THE MAKER OF
THE TAJ
The Fifth
Mughal Emperor: Shah Jahan [1592 – 1666]
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Reign
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1628 –
1658
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Full name
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Shahab-ud-din
Muhammad Shah Jahan, also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan
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Born
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5 January
1592
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Birthplace
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Lahore
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Died
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22 January
1666 (aged 74)
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Place of
death
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Agra
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Buried
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Taj Mahal
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Predecessor
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Jahangir
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Successor
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Aurangazeb
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Wives
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Akbarabadi
Mahal (d. 1677), Kandahari Mahal (b. 1594, m. 1609) Mumtaz Mahal (b. 1593, m.
1612, d. 1631), Hasina Begum Sahiba (m. 1617), Muti Begum Sahiba, Qudsia
Begum Sahiba, Fatehpuri Mahal, Sahiba (d. after 1666), Sarhindi Begum Sahiba
(d. after 1650), Shrimati Manbhavathi Baiji Lal,Sahiba (m. 1626)
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Offspring
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Jahanara
Begum, Dara Shukoh, Shah Shuja, Roshanara Begum, Aurangzeb, Murad Baksh,
Gauhara Begum [Many more died at birth or at an early age]
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Dynasty
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Mughal
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Father
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Jahangir
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Mother
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Princess
Manmati
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Religious
beliefs
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Islam
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Shahab Uddin Muhammad Shah Jahan I (full title: Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Abu'l-Muzaffar Shahab ud-din Muhammad, Sahib-i-Qiran-i-Sani, Shah Jahan I Padshah Ghazi Zillu'llah [Firdaus-Ashiyani]) ruled India from 1628 until 1658.
From ‘Khurram’ to Shah Jahan: The
blue-eyed of the Mughal Royals, the young ‘Khurram’ impressed his father the
Emperor Jahangir with his intense military successes of 1617 against the Lodi
in the Deccan, which effectively secured the southern border of the empire.The
grateful father rewarded him with the prestigious title 'Shah Jahan Bahadur
', which implicitly sealed his inheritance. The name Shah Jahan comes from
Persian meaning "King of the World."
His early years saw him receive a cultured, broad education and distinguish
himself in the martial arts and as a commander of his father's armies in
numerous campaigns, where he became responsible for most of the territorial
gains of his father's reign. Khurrum also demonstrated a precocious talent for
building, impressing his father at the age of 16 when he built his own quarters
within Babur's Kabul fort and redesigned several buildings within Agra fort.
He was the fifth Mughal ruler after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir. While
young, he was a favourite of Akbar. Like Akbar, he was eager to expand his
empire. Even while very young, he could be pointed out to be the successor to
the Mughal throne after the death of Jahangir. He succeeded to the throne upon
his father's death in 1627. He is considered to be one of the greatest Mughals
and his reign has been called the Golden Age of Mughals.
Shah Jahan erected many splendid monuments, the most famous of which is the Taj
Mahal at Agra. The Pearl Mosque at Agra, the palace and great mosque at Delhi.
The celebrated Peacock Throne, said to be worth millions of dollars by modern
estimates. He was the founder of Shahjahanabad, now known as 'Old Delhi'. Other
creations of Shah Jahan also include the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas within the
Red Fort in Delhi.
As a young man, he was married to two wives known as Akbarabadi Mahal (d.1677
AD), and Kandahari Mahal (m.1609 AD). Beforehand however, in 1607 AD, Khurram
had been betrothed to Arjumand Bano Begum, the grand daughter of a Persian
noble, who was just 14 years old at the time. She would become the unquestioned
love of his life and they were married in 1612 AD.
According to the official court chronicler Qazwini, the relationship with his
other wives "had nothing more than the status of marriage. The intimacy,
deep affection, attention and favour which His Majesty had for the Cradle of
Excellence [Mumtaz] exceeded by a thousand times what he felt for any
other”.
Shah Jahan was utterly devoted to Mumtaz Mahal, who was his constant companion
and trusted confidante and their relationship was intense. Indeed, the court
historians go to unheard of lengths to document the intimate and erotic
relationship the couple enjoyed. Sheela Reddy in her Taj Trivia termed Shah
Jahan as ‘The Man of Marble’. Quoting the Austrian art historian Ebba Koch and
her book, “The Complete Taj Mahal”, she says that Shah Jahan picked the site
for Taj for its great view from Raja Jai Singh of Amber, in exchange for four
mansions. His own burial was not grand; he was taken quietly by two men by boat
and laid beside Mumtaz.
The
Rule
Although his father's rule was generally peaceful, the empire was experiencing
challenges by the end of his reign. Shah Jahan reversed this trend by putting
down a Islamic rebellion in Ahmednagar, repulsing the Portuguese in Bengal,
capturing the Rajput kingdoms of Baglana and Bundelkhand to the west and the
northwest beyond the Khyber Pass. Under his rule, the state became a huge
military machine and the nobles and their contingents multiplied almost
fourfold,as did the demands for more revenue from the peasantry. It was however
a period of general stability — the administration was centralised and court affairs
systematised. Historiography and the arts increasingly became instruments of
propaganda, where beautiful artworks or poetry expressed specific state
ideologies which held that central power and hierarchical order would create
balance and harmony.
The
Wealth
Under Shah Jahan the Mughal Empire attained its highest union of strength with
agnificence.
The land
revenue of the Mughal Empire under Shah Jahan was 20.75 million sterling. The
magnificence of Shah Jahan’s court was the wonder of European travellers. His
Peacock Throne, with its trail blazing in the shifting natural colors of
rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, was valued by the jeweller Tavernier at 6.50
million sterling.
THE CAUSE OF THE TAJ
The Mughal
Empress: Mumtaz Mahal [1593 AD – 1631 AD]
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Arjumand Banu Begum, popularly known as Mumtāz Mahal (April, 1593 - 17 June 1631) meaning "beloved ornament of the palace" was an Empress of India during the Mughal Dynasty. Her father was the brother of Empress Nur Jehan (who subsequently became the wife of the emperor Jahangir). She was religiously a Shi'a Muslim.
Betrothed to Prince Khurram in 1607 AD at the age of 14 years, she was
married five years later on 10 May 1612, a date selected by the court
astrologers as most conducive to ensuring a happy marriage to Prince Khurram,
who later ascended the Peacock Throne of India as the fifth Mughal Emperor
and populary known as Shah Jahan I. She was his third wife, and became his
favorite.
After their wedding celebrations, Khurram "finding her in appearance and
character elect among all the women of the time", gave her the title
'Mumtaz Mahal' Begum (Chosen One of the Palace). The intervening years had
seen Khurrum take two other wives.
Mumtaz Mahal had a very deep and loving marriage with Shah Jahan. Even during
her lifetime, poets would extol her beauty, gracefulness and compassion.
Mumtaz Mahal was Shah Jahan's trusted companion, travelling with him all over
the Mughal Empire.
His trust
in her was so great that he even gave her his imperial seal, the Muhr Uzah.
Mumtaz was portrayed as the perfect wife with no aspirations to political
power .
She also enjoyed watching elephant and combat fights performed for the court.
It was quite common for women of noble birth to commission architecture in
the Mughal Empire. Mumtaz devoted some time to a riverside garden in Agra and
it may have been her affection for this garden that prompted the eventual
form of her monument.
Despite her frequent pregnancies, Mumtaz traveled with Shah Jahan's entourage
throughout his earlier military campaigns. She was his constant companion and
trusted confidant and their relationship was intense.
She died in Burhanpur [1631 AD] in the Deccan (now in Madhya Pradesh) during
the birth of their thirtheenth child, a daughter named Gauhara Begum. She had
been accompanying her husband whilst he was fighting a campaign in the Deccan
Plateau. Her body was temporarily buried at Burhanpur in a walled pleasure
garden known as Zainabad originally constructed by Shah Jahan's uncle Daniyal
on the bank of the Tapti River. Her original grave still lies here.
Burhanpur was never intended by her husband as his wife's final resting spot.
As a result her body was disinterred in December 1631 and transported in a
golden casket escorted by her son Shah Shuja and the head lady in waiting of
the deceased Empress back to Agra. There it was interred in a small building
on the banks of the river Yamuna.
