English: Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana was a poet and astrologer, part of the famed Navratnas (nine jewels) of Akbar’s court. Son of Bairam Khan, Akbar’s caretaker and one of his close confidants, he was presented to the king after Bairam Khan was killed in Gujarat. Akbar later married Bairam Khan’s widow and bestowed the title of ‘Mirza Khan’ upon the son.

The maternal lineage is often linked to Lord Krishna and used to explain his devotion and a lot of written work on the deity, despite being a Muslim by birth. His two sons were killed later by Jehangir when his ascension to the throne was opposed by Rahim.

Though not a small structure by any means, the monument seems to have alternating periods of attention and neglect. While the pathways and lawns are well maintained, the stonework on the exterior has dilapidated quite a bit (three major chunks were stripped off for use in Safdarjung’s Tomb in 1753), so has the plaster on the interior. The profile of the monument, however, with its sweeping arches and cenotaphs, draws one in instantly.

The tomb was built by Khan-i-Khana’s wife in 1598, and the poet-cum-administrator was buried here after his demise in 1627. Red sandstone is the chief material, relieved by the use of buff sandstone and marble. The sarcophagus is peaceful and surprisingly airy, befitting of a poet’s sepulcher. There is an underground chamber but it is usually locked. The motif is very similar to the nearby Humayun’s tomb, and the remains of the decorations reveal incised as well as painted plaster.

The monument is thronged by morning joggers as well as kids looking for a soccer or cricket recluse. Otherwise, it is usually deserted, retrospectively ironical of a man who was in the centre of activity all through his life, but at the same time befitting the space and solitude of a poet’s mind. It is the perfect monument to spend a winter afternoon lying on the grass, curled up with a book and the mute melancholy of bare stone walls.