Taj Mahal: The Illumined Tomb : an Anthology of Seventeenth-century Mughal and European Documentary Sources

400 Pages·1989·41.622 MB·English

by  Ziauddin Ahmed Desai, Wayne Edison Begley, Ziyaud-Din A Desai

TAJ MAHAL
The Illumined Tomb
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AND EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY SOURCES
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Frontispiece: TajM ahal, reconstructio ae levatio ue of north facade,
basedo a M He ee uremen
TAJ MAHAL
The [llumined Tomb
AN ANTHOLOGY OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY MUGHAL
AND EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY SOURCES
Compiled and Translated by
W. E. BEGLEY
and
Z. A. DESAI
THE AGA KHAN PROGRAM FOR ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS
Seattle and London
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Taj Mahal : The Illumined Tomb : An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century
Mughal and European Documentary Sources / compiled and translated by
W. E. Begley and Z. A. Desai.
Ivi, 320 p., [16] p. of plates : 28 cm.
Bibliography : p. 315-20.
ISBN 0-295-96944-X. -- ISBN 0-295-96945-8 (pbk.)
1. Taj Mahal (Agra, India) -- History -- Sources. I. Begley, W. E.
(Wayne Edison), 1937-__. II. Desai, Z. A. (Ziyaud-Din Ahmad), 1925-
III. Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Harvard University and
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
DS486.A3145 1989
954'.2--dce20
LC No. 89-86062 CIP
Copyright © 1989 by W.E. Begley. All rights reserved.
THE AGA KHAN PROGRAM FOR ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE AR A RY
Harvard UniversityAr tM useums DECKER Ul College ot Art
32 Quincy Street Marviana institute. ‘
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 1400 Cathedral Siree 1201
Baltimore, Maryland 2
DISTRIBUTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON PRESS
PO Box 50096, Seattle, Washington 98145
ISBN 0-295-96944 X
ISBN 0-295-96945-8 (pbk.)
93605 °
CONTENTS —
ERE GS SUNS TET TINS ip Cocco shoo ale ts ee OOF pe Lee ERE tae a EO ate ix
BAC REALE OTTLCTILN tent meee norton oiadient tice plots Saale A OR TANTS SEY SOR XV
1 LEERE LTT OTH am 5 Sigs ab GOR RE el A II COR ER A OR LF xix
CAPRTSUI SS GMa)A AGT ONB es TIA Ea1 cT | lias, ee Yee Bt a eee ns ONE aeU N SPN ee li
PART I
THE TAJ MAHAL IN MUGHAL HISTORIES
Bitte AEP AQES OL Sleill SUATI 2r scsteslocktaccteoervseeec seseccests sarteotee 1
DEPART ANY AIC PAI CUILC CULL Gra.. cass coiscSesyetiatse evecna eese iscerveecesi 9
Death of Mumtaz Mahal and Temporary Burial at Burhanput...............se000 11
Pirse Rosewater Festivalshollowing Death, 1 cscs..cuercerrset ismeccescent te ers4 0
aaaiead sBoddy o f Mumtaz Mahal Taken to Akbarabad for Burial, and Return of
Prince Slian siijacand Others to Burhanput cece see ter erect eee 41
First 'Urs Held at the Foundations of the New Tomb ..............sescssesesesesseseseeseees 47
No
Second 'Urs, and Temporary Installation of Gold Railing Surrounding
MEN CT AVC aac Bossi seas cee daedeseochcashod eh sacatertucdet hee areata Cee eee 51
Mention of Third "Urs, Prior to Royal Excursion to Kashmir..........essecsseseseeees 55
JST CINERO n 4B |n se barat revere ai 0 ceta ae eee De ep Baryr ah ty AeA nro Rhee decir eiicececn 5
10. Mention of Death of Mumtaz Mahal as Reason for Bypass of Burhanpur.......59