Shah Jahan stayed behind in Burhanpur to conclude the military campaign that
had originally bought him to the region. While there he began planning the
design and construction of a suitable mausoleum and funerary garden in Agra
for his wife, a task that would take more than 22 years to complete, the Taj
Mahal.
Today, the Taj Mahal stands as the ultimate monument to love and homage to
her beauty and life.
The contemporary court chroniclers paid an unusual amount of attention to
Mumtaz Mahal's death and Shah Jahan's grief at her demise. In the immediate
aftermath of his bereavement, the Emperor was reportedly inconsolable.
Apparently after her death, Shah Jahan went into secluded mourning for a
year. When he appeared again, his hair had turned white. His back was bent,
and his face worn. Since Mumtaz had died on Wednesday, all entertainments
were banned on that day. Jahan gave up listening to music, wearing jewellery
or rich and colourful clothes and using perfumes for two years. Jahan's
eldest daughter, the devoted Jahanara Begum, gradually brought him out of
grief and took the place of Mumtaz at court.
The Queen Mumtaz Mahal’s personal fortune valued at 10,000,000 rupees was
divided by Shah Jahan between Jahanara Begum, who received half and the rest
of her surviving children.
Immediately after the burial in Burhanpur, Jahan and the imperial court
devoted themselves to the planning and design of the mausoleum and funery
garden in Agra, now known as the Taj Mahal or fondly, The Taj!
CREATION
OVERVIEW
The Taj!
OVERVIEW I Taj Grandstand View
"A white marble tomb built in 1631 - 48 in Agra, seat of the Mughal
Empire, by Shah Jehan for his wife, Arjuman Banu Begum, the monument sums up
many of the formal themes that have played through Islamic architecture. Its
refined elegance is a conspicuous contrast both to the Hindu architecture of
pre-Islamic India, with its thick walls, corbelled arches and heavy lintels,
and to the Indo-Islamic styles, in which Hindu elements are combined with an
eclecticassortment of motifs from Persian and Turkish sources."______
Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman Architecture: from Prehistory to
Post-Modernism. p223
The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a
style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural
styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was
cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally
admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."
The Taj! An awe-inspiring poetry in marble stands high and serene by the
banks of the River Yamuna is an inspiring result of the application of
architectural and scientific research.
The tomb laid out in rectangular shape can be approached through an immense
gateway with huge arch and alcoves strewn on either side that stands tall and
erect, as though guarding something precious. Three other smaller gateways
follow the red sandstone towers topped with domes in white marble together
make a pretty picture.
The Taj is an experience of its own kind, while on the one hand its
magnanimity is so sublime, so on the other the exquisite inlay work and
detailed craftsmanship together with the calligraphy is simply amazing. The
combination simply leaves one absolutely mesmerized. The sheer splendour of
the mausoleum is consummate, and the vastness is simply monumental.
The tomb is at the northern end with an expanse of greenery and fountains
between it and the gateways. The ceiling is adorned with floral patterns and
the décor of floors with geometric designs. The inner of the main structure
is in lakhauri [a kind of earthen brick], which have been carefully covered
with marble, whereas the adjoining structures are covered with red sandstone.
Majestic and sensuous, glistening brightly in the afternoon sun, the bulbous
dome and minarets with a slight inward tilt, have all been inscribed
meticulously with the Holy Verses bringingforth the arabesque ornamentation.
The white marble from Makrana in Rajasthan has added its own natural beauty
to this mausoleum that attracts tourists from all over the world.
As one goes around, the most breathtaking part remains the exquisite inlay
work that looks up from every nook and corner of the façade. The blooms are
worked out in immense detail and every dot and alphabet of the Holy Quran is
neatly etched, cut and inlaid to perfection. The flowers, chiefly lilies
mirror the Mughal love for gardens. One particular flower on the tomb of
Mumtaz Mahal is said to have been inlaid with 35 different precious stones.
Thecentral hall is surrounded by eight rooms that have a corridor running
through them. The aura of serenity is all pervading, while translucent glass
separates them to let-in the dim sunlight, making the interiors look solemn
and intriguing. Indeed a masterpiece that none would ever be able to
replicate including the orginal craftsmen, artisans and designers themselves.
While a visitor is still managing to grasp the symmetry of the structures set
across the length and breadth of the complex, the Taj Mahal appears deep in
the distance, indeed a spectacular sight to behold, forever!
However, it is the dome that leaves one gasping in awe. While the outer dome
rises to 44.4 metres in height, the inner is 24.35 metres an architectural
and technical feat. Ismail Afandi from Turkey, who also worked for the
Ottomans is said to have been its designer. Marking an amalgam of Hindu and
Islamic architecture are the typically Hindu Chhatris [An umbrella like
structure] at the dome base from the corners. Shah Jahan has similarly left
his individual imprint in several other aspects of the architecture as well.
The cenotaph over Shah Jahan’s tomb has an inkwell, while that of Mumtaz
Mahal a slate over it, as it is said a man writes his desires on the woman’s
heart. The epitaphs in addition to regular pronouncements about the
individual have verses from the Holy Quran. The exquisite craftsmanship marks
the marble lattice screens, which are elaborately worked out in oriental
design enclose the cenotaphs. The tombs lie below the cenotaphs in a
basement, undisturbed and in absolute quiet environs. What we do not see now
are the bowls full of jewels on Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb, the Persian carpets on
the floor and the silver doorways and overhanging chandeliers that once made
up the inner décor.
Coming out of prevailing solemnity in the environ, one gets speechless with
awe at the grandeur of the by gone era, enticing particularly the panels with
lilies and tulips together with iris flowers that symbolise death. The
Makrana marble will perhaps never again be handled; with so much grace and
care and such elegance of balancing the ornamentation on it. The beauty and
splendour of elegant craftsmanship that makes up the inlay work and
calligraphy in fact, further accentuates the deathly calm of the mausoleum
and in the quietude, it is the softly filtering rays of the sun through the
lattice work on marble panels that strikes one as unusually ethereal in
nature.
Outside one would have to crane one’s neck to look up at the apex of the
dome, high and mighty agains the skyline. Secluded and singular in majesty,
the structure stands clearly apart from everything around it. The balance of
all the elements, the garden, the fountain and water channel and in the end
the gateway, all look exquisitely managed to provide maximum harmony in terms
of visual appeal. The sheer beauty of the outside of a monument marks the
serenity within.
The Taj Mahal, for which not only the course of river Yamuna is said to have
been diverted but as per interpretation of the Archaeological Survey of
India, the Yamuna was incorporated into the garden design for the belief that
its one of the rivers of Paradise.
The moods of the Taj vary from dawn to dusk. It looks milky white in the soft
light that characterizes early morning, while the afternoon sun makes it
glisten bright and dazzling in the overhead sunlight, almost looking like a
jewel against the opaque blue of the skyline and then comes a moonlit Taj
breaking into the night sky, majestic and simply beautiful in a sense that
cannot be put into words. The sensuous appeal can never be more heightened as
on a full moon night when it shines like a pearl making the visitor stand agape
at the spectacle. The romanticism and sheer majesty of the structure is
unbelievably true! No wonder if millions of people chose it amongst the
World’s top wonders.
The romanticism and sheer majesty of the structure is unbelievably true! No
wonder if millions of people chose it amongst the World’s top wonders.
ARCHITECTURE
The Taj
COMPLEX I In Perfect Harmony
Taj Mahal is an ambassador of Shah Jahan's strong interest in building and
artistic innovations. The new architectural style includes aspects that were
to impinge much of subsequent Indian architecture. Symmetry along two sides
of a central axis, new columnar styles, curvilinear forms, and symbolic
decorations based on naturalistic plant motifs are all characteristics of the
Shahjahan style that can be found in the Taj Mahal Complex.
PRELUDE
The mausoleum is entirely clad in white marble. Alluding to the stone's
luminosity, the Mughal poets compared it to early dawn or to a cloud. Kalim
wrote:
It is a [piece of] heaven of the colour of dawn's bright face, because from
top to bottom and inside out it is of marble - Nay, not marble because of its
translucent colour (av-u-rang) The eye can mistake it for a cloud.
