Frontiers of Architectural Research (2013) 2, 420–434 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com www.elsevier.com/locate/foar CASE STUDY Strategies to integrate the Mughal settlements in Old Dhaka Mohammad Sazzad Hossainn Department of Architecture, Southeast University, Dhaka 1208, Bangladesh Received 18 March 2013; received in revised form 19 July 2013; accepted 1 August 2013 KEYWORDS Abstract Mughal settlement; The Mughal settlements are an integral part of Old Dhaka. Uncontrolled urbanization, changes Urban transformation; in land use patterns, the growing density of new settlements, and modern transportation have Integration brought about rapid transformation to the historic fabric of the Mughal settlements. As a result, Mughal structures are gradually turning into isolated elements in the transforming fabric. This study aims to promote the historic quality of the old city through clear and sustainable integration of the Mughal settlements in the existing fabric. This study attempts to analyze the Mughal settlements in old Dhaka and correspondingly outline strategic approaches to protect Mughal artifacts from decay and ensure proper access and visual exposure in the present urban tissue. & 2013. Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. 1. Introduction Dhaka was established as a provincial capital of Bengal during the Mughal period. The focal part of Mughal City is currently located in old Dhaka, which has undergone successive transfor- mations. The Mughal settlements are considered the historic core of Mughal City. The old city covers an area of 284.3 acres nTel.: +880 1715 010683. with a population of 8,87,000. The area is home to 15% of the E-mail address: [email protected] total population of urban Dhaka while occupying only 7% of its Peer review under responsibility of Southeast University. gross built-up area (DMDP, 1995–2015, Vol ll). Most parts of the place are undergoing gradual physical deterioration. The scar- city of open spaces, coupled with the high plot coverage, limits the scope of recreational and cultural activities. The social characteristics of the old district have also undergone changes. 2095-2635 & 2013. Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2013.08.002 Strategies to integrate the Mughal settlements in Old Dhaka 421 Figure 1 Pre-Mughal Dhaka. Source: Islam, 1996b. Figure 2 Layout of Shankhari Bazaar in the Late 18th Century (Ahmed, 2012). Figure 3 Hussaini Dalan in 1982. Source: Aga Khan Visual Archive, MIT. 422 M.S. Hossain Historic buildings have been subdivided for multiple families, densities have risen to inordinate levels, and new settlements are growing rapidly without due consideration of the historic settlements. This study examines the Mughal settlements and their successive transformations in the old fabric to suggest corresponding comprehensive guidelines for integration. 2. Methodology The study is conducted as a “desk-top research”, which includes a review of related literature and field survey. Historical research1 method is adopted partly to establish the chronology and legacy of physical growth patterns. Then, qualitative research2 method is used to address the research problems. This study will use two approaches: Figure 4 Kartalab Khan Mosque in 1982. The theoretical part will be based on literature review. Source: Aga Khan Visual Archive, MIT. The field research will be based on an empirical survey that will involve the collection and analyses of two types of data: organization of houses at both sides along narrow lanes resulted in very compact settlement patterns (See Figs. 1,2 Quantitative data: Involve architectural survey and ana- and Table 1). lysis of numerical data, such as data on land use, infra- structure, and on-site investigation at a small scale. 4. Mughal settlements (1608–1764) Qualitative data: Involve analysis of data obtained through interviews and historical assessment. Documentary research and on-site investigations will be During the Mughal period, Dhaka became an important important in identifying historic interventions and urban metropolis and capital of Bengal because of its administrative, elements. This research will be a continuation of the commercial, and infrastructural importance. It started to author's previous study on the same heritage site. extend westward up to Sarai Begampur and northward to Badshahi Bagh (Dani, 1962). Under Shaista Khan (1662–1679), the city extended to 12 miles in length and 8 miles in 3. Pre-Mughal settlements (before 1608) breadth and served as a home to nearly 1,000,000 people (Taifoor, 1956). Before the Mughal period, Dhaka was successively ruled by Local roads were filled with pedestrians, and river and Sena,Turkish,andAfghans(Taifoor, 1956). Dhaka was a canals were the important traffic conduit of the city. trading center for the pre-Mughal capital located at Sonar- Therefore, landing platforms at the river bank, locally gaon and