Humayun Museum: A Love Letter to Delhi

Every year on August 15, when India celebrates its Independence Day, the governing Prime Minister addresses the nation from the Red Fort, the 17th century monument commissioned by Shah Jahan, part of the Mughal empire that ruled the Indian subcontinent for over 300 years. This and other diverse ideas of shared culture, thought and architecture are visible at the newly opened Humayun World Heritage Site Museum in Delhi. Developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India, it houses over 700 artefacts, encapsulating more than just the story of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. While the museum has many ideas to offer, the binding narrative is of pluralism. “Our job was to fairly interpret the knowledge of the time. So be it Sufism or cultural icons connected with this area—from Mughal rulers Akbar and Dara Shikoh to poet Amir Khusrau—pluralism was the story they told,” says Archana Saad Akhtar, programme director at AKTC India, using the term linked with co-existence of different beliefs. While the political climate in India today invites criticism for intolerance, the museum may well act as a reminder—especially for a younger audience—of the history of our integrated landscape.