Kanbo refers to “the illurruned tomb (rauza-i-munauwara) on who’s every stone
slab from early morning until late evening the whiteness of the true dawn is
reflected, causing the viewer to forget his desire to move towards the
highest heaven”.
CONCEPTS
Under the reign of Shah Jahan the symbolic content of Mughal architecture
reached its peak. Inspired by a verse by Bibadal Khan, the imperial goldsmith
and poet, and in common with most Mughal funerial architecture, the Taj Mahal
complex was conceived as a replica on earth of the house of Mumtaz in
paradise.
This theme permeates the entire complex and informs the design and appearance
of all its elements. A number of secondary principles were also used, of
which hiearachy is the mostdominant. A deliberate interplay was established
between the building's elements, its surface decoration, materials, geometric
planning and its acoustics. This interplay extends from what can be seen with
the senses, into religious, intellectual, mathematical and poetic ideas.
SYMBOLISM
In the Taj Mahal, the hierarchical use of red sandstone and white marble
contributes manifold symbollic significance. The Mughals were elaborating on
a concept which traced its roots to earlier Hindu practices, set out in the
Vishnudharmottara Purana, which recommended white stone for buildings for the
Brahmins (priestly caste) and red stone for members of the Kshatriyas
(warrior caste). By building structures that employed such colour coding, the
Mughals identified themselves with the two leading classes of Indian social
structure and thus defined themselves as rulers in Indian terms. Red
sandstone also had significance in the Persian origins of the Mughal Empire,
where red was the exclusive colour of imperial tents.
Its symbolism is multifaceted, on the one hand evoking a more perfect,
stylised and permanent garden of paradise than could be found growing in the
earthly garden; on the other, an instrument of propaganda for Jahan's
chroniclers who portrayed him as an 'erect cypress of the garden of the
caliphate' and frequently used plant metaphors to praise his good governance,
person, family and court. Plant metaphors also find a commonality with Hindu
traditions where such symbols as the 'vase of plenty' (purna-ghata) can be
found and were borrowed by the Mughal architects.
Sound was also used to express ideas of paradise. The interior of the
mausoleum has a reverberation time (the time taken from when a noise is made
until all of its echoes have died away) of 28 seconds providing an atmosphere
where the words of the Hafiz, as they prayed for the soul of Mumtaz, would
linger in the air.
INTERPRETATION
The building was also used to assert Jahani propaganda concerning the
'perfection' of the Mughal leadership. Wayne Begley put forward an interpretation
in 1979 that exploits the Islamic idea that the 'Garden of paradise' is also
the location of the 'throne of god' on the day of judgement. In his reading
the Taj Mahal is seen as a monument where Shah Jahan has appropriated the
authority of the 'throne of god' symbolism for the glorification of his own
reign. Koch disagrees, finding this an overly elaborate explanation and
pointing out that the 'Throne' sura from the Qu'ran (sura2 verse 255) is
missing from the calligraphic inscriptions.
This period of Mughal architecture best exemplifies the maturity of a style
that had synthesised Islamic architecture with its indigenous counterparts.
By the time the Mughals built the Taj, though proud of their Persian and
Timurid roots, they had come to see themselves as Indian. Copplestone writes
"Although it is certainly a native Indian production, its architectural
success rests on its fundamentally Persian sense of intelligible and
undisturbed proportions, applied to clean, and uncomplicated surfaces."
ELEMENTS
Uniformity of shapes has been set in a particular hierarchical accent. One
type of column, called the Shahjahani column is used in the entire complex.
It has a multi-faceted shaft, a capital builtup from miniature arches,
concave elements and a base with four multi-cusped arched panels.Proportions
and details of the columns vary according to their position in the complex;
simplest in the bazaar streets, larger and richer in the funerary area.
The chief building of the entire complex is the mausoleum and the most
naturalistic decoration appears here. The flanking buildings; the mosque and
mihman khana [Guest House meant only for assembling for prayers] share mirror
symmetry and display less naturalistic and less refined ornament; in the
garden buildings, it is used only sparingly; and none appears in the
Jilaukhana or the bazaar and caravanserai complex. The elements of the
subsidiary units are arranged with the same mirror symmetry. Integrated into
the overall qarina symmetry is centrally planned elements; the four-part
garden, the four-part bazaar and caravanserai complex, and the miniature
chahar baghs of the inner subsidiary tombs. The mausoleum and the great gate
have centralized plans. Each element plays an indispensable part in the
whole, if even one of the parts was missing; the balance of the entire
composition would be destroyed.
THE PRINCIPLES
Principles of Shahjahani Architecture and as they are expressed in the
Taj Mahal:
The complex of the Taj Mahal explores the potential of the riverfront garden
as both an ideal funerary and a utilitarian worldly construct; it also
expresses in canonical form the architectural
principles
of the period.
These principles govern the entire architecture of Shah Jahan. They are
expressed most grandly and most consistently in the Taj Mahal.
THE SYMMETRY
The architecture was to express this concept through perfect symmetry,
harmonious proportional relationships, and the translucent white marble
facing which gives the purity of the geometrical and rational planning the
desired unworldly appearance. The mausoleum is raised over an enriched
version of the nine-fold plan favoured by the Mughals for tombs and garden
pavilions.
A variant is used in the great gate. In the mausoleum the plan is expressed
in perfect cross-axial symmetry, so that the building is focused on the
central tomb chamber. And the inner organization is reflected on the facades,
which present a perfectly balanced composition when seen from the extensions
of the axes which generate the plan.
Bilateral symmetry dominated by a central accent has generally been
recognized as an ordering principle of the architecture of rulers aiming at
absolute power, as an expression of the ruling force which brings about
balance and harmony, 'a striking symbol of the stratification of aristocratic
society under centralized authority'. A symmetric grading down to the
minutest ornamental detail, particularly striking is die-hierarchical use of
colour. The only building in the whole complex entirely raced with white
marble is the mausoleum. This hierarchic use of white marble and red
sandstone is typical of imperial Mughal architecture
THE COMPOSITION
Thus the entire Taj complex consisted of two components, each following the
riverfront garden design; the chahar bagh and terrace; a true riverfront
garden and a landlocked variant in the configuration of the two subsidiary
units, where the rectangle Jilaukhana corresponded to the riverfront terrace,
and the cross-axial bazaar and caravanserai element to the chahar bagh. That
lost complex was an integral part of the Taj Mahal, forming its
counter-image, according to the basic Shahjahani architectural principle of
symmetrical correspondence.
THE DESIGN
The historians and poets of Shah Jahan state that the Taj Mahal was to
represent an earthly replica of the house of Mumtaz Mahal in the gardens of
Paradise. This must not be dismissed as Shahjahani court rhetoric: it truly
expresses the programme of the mausoleum. In order to realize the idea of the
hatological garden house as closely as possible, the canonical out of
previous imperial mausoleums, where the building stood at the centre of a
cross-axially planned garden or chahar bagh, is abandoned, and the riverfront
design that had become the prevailing residential garden type of Agra was
chosen instead, and raised to a monumental scale.
The interaction between residential and funerary genres had characterized
Mughal architecture from the beginning. In the Taj Mahal the aim was to
perfect the riverfront garden and enlarge it to a scale beyond the reach of
ordinary mortals, to create here on earth and in the Mughal city paradisiacal
garden palace for the deceased.
Ground Layout of The Taj Mahal Complex
The main north-south axis runs through the garden canal and the bazaar
street. On it are set the dominant features: the mausoleum, the pool, the
great gate, the Jilaukhana, the southern gate of the Jilaukhana, and the
chauk (square) of the bazaar and caravanserai complex.
THE TAJ EXTERIORS
EXTERIOR DECORATION
‘The Taj!’
EXTERIORS I A Marvel in Marble
The mosque establishes the form that the Mihman Khana follows. It is based on
a standard type which the Mughals took over from the Sultanate architecture
of Delhi, namely that of an oblong massive prayer hall formed of vaulted bays
or rooms arranged in a row with a dominant central pishtaq and domes. The
elevation of mosque and Mihman Khana takes its cue from the great gate, the
third monumental subsidiary building of the funerary garden (their
relationship is also announced on the overall plan, where they form the
points of a compositional triangle).
