Heritage activists' plea to safeguard partially demolished Fatehbaug palace, residence of Abdu'r-Rahim Khăn-i-Khānān

By A Representative

A collective of heritage conservationists and social organisations have submitted a formal application to the Municipal Commissioner of Ahmedabad, urging urgent intervention to protect the remnants of the historically significant Fatehbaug Palace in Fatehwadi. The palace, believed to have been partially demolished recently by municipal bulldozers, was once the residence of Abdu'r-Rahim Khăn-i-Khānān (popularly Rahim), a prominent 16th-century Mughal noble, poet, and governor of Gujarat under Emperor Akbar.

The petition, presented by the heritage advocacy group Saanjhi Virasat and supported by civil society organisations including AJIM, Umang Foundation, and Ibteda Foundation, calls for immediate measures to halt further damage to the site and to consider its restoration as a public heritage space. The group also submitted historical documents and published articles attesting to the palace’s cultural and historical value.

Fatehbaug Palace dates back to the late 16th century, following Akbar’s annexation of Gujarat in 1572. Rahim was one of Akbar’s celebrated "Navratnas" (Nine Jewels) and the son of Bairam Khan, Akbar’s mentor. Though a powerful general and administrator, Rahim is best remembered for his devotional and philosophical couplets – Rahim ke Dohe – which continue to be quoted widely across India even today.

In their letter, the petitioners expressed concern that unauthorised encroachments had reached the very boundary of the monument, posing a grave threat to what remains of the structure. They requested that the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) re-evaluate any demolition plans and explore alternative proposals for the site, including the creation of a small heritage park that integrates Rahim's poetry into its landscape.

Describing the palace as a potential "symbol of communal harmony" in the city, the letter appealed to the civic authorities for swift action to preserve the monument and protect its surrounding area from further encroachment and degradation.

The activists have called on the AMC to initiate a comprehensive heritage audit and to involve local communities in reimagining the site as a shared cultural space reflecting Ahmedabad's syncretic history.

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