaka have been placed here.  Along with the display of portraits and life size oil paintings, their brief biographies are presented here.  In addition, a genealogy showing the various branches of the Nawabs of Dhaka from their Kashmiri ancestors to recent times has been displayed.

There were two rooms, downstairs and upstairs.  A concrete staircase has been constructed to facilitate the movement of visitors.  The big cupboards and the display of tajspatras here are the signs of the period of Nawabs.

The purpose of this gallery plan is to present to the audience the famous people who came in contact with the people of the Khawaja family of Dhaka in various works.  In addition, the portraits of prominent politicians, philanthropists, landowners, intellectuals, social reformers, poets, and writers during the contemporaries of the Nawabs have been kept here.

The room has been decorated as a 'Salimullah Remembrance' gallery to pay special respect to Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur.  This gallery is arranged with photographs and information from Salimullah's childhood.  Besides, personal/official items of Nawab Salimullah and Nawabs are displayed here.  The members of the Nawab family used to travel from the Rangmahal in the eastern part of Ahsan Manzil to the western part through the gangway.  Besides, the ivory patterns displayed in the showcase of this gallery are the original patterns used by the Nawab family found in Ahsan Manzil.

In a photograph taken by Fritzcup in 1904, the room is called the Hindustani Room.  The room is waiting to be decorated according to the photograph.

Top view of wooden staircase leading from ground floor to upper floor. Cast iron balusters with grapevine design on stair railing.  The ornate wooden ceiling visible on the roof has been renovated as per the original features of the Nawab period.

The room was the personal palace library of the Nawabs. It houses a large collection of rare books on law, justice, novels and sports used by the Nawabs.

The Nawabs of Dhaka have card rooms.

It can be seen the contribution of the Nawabs, drinking water system in Dhaka.
The gallery is decorated with signs and information about drinking water supply in Dhaka by the Nawabs.  Before the Nawabs took action, there was no access to filtered drinking water in Dhaka.  Public welfare-minded Nawab Abdul Ghani set up a filter water tap in Dhaka city at a cost of two and a half lakh taka.  The gallery is decorated with various artefacts related to drinking water found in Ahsan Manjil and Edward House.  Some rare photographs of Dhaka Water Works are displayed here.

The state bedroom was reserved for the rest of the distinguished and royal guests in this palace.  Photographs of only one such room have been found, and this room has been arranged as shown in the picture to illustrate it.  The furniture shown here is basically new.

This room is decorated with signs, information and pictures about the introduction of the first electricity system in Dhaka by the Nawabs.  Before 1901 there was no electric light system in Dhaka.  When the evening falls, the entire Dhaka city is covered in ghostly darkness.  Nawab Ahsanullah arranged the first electric lamp in Dhaka on December 7, 1901, spending about four and a half lakh taka, to alleviate the suffering of the city dwellers, for the beautification and modernization of Dhaka.  A detailed list of Nawabs' donations to public welfare works in the country is also displayed in this room.

drawing room is arranged according to a photograph taken in 1904.  Special guests of the Nawab arriving at Ahsan Manzil were welcomed here.  On the second floor, this room is characterized by a wooden floor and an elaborate wooden vaulted ceiling.  The large bowl-like cutglass chandeliers attached to the ceiling date back to the Nawab period.  However, other furniture, chandeliers and light fittings are made to match the picture.  Most of the artefacts displayed here, including vases and vases, are from the period of the Nawabs found in Ahsan Manzil and Edward House.

The towering dome visible at the top of the palace is built over this room.  The entire color space can be divided into two balanced parts centered on this room.  The weapons shown here are found in Ahsan Manzil.  From the balcony in front of this two-story room, the large open staircase on the southern side of the palace leads step by step to a beautiful and spacious courtyard with scenic views of the Buriganga.

  In the 19th century, there was no instance of such a grand and magnificent dance hall in the city of Dhaka.  The Nawabs of Dhaka were conciliators of both Eastern and Western cultures.  Nawab Abdul Ghani patronized the practice of dance, knowledge and poetry.  His son Nawab Ahsanullah was himself an eminent musician, musician and poet.  In keeping with the mentality of the Nawabs, this room has a hundred fictional scenes of both Eastern and Western dance-songs juxtaposed through large-scale oil paintings.  The thrones and crystal chair-tables displayed here are the main relics of the Nawab period.  But other furniture and mirrors are made to imitate the furniture seen in the picture.

Ticket pricing:

To enter Ahsan Manzil, visitors have to buy a fixed price ticket.  According to the travel guide, entry ticket price for children under 12 years is Tk 10, adult ticket price is Tk 20 per person.  However, the entry ticket for foreign tourists is Tk 100.  However, disabled people do not need to buy a ticket to enter Ahsan Manzil.