THE PLINTH
The mausoleum sits on a plinth, decorated with delicate relief carvings
(munabbat kari) of plant elements. This type of ornament, conforming to the
principles of sensuous attention to detail and selective naturalism, is
reserved for the lowest zone of the building, where it could be immediately
appreciated by the viewer. Naturalistic ornament also appears above the
plinth, in the spectacular flowering plants of the dados of the pishtaq
halls.
THE MARBLE PLATFORM OF THE MAUSOLEUM (Takhtgah)
Monumental platforms housing the tomb chamber, above the actual burial, had
been a prominent feature of Mughal mausoleums. The platform is square and its
corners are accentuated by the four minarets which project as five sides of
an octagon. It is set off from the paved surface of the terrace by paving
with an interlocking pattern of white marble octagons into which are set
fourpointed sandstone stars, surrounded by a border with alternating long and
short cartouches, a lobed variant of the angular pattern that frames the
garden walkways. In the centre of the southern side of the platform, towards
the garden, arc two flights of stairs, partly covered by tunnel vaults, which
provide the only access from the terrace up to the level of the mausoleum.
In the centre of the other three sides tripartite bait in the form of an open
oblong room flanked by two square cells, all covered with coved ceilings, is
set into the platform. The central room has three arched openings
corresponding to the trefoil-headed blind arches, filled with jalis in the
hexagonal pattern found everywhere in the complex; a small rectangular window
is cut into the central jali. These cell reached through doors are used for
storage, these rooms probably originally served visiting members of the
imperial family as a place to retire and rest; or perhaps the Qur'an reciters
stayed here when they were not on duty.
THE PISHTAQS or MONUMENTAL PORCHES
The pishtaqs embrace two storeys, and in their back walls are superimposed
arched doors, larger below and smaller above. Both doors are filled with a
rectangular framework containing jalis formed of tiny hexagonal elements in a
honeycomb pattern. The setting of the door on the ground floor echoes that of
the outer pishtaq arch: it is framed with an inscription band, and its
spandrels show a simpler version of arabesques. The door of the upper floor
is integrated into the transition zone of the half-vault, formed of arches.
THE DOME
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is the most spectacular feature is
accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" which is roughly 23
feet high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome. The
top is decorated with a lotus design, which also serves to accentuate its
height. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris
(kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main
dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide
light to the interior. Tall decorative spires extend from edges of base
walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif
is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are
topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu
decorative elements.
THE MINARETS (Minar)
Four minarets each more than 130 feet tall, display the designer's penchant
for symmetry is set at the corners of the platform of the mausoleum and
complete the architectural composition. They were designed as working
minarets, a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the
Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three
equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the
tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of
those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a
lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The staircase opens through
rectangular doors onto the balconies, and windows providing light and
ventilation. Although these are covered with grilles, the interior is full of
bats, which makes the ascent difficult because they react with hysteria to a person's
entrance. The minarets create a special aura around the mausoleum, and the
Mughals interpreted them as mediators to the upper sphere. For Lahauri they
were 'like ladders to the foot of the sky' and to Kanbo they appeared as
'accepted prayers from the heart of a pure person which have risen to
heaven'. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so
that, in the event of collapse, (a typical occurrence with many tall
constructions of the period) the material from the towers would tend to fall
away from the tomb.
THE RIVERFRONT TERRACE (Chabutra)
The terrace of the Taj Mahal is the most ambitious ever built in a Mughal
riverfront garden scheme, unprecedented in size and decoration and one of the
most impressive platforms in the history of architecture. Its full splendour
is displayed towards the river, where it forms an uninterrupted red sandstone
band 28 feet 6 inches high from the lowest visible plinth and 984 feet long,
with elaborate decoration in relief and inlay work. The riverfront terrace
was the first part of the Taj Mahal complex to be built. All the areas are
differentiated by their paving in varying geometrical patterns of dark and
light sandstone.
THE ROOF TERRACE
Staircases covered by pointed barrel vaults lead from the ground floor to
roof level. On the upper floor they set out from the corridors between the
central hall and the two southern corner rooms, and emerge at the sides of
the east and west pishtaqs. As in the great gate, there is a system of ventilation
shafts. The terrace is dominated by the outer dome, which rises with its high
drum like an independent tower in the centre. The transition zone between
drum and dome is ornamented with a moulding with a twisted rope design in
inlay. At its top is a crowning element formed of lotus leaves, which had
become a standard motif of Indian Islamic architecture. From this rises a
finial formed of superimposed gilded bulbs topped by a crescent.
The dome is surrounded by four chhatris which, as the Mughal historians tell
us explicitly, form the third floor of the octagonal corner chambers, in the
shape of octagonal pillared domed structures. The roof terrace is surrounded
between the pishtaqs by a high parapet, and its corners are accentuated by
the guldastas terminating the shafts on the corners of the mausoleum.
THE MAIN FINIAL
The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made
of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear
example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.
The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point
heavenward. Because of such placements on the main spire, it creates a
trident shape, reminiscent of traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva.
The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest.
Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."
OUTLYING BUILDING
Outlying
BUILDINGS I Bliss-in-Harmony
In 1632, the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, commenced the construction of
one of the greatest monuments of all time, the Taj Mahal built atop a 22 feet
high and 313 feet square platform with corner minarets 137 feet tall and 81
feet high & 58 feet in diameter central inner dome surmounted by an
outer shell nearly 200 feet in height. Now a "UNESCO World Heritage
Site", the mausoleum built to fulfill a promise he made to his beloved
wife, Mumtaz Mahal as she laid on her deathbed, “To erect a monument to match
her beauty”.
THE MOSQUE
The mausoleum is flanked by almost identical two buildings on either side of
the platform. The mosque on the west (left, when seen from the garden) and
the Mihman Khana or assembly hall on the east are the complementary elements of
the riverfront ensemble. The mausoleum is the dominant and unique feature in
the centre of the tripartite composition of the qarina scheme, and the
lateral buildings, exact alike, are the mirror-symmetrical components. Still,
the mosque sets the tone, and as a religious building gives the riverfront
group additional gravity. It is distinguished by a few elements related to
the prayer ritual and the sermon. The mosque floor was laid out with the
outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. Mughal mosques of the time
divide the sanctuary hall into three areas. At the Taj Mahal, each one opens
onto vaulting dome.
MIHMAN KHANA or THE ASSEMBLY HALL
The Mihman Khana was created as its replica solely to balance the group, to
provide a jawab, an answer, for the mosque balances the bilateral symmetry of
the composition. Its original function was to accommodate visitors for
observing the death anniversaries of Mumtaz, which were held in the first few
years in tents, took place in this building once it was completed. The
platform here has two 'working drawings' of the finial of the mausoleum dome
silhouette scratched into stone slabs. These are often found in buildings of
Shah Jahan.
Both mosque and Mihman Khana are preceded by a large platform 25 inches above
the level of the terrace. On each side, the area between these platforms and
the mausoleum is articulated as a shallow sunken rectangular 'court'. The
tank is a ritual requirement of the mosque for the ablutions before prayer.
The tank of the Mihman Khana is a counter-image without any function.
THE JILAUKHANA (FORECOURT) ZONE
The Taj complex is now entered through one of three gates leading into the
Jilaukhana, or forecourt. The east and west gates are those commonly used by
tourists. The arcaded ranges along the south side of the Jilaukhana, and the
bazaar streets leading to it were restored between 1905 AD and 1922 AD. The
approach road to the west gate is flanked by two somewhat inter buildings,
the 'Fatehpuri Masjid' and an anonymous tomb, which is probably that of
Satti-un- Nisa Khanum, the Chief Lady-in-waiting of Mumtaz Mahal.
The two bazaar streets lead into the great ceremonial forecourt, referred to
as “jilaukhana” (literally, 'in front of the house'). An inevident element of
the Shahjahani architecture for court etiquette and proper ceremonial
behaviour had become increasingly important and required an adequate
architectural framing. Here visitors to the tomb would get down from their
elephants and horses and assemble in style before entering through the great
gate. The Jilaukhana is flanked by two pairs of courtyard enclosures. On the
north, adjoining the garden wall, are the two Khawasspuras, the quarters of
the tomb attendants. On the south are two tomb complexes, traditionally known
as 'Saheli Burj' or the tower of the female friend.
