Itibar Khan Khwajasara was a noble of Bahadur Khan, who
later joined the services of Akbar and was appointed the superintendent
of Jehangir's Harem. The loyal officer refused to give in to the rebel
prince Shah Jehan, when he tried to capture Agra in 1623. Thus, Jehangir
awarded him the title of Mumtaz Khan. He died the same year and was
buried in the tomb built by himself sometime between 1610-1623 in the
outskirts of Agra. The simple and graceful building was once a part of
the large complex of Guru-ka-Tal with a mosque and sarai, in which the
main tomb building was centrally situated in the charbagh.
However, railway track and two roads have altered the plan of the site
completely and only the mosque has survived to this day. Itibar Khan's
tomb is popularly known as Barah-Khambha (Twelve pillars). It was so
called due to the presence of external twelve pillars on the upper
pavilion. It is surrounded by tibara-dalan on all sides with three deep
arches on each side. A gallery from the main entrance leads one to the
central square mortuary hall. The main construction materials used here
were rubble and plaster.
Tomb of Itibar Khan at Agra is one of the
lesser known monuments in the city.