THE MAN BEHIND GALI QASIM JAN

Imagine the lanes of Old Delhi, are filled with the aroma of freshly brewed chai and the engulfing fragrance of kachori being fried right across. The lanes are crowded with people coming through to taste the delicacies of the historical lanes of Chandini Chowk. And amongst the mosaic of these lanes, lies a lane named Gali Qasim Jan. It is the same lane where the haveli of Ghalib still breathes. But who was Qasim Jan and how was he related to Ghalib?

Gali Qasim Jan. Image: Wikipedia

Let us go back in history to the end of the medieval period when the Mughals were barely surviving and the internal politics made the once supreme rule of the Mughals, fragile. However, the substantial pursuits of Mughal courtly culture and poetry supremacy continued. The period of the 18th century is when Qasim Jan comes into the picture of the Mughal courtly culture.

Nawab Qasim Jan, an Iranian noble used to live in Lahore under the governorship of Moin-ul-Mulk and later moved to the city of Delhi. Qasim Jan influenced no other. He maintained a greater relationship with the Governor. The one anecdote that explains his relationship with the Governor is when Moin-il-Mulk fell fighting Ahmad Shah Abdali during the Punjab invasion, Mulk’s widow asked Qasim Jan for assistance. He ruled the province in the name of Mulk’s infant son till he was able enough to do it himself. The admiration between Qasim Jan and Begum was mutual. They equally respected each other and were part of a platonic relationship.

During Shah Alam’s reign, Qasim Jan decided to move to Delhi to be a part of their courtly culture. He wanted to stay at the Red Fort, so he decided to build his residence in Balliram. After his death, Qasim’s son took over and lived in the haveli. The same Gali/lane where Qasim Jan’s haveli is located was later named Gali Qasim Jan, to show the respect and love people had for him. He also built a mosque near his haveli that is known as the Qasim Khani Mosque.

Ghalib was in awe of Qasim Jan. After paying all his debts, he decided to build his haveli in Gali Qasim Jan. Ghalib was married to the sister of the Nawab of Loharu, who was the son of Qasim Jan's brother. Umrao Begum was her name. He decided to live his remaining life in the vicinity of Qasim Jan’s aura.

Qasim’s son was a part of Bahadur Shah Zafar’s courtly culture who was also known for building the Ahata Kaley Sahab, named after the saint Kaley Khan. Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan region is also named after the same saint.

When we look back into the various chapters of history, the people and added colour to these pages, we find the tangled webs of personalities, revering and respecting each other. Today, that love is taught to portray the humungous change it causes in our lives and also the landscape of Delhi. When we would visit the Qasim Jan Gali, we will know that it is the Gali of love.