THE BAZAAR STREETS
Two identical bazaar streets lead from the east and west gates to the
Jilaukhana. The streets are lined with rows of small unconnected rectangular
cells without windows, fronted by an arcaded verandah with multi-cusped
arches supported by columns of distinctive Shahjahani type, which appear here
in their most basic form.
Above the arcades sloping sandstone slabs supported by voluted brackets
project from the wall as a protection from rain or sun; this feature, known
as chhajja, is the Mughal version of a form that had been popular in Indian
architecture for centuries.
THE EAST GATE (Fatehabadi Darwaza) and WEST GATE (Fatehpuri Darwaza)
The east and west gates are identical. Their outer facades have a broad
centre with a pishtaq, here taking the form of a pointed Archway in a
rectangular frame, set between engaged polygonal shafts topped by ornamental
pinnacles extending above roof level, which mark the centre off from flanking
angled sections of wall. At the top is a parapet carved in relief with a
characteristic Mughal pattern of multi-cusped crenellations. Here we first
encounter the triadic composition that determines most facades in the Taj
complex, including that of the mausoleum.
THE SOUTH GATE (Sidhi Daewaza)
The design of the south gate is a vertically elongated version of that of the
outer facades of the east and west gates. Both its faces have a simple
pishtaq, flanked by engaged shafts terminating in guldastas. Because of the
overall slope of the site, it stands 7 feet 10 inches above the level of the
Jilaukhana and is reached up a short flight of stairs. Outside, a further
short flight leads up to the bazaar and caravanserai complex, the Taj Ganj,
which lies at a level 3 feet 3 inches higher.
THE GREAT GATE (Darwaza-i-Rauza)
The Jilaukhana complex is dominated by the great entrance gate set in the centre
of the southern wall of the funerary garden. Lahauri calls it darwaza-i
rauza, 'gate of the mausoleum', it is indeed a worthy counterpart to the
mausoleum. The monumental structure sets a formal accent and mediates the
transition between the area of the Jilaukhana and the funerary garden. It
prepares the visitor for the grandeur of the mausoleum that awaits within.
The great gate is preceded on the south and north by platforms paved with
geometrical patterns.
The south front of the great gate faces the Jilaukhana as a splendid
introduction to the imperial architecture of the domain of the mausoleum. It
is a monumental version of a Mughal elevational formula that also appears in
the mausoleum, that of a large pishtaq flanked by two tiers of niches.
The triadic design had been announced within the Jilaukhana area in a more
modest form on the inner faces of the east and west gates. The design has its
roots in the Sultanate architecture of Delhi, beginning with the Ala'i Darwaza
of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. It brings to mind Roman triumphal arches, but
no obvious connection can be established.
THE TAJ INTERIORS
INTERIOR DECORATION
‘The Taj!’
INTERIORS I Magnificent &
Serene
MAUSOLEUM
Also known as Rauza-i-Munauwara or Rauza-i-Muqqadas or Rauza-i-Mutahhara. The
mausoleum dominates the entire Taj complex: the architectural effect is that
of a strictly ordered progression of elements towards the overwhelming climax
of the white marble building. The mausoleum is set at the northern end of the
main axis of vast oblong walled complex which descends in hardly noticeable
terraced steps towards the river Yamuna. The overall composition is formed of
two major components: the mausoleum and its garden, and two subsidiary
courtyard complexes to the south.
THE TOMB
The central focus of the complex is the tomb. This large, white marble
structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building
with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like
most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin. The base
structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube with chamfered
corners, forming an unequal octagon that is approximately 180 feet on each of
the four long sides. On each of these sides, a massive pishtaq, or vaulted
archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked
on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered
corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the
building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth
facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of
Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.
THE TOMB CHAMBER
The mausoleum represents the culmination of the entire Taj complex, so the
inner domed hall represents the climax of the mausoleum. It is the final
station in the progress towards the tomb of Mumtaz, and that of Shah Jahan.
The large hall, together with the lower tomb chamber over the actual burials
below and the outer dome above forms the core of the building. Here all the
elements, architecture, furniture, and decoration combine to create an
eschatological house for Mumtaz Mahal. Even sound was put to the task of
eternity, through one of the longest echoes of any building in the world. The
hall has the form of a perfect octagon, 24 feet to a side, with two tiers of
eight radiating niches. These niches, termed nashiman ('seat'), are equal in
size but differentiated in their elevations. In those on the cardinal axes
the inner wall is open and fitted with a screen which transmits light into
the interior of the hall.
The floor is paved in a geometrical pattern consisting of octagonal stars
alternating with pointed cruciform shapes, formed by black marble inlaid in
white. Around the whole is a border of lobed cartouches of alternating size.
The same border-surrounds the cenotaph of Mumtaz (but not the one of Shah
Jahan, which was introduced later), it is a variant of a pattern used
repeatedly in the Taj complex, most closely paralleled in the border of the
terrace surrounding the platform of the mausoleum. Luxurious vases filled
with flowers appear here instead of the individual flowering plants of the
pishtaq halls outside. The flowers follow botanical species more closely, and
one can identify the Mughal favourites, irises, tulips, daffodils and
narcissus. They are naturalistic and seductively beautiful, but at the same time
they convey the order of the Shahjahani system.
All vases have the same general shape and all are set on little hills with
small flowering plants in mirror symmetry on each side. All bouquets follow
the same basic tripartite arrangement, with a dominant flower in the centre
flanked by mirror-symmetrical groups on each side.
The dados of the side walls of all the niches display triadic vase groups
with dominant tulips. The central vase is distinguished by a voluted ornament
attached to its upper body and a different flower arrangement: the central
tulip of the bunch has its outer petals curved down, and it is flanked by
daffodil-like flowers and lilies with curved-back petals.
THE LOWER TOMB CHAMBER
From the southern entrance room a stairway covered with a pointed barrel
vault leads down to the lower tomb chamber (not accessible to visitors). The
rectangular room is entirely faced with marble and has an undecorated coved
ceiling. In the centre stand the two cenotaphs that cover the actual graves;
they are similar to those above but have different motifs in their
decoration.
The lower cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal has an almost undecorated platform. Its
top is again covered with passages from the Qur'an, expressing related
themes, promising God's mercy and forgiveness. On the sides are tiny
cartouches containing the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of Allah, which express
divine attributes such as O King, O Holy, O Peace.
The lower cenotaph of Shah Jahan is also a more simply decorated version of
his cenotaph above. The same flowers, namely poppies and plants with yellow
lily-like blossoms, appear on the side walls of its sarcophagus element; they
are however smaller, and set individually in tiny red cusped cartouches,
reflecting the arrangement on the cenotaph of Mumtaz.
The south end displays the epitaph, which is more comprehensive than the
version on Shah Jahan's upper cenotaph:
This is the illumined grave and sacred resting place of the emperor, dignified
as Rizwan, residing in Eternity, His Majesty, having his abode in [the
celestial realm of] Illiyun, Dweller in Paradise (Firdaus Ashiyani)
[posthumous title of Shah Jahan], the Second Sahib-i Qiran, Shah Jahan,
Padshah Ghazi [Warrior for the Faith]; may it be sanctified and may Paradise
become his abode. He travelled from this world to the banquet hall of
eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year
one thousand and seventy-six Hijri [31 January AD 1666].
THE SCREEN AND THE CENOTAPHS
The naturalistic decoration of the interior culminates in the central
ensemble of the cenotaphs of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan and the screen that
surrounds them. It attracts all visitors today with its spectacular flowers
and plants inlaid in semi-precious stones.
The perforated marble screen (mahjar-i mushabbak) was set up in 1643 to
replace the original one of enamelled gold made by the goldsmith and poet
Bibadal Khan on the occasion of the second anniversary of Mumtaz Mahal's death
in 1633, which was obviously deemed too precious. It took ten years to make
and cost 50,000 rupees, less than one-tenth of the cost of the gold screen.
Since 1994-1995 AD it has been protected from the hands of visitors by an
ungainly aluminium grille in a wooden frame.
