Jalali, Uttar Pradesh

Jalali is t 27.87°N 78.27°E / 27.87; 78.27.[2] It has an average elevation of 178 metres (583 feet).[3]

Jama Masjid in Jalali

Jalali is an ancient and historical town in the district of Aligarh and is known for its culture and traditions. Formerly known as Nilavati, Jalali was founded by Jalaluddin Khilji during the reign of Ghiyas ud-din Balban.[4]

One of the oldest inhabited sites in the district of Aligarh, Jalali has been a perfect example of communal harmony for decades. Jalali has been under the influence of Mughals and Britishers .

Its history can be traced back to the 16th century (1628-1658) when Syeds migrated from Srinagar, Kashmir and settled down here. They are descendants of Shah-e-Hamdan Ameer Kabir Sayyed Ali Hamdani, a great Islamic Scholar and well known Sufi saint Syeds of Jalali were well educated and acquired good positions in Civil Services, Engineering, Education and Army. They owned the majority of agricultural and residential lands in and around Jalali.

Jalali has good examples of old Mughal architecture. Though Syed were the most influential and powerful community in Jalali, they maintained religious and social harmony with other residents through which all were benefited with their education and rich culture.

Jalali has been an active contributor in the development of the Urdu language. It produced a poet of international fame: Ustad Qamar Jalalvi. Some other well-known poets of Urdu who emerged from Jalali are Mohabbat Jalalvi, Peer Mohammad Gauhar Jalalvi, S. Shabber Husain Saher Jalalvi, S. Sajjad Hussain Hadaf Jalalvi, S. Ali Baqar Chacha Jalalvi (known for his humorous poems) and Syed Afsar Ali Baqa Jalalvi. Baqa Jalalvi, one of the greatest poets, wrote some marsiyas, nauhas and salams. His most well known marsiya is "Uffaqe shaam se utthi jo ghata zulmat ki". His father Sayyed Zille Hussain Fiza wrote a well-known marsiya "Andaleebe gule gulzaar risalat hun mein". He edited famous salam composed by Dilgeer: "Hai salaam us per jo baikas be padar be yaar tha".Another Marsiya composed by Syed Zille Hussain was "Hinda ne Jab ke Khwab Sunaya Yazeed ko".

Jalali has many imambargahs and mosques. One of the finest imambargahs in Jalali is the Imambargah of S. Farzand Ali, which is over 200 years old. It is an imposing structure with a mosque inside. It can accommodate more than 5,000 persons at a time. In addition, women and children gather on the terrace of the imambargah and the mosque in large numbers on 9th of Muharram and on the occasion of Chehlum. Another famous Imambargah of Jalali is in mohalla 'Garhi', called Bara Imambara where a huge Alam of about 30 metres is hoisted on the morning of Ashura. The Ashura procession of Alam, Taazia, Taabut and Zuljinah ends here.

A Persian inscription on Jama Masjid, Jalali

An important landmark in Jalali is the historic Jama Masjid that is taken care by Sayyids of Jalali. It was built by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban and is over 700 years old. The masjid bears an inscription with the name of Balban dated 665 Hijri or 1267 AD. The mosque is well maintained and is looked after by a trustee appointed by Shia Waqf Board, Lucknow. The photograph of the mosque and its brief history along with the inscriptions of Sultan Balban, Mohammad Shah and Jalaluddin Akbar was published in the Archaeological Survey of India, 1936. The mosque was renovated and rebuilt by Haji Syed Mehdi Ali of Jalali in 1901. The original mosque had one dome. Two more domes were built by Haji Mehdi Ali who also added a golden kalas on top of each. An account of the contributions of Haji Mehdi Ali is engraved in Persian on the marble stone which forms part of the middle arch of the mosque. In 1826, the arch in the middle of the mosque near mimbar was built by Syed Ahmed Hussain. An engraved stone just above the arch gives complete details.

A shia procession during 19th Chehlum

Jalali is famous for its fertile agricultural lands. The name of Jalali was mentioned by Ibn Battuta in one of his famous travelogues, Rihla. It is also known by the name of S. Mohammad Husain Qamar Jalalvi, who paid a tribute to Jalali in one of his couplets:

"Her sans ghaneemat hey mera ahl-e-watan ko / Duniya mein Jalali Ki hawa bandh raha hun". (All India Mushaira at Aligarh in 1954)