1G RoyalsVisit to the Lomb before the Sixth U1s 2x. c.-..crsssstesortecootetetestaeresteoonensgesteeet 60
EZ. Ey ABAD Bee ele A sti ee epee erep enrne ee yh re Ayr et See ar Arcee end6 1
13. Royal Award to Amanat Khan for Executing Calligraphy inside Tomb............ 62
14. Re ALLENS CS meet yter cea ca tera eee de auenei ccetemaiayc uate ectaras accautents evieaseueeroes teense eee 63
i5; Twelfth 'Urs, and Detailed Description of the Recently Completed
ETT CLC K pcetece eset coerce ccectattncgssanecesteurery(Meeebtetrqheoesct iennteerns etcrsirtsd wicreede: Tsa te6 5
16. BURR LUNI OS rey ccd cg csc asaesa cts ooseescesitinsqscneata tac sas ee Gasreanvaivesecad sasaasteugede aden gre eCLeGs 123
Ly; MULEG U 6 acts ea ducenadsastaces tesvestotscepsncechaConnttc onscntussvaentcaeircatrsssereorevtetreaytresgvieec e 124
18. Death of Satti al-Nisa Khanam, and Burial in the Tomb Forecourt................ 125
19; Grant of Funds from the Tomb Treasury to Abu Sa'id, Grandson
Mis ARNTA Pe AE eet es cence canta asses nsds cite eth aatepaehbeoxasesentnnaset sancexceess : 133
20. Grant of Funds from the Tomb Treasury to Prince Murad Bakhsh.................. 134
Zi, Royal Visit to the Tomb during an Excursion to Agra to Inspect the
INS le Ose eaSICe (HE POLL... .<...sctcsvecscorstessaparnetnesacnseseeewssensavtavnres 135
Vv
TAJ MAHAL: THE ILLUMINED TOMB
22: Death of Agah Khan, Trustee of the Tomb, and Appointment of
Mahram Khan as New Truste@ini cr rec-sccsesserscesssscescesvent eeteremecierrersee sara e! 136
Piee Mentions of the Costs of the Tomb and Other Constructions.............ssssesseeeee 137
24. Death and Burial-of Shah Jahan ick pcsscctescesctescsssecscssessecereeee RL ener 141
PART II
THE TAJ MAHAL IN MUGHAL DOCUMENTS
Ze Royal Farman to Raja Jai Singh, dated 28 Shariwar, Fifth Regnal Year........ 163
26. Royal Farman to Raja Jai Singh, dated 15 Bahman, Fifth Regnal Year......... 165
ai Copy of Royal Farman to Raja Jai Singh, dated 26 Jumada II 1043,
DINGIIMINCOIIAIEY CAT crecesretecserarttnea tstecttraetecre:u renrtcstecctecreesa rctveeceacntaaserseteirs atscea e?1 69
28. Royal Farman to Raja Jai Singh, dated 7 Safar 1047, Tenth
RY SOa NYT a(2 0:| See Mp nat ae Pe riei re, ie edit Bron Pr enes cey prelate, Ao 173
29. Letter to Shah Jahan from Prince Aurangzeb, dated 8 Muharram 1063,
Mise meyesixt MR CON AVERT wire, conccoceticcecncce teeta tesarersesrcecttaa tcereer caecreere tree s 175
30. Hukm of Queen Mumtaz Mahal, dated 16 Mihr, First Regnal Year............... 179
31. Nishan of Princess Jahanara, dated 19 Mihr, Fifth Regnal Year..................06 181
a2: Transcript of Wagf Document for Wazir Khan's Mosque at Lahore,
ato mele otiaZ a tl OS lis fer cst ease nce ec ee ee 183
PART III
THE INSCRIPTIONS ON THE TAJ MAHAL
25. PE CREES EOLICAINIESCHI PLOTS prrcisssaccisteee ee, fectec eet ras tates begs ons Conds evsarseia Beatie cores 187
34. SCM ATI CHSASCTIP CONS cr, fcsssvecetsescessessssineceessseis:e cetaieseeeae steunscee dacee ensRets 195
PART IV
THE CALLIGRAPHER AMANAT KHAN
Se References to Amanat Khan in Mughal Histories..............ccccscssssssssssssssssseeseeees 247
30, Architectural Calligraphy by Amanat Khan on Other Monumente.................. 251
PART V
THE ARCHITECT OF THE TAJ MAHAL AND SUPERVISORS OF
CONSTRUCTION
SI The Architect of the Taj Mahal, Ustad Ahmad Lahori........eeseseeseseceesecees 261