The screen is octagonal, reflecting on a smaller scale the octagon of the
surrounding hall and intensifying the paradisiacal symbolism of the number
eight. Overall arrangement and detail follow the principles of Shahjahani
system. Each side of the octagon is divided into three by marble frames. The
corners are fortified by posts ending in kalasha finials (globes surmounted
by a pointed element), an adaptation of a feature of older Indian
architecture. The frames are filled with jalis, in which elegantly and
intricately wrought plant elements are composed around a central axis - the
only instance in the Taj Mahal where jalis are formed of organic plant
arabesques rather than geometric forms.
The Indian jali tradition is here brought to one of its highest points. The
screen is topped with ornamental crenellations, kanguras, consisting of
vase-shaped elements alternating with openwork formed of volutes of acanthus
leaves, crowned at their juncture by small vase elements. The entrance arch
in the centre of the south side and a corresponding closed arch opposite it
in the centre of the north side rise above the screen; they have semicircular
heads lined by a moulding terminating in hanging acanthus buds.
Within the screen are the upper cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan -
what Lahauri and Kanbo call surat-i qabr, 'the likenesses of tombs'. As usual
in imperial Mughal mausoleums, the actual burials are below, in the lower
tomb chamber, under cenotaphs of similar design. The cenotaph of Mumtaz is
exactly in the centre of the hall. The larger cenotaph of Shah Jahan was
added on its western side, and thus from a formal point of view appears as an
afterthought. This placing gave substance to the rumour of the emperor's burial
having been planned not within the Taj Mahal but on the opposite side of the
Yamuna in a black marble tomb.
The cenotaphs are aligned north-south, with the head to the north. The bodies
were laid in their graves below on their side, with their face turned towards
Mecca - which in India is to the westso that they would rise in the correct
position at the sound of the trumpets at the Last Judgment.
Each cenotaph consists of a single block of stone, shaped like a sarcophagus,
set on a stepped plinth which is placed in turn on a wider platform. The
cenotaph of Shah Jahan is characterized as a male tomb by the symbol of a pen
case on its top. While the cenotaphs conform to an established Mughal type,
no other Mughal, nor any other personage in the Islamic world, was
commemorated with such exquisite decoration. The lower cenotaph of Jahangir
at Lahore is the only one that comes close; it was created at the same time
as that of Mumtaz, probably by the same artists. The decoration of the
cenotaphs with hardstone inlay was reserved for mem bers of the Mughal
imperial family.
THE DECORATION OF THE UPPER CENOTAPH OF _
MUMTAZ MAHAL:
The main decoration consists of inlaid Qur'anic inscriptions. Naturalistic
plums are confined to the platform, where two types alternate, between
borders of hanging blossoms: one has asymmetrically arranged erect
funnel-shaped calyxes and buds, the other a perfectly symmetrical arrangement
of seven smaller blossoms and buds; both seem to be inspired by lilies and
the upper surface of the platform has a framed flowery scrollwork pattern.
Inscribed on the top and the sides of the block are Quran'ic verses in formal
Sulus script; their common theme is to comfort the soul (of Mumtaz) with the
prospect of Paradise.
The epitaph reads: ‘The illumined grave of Arjumand Bano Begam, entided
Mumtaz Mahal, who died in the year 1631’.
SHAH JAHAN:
The cenotaph of the emperor, installed more than thirty years later, in 1666,
is similar to that of Mumtaz in shape and decorative organization, but
larger, and entirely covered with flowers and scroll work without any formal
inscriptions, The only inscription is the epitaph, positioned like that of
Mumtaz. The covering of the Emperor's cenotaph with recognizable poppies are
intended to give heightened realism to red flowers as symbols of suffering
and death.
The epitaph reads: ‘This is the sacred grave of His Most Exalted Majesty,
Dweller in Paradise (Firdaus Ashiyani), Second Lord of the Auspicious.
Conjunction (Sahib-i Qiran-i Sani), Shah Jahan, Padshah; may it ever be
fragrant! The year 1076 [AD 1666]’.
THE AMBULATORY ROOMS ('SHISH MAHAL')
The central tomb chamber is surrounded by ambulatory rooms on two storeys,
which on all but the southern, entrance, side are separated from it by jalis
filled with panes of glass - whence the later name,' Shish Mahal' ('Mirror
Palace'). These rooms are not accessible to visitors. Cruciform rooms are set
on the cardinal axes and octagonal ones on the diagonal axes.
TAJ GARDEN
‘The Taj!’
GARDENS I An Empress's Paradise
ORGANIZATION
Strict planning determines the organization of the garden component of the
riverfront scheme, the cross-axial chahar bagh. The large square is divided
by two main walkways (khiyaban) into four quadrants; each quadrant is in turn
subdivided by narrower cross-axial walkways, so that sixteen sub-quadrants
are formed; and the garden as a whole is surrounded by a walkway which
connects with all the sub-walkways. Such geometrical patterning had been
characteristic of early Mughal architectural decoration; in the Taj Mahal,
when floral designs became the nobler form of ornament, it was demoted and
used for floors and for jails.
At the crossing ofthe walkways in the centre ofthe garden is a raised
platform (chabutra) of white marble with an ornamental pool (hauz) containing
five fountains. Kanbo claimed eulogistically that it held the water of the
celestial Kausar, the Propher's river in Paradise, which fills the pool at
which believers bench their thirst on arrival. He also lauds the 'novel
design' of the pool with its lobed and voluted corners. The four marble
benches around the tank were put in 1907-08 on the order of Curzon. The four
main walkways are identical, but they are differentiated through their
context. The enclosing wall is lined by a peripheral walkway and articulated
by large pointed arches which support a narrow elevated walk running in front
of ornamental crenellations. These elements of fortification architecture
give the garden wall substance and a character of display. At the place where
the subsidiary walkway of the south-western quadrant meets the garden wall, a
drinking fountain of a design 'in accord with its surrounding' was put up in
1909-10 by the British government 'for the use of soldiers and other visitors
to the mausoleum'. 'It is not in use today.
In the north-western quadrant, near the north-west corner, is an enclosure
supposed to mark the site where Mumtaz Mahal was first buried, before her
body was moved to its final resting place inside the white platform of the
mausoleum. The garden was supplied with water from the Yamuna through an
aqueduct, this brought water up to the middle of the west wall, whence it was
distributed through earthenware pipes. The fountain system of the central
tank consisted of copper vessels connected through copper pipes with the main
supply pipe. According to Colonel Rowlatt, who undertook their first repair
in 1867, the earthenware pipes were embedded in solid masonry 6 feet
underground.
Paradise Gardens (Charbagh)
The concept of the paradise garden was one the Mughals brought from Persian
Timurid gardens. It was the first architectural expression they made in the
Indian sub-continent, fulfilling diverse functions with strong symbolic
meanings. Known as the charbagh, in its ideal form it was laid out as a
square subdivided into four equal parts. The symbolism of the garden and its
divisions are noted in mystic Islamic texts which describe paradise as a
garden filled with abundant trees flowers and plants.
Water also plays a key role in these descriptions: In Paradise four rivers
source at a central spring or mountain, and separate the garden by flowing
towards the cardinal points. They represent the promised rivers of water,
milk, wine and honey.
The centre of the garden, at the intersection of the divisions is highly
symbolically charged and is where, in the ideal form, a pavilion, pool or
tomb would be situated.
The tombs of Humayun, Akbar and Jahangir, the previous Mughal emperors,
follow this pattern. The cross axial garden also finds independent precedents
within South Asia dating from the 5th century with the royal gardens of
Sigiriya in Sri Lanka which were laid out in a similar way.
Ms. Ebba Koch, Professor at the Institute of Art History in Vienna, Austria
and a senior researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences is an
architectural and art historian is the only scholar who has been permitted to
take measurements of the complex. She has been working on the palaces and
gardens of Shah Jahan for thirty years opines that for the tomb of Shah
Jahan's late wife though, where the mausoleum is sited at the edge of the
garden, a variant of the charbagh is suggested; that of the waterfront
garden. Developed by the Mughuls for the specific conditions of the Indian
plains where slow flowing rivers provide the water source, the water is
raised from the river by animal driven devices known as purs and stored in
cisterns.
A linear terrace is set close to the riverbank with low-level rooms set below
the main building opening on to the river. Both ends of the terrace were
emphasised with towers. The riverside terrace was designed to enhance the
views of Agra for the imperial elite who would travel in and around the city
by river.
