 |
In Kirman, Iran the village land was classified into six parts (dang), each comprised of one-sixth of the villages water supply with the land watered thereby. The Ismaili Imam Kassim Ali (1694-1730) was the governor of three villages of Kirman, viz. Mahallat, Shahr-i Babak and Kahek. Mahallat means mahallas, i.e., quarters of a town. It is situated in the arid but picturesque valley in which the stream of Qumm takes its root. It is situated well over 5000 feet above sea level, and is cold in winter, being covered with snow for quite a long time. It also exercised as the headquarters (darkhana) of the Imams in Iran for many years.
Imam Hasan Ali Shah, the Aga Khan I was born in Mahallat in 1804. He was also the governor of Mahallat and Qumm between 1818 and 1837. In 1838, he built a large fortified residential compound for his residence and numerous dependents and pages in Mahallat. It was surrounded by strong walls, built of sun-dried bricks. It encircled the garden and the house, with services. Life was going inside the walls, probably centering around the main building, which no longer exists. He was its proprietor as a landlord, and became known as The Aga Khan Mahallati.
It seems that the Aga Khan nursed an ambition to revive the memory of Mahallat, his native land, therefore, he built a resembling residence but a small in Jerruk, named as Mahallat. It appears that three rooms with a garden facing the Indus were built before the incident of Jerruk. Later on, few other chambers were added and the entire site was fortified with mud and straw.
|
Mahallat in Jerruk seems to have been a protective residence in the original plan, therefore, it was constructed like a small fastness. It had been built on a lofty site, measuring 850 square yards on the bank of Indus. It is a simple oblong enclosure in plan, surrounded by walls dressed with blocks of hewn stone and plastered outwardly with mud and straw. Its front side faces the town, while the backside located on the bank of the Indus. Presently, the flow of the river is at some distance, therefore, it is now sloppy on back side. It has three entrances in its front facing to the town, one in the middle as a main entrance and two on each side. It is said that the Aga Khan entered the main entrance, while riding on his horse. The left entrance leads to the centre main hall through a narrow passage, which was used by the followers. The right entrance leads into the garden, which was a stable in the plan. There is a room at the opposite direction, where the provisions of the horses were stored, having a roof with a mud stair turning at the right corner, whereon the entire valley of the Indus is viewed.
 |
The main entrance leads to the middle room, where radiates two another rooms on each side. These three rooms are further supported by a corridor and it is also attached by a rectangular main hall. The three rooms are roofed, whose mud stairway is located on the left corner. The main hall was used as an audience hall, where the followers squatted in lines before the platform, having crudely built earthen stairway. The wall of the main hall touching the back side contains rooms for kitchen and bath on both sides with an open space in the middle.
The entire residence contains two roofs, one on the three rooms and another on the room at the stable. Each wooden roof is thatched with mud, supported with carved wooden columns.
Mahallat is still the only remnant of the original structure. Today the entire building stands bare and deserted with its ornamental features in decay, yet it presents an impressive sight. It is in a deplorable state with its walls weather-worn, needing repairs for its preservation. It is however hoped that this monument will be saved from further decay. It seems clearly that some portions of the building had been repaired before few years, but at present it looks like a mass of ruins. According to the report of the keepers, about 1000 to 1200 visitors, including scholars and students come every year in Jerruk to see the historical building of Mahallat, therefore, it should be well preserved.
The painted board placed on the main entrance is a later addition. There are two identical handwritten brief inscriptions in the Khojki character, one in the middle room and another at the corridor. Both inscriptions are engraved with a pointed nail on the main wooden ceilings, and are illegible and void of historical value.