The Birth of Babri Masjid
The five-century-old Babri Masjid was located on Ramkot Hill in the city of Ayodhya, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Under the orders of Mughal Emperor Babur, the general Mir Baqi constructed this mosque in 1528-29 (935 Hijri). The mosque bore the distinct identity of Sultanate architecture.
The rulers of the Mughal Empire were patrons of art and architecture. Many tombs, mosques, and madrasas built by them bear signs of exquisite construction techniques. Mughal architecture often carried the influence of Tughlaq dynasty architecture, which possesses a distinct structural style. Mosques across India display varying structural styles constructed at different times, revealing both indigenous artistic traditions and the refined style of local artisans.
Regional climate, terrain, and materials influenced these constructions. For instance, the Babri Masjid bore the identity of the Sultanate architecture of Jaunpur. Viewed from the west, this mosque resembled the Atala Masjid of Jaunpur. It was particularly significant for its preserved architecture and was a symbol of the Indo-Islamic structural style adopted by Emperor Akbar.
Dispute Over the Babri Masjid Land
The Hindu claim is that the site where the Babri Masjid was built is the birthplace of Ram. They allege that Mughal Emperor Babur's general, Mir Baqi, destroyed a Ram temple to build the Babri Masjid. However, historians note the lack of contemporary historical evidence to support this specific act. Yet, based on belief, in 1822, an employee of the Faizabad court claimed that the mosque was built over a temple. In 1855, there was an uproar over the possession of the mosque's land. In 1859, to avoid conflict, the British colonial administration erected a wall to separate the places for Hindus and Muslims within the mosque premises.
Things continued smoothly until 1949. But in 1949, members of the Hindu Mahasabha secretly placed idols of Ram inside the mosque, creating massive tension. The court declared the mosque site a disputed area and sealed it. Subsequently, both communities filed lawsuits: The Nirmohi Akhara in 1959 and the Sunni Central Waqf Board in 1961. Then, on February 1, 1986, under the Rajiv Gandhi government, the court ordered the locks of the mosque to be opened, granting Hindu pilgrims access.
The Martyrdom of Babri Masjid
In September 1990, BJP leader L.K. Advani organized a political procession named the Ram Rath Yatra. The procession traveled across North India to Ayodhya, aiming to garner support for a temple and consolidate votes by exploiting communal sentiments.
On December 6, 1992, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate organizations organized another massive gathering. About 150,000 VHP and BJP Kar Sevaks (volunteers) joined. Leaders like Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti delivered speeches. Around noon, a young man breached the police cordon and hoisted a saffron flag on the dome. This signaled the beginning of violence. The frenzied mob used axes, hammers, and pickaxes to demolish the structure. Within a few hours, the five-century-old Babri Masjid was leveled to the ground, leading to riots across India that claimed approximately 2,000 lives.
Verdict of the Babri Masjid Case
In 2010, the Allahabad High Court ruled that the disputed land should be divided equally among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara, and Ram Lalla. All parties appealed this decision to the Supreme Court.
On November 9, 2019, the Supreme Court of India, led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, overturned the lower court's verdict. The 5-judge constitutional bench declared that the entire 2.77 acres of land must be given to a trust to build a Hindu temple. Simultaneously, the court ordered the government to give the Sunni Waqf Board an alternative 5 acres of land within Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.
Was the Babri Masjid Actually Built on a Ram Temple?
In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) informed the court that remains of three Ram temples were found beneath the mosque. However, this claim is heavily contested by independent archaeologists.
In a 2018 interview with the Huffington Post, archaeologists Supriya Varma (JNU) and Jaya Menon (Shiv Nadar University) stated that the ASI's information was incorrect. They argued that the older structure beneath the Babri Masjid had the characteristics of a smaller mosque (such as lime-surkhi floors and orientation towards the west), not a temple. They alleged that the ASI experts were under political pressure to support the temple narrative.
In the final 2019 verdict, the Supreme Court noted that while the Babri Masjid was not built on vacant land, there was no conclusive evidence that the underlying structure was a specific Hindu temple. Despite this lack of irrefutable proof, the court ruled in favor of building the temple based on the "preponderance of probability" and the continuous belief of the faithful.
Who is Responsible for the Demolition?
The Liberhan Commission, formed in 1992, submitted its report in 2009 after 16 years of investigation. It concluded that the demolition was neither "unprovoked nor unplanned." The report named 68 individuals, including top BJP leaders like Vajpayee, Advani, and Joshi, and criticized the inaction of the police and the state government led by Kalyan Singh.
"The verdict on the Babri Masjid land has been delivered. But the investigation into the case of breaking the mosque is still hanging. Will there ever be a trial for it?"