Other scholars suggest another explanation for the eccentric siting of the
mausoleum at the Taj Mahal complex. If the Midnight Garden to the north of
the river Jumna is considered an integral part of the complex, then the
mausoleum can be interpreted as being in the centre of a garden divided by a real
river and thus is more in the tradition of the pure charbagh.
THE WATERWORKS
The waterworks, which brought water to the Taj garden from the Yamuna by
means of an aqueduct supported on arches, are situated outside its western
wall and still preserve their original design. The inlet from the river is no
longer visible (a temple complex dedicated to Shiva, now called Khan Alam
Basai Ghat Mandir, has been built over it). From it a channel conducted the
water into an oblong reservoir sunk into the ground along the east wall of a
rectangular building containing storage tanks (now ruined). From-the
reservoir the water was lifted by means of animal hides attached to pulleys,
or Persian wheels turned by bullocks, to tanks at the top of the building.
This fed an open channel along the top of the aqueduct wall.
The large aqueduct runs south, with two bends, up to the level of the western
garden-wall pavilion. Here it turns east and forms a wider arm with three
tanks on its top and meets the garden wall. The water was then conducted in a
pipe through the wall and down to the level of the channels in the walkways
of the garden. The wall is here 9.47 m (31 ft) tall, and the drop gave the
water the necessary pressure to keep the fountains playing and the garden
plots irrigated. The 0.25 metre diameter earthenware pipes laid 1.8 metre
below the surface in line with the main walkway which fills the main pools of
the complex.
Some of the earthenware pipes were replaced in 1903 with cast iron. The
fountain pipes were not connected directly to the fountain heads, instead a
copper pot was provided under each fountain head: water filled the pots
ensuring an equal pressure to each fountain. Part of the present water supply
still uses the tanks of the old aqueduct, which are filled from wells by
electric pumps. The arches of the wider arm of the aqueduct that runs
west-east have been filled in to house offices for the Horticultural Department
of the Archaeological Survey of India, which also uses the area west of the
aqueduct extending into the garden of Khan Alam as a nursery.
CALLIGRAPHY
"The
Taj!" DEVINE | SCRIPTING THE TAJ ESTEEM
Calligraphy, Inscription and Decoration
The
calligraphy on the Great Gate reads _
"O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."
Arabic inscriptions in black marble are used to decorate both the south
gateway and main mausoleum. The black marble lettering is inlaid into white
marble scroll-like borders that frame the architectural features. Sweeping
letters and a strong emphasis on horizontal and vertical strokes create an
almost grid-like effect in places.
The exquisite and highly skilled Parchinkari work was developed by Mughal
lapid arists from techniques taught to them by Italian craftsmen employed at
court. The look of European herbals, books illustr ating botanical species,
was adapted and refined in Mughal Parchinkari work.
Throughout the complex, passages from the Quran are used as decorative
elements. Recent scholarship suggests that the passages were chosen by a
Persian calligrapher Abd ul- Haq, who came to India from Shiraz, Iran, in
1609. As a reward for his "dazzling virtuosity", Shah Jahan gave
him the title of "Amanat Khan".
This is supported by an inscription near the lines from the Quran at the base
of the interior dome that reads "Written by the insignificant being,
Amanat Khan Shir azi." The texts refer to themes of judgment and
include:
The text is written in the 'thuluth' script, in a style associated
particularly with the Persian calligrapher, Amanat Khan, who was resident at
the Mughal court. His signature appears in colophons within the marble
inscriptions helped in charting The Taj datelines as well. Abstract forms are
used throughout, especially in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab
and, to a lesser extent, on the sur faces of the tomb. The domes and vaults
of the sandstone buildings are worked with tracery of incised painting to
create elaborate geometric forms.
Much of the calligr aphy is composed of flor id thuluth script, made of
jasper or black marble, inlaid in white mar ble panels. Higher panels are wr
itten in slightly larger script to reduce the skewing effect when viewed from
below. The calligraphy found on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb is
particular ly detailed and delicate.
Herringbone inlays define the space between many of the adjoining elements.
White inlays are used in sandstone buildings, and dark or black inlays on the
white marbles. Mortared areas of the marble buildings have been stained or
painted in a contrasting colour, creating geometric patterns of consider able
complexity. Floors and walkways use contr asting tiles or blocks in
tessellation patterns. The inlay stones are of yellow marble, jasper and
jade, polished and levelled to the surface of the walls.
On the lower walls of the tomb there are white marble dados that have been
sculpted with realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines. The
marble has been polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of the car
vings and the dado frames and archway spandrels have been decorated with
pietra dura inlays of highly stylised, almost geometric vines, flowers and
fruits.
As historians suggest that Amanat Khan was responsible not only for the
design of the script but also for the choice of text. The texts chosen refer
broadly to themes of judgment and par adisiacal rewards for the faithful. The
inscription over the gateway invites the reader to enter Paradise, the abode
of the faithful and reward for the righteous. The majority of the text is
taken from the Qur'an. There are twenty two passages in all, including
fourteen whole chapters, some of which are read out as part of the Islamic
funeral ceremony itself.
The inscriptions on the exterior walls of the tomb leave one in no doubt
about the impending doom that awaits unbelievers on the Day of Judgments.
Inside the mausoleum, the tone is more reassur ing in places, with lengthy
descriptions of Paradise adorning some of the walls. The central focus is
provided by passages on the upper cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal. The words of the
Qur'anic prayer, recited by angels, implore Allah to allow the faithful to
enterParadise, a touching request for God's mercy towards his devout servant,
Mumtaz Mahal.
THE TAJ MAHAL STORY
A TIMELESS
SAGA I Mughal Splendour
Who could ever think that an eternal love leading to the saga of infinite
bondage can evolve out of a desert like land and would blossom to be the
reason to gift our world a poem-in-marble, The Taj!
No image of The Taj, neither on canvass nor on celluloid, can adequately
express its conceptual imaginary nor convey the legend, the poetry and the
romance that shrouds what Rabindranath Tagore calls "a teardrop on the
cheek of time".
The Taj Mahal, a spectacle in white marble, unparalleled in grandeur that
depicts the sheer opulence of an era. The awesome structure, the monument of
love that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan gave to the world, stands as a testimony
of his intense love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
It is a romance celebrated in marble and glorified with precious and
semi-precious stones and that’s the way to appreciate it!
Uttar Pradesh, the Land of The Taj is rich in its cultural heritage and has
always been a prominent arena of politics since the ancient times. Agra, the
City of The Taj and once the capital of the Mughal Empire during the 16th
through the early 18th centuries, enjoys a close proximity to the National
Capital City of New Delhi.
Tourists from all over the world visit Agra to make a pilgrimage to Taj
Mahal, India’s most famous architectural wonder, in a land where magnificent
temples and edifices abound to remind visitors about the rich civilization of
a country that is slowly but surely lifting itself into an industrialized
society as well.
Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace" and is in fact the most well
preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb in the world. The English poet,
Sir Edwin Arnold has described The Taj as "Not a piece of architecture,
as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought
in living stones."
It is a romance celebrated in marble and glorified with precious and
semi-precious stones and that’s the way to appreciate it!.
Taj Mahal stands on the bank of River Yamuna, which otherwise serves as a
wide moat defending the Great Red Fort of Agra, the center of the Mughal
emperors until they moved their capital to Delhi in 1637. It was built by the
fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his third but the most
favourite wife, in fact a soul-mate Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess.
She died while accompanying her husband in Burhanpur in a campaign to crush a
rebellion after giving birth to their 13th child. The death so crushed the
emperor that all his hair and beard were said to have grown snow white in a
few months.
When Mumtaz Mahal was still alive, she extracted four promises from the
emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again;
third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb
on her death anniversary. However, due to ill health and being under house
arrest by his own son and successor to the throne, Aurangzeb, barred him from
continue to keep the last promise.
The Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble
terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets.
Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is
the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed
by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in
the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen’s as an
afterthought.
Legend has it that during his eight years long ailment and imprisonment, Shah
Jahan used to intensly view The Taj lying on the bed through a diamond fixed
in the wall in front at a particular angle. WOW!!!
As a tribute to a woman of exotic beauty and as a monument of a love story,
which is keeping us engrossed even when we are reading through these pages
here, truely an ever-lasting romance of a love not ended as yet, the Taj
reveals its subtleties to its beholder!
