| Shahi Mahal and Mosque | |
|---|---|
 Partial ruins of the mosque interior, in 2020, with cusped arch niches, typical ofMughal architecture | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam(former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque andmahal (former) |
| Status | Inactive;(partial ruinous state) |
| Location | |
| Location | Udaypur,Vidisha district,Madhya Pradesh |
| Country | India |
  Location of the former mosque andmahal inMadhya Pradesh | |
| Coordinates | 23°54′02″N78°03′35″E / 23.900417077220673°N 78.05968539840485°E /23.900417077220673; 78.05968539840485 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Style | Mughal |
| Completed | c. 1026AH (1616/1617 CE) to 1041 AH (1631/1632CE) |
TheShahi Mahal and Mosque, also known locally asShāhī Maḥal andShāhī Masjid orQāḍiyon-kī-Masjid, is a largepalace and formermosque complex, in partial ruins, located in the village ofUdaypur, in theVidisha district, in the state ofMadhya Pradesh, India. Built between 1026AH (1616/1617 CE) and 1041 AH (1631/1632CE), the edifice is a short distance to the east of theNīlakaṇṭheśvara temple.
The Shāhī Maḥal served as the residence of the local governor during theMughal rule.[1] Built on a rectangular plan, themaḥal has four corner towers and a two-storey elevation, with a suite of rooms disposed around two interlinked courtyards, all decorated in the simple and elegant stonecarving style of the 17th century. The existing ruins retain traces of excellent stonejālī work.
Forming an adjunct of themaḥal is a big mosque, an imposing edifice locally known as Shāhī Masjid or Qāḍiyon-kī-Masjid.[1][2] A Persian inscription carved on a slab measuring 65 by 42 centimetres (26 by 17 in), affixed on the central mihrab of the mosque, records its foundation byQāḍi Awliyā b. Sayyid ʿAbd al-Ṣamad al-Ḥasanī on 4 Rajab 1026 Hijrī, or 28 June 1617 CE, at the time when EmperorJahāngīr was on a visit toMandu.[2] A second Persian inscription carved on a slab measuring 1.24 metres (4 ft 1 in) by 2.5 centimetres (1 in), in a balcony projecting from the north wall of the mosque records that the mosque was only half complete when both king and qāḍi died, and that it was finally completed by Sayyid Ḥāmid and Sayyid Dāʾūd, sons of Qāḍi Awliyā, on 10 Dhū'l-Ḥijja 1041 Hijrī, or 18 June 1632 CE, during the reign of EmperorShāhjahān.[3] Both inscriptions show that this mosque served as the mainJama Masjid of Udaypur in the Mughal period and was the seat of the town's state-appointedqāḍi. The epigraphs are also significant for the political geography of the times, showing thatqasba Udaypur was then part ofsarkar Chanderi andsubah Malwa, on the border ofGondwana.[3]
