Lot Essay
The inscription has been translated:
In the reign of Nur al-Din Jehangir
at the instance of Alif Khan as a demonstration of generosity
[and] the pertinacity of Dawlat Khan, Alif Khan
built the fountain of Sheikh Mawdud.
When Yusuf sought the date [of its building]
He uttered "The building of Sheikh Mawdud"
The chronogram in the last line 'banayi Shaikh Mawdud', gives the date AH 1033. The fountain was evidently dedicated to the Chisti saint, Sheikh Mawdud.
In this unusually informative inscription, we have not only the names of the saint and the reigning monarch, but also the patron, Alif Khan, the architect, Dawlat Khan, and the poet, Yusuf.
In the reign of Nur al-Din Jehangir
at the instance of Alif Khan as a demonstration of generosity
[and] the pertinacity of Dawlat Khan, Alif Khan
built the fountain of Sheikh Mawdud.
When Yusuf sought the date [of its building]
He uttered "The building of Sheikh Mawdud"
The chronogram in the last line 'banayi Shaikh Mawdud', gives the date AH 1033. The fountain was evidently dedicated to the Chisti saint, Sheikh Mawdud.
In this unusually informative inscription, we have not only the names of the saint and the reigning monarch, but also the patron, Alif Khan, the architect, Dawlat Khan, and the poet, Yusuf.