What is charminar?

Answer 1

Answer

Charminar is a historical monument built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591 A.D. at Hyderabad, India. It has got four minarets, so the name given 'Charminar', 'Char' means four, and 'minar' means minaret.

Here is the complete answer other than the above statement and date. Yes, the year is probably correct but there are no archived records as to exactly when the work started or how long it took to complete this structure and by how many people.

Where Charminar stands today, there was a huge banyan tree at the time when Quliqutub Shah was a young king who ruled in Golconda. Surrounding this area then was the hunting grounds of the royals. Golconda was the fort and within its walls' safety people lived. In peace time farmers will tend to their farms outside the walls of the fort and others go about their business and at sun set everyone will return to the safety of the fort and at set time those huge doors will be shut to avoid surprise enemy attacks in the shadow of the night. Yes, there was a small village, close by where the present Charminar is and was called "Chichlam".

Qutubshahi rulers were Persians and followers of Shia Muslim sect of Islam. Quliqutub Shah called (addressed) his mother "Bee Amma" (this is where the term 'Bee ka Al'am' came from during 10th Moharram in Hyderabad). While on a hunting trip one day near 'Chichlam' he and his hunting party had to face a hurricane strength severe rain and winds (stormy weather) during the evening hours. Bee Amma prayed whole night for the safe return of her son and put a condition on Allah / God (in Urdu it is called 'man'nat') that she will build a monument ("Tazia") at the location where ever her son is sheltered and safe, and if he returns to the fort safe. Quliqutub Shah and his hunting party took shelter under this banyan tree from this storm during the night and returned safely to the fort in the early hours of the next morning. There were great celebrations and Bee Amma told her son of her 'Man'nat'. Accordingly, Quliqutub Shah ordered the construction of this monument (Tazia). Laborers, masons, designers, supervisors and others who were connected with the construction of Charminar built their encampment around that area. With workers and their families camped there, slowly commercial activity also came into being. Many people settled there who were also brought as artisans for this project from other parts of India and some even came as far away as Persia (Iran) and this area which included the tiny village of Chichlam was eventually named Hyderabad (there was never a town called Bhagyanager or by any other name ever in the history). Eventually a community of settlers grew in this area.

Now, about the name "Bee Amma". Hazrat Ali (may Allah swt be pleased with him) never called his mother by this name nor amongst Arabs no such word exist. Quliqutub Shah's mother being Shia use to take out an 'Alam' on 10th Moharram (first calendar month of Arabic) which came to be known as "Bee ka Alam" even today it is practiced by this name. This, in fact, has no connection to Fatimat uz Zehra (may peace and blessings of Allah swt be on her) although many presume has to do with her. The same thing about Langar House (a locality in Hyderabad). Bee Amma use to ride on top of an elephant and throw alms to poor and beggars along the way and people use to say "Bee Amma's langar is coming" which area eventually came to be known as "Langar House". Likewise there are many historical areas and facts in Hyderabad that most people are not aware of and unfortunately misinformation is spread about such facts.