History
Mandu's old name was "Shadiabad" meaning the city of happiness (Anand Nagari), the name was given by then ruler Allauddin Khilji. During its time of prosperity, there was nobody poor in the city. Any poor permitted to stay in the city was donated a brick and a gold coin each by the residents of the city so as to bring him / her at par with others. The live example is "Dai Ka Mahal" which was built by a poor old woman on joining the city. Mandu is also famous for its special kind of tamarind known as Mandu ki Imli
Mandu with its natural defences was originally the fort-capital of Rajput Parmara rulers of Malwa. Towards the end of the 11th century, it came under the sway of the Taranga kingdom. The city reached its greatest splendour in the early 15th century.
The circuit of the battlemented wall is nearly 37 km (23 miles), enclosing a large number of palaces, mosques, Jain temples of 14th century and other buildings. The oldest mosque dates from 1405; the finest is the Jama Masjid or great mosque, a notable example of Pashtun architecture. The marble domed tomb of this ruler is also magnificent.