The rectangular base of Taj is in itself symbolic of the different sides from
which to view a beautiful woman. The main gate is like a veil to a woman’s
face which should be lifted delicately, gently and without haste on the
wedding night. In Indian tradition the veil is lifted gently to reveal the
beauty of the bride. As one stands inside the main gate of Taj, his eyes are
directed to an arch which frames the Taj.
The dome is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain
across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colours
that, through their reflection, change the view of the Taj. The colours
change at different hours of the day and during different seasons.
The Taj sparkles like a jewel in moonlight when the semi-precious stones
inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch and reflect back its
glow with a better gleam. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in
the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, they say, depict
the different moods of a beauty of any kind.
Different people have different views of the Taj but it would be enough to
say that the Taj has a life of its own that leaps out of marble. A
masterpiece of the art and science of architecture, a representative of an
era called The Mughal Period surpassing any authority to add or de-add anything
in any sense in or out of the Taj!
The Taj Mahal stands tall with grace is not just a parable epitome of
emotional & eternal love between a man and a woman but for other
reasons too _
Emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the construction of ‘The Taj’, desired
to create it also as a symbol of solemnity, harmony, purity and spirituality
as well. The Taj is not merely a monument of grace and dignity alone. It is,
in fact, a message to all mankind that “Pure love is the soul of life”.
The Taj is a reminder for all mankind about the universally accepted but not
so well practiced concept of ‘Love & Peace’, the essence of the
paradise, free from conflicts of races and geographical boundaries is
important to be observed solemnly.
The Taj is simply a majestic tribute to an exotic beauty!
The saga of The Taj would be half told if the myths related to it are not
mentioned. Like many a great buildings the Taj Mahal has its myths and
legends. It seems that there is more fiction on the Taj than serious
scholarly research. Several of the stories belong solely to oral tradition
and are told by the guides, some are so established that they form a popular
history of the monument and have made their way into guidebooks, and some
have been taken up by scholars, or even created by them, and thus become part
of the scholarly debate.
Facts
To the last category belong the oldest tales of the Taj. Here the most widely
known is the story of the second Taj, the 'Black Taj', which Shah Jahan
intended to build in black marble opposite the present mausoleum, on the site
of the Mahtab Bagh. It goes back to Jean-Baptiste Tavernier who, when at Agra
in 1665 AD, reported that 'Shahjahan began to built his own tomb on the other
side of the river, but the war with his sons interrupted his plan, and
Aurangzeb, who reigns at present, is not disposed to complete it. Shah Jahan
was put under house arrest by his own son and successor by force, Aurangzeb. The
latter did not agree with his father on most issues and was particularly
opposed to him building a black Taj as his own mausoleum.
Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb made the body of the Emperor, who got the
body of his beloved Mumtaz in a golden casket from Burhanpur to Agra, carried
in a boat by only two men and buried him in the Taj, next to his wife in
probably the simplest manner.
Shah Jahan, the Emperor, who fulfilled the wishes of his beloved, could not
find fulfilment of his own wish to build a Black Taj to express his mourning
for the beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal even after his death. That was the
serenity in the purity of love.
Legend has it that during his eight years long ailment and imprisonment, Shah
Jahan used to intensly view The Taj lying on the bed through a diamond fixed
in the wall in front at a particular angle, WOW!!!
As a tribute to a woman of exotic beauty and as a monument of a love story,
which is keeping us engrossed even when we are reading through these pages
here, truely an ever-lasting romance of a love not ended as yet, the Taj
reveals its subtleties to its Beholder! Come!! Be Thy One!!!
HISTORY
"The interior of the building is dimly lit through pierced marble
lattices and contains a virtuoso display of carved marble. Externally the
building gains an ethereal quality from its marble facings, which respond
with extraordinary subtlety to changing light and weather." ____________________
Sir Banister Fletcher. A History of Architecture. p624, 630
The battle of Panipat laid the foundation of the Mughal dynasty in Agra. The
loss of the Afghan Ruler, Sikandar Lodhi became the turning point that
piloted the nation’s forays into the world of architectural majesty. Globally
renowned as the city of the Taj Mahal, this royal Mughal city has many other
monuments too that emphasise the high point of Mughal architecture.
The
founder of the Mughal dynasty, Babur, laid out the first formal Persian
garden on the banks of the river Yamuna. Akbar raised the towering ramparts
of the great Red Fort and within its walls Jahangir built rose-red palaces,
courts and gardens.
However, the crowning glory of the city is obviously The Taj,a monument of an
imagination turned into a "symbol of eternal love".The Taj
represents India to the world embellished by Shah Jahan with marble mosques,
palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble.
In 1631 AD, Shah Jahan, the Emperor during the Mughal Empire's period of
greatest prosperity, was grief stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal
died during the birth of their fourtheenth child, Gauhar Ara Begum. The court
chronicles of ShahJahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held
as an inspiration for the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian
architecture and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from
successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including; the Gur-e Amir (the tomb
of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun's Tomb and
Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi.
While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone,
Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-preciou stones
and buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.
The Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj ), that Nur
Jahan built for her father, Mirza Ghiyas Beg was the first Mughal structure
to be built entirely of marble. This particular monument marks the transition
from the red sandstone structures to those in white marble and is believed to
be the precursor of the magnificent Taj Mahal. However, the architects
evolved this masterpiece from the closest model completed some 60 years
before, at Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, by his wife, Hamida Begum.
According to Koch, who spent a decade digging to the very beginnings of the
famous monument and measuring every inch of the vast complex,this was exactly
what the building-obsessed emperor had wanted to create: a monument that
would be unrivalled in beauty and grandeur for all generations to come."
It will," in the words of his court historian Muhammad Amin Qazwini,
"be a masterpiece for ages to come, increasing the amazement of all
humanity".
"As a historian I was a little sceptical about the love angle,"
confesses Koch. But his biography, Padshahnama, written by a series of
carefully chosen historians, goes into extraordinary detail about the
emperor's broken heart, including how his beard turned white overnight and
how he shared with his begum not just passion but a meeting of minds as well.
Shah Jahan set about constructing his "masterpiece for ages to
come", Koc says, with utmost deliberation. Just the selection of the
site, for instance, took him nearly six months. The prevailing fashion in the
royal capital Agra was for river front havelis to be turned into garden
tombs. But the Taj wasn't going to be just one of the scores of garden tombs.
"Shah Jahan knew & nothing makes an impression stronger than
sheer size, so he decided to build a complex that was almost a kilometre
long," Koch says. "It's the biggest mausoleum if not in the world,
at least in Asia."
Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The material was brought
in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants
to transport it to the site. According to a
court historian Abdul Hamid Lahori, a network of wells was laid down along
the river line and was filled with stones and other solid materials in order
to lay a strong foundation of this grand mausoleum. The chief architect of
Taj was a Persian named Ustad Isha Khan (a well known architect of his time)
who was assisted by other architects to make Taj Mahal a profound fusion of
Persian, Turkish, Indian and Islamic architecture.
To make it most gorgeous architectural piece, as many as 28 precious and
semi-precious stones were used in the ornamentation with their best
combination. But the thing, dominantly used in ornamentation was the famous
snow white marble that was found in Makrana (Rajasthan).
Other semi-precious stones were brought from distant region of India, Ceylon
and Afghanistan; Jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China, turquoise
from Tibet, lapis lazuli & sapphire from Arabia and diamonds from
Panna. Red sand stones of different tints that constitute the base were
requisitioned from neighboring quarries of Sikri, Dholpur etc.
Over all,
so exquisite is the workmanship that it is said _
“having been designed by the giants and finished by jewelers“. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:
Should
guilty seek asylum here,
Like one
pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a
sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his
past sins are to be washed away.
The sight
of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs,
And the
sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this
world this edifice has been made,
To display thereby the creator's glory!
By the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen badly into
disrepair. During the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal was
defaced by British soldiers and government officials, who chiseled out
precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls.
At the end of the 19th century, British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a massive
restoration project, which was completed in 1908. He also commissioned the
large lamp in the interior chamber, modeled after one in a Cairo mosque.
During this time the garden was remodeled with British-style lawns that are
still in place today.
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