consisted of a few market centers, along with few known as ghats, were the significant feature of Mughal City. localities comprising craftsmen and businessmen. All of these Several bridges in Mughal Dhaka are completely lost now. localities were confined within the circuit of the old Dholai The city was divided into a number of neighborhoods, which Khal. The tantis (weaver) and the sankharis (shell cutter) are were a cluster of houses webbed with intricate narrow lanes believed to be the oldest inhabitants of the city, and they still (Islam, 1996a). These narrow lanes were paved with bricks live in the area (Dani, 1962). In most of the localities, the in 1677–1679 (Dani, 1962). Two principal roads can be found: houses of local craftsmen had small factories. The row houses one that ran parallel to the river from Victoria Park to of Shankhari Bazaar had a narrow frontage of 6–10 feet, depth the western fringe of the city, and another that extended of 30–40 feet, and a height up to 4 stories (Taifoor, 1956). from Victoria Park to Tejgaon.3 The intersections of narrow Tanti Bazaar also had similar types of settlements. The linear lanes formed wide and irregular nodes that acted as a civic space at the local level. The sense of enclosure of these 1Historic research is based on a description of the past. This type spaces was very intimate in scale. Some of the local nodes of research includes, for instance, investigations that record, turned into chowks (squares) of mohallahs (neighborhood), analyze, and interpret events of the past with the purpose of whereas other nodes were rather intimate in nature and discovering generalizations and deductions that can be useful to held local social gatherings (Nilufar, 2011). Dhaka lacked understand the past, present, and, to a limited extent, the future any kind of corporate or municipal institutions during the (Landman, 1988). 2 Mughal period (Gupta, 1989) (See Figs. 3–9 and Table 2). A Qualitative research is a multi-method in terms of focus because fi it involves an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject magni cent view of the Mughal buildings was observed from matter. Qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings the river because the river front was the most dominant and attempt to make sense of or interpret phenomena in terms of the meaning people bring to them. Qualitative research involves 3The roads had no names, but the mohallas had names at that studies that use and collect a variety of empirical materials. time. The roads were named after the establishment of the Dhaka Qualitative research is especially effective in obtaining culturally Municipality in 1864; the former one is the Patuatoli-Islampur- specific information about the values, opinions, behaviors, and Mughal Toli Road, and the latter one seems to be the Nawabpur social context of a particular population (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000). Road (Source: Islam and Khan, 1964). Strategies to integrate the Mughal settlements in Old Dhaka 423 Figure 5 Demarcation between pre-Mughal and Mughal Dhaka (Dani, 1962). Figure 6 Land Use Plan of Dhaka during the Mughal Period (Ahsan, 1991). 424 M.S. Hossain Figure 8 Chota Katra from the River Bank in 1875. Source: Department of Archeology, Bangladesh. Figure 7 Schematic Layout of the Mughal Quarters in old Dhaka. Source: based on Mowla, 1997b. part of Mughal City that can be approached through the river route. The functional zoning of Mughal Dhaka was as follows. 4.1. The residential zone The areas to the south and southwest of the Old Fort up to the river bank grew mainly as commercial areas, whereas the areas to the north and northeast grew as residential areas (Chowdhury and Faruqui, 1991). The neighboring localities of Lalbagh Fort, namely, Rahmatganj, Kanserhata, Urdu Bazaar, Bakshi Bazaar, Atishkhana, Shaikh Saheb's Bazaar, Chaudhury Figure 9 South Wing from the Court Yard of Bara Katra in 1870. Bazaar, Qasimnagar, Bagh Hossainuddin, Nawabganj, and Source: British Museum. Enayatganj,includingQazirbaghandHazariBagh,werethe Mughal colonies of officers. The entire area of Bakshi Bazaar and Dewan Bazaar served as the residence of provincial areas. Chauk Bazaar was connected to Sadarghat (a landing ministers, dewans, and secretaries. Large palatial buildings platform at the bank of Buriganga River) by a road running were found at Becharam Dewri, Aga Sadeq Dewri, Ali Naqi parallel to the river. Another commercial center was located Dewri, and Amanat Khan Dewri. The Mughal elites, including at Bangla Bazaar, which was the main shopping center before princes, had palaces along the riverfront (Dani, 1962). the Mughal period (Taifoor, 1956)(SeeTable 3). 4.2. Service zone 4.4. Recreational zone The cottage industries and trading areas of the pre-Mughal The Mughal elites had garden houses for recreation, festiv- period and some other localities were used to house the ities, and receptions.